Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli
6 Ibhokisi+ likaJehova lahlala elizweni lamaFilisti okwezinyanga eziyisikhombisa. 2 AmaFilisti abiza abaphristi lezangoma+ abuza athi: “Senzeni ngebhokisi likaJehova? Sicela lisitshele ukuthi singalibuyisela njani endaweni yalo.” 3 Baphendula bathi: “Nxa selibuyisela ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaJehova uNkulunkulu wabako-Israyeli, kumele lilibuyisele lilomnikelo. Kumele linike uNkulunkulu umnikelo wecala.+ Nxa lingenza njalo, lizasila futhi lizakwazi ukuthi kungani ubelokhu elijezisa.” 4 Ngakho amaFilisti abuza athi: “Yiwuphi umnikelo wecala esingamnika wona?” Bona bathi: “Kumele limnike umnikelo ohambelana lenani lamakhosi amaFilisti.+ Thumelani izithombe zamathumba ezinhlanu ezenziwe ngegolide lezithombe zamagundwane ezinhlanu ezenziwe ngegolide ngoba lonke lehlelwe luhlupho olufananayo njalo lwehlele lamakhosi enu. 5 Kumele lenze izithombe zamathumba enu lezamagundwane+ adala umonakalo elizweni lenu njalo kumele limhloniphe uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. Lingenza njalo, mhlawumbe uzakuma ukulijezisa lina lonkulunkulu wenu kanye lelizwe lenu.+ 6 Kungani lisenza inhliziyo zenu zibe lukhuni njengalokho okwenziwa nguFaro labaseGibhithe?+ Wabajezisa kabuhlungu+ baze bacina betshela ama-Israyeli ukuthi ahambe, yikho asuka ahamba.+ 7 Lina yenzani inqola entsha, lithathe amankomokazi amabili alamathole futhi angakaze abotshwe, beseliwabopha enqoleni. Kodwa likhethe amathole liwabuyisele ngekhaya. 8 Thathani ibhokisi likaJehova lilifake phakathi kwenqola, besekusithi eceleni kwalo lifake ibhokisi elilezithombe zegolide elizazithumela kuNkulunkulu ukuthi zibe ngumnikelo wecala,+ beseliyekela inqola ihambe, 9 lina libukele. Nxa ingahamba ngomgwaqo oya eBhethi-shemeshi+ iqonde endaweni lapho ibhokisi eligcinwa khona, uNkulunkulu wabako-Israyeli nguye oyabe esehlisele ububi bonke lobu. Kodwa nxa ingaqondanga khona sizakwazi ukuthi ayisuye obesijezisa kodwa kwenzakale ngengozi nje.”
10 Abantu benza njalo. Bathatha amankomokazi amabili ayelamathole bawabopha enqoleni. Kodwa amathole bahamba bayawavalela esibayeni. 11 Bafaka ibhokisi likaJehova enqoleni kanye lebhokisi elalilezithombe zamagundwane ezenziwe ngegolide lezithombe zamathumba ezenziwe ngegolide. 12 Amankomokazi ahamba ngomgwaqo owawuqonda eBhethi-shemeshi.+ Aqhubeka ehamba ngomgwaqo lo omkhulu, ehamba ebhonsa. Awazange aphendukele esandleni sokudla loba kwesenxele. Wonke amakhosi amaFilisti ayelandela emuva aze ayafika emngceleni weBhethi-shemeshi. 13 Abantu beBhethi-shemeshi babevuna ingqoloyi emagcekeni. Bathi besithi mehlo suka babona ibhokisi lesivumelwano, bathokoza kakhulu. 14 Inqola yafika yama ensimini kaJoshuwa weBhethi-shemeshi eduze kwelitshe elikhulu. Baqumaquma amapulanka enqola benza inkuni, basebenikela kuJehova ngamankomokazi+ aba ngumnikelo wokutshiswa.
15 AmaLevi+ ehlisa ibhokisi likaJehova lebhokisi elalilezithombe zegolide, asebeka amabhokisi la elitsheni elikhulu elalikhonapho. Ngalelolanga abantu beBhethi-shemeshi+ banikela kuJehova iminikelo yokutshiswa benza lemihlatshelo.
16 Amakhosi amahlanu amaFilisti athi ekubona lokho ahle abuyela e-Ekhroni ngalelolanga. 17 Nanzi izithombe zamathumba ezazenziwe ngegolide ezathunyelwa ngamaFilisti ukuthi ziyekuba ngumnikelo wecala kuJehova:+ Kwakulese-Ashidodi,+ leseGaza, lese-Ashikheloni, leseGathi,+ lese-Ekhroni.+ 18 Inani lezithombe zamagundwane ezazenziwe ngegolide lalilingana lenani lawo wonke amadolobho ayengawamakhosi amahlanu amaFilisti. Inani leli laligoqela amadolobho abiyelwe ngemiduli emikhulu kanye lezigaba ezisemaphandleni.
Idwala elikhulu elisensimini kaJoshuwa weBhethi-shemeshi ababeka kulo ibhokisi likaJehova lilokhu liyisikhumbuzo kuze kube lamuhla. 19 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wababulala abantu beBhethi-shemeshi ngenxa yokuthi babekhangele ibhokisi likaJehova. Wabulala abantu abangu-50 070 futhi abantu baqalisa ukulila ngenxa yokuthi uJehova wayebulele abanengi.+ 20 Ngakho abantu beBhethi-shemeshi bathi: “Ngubani ozakuma phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu ongcwele?+ Ngabe uNkulunkulu uyasuka kithi aye kwabanye.”+ 21 Ngakho bathuma izithunywa eKhiriyathi-jeyarimi+ ukuthi ziyetshela abantu balapho zithi: “AmaFilisti aseliphendukisile ibhokisi likaJehova. Buyani lizolithatha.”+