Eyokuqala KaSamuweli 6:1-21
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AmaFilisti abuyisela iTyeya kwaSirayeli (1-21)
6 ITyeya+ kaYehova yaba semhlabeni wamaFilisti iinyanga ezisixhenxe.
2 AmaFilisti abiza ababingeleli nabavumisi,+ ababuza athi: “Senze ntoni ngeTyeya kaYehova? Sixeleleni indlela esimele siyibuyisele ngayo endaweni yayo.”
3 Baphendula bathi: “Ukuba niyayisusa apha ityeya yesivumelwano kaYehova uThixo kaSirayeli, mayingagoduswa ngaphandle komnikelo. Nifanele nakanjani na niyibuyisele kuye ihamba nomnikelo wetyala.+ Niza kuphiliswa kuphela xa niyenzile loo nto, yaye niza kutsho nazi ukuba kutheni le nto esanohlwaya nangoku.”
4 Athi ke wona: “Uyintoni umnikelo wetyala esifanele siwuthumele kuye?” Bathi bona: “Ngokwenani leenkosi zamaFilisti,+ thumelani amathumba eempundu egolide abe mahlanu, kunye neempuku zegolide ezintlanu, kuba nibethwe ngesibetho esifanayo xa ninonke neenkosi zenu.
5 Nifanele nenze imifanekiso yamathumba enu angaphakathi ezimpundu, naweempuku zenu+ ezilonakalisayo ilizwe yaye nimele nimzukise uThixo kaSirayeli. Mhlawumbi uza kusenza khaphukhaphu isandla sakhe esiphezu kwenu nothixo wenu nelizwe lenu.+
6 Kutheni na nifanele nizenze lukhuni iintliziyo zenu njengokuba iYiputa noFaro bazenza lukhuni iintliziyo zabo?+ Xa wabaphatha ngenkohlakalo,+ kwanyanzeleka bathi mawahambe amaSirayeli, yaye ahamba.+
7 Yenzani inqwelo nize nithathe neemazi zeenkomo ezimbini ezinamathole, ezingazange zabotshwa. Yaye nimele nizibophelele enqwelweni, kodwa wona amathole niwabuyisele ekhaya, angazilandeli.
8 Nimele niyithathe iTyeya kaYehova niyikhwelise kuloo nqwelo, nifake nezinto zegolide enizithumela njengomnikelo wetyala ebhokisini, niyibeke ecaleni kwayo.+ Emva koko yiyekeni ihambe
9 nize niyibukele: Ukuba iye yonyuka ngendlela eya kummandla wakowayo, eBhete-shemeshe,+ nguye ke owenze obu bubi bukhulu kuthi. Kodwa ukuba ayiyenzanga loo nto, siza kuqonda ukuba asibethwanga sisandla sakhe, kunoko yonke le nto isehleleyo izenzekele.”
10 Enza kanye loo nto la madoda. Athatha iimazi zeenkomo ezimbini ezinamathole aza azibophelela enqwelweni, wona amathole awavalela ekhaya.
11 Ayikhwelisa enqwelweni iTyeya kaYehova, kunye nebhokisi eneempuku zegolide nemifanekiso yamathumba eempundu.
12 Ezo nkomo zaya ngqo phambili zihamba ngendlela eya eBhete-shemeshe.+ Zahamba ngohola wendlela omnye, zihamba zikhala. Azizange zijike ziye ekunene okanye ekhohlo. Ngelo xesha iinkosi zamaFilisti zazihamba emva kwazo, zada zaya kufika kumda waseBhete-shemeshe.
13 Abantu baseBhete-shemeshe babevuna ingqolowa entlanjeni.* Xa baphakamisa amehlo baza bayibona iTyeya, bavuya kakhulu.
14 Le nqwelo yafika entsimini kaYoshuwa umBhete-sheme yaza yema apho, ecaleni kwelitye elikhulu. Bawacanda amaplanga enqwelo baza benzela uYehova umnikelo otshiswayo ngezo nkomo.+
15 AbaLevi+ bayothula iTyeya kaYehova nebhokisi eyayikunye nayo, ekwakukho kuyo izinto zegolide, bayibeka phezu kwelitye elikhulu. Amadoda aseBhete-shemeshe+ anikela iminikelo etshiswayo, yaye amenzela imibingelelo uYehova ngaloo mini.
16 Zathi zakuyibona yonke loo nto iinkosi ezintlanu zamaFilisti, zabuyela e-Ekron ngaloo mini.
17 La ngamathumba eempundu egolide awayethunyelwe ngamaFilisti njengomnikelo wetyala kuYehova:+ elaseAshdode,+ elaseGaza, elaseAshkelon, elaseGati+ nelase-Ekron.+
18 Zona iimpuku zegolide zazilingana nenani lazo zonke izixeko zamaFilisti zeenkosi ezintlanu, kokubini izixeko ezikhuselekileyo kunye needolophana ezikwilizwe elivulekileyo.
Nelitye elikhulu eyabekwa phezu kwalo iTyeya kaYehova, lilingqina kude kube yile mini entsimini kaYoshuwa umBhete-sheme.
19 Kodwa uThixo wabaxabela abantu baseBhete-shemeshe, kuba baye bayijonga iTyeya kaYehova. Waxabela abantu abayi-50 070,* baza abantu baqalisa ukuzila kuba uYehova wayexabele wabulala abantu abaninzi kakhulu.+
20 Ngoko amadoda aseBhete-shemeshe athi: “Ngubani oza kukwazi ukumelana noYehova, lo Thixo ungcwele,+ yaye uza kuya kubani ukumka kwakhe kuthi?”+
21 Athumela abathunywa kubemi baseKiriyati-yarim,+ esithi: “AmaFilisti ayibuyisile iTyeya kaYehova. Yihlani nizokuyithatha.”+
