1 Ityeya kaYehova yaba semhlabeni wamaFilisti iinyanga ezisixhenxe.
2 AmaFilisti abiza ababingeleli nabavumisi, esithi, Síyithini na ityeya kaYehova? Saziseni into esingayigodusa nayo, iye endaweni yayo.
3 Bathi, Ukuba iyagoduswa ityeya yoThixo kaSirayeli, musani ukuyigodusa ilambatha; ukuyibuyisela kuye, noyibuyisela inedini letyala. Niya kuphiliswa; kuya kwandula ukwazeka kuni, ukuba bekungàni na ukuba isandla sakhe singesuki kuni.
4 Athi, Linyintoni na idini letyala esolibuyisela kuye? Bathi, Lingamathumba egolide amahlanu, neempuku zegolide ezintlanu, ngokwenani lezikhulu zamaFilisti; ngokuba sinye isibetho kuni nonke, nakwizikhulu zenu.
5 Ize niyenze imifanekiso yamathumba enu, nemifanekiso yeempuku zenu ezilonakalisayo ilizwe, nimzukise uThixo kaSirayeli; mhlawumbi wosenza lula isandla sakhe kuni, nakoothixo benu, nakwilizwe lenu.
6 Yini na ukuba niziqaqadekise iintliziyo zenu, njengokuba aziqaqadekisáyo iintliziyo zawo amaYiputa noFaro? Àkuthanga na, ákuzenza izenzo ezincamisayo kuwo, amaYiputa awandulula amaSirayeli, emka ke?
7 Thabathani ngoko, nenze inqwelo entsha, nithabathe iimazi ezimbini ezintsha ezanyisayo, ezingazanga zibekwe dyokhwe, nizibophe enqwelweni, niwanqande amathole azo kuzo, aye ekhaya.
8 Noyithabatha ke ityeya kaYehova, niyibeke enqwelweni; neempahla zegolide enizibuyisela kuye, ezilidini letyala, nizibeke etyeyeni ecaleni layo, niyindulule ihambe.
9 Nize nikhangele: ukuba ithe yenyuka ngendlela yomda wayo, yaya eBhete-shemeshe, woba nguye osenzele obu bubi bukhulu; ke ukuba kuthe akwabo njalo, sòthi sazi ukuba àsibethwe sisandla sakhe, sihlelwe sisihlo.
10 Enjenjalo amadoda; athabatha iimazi ezintsha ezanyisayo zambini, azibopha enqwelweni, awavalela amathole azo ekhaya.
11 Ayibeka ityeya kaYehova enqwelweni, netyeya ineempuku zegolide nemifanekiso yamathumba awo.
12 Iimazi ezintsha zathi ngqo ngendlela, ngendlela yaseBhete-shemeshe, zahamba ngomendo, zihamba zinxakama, àzanxaxhela ekunene nasekholo; izikhulu zamaFilisti zizilandela, zada zaya emdeni waseBhete-shemeshe.
13 AbaseBhete-shemeshe babevuna ingqolowa entilini; bawaphakamisa amehlo abo, bayibona ityeya, bavuya bakuyibona.
14 Inqwelo yafika entsimini kaYoshuwa waseBhete-shemeshe, yema khona.Bekukho ilitye elikhulu khona. Bayicanda imithi yenqwelo, bazinyusa iimazi ezintsha ezo zalidini elinyukayo kuYehova.
15 AbaLevi bayithula ityeya kaYehova, netyeya ebinayo inempahla yegolide, bazibeka elityeni elo likhulu. Amadoda aseBhete-shemeshe ke anyusa amadini anyukayo, abingelela imibingelelo ngaloo mini kuYehova.
16 Zabona izikhulu ezihlanu zamaFilisti, zabuyela e-Ekron kwangaloo mini.
17 Ngawo la amathumba egolide awawabuyiselayo amaFilisti kuYehova, alidini letyala: elaseAshdode lalilinye, elaseGaza lalilinye, elaseAshkelon lalilinye, elaseGati lalilinye, elase-Ekron lalilinye;
18 kunye neempuku zegolide ngokwenani lemizi yonke yamaFilisti yezikhulu ezihlanu, kuthabathela emizini enqatyisiweyo, kuse kwimizana yabasemaphandleni; kuse etyeni elikhulu, abayimisa kulo ityeya kaYehova, lilingqina unanamhla entsimini kaYoshuwa waseBhete-shemeshe.
19 Wabetha emadodeni aseBhete-shemeshe, ngokuba ayikhangakhangelayo ityeya kaYehova; wabulala ebantwini abo amadoda angamashumi asixhenxe emadodeni angamawaka angamashumi amahlanu. Benza isijwili abantu, ngokuba uYehova ebabulele abantu ngobulalo olukhulu.
20 Athi amadoda aseBhete-shemeshe, Ngubani na onako ukuma phambi koYehova, lo Thixo uyingcwele? Uya kunyuka aye kubani na, ukusuka kwakhe kuthi?
21 Athuma abathunywa kubemi baseKiriyati-yeharim, esithi, AmaFilisti ayibuyisile ityeya kaYehova; yihlani, nize kuyinyusela kuni.