4 Ndipo mawu a Samueli anafika kwa Aisraeli onse.

Afilisti Alanda Bokosi la Chipangano

Aisraeli anapita kukamenya nkhondo ndi Afilisti. Aisraeli anamanga misasa yawo ku Ebenezeri, ndipo Afilisti anamanga ku Afeki. ² Afilisti anandanda kuyangʼana Aisraeli nayamba kumenyana. Nkhondo inakula ndipo Afilisti anagonjetsa Aisraeli napha anthu 4,000 pa malo a nkhondopo. ³ Asilikali atabwerera ku misasa, akuluakulu a Israeli anafunsa kuti, “Nʼchifukwa chiyani Yehova walola kuti tigonjetsedwe lero pamaso pa Afilisti? Tiyeni tikatenge Bokosi la Chipangano cha Yehova ku Silo kuti Yehovayo abwere kukhala pakati pathu ndi kutipulumutsa mʼmanja mwa adani athu.”

⁴ Choncho anatuma anthu ku Silo ndipo anakatenga Bokosi la Chipangano cha Yehova Wamphamvuzonse amene amakhala pa akerubi. Ndipo ana awiri a Eli, Hofini ndi Finehasi anatsagana nalo Bokosi la Chipangano cha Mulungu.

⁵ Bokosi la Chipangano cha Yehova litafika ku msasa, Aisraeli onse anafuwula kwambiri mpaka nthaka inagwedezeka. ⁶ Atamva kufuwulaku, Afilisti anafunsa, “Kodi kufuwula kwakukulu kumeneku ku misasa ya Ahebri ndi kwachiyani?”

Atamva kuti Bokosi la Yehova lafika ku msasako, ⁷ Afilisti anachita mantha pakuti iwo ankanena kuti, “Milungu yafika ku msasa. Iwo anati, ‘Tili pamavuto. Chinthu choterechi sichinachitikepo nʼkale lomwe. ⁸ Atsoka ife! Adzatipulumutsa ndani mʼmanja mwa milungu yamphamvuyi? Iyi ndi milungu imene inakantha Aigupto ndi miliri yosiyanasiyana mʼchipululu. ⁹ Limbani mtima Afilisti! Chitani chamuna, kuti mungakhale akapolo a Ahebri monga iwowa alili akapolo anu. Chitani chamuna ndipo menyani nkhondo!’ ”

¹⁰ Choncho Afilisti anamenya nkhondo, ndipo anagonjetsa Aisraeli. Iwo anathawa aliyense kwawo. Ankhondo a Aisraeli oyenda pansi okwanira 30,000 anaphedwa. ¹¹ Ndipo Bokosi la Chipangano la Yehova linalandidwa, ndiponso ana awiri Eli, Hofini ndi Finehasi anaphedwa.

Imfa ya Eli

¹² Tsiku lomwelo munthu wina wa fuko la Benjamini anathawa ku nkhondo ndipo anafika ku Silo. Iyeyu zovala zake zinali zongʼamba ndipo anadzithira dothi kumutu kuonetsa chisoni. ¹³ Atafika, anapeza Eli atakhala pa mpando wake mʼmbali mwa msewu, akungoyangʼana, pakuti ankadera nkhawa Bokosi la Mulungu. Munthuyo atalowa mu mzindamo ndi kufotokoza zimene zinachitika ku nkhondo, anthu onse a mu mzindamo anayamba kulira.

¹⁴ Eli atamva kulirako anafunsa kuti, “Kodi phokosoli likutanthauza chiyani?”

Tsono munthu wa fuko la Benjamini uja anapita msanga kwa Eli kukamufotokozera. ¹⁵ Nthawiyo nʼkuti Eli ali wa zaka 98 ndipo maso ake anali atachita khungu kotero kuti samatha kuona. ¹⁶ Munthuyo anamuwuza Eli kuti, “Ine ndabwera kuchokera ku nkhondo, ndathawako lero lomwe lino.”

Eli anafunsa, “Nanga nkhondo yayenda bwanji mwana wanga?”

¹⁷ Iye anayankha kuti, “Aisraeli athawa pamaso pa Afilisti. Anthu ambirimbiri aphedwa. Ana anunso Hofini ndi Finehasi aphedwa. Bokosi la Mulungu nalonso lalandidwa.”

¹⁸ Atangotchula Bokosi la Yehova, Eli anagwa chagada, kuchoka pa mpando wake umene unali mʼmbali mwa chitseko cha mpanda. Khosi lake linathyoka ndipo anafa, pakuti anali okalamba ndi onenepa kwambiri. Iye anatsogolera Israeli zaka makumi anayi.

¹⁹ Nthawiyo, mpongozi wa Eli, mkazi wa Finehasi anali woyembekezera ndipo anali pafupi kuchira. Atamva kuti Bokosi la Mulungu lalandidwa ndi kuti mpongozi wake Eli ndi mwamuna wake amwalira, ululu wa pobereka mwana unamufikira modzidzimutsa ndipo anabereka mwana. ²⁰ Popeza mkaziyo anali pafupi kumwalira, akazi amene amamuthandiza anati, “Usaope, wabereka mwana wamwamuna” Koma iye sanayankhe kapena kulabadirako.

²¹ Tsono iye anatcha mwanayo dzina loti Ikabodi kutanthauza kuti, “Ulemerero wachoka mu Israeli,” chifukwa cha kulandidwa Bokosi la Mulungu ndi imfa ya mpongozi wake Eli ndi mwamuna wake. ²² Ananena momwemo kuti, “Ulemerero wachoka mu Israeli, pakuti Bokosi la Mulungu lalandidwa.”