1 Kwathi uSamuweli esemdala, wabeka amadodana akhe abe ngabahluleli phezu kuka-Israyeli.
2 Igama lendodana yakhe eyizibulo lalinguJoweli; igama leyesibili lalingu-Abiya; babe ngabahluleli eBeri Sheba.
3 Amadodana akhe ayengahambi ngezindlela zakhe, kepha aphambukela inzuzo embi, athengwa ngemivuzo, aphendukezela izahlulelo.
4 Kwabuthana onke amalunga akwa-Israyeli, aya kuSamuweli eRama;
5 athi kuye: “Bheka, usumdala, amadodana akho awahambi ngezindlela zakho; sibekele inkosi ukuba isahlulele njengezizwe zonke.”
6 Kepha leyo nto yaba mbi emehlweni kaSamuweli, lapho bethi: “Siphe inkosi ukuba isahlulele.” USamuweli wayesekhuleka kuJehova.
7 UJehova wathi kuSamuweli: “Lalela izwi labantu kukho konke abakushoyo kuwe, ngokuba akusuwe abakulahlileyo, kepha balahle mina, ukuze ngingabi yinkosi phezu kwabo.
8 Njengemisebenzi yonke abayenzileyo, kusukela osukwini engabakhuphula ngalo eGibithe kuze kube namuhla, bangishiya bekhonza abanye onkulunkulu, benze njalo nakuwe.
9 Manje lalela izwi labo, ugamele nokugamela kubo kuphela, ubatshele amalungelo enkosi eyakubusa phezu kwabo.”
10 USamuweli wabatshela abantu abacela kuye inkosi onke amazwi kaJehova.
11 Wathi: “Nanka amalungelo enkosi eyakubusa phezu kwenu: iyakuthatha amadodana enu, izibekele wona ezinqoleni zayo nasemahhashini ayo, agijime phambi kwezinqola zayo;
12 iyakuzibekela wona abe yizinduna zezinkulungwane nezinduna zamashumi ayisihlanu, alime umhlabathi wayo, avune isivuno sayo, enze izikhali zayo zokulwa nempahla yezinqola zayo.
13 Iyakuthatha amadodakazi enu abe ngabathaki, nabapheki, nabaphekizinkwa.
14 Iyakuthatha amasimu enu, nezivini zenu, neminqumo yenu emihle, ikunike izinceku zayo.
15 Iyakuthatha okweshumi kwembewu yenu nokwesivini senu, ikunike izinduna zayo nezinceku zayo.
16 Iyakuthatha izinceku zenu, nezincekukazi zenu, nezinsizwa zenu ezinhle, nezimbongolo zenu, izenze ukuba zisebenze imisebenzi yayo.
17 Iyakuthatha okweshumi kwezimvu zenu, nibe yizinceku zayo.
18 Niyakukhala ngalolo suku ngenxa yenkosi yenu, eniyakube nizikhethele yona; kepha uJehova akayikuniphendula ngalolo suku.”
19 Kepha abantu bala ukulalela izwi likaSamuweli, bathi: “Hhayi, sifuna ukuba kube khona inkosi phezu kwethu,
20 ukuze nathi sibe njengezizwe zonke, inkosi yethu isahlulele, iphume phambi kwethu, ilwe izimpi zethu.”
21 USamuweli wezwa onke amazwi abantu, wawalanda ezindlebeni zikaJehova.
22 UJehova wathi kuSamuweli: “Lalela izwi labo, ubanike inkosi.”USamuweli wathi kubantu bakwa-Israyeli: “Hambani niye, kube yilowo nalowo emzini wakini.”