1 Ityeya kaYehova yaba semhlabeni wamaFilisti iinyanga ezisixhenxe.
2 AmaFilisti abiza ababingeleli nabavumisi, esithi, Siyithini na ityeya kaYehova? Saziseni into esingayigodusa nayo, iye endaweni yayo.
3 Bathi, Ukuba iyagoduswa ityeya yoThixo kaSirayeli, musani ukuyigodusa ilambatha; ukuyibuyisela kuye, noyibuyisela inedini letyala. Niya kuphiliswa; kuya kwandula ukwazeka kuni, ukuba bekungani na ukuba isandla sakhe singesuki kuni.
4 Athi, Liyintoni na idini letyala esolibuyisela kuye? Bathi, Lingamathumba egolide amahlanu, neempuku zegolide ezintlanu, ngokwenani lezikhulu zamaFilisti; ngokuba sinye isibetho kuni nonke, nakwizikhulu zenu.
5 Ize niyenze imifanekiso yamathumba enu, nemifanekiso yeempuku zenu ezilonakalisayo ilizwe, nimzukise uThixo kaSirayeli; mhlawumbi wosenza lula isandla sakhe kuni, nakoothixo benu, nakwilizwe lenu.
6 Yini na ukuba niziqaqadekise iintliziyo zenu, njengokuba aziqaqadekisayo iintliziyo zawo amaYiputa noFaro? Akuthanga na, akuzenza izenzo ezincamisayo kuwo, amaYiputa awandulula amaSirayeli, emka ke?
7 Thabathani ngoko, nenze inqwelo entsha, nithabathe iimazi ezimbini ezintsha ezanyisayo, ezingazanga zibekwe dyokhwe, nizibophe enqwelweni, niwanqande amathole azo kuzo, aye ekhaya.
8 Noyithabatha ke ityeya kaYehova, niyibeke enqwelweni; neempahla zegolide enizibuyisela kuye, ezilidini letyala, nizibeke etyeyeni ecaleni layo, niyindulule ihambe.
9 Nize nikhangele: ukuba ithe yenyuka ngendlela yomda wayo, yaya eBhete-shemeshe, woba nguye osenzele obu bubi bukhulu; ke ukuba kuthe akwabo njalo, sothi sazi ukuba asibethwe sisandla sakhe, sihlelwe sisihlo.
10 Enjenjalo amadoda; athabatha iimazi ezintsha ezanyisayo zambini, azibopha enqwelweni, awavalela amathole azo ekhaya.
11 Ayibeka ityeya kaYehova enqwelweni, netyeya ineempuku zegolide nemifanekiso yamathumba awo.
12 Iimazi ezintsha zathi ngqo ngendlela, ngendlela yaseBhete-shemeshe, zahamba ngomendo, zihamba zinxakama, azanxaxhela ekunene nasekholo; izikhulu zamaFilisti zizilandela, zada zaya emdeni waseBhete-shemeshe.
13 AbaseBhete-shemeshe babevuna ingqolowa entilini; bawaphakamisa amehlo abo, bayibona ityeya, bavuya bakuyibona.
14 Inqwelo yafika entsimini kaYoshuwa waseBhete-shemeshe, yema khona. Bekukho ilitye elikhulu khona. Bayicanda imithi yenqwelo, bazinyusa iimazi ezintsha ezo zalidini elinyukayo kuYehova.
15 AbaLevi bayithula ityeya kaYehova, netyeya ebinayo inempahla yegolide, bazibeka elityeni elo likhulu. Amadoda aseBhete-shemeshe ke anyusa amadini anyukayo, abingelela imibingelelo ngaloo mini kuYehova.
16 Zabona izikhulu ezihlanu zamaFilisti, zabuyela e-Ekron kwangaloo mini.
17 Ngawo la amathumba egolide awawabuyiselayo amaFilisti kuYehova, alidini letyala: elaseAshdode lalilinye, elaseGaza lalilinye, elaseAshkelon lalilinye, elaseGati lalilinye, elase-Ekron lalilinye;
18 kunye neempuku zegolide ngokwenani lemizi yonke yamaFilisti yezikhulu ezihlanu, kuthabathela emizini enqatyisiweyo, kuse kwimizana yabasemaphandleni; kuse etyeni elikhulu, abayimisa kulo ityeya kaYehova, lilingqina unanamhla entsimini kaYoshuwa waseBhete-shemeshe.
19 Wabetha emadodeni aseBhete-shemeshe, ngokuba ayikhangakhangelayo ityeya kaYehova; wabulala ebantwini abo amadoda angamashumi asixhenxe emadodeni angamawaka angamashumi amahlanu. Benza isijwili abantu, ngokuba uYehova ebabulele abantu ngobulalo olukhulu.
20 Athi amadoda aseBhete-shemeshe, Ngubani na onako ukuma phambi koYehova, lo Thixo uyingcwele? Uya kunyuka aye kubani na, ukusuka kwakhe kuthi?
21 Athuma abathunywa kubemi baseKiriyati-yeharim, esithi, AmaFilisti ayibuyisile ityeya kaYehova; yihlani, nize kuyinyusela kuni.