UEli akuba ngumbingeleli omkhulu wabanyusela oonyana bakhe ebubingelelini. UEli nguye yedwa owayevunyelwe ukuba angene kwingcwele kangcwele kanye ngomnyaka. Oonyana bakhe babe lungiselela esangweni lomnquba besongamela ekuxhelweni kwamadini nasesibingelelweni samadini. Bawunyelisa futhi lomsebenzi ungcwele. Babe nolunya, bebawa. bengamadlakudla, be nxhathu. UThixo wamthethisa uEli ngenxa yokuyekelela kwakhe okusisoono ukulululeka usapho lwakhe. UEli wabathethisa oonyana bakhe kodwa akabaluleka. Emva kokuba bemiselwe kulomsebenzi ungcwele wobubingeleli, uEli weva ngesimilo sabo sokukhohlisa oonyana bakaSirayeli eminikelweni yabo, kananjalo nangokuwugqitha kwabo umthetho kaThixo nesimilo sabo esikhohlakeleyo, esabangela ukuba uSirayeli one. IL 162.1
UYehova wazisa kumntwana uSamuweli izigwebo aya kuzihlisela indlu kaEli ngenxa yoyekelelo lwakhe. “Wathi uYehova kuSamuweli, Uya bona, ndenza into kwaSirayeli eya kubetha zithi nzwi iindlebe zombhini zabantu abaya kuyiva. Ngaloo mini ndiya kumvelisela uEli yonke into endiyithethileyo ngokusingisele kwindlu yakhe; ndiqalile, ndiya kugqiba. Ndimxelele ukuba ndiya kuyigweba indlu yakhe kude kuse ephakadeni, ngenxa yobugwenxa abaziyo; ngokuba baziqalekisa oonyana bakhe, akabangxolisa. Ngoko ndiyifungele indlu kaEli, ndathi, Inene, ubugwenxa bendlu kaEli abuyi kucanyagushelwa ngambingelelo, nangamnikelo wakudla, naphakade.” IL 162.2
Izikreqo zoonyana bakaEli zazinobugagu, zinonyeliso, kuThixo ongcwele, ngangokuba kungabikho dini elingasicamagushelayo isoono sangabom esiloluhlobo. Aaba babingeleli bazaliswe sisoono bawahlambhela amadini awaye ngumfuziselo woNyana kaThixo. Bathi ke ngesimilo sabo sokunyelisa balinyathelela phantsi igazi lesicamagusho, ekwakuphuma kulo isidima sawo onke amadini. IL 162.3
USamuweli wamxelela uEli amazwi kaYehova; “wathi ke yena, NguYehova; ma kenze oko kulungileyo emehlweni akhe.” UEli wayesazi ukuba uThixo uhlazisiwe waziva ukuba wonile. Wavuma ukuba uThixo uya kohlwaya ngalendlela ukuyekelela kwakhe okusisoono. Ilizwi likaYehova kuSamuweli lavakaliswa nguEli kuSirayeli wonke. Ngokwenza oku, wayecinga ukuba uya kukulungisa ngandlela ithile ukuyekelela kwakhe kwexa elidluleyo okusisoono. Ububi obavakaliswa phezu koEli akulityaziswanga xesha lide. IL 163.1
AmaSirayeli eenza imfazwe namaFilisti oyiswa, kwabulawa amawaka amane kuwo. AmaHebere angenelwa kukoyika. Ayazi into yokuba zakuba ezinye iintlanga zivile ngokoyiswa kwawo nazo ziya kukhuthazelwa ukuba zenze imfazwe nawo. Amadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli agqiba ukuba ukoyiswa kwabo kubangwe kukuba ityeya kaYehova yayingekho kubo. Bathumela eShilo ukuba iphuthunywe ityeya yomnqophiso. Bacinga ngokuwela kwabo iJordan nokuyoyisa kwabo ngokulula iJeriko xa babe yithwele ityeya, bagqiba ekubeni okufunekayo kukuyizisa ityeya kubo baye beya kuzoyisa iintshaba zabo. Abaqondanga ukuba ukomelela kwabo kwa kuse kuthobeleni kwabo umthetho lowo usetyeyeni, owawungummeli kaThixo ngokwakhe. Ababingeleli abadyobhekileyo, uHofeni noPinehasi, babe nayo ityeya, besaphula umthetho kaYehova. Aaba booni bayisa ityeya emnqubeni wakwaSirayeli. Ukholo lwamadoda okulwa lwavuseleleka, aziva ethembhile ukuba aya kweyisa. IL 163.2