1. USamuweli wayesethatha umfuma wamafutha, wawathela ekhanda lakhe, wamanga, wathi: “Angithi uJehova ukugcobile ukuba ube ngumholi wefa lakhe na?
2. Nxa usumukile kimi namuhla, uyakufumana abantu ababili ngasethuneni likaRaheli emkhawulweni wakwaBenjamini eSelisa; bayakuthi kuwe: ‘Izimbongolo owawuye ukuzifuna zitholiwe; bheka, uyihlo uyekile izimbongolo, uyenqena ngani, ethi: “Ngiyakwenze njani ngomntanami na?” ’
3. “Nxa usukile khona uye phambili, uyakufika kulo i-oki* laseThabori; kuyakuhlangana nawe khona abantu abathathu bekhuphukela kuNkulunkulu eBethele, omunye ephethe amazinyane amathathu ezimbuzi, omunye ephethe izinkwa ezintathu, omunye ephethe imvaba yewayini;
4. bayakukubingelela, bakunike izinkwa ezimbili oyakuzamukela ezandleni zabo.
5. “Emva kwalokho uyakufika entabeni kaNkulunkulu, lapho likhona ikhanda lamaFilisti; kuyakuthi nxa usufikile khona emzini, uhlangane neviyo labaprofethi behla endaweni ephakemeyo benogubhu, nesigubhu, negenkle, nehabhu* phambi kwabo, beprofetha;
6. uMoya kaJehova uyakwehlela phezu kwakho, uyakuprofetha kanye nabo, uphenduke omunye umuntu.
7. Kuyakuthi lapho lezo zibonakaliso sezifikile kuwe, wenze esikufumanayo isandla sakho, ngokuba uNkulunkulu unawe.
8. “Uyakwehla phambi kwami ukuya eGiligali; bheka, ngiyakwehlela kuwe ukuba nginikele ngeminikelo yokushiswa, ngihlabe imihlatshelo yokuthula; uyakuhlala izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, ngize ngifike kuwe, ngikutshele oyakukwenza.”
9. Kwathi esefulathela emuka kuSamuweli, uNkulunkulu waphendukisa inhliziyo yakhe yaba ngenye; zonke lezo zibonakaliso zafika ngalona lolo suku.
10. Lapho sebefike khona entabeni, bheka, iviyo labaprofethi lahlangana naye; uMoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela phezu kwakhe, waprofetha phakathi kwabo.
11. Kwathi bonke ababemazi kuqala sebebona ukuthi waprofetha nabaprofethi, abantu bathi omunye komunye: “Kuyini lokhu okwehlele indodana kaKishi na? Kanti naye uSawule uphakathi kwabaprofethi na?”
12. Kwaphendula umuntu wakhona, wathi: “Ngubani uyise na?” Ngalokho kwaba yisaga ukuthi: “Naye uSawule uphakathi kwabaprofethi na?”
13. Eseqedile ukuprofetha wafika endaweni ephakemeyo.
14. Uyisekazi kaSawule wathi kuye nasencekwini yakhe: “Nike naya ngaphi na?”Wathi: “Besiye kufuna izimbongolo; lapho sesibonile ukuthi azikho, sase siya kuSamuweli.”
15. Uyisekazi kaSawule wathi: “Ake ningitshele: Utheni kini uSamuweli na?”
16. USawule wathi kuyisekazi: “Usitshele impela ukuthi izimbongolo zitholiwe.” Kepha indaba yombuso akhuluma ngayo uSamuweli akamtshelanga yona.
17. USamuweli wabizela abantu kuJehova eMispa;
18. wathi kubantu bakwa-Israyeli: “UJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli usho kanje, uthi: ‘Ngenyusa u-Israyeli eGibithe, nganophula esandleni sabaseGibithe nasesandleni sayo yonke imibuso eyanicindezelayo;’
19. kepha namuhla nimlahlile uNkulunkulu wenu, yena owanisindisa ezingozini zenu zonke nasezinsizini zenu, nishilo nathi: ‘Hhayi, kepha beka inkosi phezu kwethu.’ Ngalokho yimani phambi kukaJehova ngezizwe zenu nangezinkulungwane zenu.”
20. USamuweli wayesesondeza zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli, kwadliwa isizwe sakwaBenjamini.
21. Wayesesondeza isizwe sakwaBenjamini ngemindeni yabo, kwadliwa umndeni wakwaMatri; kwadliwa uSawule indodana kaKishi; kepha lapho bebemfuna, akafunyanwanga.
22. Babuye babuza uJehova ukuthi: “Usezakufika lowo muntu na?”UJehova waphendula wathi: “Bheka, ucashile empahleni.”
23. Bagijima, bamlanda khona; wema phakathi kwabantu, wayemude kunabo bonke abantu kusukela emahlombe kuya phezulu.
24. USamuweli wathi kubo bonke abantu: “Mbhekeni amkhethileyo uJehova ukuthi akakho onjengaye kubantu bonke.”Base bekhamuluka abantu bonke, bathi: “Mayime njalo inkosi.”
25. USamuweli wayesebatshela abantu amalungelo ombuso, wawaloba encwadini, wayibeka phambi kukaJehova. USamuweli wamukisa bonke abantu, yilowo nalowo waya ekhaya lakubo.
26. Naye uSawule waya ekhaya lakhe eGibeya; kwahamba naye impi ezinhliziyo zayo uNkulunkulu azithintile.
27. Kepha abantu ababi bathi: “Uyakusisindisa kanjani lowo na?” Bamdelela, abamnikanga isipho. Kepha wathula.