1 USamuweli wathabatha igutyana leoli, wamgalela entloko, wamanga, wathi, Inene, uYehova ukuthambisile ukuba ube yinganga yelifa lakhe.
2 Ekumkeni kwakho kum namhla, uya kufumana amadoda amabini ngasengcwabeni likaRakeli, emdeni wakwaBhenjamin, eTseletsa; aya kuthi kuwe, Zifunyenwe iimazi zamaesile obuye kuzifuna. Yabona, ukuyekile uyihlo ukuthetha ngeemazi zamaesile ezo; unesithukuthezi ngani, esithi, Ndiya kuthini na ngonyana wam.
3 Ugqithile apho, woqhubela phambili, ufike kumoki weTabhore, uhlangane khona namadoda amathathu enyuka esiya kuThixo eBheteli, enye ithwele amatakane amathathu, enye ithwele iintenda zezonka ezithathu, enye ithwele intsuba yewayini.
4 Okubuza ukuphila kwakho, akunike izonka ezibini; uzithabathe ezandleni zawo.
5 Emveni koko uya kufika eGibheha kaThixo, apho kukhoyo ikampu yamaFilisti; kuthi, xa ufikileyo emzini apho, uthane nqiphu negqiza labaprofeti, lisihla livela esigangeni, phambi kwalo ingumrhubhe, nengqongqo, nogwali, nohadi, beprofeta.
6 UMoya kaThixo wokufikela ngamandla, uprofete ndawonye nabo, uguquke ube mntu wumbi.
7 Kothi, xa ithe yafika kuwe loo miqondiso, uzenzele njengoko siya kufumana ngako isandla sakho; ngokuba uThixo unawe;
8 uhle uye phambi kwam eGiligali. Yabona, ndiyehla, ndiza kuwe, ukuze ndinyuse amadini anyukayo, ndibingelele imibingelelo yoxolo. Wolinda imihla esixhenxe ndide ndize kuwe, ndikwazise oko uya kukwenza.
9 Wathi uSawule, akuthi khwitshi ukuba emke kuSamuweli, uThixo wamguqula, wanantliziyo yimbi. Yafika yonke loo miqondiso kwangayo loo mini.
10 Bafika eGibheha apho, nalo igqiza labaprofeti limkhawulela; wamfikela ngamandla uMoya kaThixo, waprofeta phakathi kwabo.
11 Kwathi, bakumbona bonke ababemazi ngaphambili, eprofeta ndawonye nabaprofeti, bathi abantu omnye komnye, Uhliwe yintoni na unyana kaKishe? Ukubaprofeti noSawule na?
12 Waphendula umntu wakhona, wathi, Ngubani na uyise wabo? Ngenxa yoko kwabakho umzekeliso wokuthi, Ukubaprofeti noSawule na?
13 Wagqiba ukuprofeta, waya esigangeni.
14 Wathi uyisekazi kaSawule kuye, nakumfana lowo, Beniye phi na? Wathi, Besifuna iimazi zamaesile; sakubona ukuba asizifumani, saya kuSamuweli.
15 Wathi uyisekazi kaSawule, Khawundixelele ukuba utheni na uSamuweli kuni.
16 Wathi uSawule kuyisekazi, Usixelele ukuba zifunyenwe iimazi zamaesile. Ke ngobukumkani, abethethe ngabo uSamuweli, akamxelelanga nto.
17 Ke kaloku uSamuweli wabahlabela umkhosi abantu;
18 beza kuYehova eMizpa. Wathi koonyana bakaSirayeli, Utsho uYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi, Ndawanyusa mna amaSirayeli eYiputa, ndanihlangula esandleni samaYiputa, nasesandleni sezikumkani zonke ezanixinayo.
19 Namhla ke nimcekisile nina uThixo wenu, owanisindisayo ebubini benu bonke, nasekubandezelweni konke, nathi kuye, Simisele ukumkani phezu kwethu. Kaloku ke zimiseni phambi koYehova ngokwezizwe zenu, nangokwamawaka enu.
20 Wazisondeza ke uSamuweli zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli, kwathatyathwa isizwe sakwaBhenjamin.
21 Wasisondeza isizwe sakwaBhenjamin ngokwemizalwane yaso, kwathatyathwa umzalwane wakwaMatri, kwathatyathwa ke uSawule unyana kaKishe. Bamfuna, abamfumana.
22 Babuya babuza kuYehova, bathi, Uselefikile na umntu? Wathi uYehova, Nanko ezimele yena phantsi kwempahla.
23 Babaleka, bamthabatha apho. Wema phakathi kwabantu, wamde kubantu bonke, ethabathela emagxeni anyuse.
24 Wathi uSamuweli kubantu bonke, Niyambona na lo unyuliweyo nguYehova; ukuba akukho unjengaye ebantwini bonke? Baduma bonke abantu, bathi, Makadle ubomi ukumkani!
25 USamuweli walithetha ebantwini isiko lobukumkani, walibhala encwadini, wayibeka phambi koYehova. USamuweli wabandulula abantu bonke; baya elowo endlwini yakhe.
26 Naye uSawule waya endlwini yakhe eGibheha; lahamba naye iqela elinobukroti, elintliziyo zichukunyisiweyo nguThixo.
27 Ke bona abangamatshijolo bathi, wothini na ukusisindisa lo? Bamdela; abamzisela mnikelo. Yena wanga akeva.