Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
12 Ekugcineni uSamuweli wathi kuwo wonke u-Israyeli: “Ngikwenze konke enikucelile kimi,* nganibekela inkosi ezonibusa. + 2 Manje nansi inkosi eniholayo. *+ Mina sengigugile futhi sengimpunga, amadodana ami nanka kanye nani, + mina nginiholile kusukela ebusheni bami kwaze kwaba namuhla. + 3 Ngilapha phambi kwenu. Uma ninesikhalo ngami sivezeni phambi kukaJehova naphambi kogcotshiwe wakhe: + Ubani engimthathele inkomo noma imbongolo? + Noma ubani engimphambile noma engimhlukumezile? Ubani engamukele kuye isifumbathiso* ukuze ngishalazelele izenzo zakhe? + Uma ekhona ngizombuyisela engikuthathile.” + 4 Baphendula bathi: “Awusiphambanga, awusihlukumezanga, awamukelanga lutho kumuntu.” 5 Ngakho wathi kubo: “UJehova ungufakazi ngokumelene nani, nogcotshiwe wakhe ungufakazi namuhla wokuthi anitholanga lutho eningangisola ngakho.”* Baphendula bathi: “Ungufakazi.”
6 USamuweli wayesethi kubantu: “UJehova, owasebenzisa uMose no-Aroni nowakhipha okhokho benu ezweni laseGibhithe, + ungufakazi. 7 Manje sondelani, ngizonahlulela phambi kukaJehova ngokuqondene nazo zonke izenzo ezilungile uJehova anenzele zona nina nokhokho benu.
8 “Ngemva kokuba uJakobe esefikile eGibhithe + nokhokho benu beqala ukucela usizo kuJehova, + uJehova wathumela uMose + no-Aroni ukuba bahole okhokho benu babakhiphe eGibhithe babalethe kule ndawo ukuba bazohlala kuyo. + 9 Kodwa bamkhohlwa uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, wabathengisa + esandleni sikaSisera + induna yebutho laseHazori nasesandleni samaFilisti + nasesandleni senkosi yakwaMowabi, + balwa nabo. 10 Bacela usizo kuJehova + bathi, ‘Sonile, + ngoba simshiyile uJehova sakhonza oBhali + nemifanekiso ka-Ashitoreti; + manje sicela usikhulule esandleni sezitha zethu ukuze sikukhonze.’ 11 UJehova wathumela uJerubhali, + uBedani, uJefta + noSamuweli + wanikhulula esandleni sezitha zenu nxazonke, ukuze nihlale ngokulondeka. + 12 Lapho nibona ukuthi inkosi yama-Amoni uNahashi + unihlasele, nanilokhu nithi kimi, ‘Sifuna ukuba nenkosi ezosibusa!’ + nakuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu eyiNkosi yenu. + 13 Manje nansi inkosi eniyikhethile, enizicelele yona. UJehova unimisele inkosi ezonibusa. + 14 Uma nizomesaba uJehova + nimkhonze, + nilalele izwi lakhe, + ningadlubulundi emyalweni kaJehova, uma nina nenkosi ezonibusa nizolandela uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, kuhle. 15 Kodwa uma ningalilaleli izwi likaJehova, nidlubulunda emyalweni kaJehova, uJehova uzonijezisa nina kanye noyihlo. + 16 Manje sondelani nizobona into emangalisayo uJehova azoyenza phambi kwamehlo enu. 17 Akusona yini isikhathi sokuvunwa kukakolweni lesi? Ngizothandaza kuJehova ukuba alethe ukuduma nemvula; ngaleyo ndlela nizokwazi, niqonde ukuthi nenze into embi kangakanani emehlweni kaJehova ngokuzicelela inkosi.” +
18 Ngemva kwalokho uSamuweli wathandaza kuJehova, uJehova waletha ukuduma nemvula ngalolo suku, kangangokuthi bonke abantu bamesaba kakhulu uJehova noSamuweli. 19 Bonke abantu bathi kuSamuweli: “Thandazela izinceku zakho + kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, ngoba asifuni ukufa, ngoba senezele obunye ububi kuzo zonke izono zethu ngokucela inkosi.”
20 Ngakho uSamuweli wathi kubantu: “Ningesabi. Nibenzile ngempela bonke lobu bubi. Kuphela nje ningaphambuki ekulandeleni uJehova, + kumele nikhonze uJehova ngayo yonke inhliziyo yenu. + 21 Ningaphambuki nilandele izinto eziyize, *+ ezingasizi ngalutho + nezingakwazi ukusindisa, ngoba ziyize.* 22 Ngenxa yegama lakhe elikhulu, + uJehova ngeke abashiye abantu bakhe, + ngoba uJehova uzikhethele yena ukuba anenze abantu bakhe. + 23 Kodwa mina, kuyinto engacabangeki ukuba ngone kuJehova ngokuyeka ukunithandazela, ngizoqhubeka nginifundisa okuhle nokulungile. 24 Kuphela yesabani uJehova + nimkhonze ngokwethembeka* ngenhliziyo yenu yonke, ngoba bhekani izinto ezinkulu anenzele zona. + 25 Kodwa uma nenza ububi obushaqisayo ingcaca, + niyokhukhulwa, nina nenkosi yenu.” +