Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
12 Ekugqibeleni uSamuweli wathetha noSirayeli wonke wathi: “Niyabona, ndiyenzile* yonke into ebeniyicele kum, ndaza ndanimisela ukumkani ukuba anilawule.+ 2 Ngoko nanku ukumkani oza kunilawula!*+ Mna ndimdala ibe ndiyingwevu, noonyana bam naba bekunye nani,+ yaye mna ndinikhokele ukususela ebutsheni bam kwada kwayile mini.+ 3 Ndim lo! Ndimangaleleni kuYehova nakothanjisiweyo wakhe:+ Ndithathe inkunzi yenkomo nedonki kabani na?+ Okanye, ndiqhathe bani futhi ndicinizele bani na? Ndamkele isinyobo esisuka* kubani na ukuze andivale umlomo?+ Ukuba ndizenzile ezi zinto, ndiza kunibuyekeza.”+ 4 Bathi ke bona: “Khange usiqhathe, khange usicinezele, futhi awuthathanga nto mntwini.” 5 USamuweli wathi kubo: “UYehova ulingqina. Nomthanjiswa wakhe ulingqina namhlanje lokuba anifumananga nto yakundimangalela.”* Bona bathi: “Ulingqina.”
6 USamuweli wathi ebantwini: “UYehova, owasebenzisa uMoses noAron nowakhupha ookhokho benu kwilizwe laseYiputa,+ ulingqina. 7 Sondelani ke, yaye ndiza kunigweba phambi koYehova. Ndiza kunikhumbuza zonke izenzo zikaYehova zobulungisa azenzele nina nookhokho benu.
8 “Akuba nje uYakobi efikile eYiputa,+ ookhokho benu bacela uncedo kuYehova.+ UYehova wathumela uMoses+ noAron, ukuze babakhuphe eYiputa baze babahlalise kule ndawo.+ 9 Kodwa bona bamlibala uYehova uThixo wabo, waza yena wabathengisa+ esandleni sikaSisera+ intloko yomkhosi kaHatsore nasesandleni samaFilisti+ nasesandleni sikakumkani wakwaMowabhi,+ yaye aba kumkani babahlasela. 10 Bacela uncedo kuYehova+ baza bathi: ‘Sonile,+ simshiyile uYehova sakhonza ooBhahali+ nemifanekiso ka-Ashtoreti.+ Kodwa sicela usisindise esandleni seentshaba zethu, ukuze sikukhonze.’ 11 UYehova wathumela uYerubhahali+ noBhedan noYifeta+ noSamuweli,+ wanikhulula esandleni seentshaba zenu ezaziningqongile, ukuze nihlale nikhuselekile.+ 12 Xa nabona ukuba uNahashe,+ ukumkani wama-Amoni, uze kunihlasela nanihlala nisithi kum, ‘Thina sifuna ukulawulwa ngukumkani!’+ nakuba uYehova uThixo wenu enguKumkani wenu.+ 13 Nanku ke ukumkani enimkhethileyo nenimfunileyo. Jongani! uYehova uninikile ukumkani oza kunilawula.+ 14 Ukuba niyamoyika uYehova+ nize nimkhonze,+ nithobele ilizwi lakhe,+ yaye ningawuvukeli umyalelo kaYehova, nina nokumkani onilawulayo nibe ngabalandeli bakaYehova uThixo wenu, kulungile ke. 15 Kodwa ukuba anilithobeli ilizwi likaYehova nize ningawuthobeli umyalelo kaYehova, uYehova uza kunohlwaya, nina kunye nootata benu.+ 16 Ngoku ke sondelani, niyibone le nto inkulu uYehova ayenza phambi kwamehlo enu. 17 Akuvunwa ngqolowa na namhlanje? Ndiza kucela uYehova enze kududume kunethe nemvula. Niza kutsho nibazi nize nibuqonde ububi obukhulu enibenzileyo emehlweni kaYehova ngokuzicelela ukumkani.”+
18 USamuweli wacela kuYehova, waza uYehova wenza kwaduduma kwanetha nemvula ngaloo mini, kangangokuba bonke abantu bamoyika kakhulu uYehova noSamuweli. 19 Bathi kuSamuweli: “Bathandazele abakhonzi bakho kuYehova uThixo wakho,+ kuba asifuni kufa. Kuba kuzo zonke izono zethu songeze nobu bubi bokuzicelela ukumkani.”
20 USamuweli wathi ebantwini: “Sanukoyika. Nibenzile bona obu bubi. Kodwa ke sanukuyeka ukumlandela uYehova,+ yaye mkhonzeni uYehova ngentliziyo yenu yonke.+ 21 Nize ningajiki nilandele izinto ezililize,+ ezingancedi nganto+ nezingasindisiyo, kuba zizinto njee.* 22 Ngenxa yegama lakhe elikhulu,+ uYehova akazukubalahla abantu bakhe,+ kuba uYehova uzimisele ukunenza abantu bakhe.+ 23 Nam ke, soze ndone kuYehova ngokuyeka ukunithandazela. Ndiza kuqhubeka ndiniyalela ngendlela elungileyo nefanelekileyo. 24 Kuphela nje moyikeni uYehova,+ nimkhonze ngeentliziyo zenu zonke, nithembeke.* Kuba jongani izinto ezinkulu anenzele zona!+ 25 Kodwa ukuba nenza ububi ngabom, niza kutshayelwa,+ nina naloo kumkani wenu.”+