Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
10 Ngoko uSamuweli wathatha ioli ekwiselwa wayigalela entloko kuSawule.+ Wamphuza* waza wathi: “UYehova akakuthambisanga na ukuba ube yinkokheli+ phezu kwelifa lakhe?+ 2 Xa sisahlukana namhlanje, uza kudibana namadoda amabini kufutshane nengcwaba likaRakeli+ kummandla wakwaBhenjamin eZelza. Aza kuthi kuwe, ‘Iidonki obuye kuzikhangela zifunyenwe, kodwa ngoku utata wakho ulibele ngeedonki+ kuba uxhalele nina. Uthi: “Ndiza kuyithini ke ngoku le yokuba unyana wam engabuyanga?”’ 3 Uze uhambe de uyokufika kumthi omkhulu weTabhore, yaye apho uza kudibana namadoda amathathu esenyuka esiya kuThixo wokwenene eBheteli.+ Enye iza kube ithwele amatakane ebhokhwe amathathu, enye iphethe izonka ezithathu nenye iphethe ingqayi enkulu yewayini. 4 Aza kubuza impilo aze akunike izonka ezibini, ibe wena umele uzithathe ezo zonka. 5 Emva koko uza kufika endulini kaThixo wokwenene, apho kukho umkhosi wamaFilisti. Xa ufika esixekweni uza kudibana neqela labaprofeti besihla bevela kwindawo ephakamileyo, yaye phambi kwabo kuza kudlalwa umrhubhe, igubu, ifleyiti nohadi, ngoxa beprofeta. 6 Umoya kaYehova uza kukunika amandla,+ yaye uza kuprofeta kunye nabo uze utshintshe ube ngomnye umntu.+ 7 Xa zenzekile ezi zinto, uze uwenze umsebenzi wakho ngamandla akho onke, kuba uThixo wokwenene unawe. 8 Emva koko uze wehle kuqala kunam uye eGiligali,+ nam ndiza kwehla ndize kuwe ukuze ndenze imibingelelo etshiswayo neyobuhlobo. Ufanele ulinde iintsuku ezisixhenxe de ndize kuwe. Emva koko ndiza kukuxelela into omele uyenze.”
9 Wathi nje akujika uSawule eshiya uSamuweli, uThixo wayitshintsha intliziyo yakhe yaba yeyomnye umntu, yaye zonke ezi zinto zenzeka ngaloo mini. 10 Bemka apho baya endulini, yaye wadibana neqela labaprofeti. Ngoko nangoko umoya kaThixo wamnika amandla,+ waza waqalisa ukuprofeta+ kunye nabo. 11 Xa abo babemazi bambona eprofeta kunye nabaprofeti, babuzana: “Kwenzeke ntoni kunyana kaKishe? NoSawule na ngumprofeti?” 12 Enye indoda apho yathi: “Tyhini, ngoobani ootata babo?” Ngoko kwabakho intetho ethi:* “NoSawule na ngumprofeti?”+
13 Akugqiba ukuprofeta, weza endaweni ephakamileyo. 14 Umntakwabotata kaSawule wathi kuye nesicaka sakhe: “Beniye phi?” Wathi ke yena: “Besiye kukhangela iidonki,+ kodwa asizifumananga, ngoko siye saya kuSamuweli.” 15 Umntakwabotata kaSawule wathi: “Khanitsho, utheni kuni?” 16 USawule wathi: “Uthe zifunyenwe iidonki.” Kodwa uSawule zange awuphathe umba wobukumkani owawuthethwe nguSamuweli.
17 Emva koko, uSamuweli wababizela ndawonye abantu kuYehova eMizpa,+ 18 wathi kumaSirayeli: “Uthi uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli: ‘Ndim owanyusa uSirayeli ndimkhupha eYiputa nowanihlangulayo esandleni seYiputa+ nasesandleni sazo zonke izizwe ezazinicinezela. 19 Kodwa namhlanje nimlahlile uThixo wenu,+ owayenguMsindisi wenu kubo bonke ububi nakwintlungu enanikuyo, naza nathi: “Hayi, kodwa ufanele ubeke ukumkani phezu kwethu.” Ngoku ke yimani phambi koYehova ngokwezizwe nangokwamawaka enu.’”*
20 Ngoko uSamuweli wazisondeza zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli,+ kwaza kwakhethwa isizwe sakwaBhenjamin.+ 21 Emva koko wasondeza isizwe sakwaBhenjamin ngokweentsapho zaso, kwaza kwakhethwa intsapho yamaMatri. Ekugqibeleni kwakhethwa uSawule unyana kaKishe.+ Kodwa bathi xa beyokumkhangela, wabe engabonakali ndawo. 22 Ngoko babuza kuYehova:+ “Ngaba sele ifikile apha le ndoda?” UYehova wathi: “Nantsiya, izifihle phakathi kwemithwalo.” 23 Babaleka bayokumthatha. Wathi akuma phakathi kwabantu, bonke babemela emagxeni kuye.+ 24 USamuweli wathi ebantwini: “Niyambona na lowo uYehova amnyulileyo,+ ukuba akukho namnye unjengaye phakathi kwabantu bonke?” Yaye bonke abantu bakhwaza bathi: “Phila ngonaphakade kumkani!”
25 USamuweli waxelela abantu ngezinto anelungelo lazo ukumkani,+ waza wayibhala encwadini wayibeka phambi koYehova. Emva koko uSamuweli wathi abantu mabahambe. Bonke baya ezindlini zabo. 26 NoSawule wagoduka waya eGibheya, ekhatshwa ngamadoda angamakroti uYehova awayechukumise iintliziyo zawo. 27 Kodwa amanye amadoda angoongantweni athi: “Uza kusisindisa njani na lo?”+ Ngoko amdelela, aza akamzisela kwasipho.+ Kodwa yena wazithulela.*