¹ Lelivi laSimakadze leta kulo lonkhe laka Israyeli. Manje Israyeli waphumela ngephandle kuyokulwa nema Filisti. Babeka inkambu e-Ebheneza, nemaFilisti abeka inkambu e Afeki. ² LamaFilisti alayinela kulwa nema Israyeli. Uma lemphi yandza, Israyeli wancotjwa ngulama Filisti, lowabulala emadvdodza langaba tinkhulungwane letine ebaleni lekulwa. ³ Uma labantfu beta kulenkambu, labadzala baka Israyeli batsi, ''Simakadze usehlule leni lamuhla phambi kwema Filisti? Asiletseni lana lelibhokisi lesivumelwano saSimakadze lelisuka eShilo, kutsi ingaba natsi lana, kutsi ingasigcina sigcina siphephile etandleni tetitsa tetfu.'' ⁴ Ngako labantfu batfumela emadvodza eShilo; kusukela lapho batfwala lelibhokisi lesivumelwano laSimakadze wekwemukela, lohleli ngetulu kwalakherubhi. Lamadvodzana lamabili a Eli, Hofni na Finehasi, bebalapho nalelibhokisi lesivumelwano laNkulunkulu. ⁵ Uma lelibhokisi lesivumelwano laSimakadze lingena kulenkambu, bonkhe labantfu baka Israyeli bamemeta kakhulu, nemhlaba wahokoma. ⁶ Uma emaFilisti awuva lomsindvo walokumemeta, batsi, ''Kuchazani lokumemeta loku lokukhulu kulenkambu yeMahebheru?'' Babese bayabona kutsi lelibhokisi laSimakadze selingenile kulenkambu. ⁷ LamaFilisti esaba; batsi, ''Nkhulunkulu ufikile kulenkambu.'' Batsi, ''Maye kitsi! Kute lokunje ngaloku lokwenteka phambilini! ⁸ Maye kitsi! Ngubani lotosivikela kulamandla alabo nkulunkulu laba? Laba ngulabo nkulunkulu labahlasela emaGibhithe netinhlobo tetetsembiso letinyenti letehlukene ehlane. ⁹ Tsatsa sibindzi, bese uba yindvodza, nine maFilisti, nome nitawuba tigcili kuMahebheru, njengobe bebatigcila kini. Yibani madvodza, bese niyalwa.'' ¹⁰ LamaFilisti alwa, futsi ehlulwa. Bonkhe bantfu babalekela etindlini tabo, futsi lokubulala bekukukhulu kakhulu; kwetinyawo temasotja latinkhulungwane lamashumi lamatsatfu awa kusukela ka Israyeli. ¹¹ Lelibhokisi laNkulunkulu latsatfwa, futsi lamadvoddzana lamabili a Eli, Hofni na Finehasi, bafa. ¹² Indvodza yaBenjamini yabaleka isuka kulelilayini lemphi bese ita eShilo ngalelo langa, yafika netimphahla tayo letidzabukile nemhlaba enhloko yakhe. ¹³ Uma abuya, Eli abehleli esihlalweni sakhe ngakulomgwaco abukela ngobe inhlitiyo yakhe beyesaba mayelana nelibhokisi laNkulunkulu. Uma lendvodza ingena kulelidolobha bese wamtjela letindzaba, lelidolobha lonkhe lakhala laphimisela. ¹⁴ Uma Eli eva lomsindvo walokukhala, watsi, ''Yini inchazelo yalokukhala loku?'' Lendvodza yeta masinyane futsi yatjela Eli. ¹⁵ Manje Eli abeneminyaka lemashumi layimfica - nesiphohlongo budzala; emehlo akhe akazange anaka, futsi akakhonanga kubuka. ¹⁶ Yabese lendvodza itsi ku Eli, ''Ngingulona loweta achamuka kulelilayini lekulwa. Ngabaleka kulokulwa lamuhla.'' Eli watsi, ''Kwahamba njani, ndvodzana yami?'' ¹⁷ Lendvodza lebeyiletse letindzaba yaphendvula yatsi, ''Israyeli wabalekela lamaFilisti. Futsi, kwaba nekuncoba lokukhulu emkhatsini walabantfu. Futsi, emdvodzana akho lamabili, Hofni na Finehasi, bafile, futsi lelibhokisi laNkulunkulu litsetfwe.'' ¹⁸ Uma abala lelibhokisi laSimakadze, Eli wawa ngesiphundvu esihlalweni sakhe ngasehlangotsini laleligede. Intsamo yakhe yephuka, futsi wafa, ngobe bekamdzala futsi esindza. Abesahole Israyeli iminyaka lengemashumi lamane. ¹⁹ Manje malukatane wakhe, umfati waFinehasi, abekhulelwe futsi abesatawubeleka. Uma eva letindzaba kutsi lelibhokisi laNkulunkulu latsatfwa futsi babe tala wakhe nemyeni wakhe bebafile, waguca phasi bese wabeleka, kepha umhelo wakhe wamehlula. ²⁰ Ngalesikhatsi sekufa kwakhe lomfati lomsitako watsi, ''Ungesabi, ngobe sewubeleke indvodzana.'' Kepha akaphendvulanga nome atsatse labakusho enhlitiyweni. ²¹ Wametsa lomntfwana kutsi ngu Ikhabodi, atsi, ''Lenkhatimulo seyihambile ka Israyeli!'' ngobe lelibhokisi laNkulunkulu litsetfwe, futsi ngenca yalobabe tala wakhe nemyeni wakhe. ²² Watsi, ''Lenkhatimulo seyihambile kuma Israyeli, ngobe lelibhokisi laNkulunkulu selitsetfwe.''