Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli
12 Ekucineni uSamuyeli wakhuluma labantu bonke bako-Israyeli wathi: “Sengikwenzile konke elikucelileyo,* ngabeka inkosi ezalibusa.+ 2 Nansi inkosi ezalikhokhela!*+ Mina sengiluphele, lenwele sezimhlophe futhi amadodana ami akhona phakathi kwenu.+ Ngilikhokhele kusukela ngisesemutsha kwaze kwaba lamuhla.+ 3 Njengoba ngilapha, ngicela lifakaze phambi kukaJehova logcotshiweyo wakhe:+ Ngubani engake ngamthathela inkomo loba ubabhemi wakhe?+ Ngubani engamthathela impahla yakhe kumbe engake ngamcindezela? Ngubani owake wangifumbathisa ukuze ngahlulele kubi?+ Nxa kuyikuthi lokhu ngakwenza ngizalibuyisela izinto zenu.”+ 4 Abantu baphendula bathi: “Awuzange usithathele impahla yethu futhi awuzange usicindezele njalo wawungavumi ngitsho lokufunjathiswa.” 5 Ngakho wathi kubo: “UJehova ungufakazi kini, logcotshiweyo wakhe ungufakazi lamuhla wokuthi akulalutho engalwenzayo elingangisola ngalo.” Bona baphendula bathi: “Ye ungufakazi.”
6 USamuyeli wasesithi ebantwini: “UJehova owasebenzisa uMosi lo-Aroni futhi owakhipha okhokho benu elizweni laseGibhithe+ ungufakazi. 7 Khathesi sondelani lapha ngilahlulele phambi kukaJehova ngenxa yakho konke okuhle uJehova akwenzela okhokho benu kanye lani.
8 “UJakhobe wasuka waya eGibhithe.+ Ngemva kwesikhathi okhokho benu baqalisa ukubiza uJehova becela uncedo.+ UJehova wahle wathuma uMosi+ lo-Aroni ukuthi babakhokhele babakhiphe eGibhithe bazobahlalisa endaweni le.+ 9 Kodwa bamkhohlwa uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, wasebanikela+ esandleni sikaSisera+ owayeyinduna yebutho laseHazori. Wabanikela lasesandleni samaFilisti+ lasenkosini yakoMowabi+ futhi balwa labo. 10 Babiza uJehova becela uncedo+ bathi, ‘Sonile+ ngoba sitshiye uJehova sakhonza izithombe zikaBhali+ lezika-Ashithorethi.+ Ngakho sicela usikhulule esandleni sezitha zethu ukuze sikukhonze.’ 11 UJehova wasethuma uJerubhali,+ loBhedani, loJeftha,+ loSamuyeli+ balikhulula ezitheni zonke ezaziligombolozele ukuze lihlale livikelekile.+ 12 Lanxa uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu eyiNkosi yenu,+ lina lathi libona uNahashi+ inkosi yama-Amoni esezolihlasela laqhubeka lisithi kimi, ‘Hatshi, thina sizimisele ukuthi sibe lenkosi ezasibusa!’+ 13 Nansi inkosi elaliyifuna, leyo elayicelayo. UJehova usebeke inkosi ezalibusa.+ 14 Nxa kuyikuthi lizamesaba uJehova+ limkhonze,+ lilalele lelizwi lakhe+ njalo lina lenkosi yenu elibusayo lilandele uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, lingahlamuki emthethweni kaJehova, kulungile. 15 Kodwa nxa lingayekela ukulalela ilizwi likaJehova njalo litshiye umthetho kaJehova, uJehova uzalijezisa lina laboyihlo.+ 16 Ngakho sukumani libone isimanga uJehova azasenza phambi kwamehlo enu. 17 Kanti lamuhla ayisilolanga lokuvuna ingqoloyi yini? Ngizabiza uJehova ngimcele enze kube lomdumo njalo kune izulu. Lapho-ke lizakwazi njalo lizwisise ukuthi lenze into embi kakhulu phambi kukaJehova ngokucela inkosi ezalibusa.”+
18 Ngakho uSamuyeli wabiza uJehova, uJehova wenza kwaba lomdumo futhi izulu lana ngalelolanga. Yikho abantu bonke bamesaba kakhulu uJehova loSamuyeli. 19 Bathi kuSamuyeli: “Thandazela izinceku zakho kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho+ ngoba asifuni ukufa. Singezelele izono zethu, senza into embi ngokucela inkosi.”
20 Ngakho uSamuyeli wathi ebantwini: “Lingesabi. Okubi likwenzile sibili, kodwa lingamtshiyi uJehova.+ Mkhonzeni ngenhliziyo yonke uJehova.+ 21 Lingaphambuki beselilandela onkulunkulu bamanga+ abangelancedo+ njalo abangeke balilamulele ngoba bayiziphamaso. 22 UJehova kasoze abalahle abantu bakhe+ ngenxa yebizo lakhe elikhulu.+ UJehova ukhethe ukuthi alenze libe ngabantu bakhe.+ 23 Mina angisoze ngone kuJehova ngokuyekela ukulithandazela. Ngizaqhubeka ngilifundisa indlela elungileyo leqondileyo. 24 Lina yesabani uJehova+ limkhonze ngenhliziyo yonke lithembekile,* licabange izinto ezimangalisayo alenzele zona.+ 25 Kodwa lingaphikelela lisenza okubi, lina lenkosi yenu+ lizathanyelwa liphele du.”+