Ityeya Ithatyathwa

“Kwathi, xa ifikayo ityeya yomnqophiso, kaYehova eminqubeni, aduma kakhulu onke amaSirayeli, umhlaba wathi ndi. Asiva amaFilisti isandi sokuduma kwawo, athi, Sesani na esi sandi sokuduma kungaka eminqubeni yamaHebere? Aazi ke ukuba ityeya kaYehova ifikile eminqubeni. Ooyika amaFilisti, kuba ebesithi, uThixo ufikile eminqubeni. Athi, Yeha ke thina! Ngokuba akuzanga kube nje ngaphambhili. Yeha ke thina! Ngubani na oya kusihlangula esa- ndleni sabathixo babungangamsha bungaka? Ngabathixo aaba babulala amaJiputa ngezibetho zonke entlango. Yomelelani, nibe ngamadoda, nina maFilisti, hleze nikhonze kumaHebere, njengokuba ekhonze kuni wona. Yibani ngamadoda, nilwe. Alwa ke amaFilisti, awabulala amaSirayeli; asaba ke wona, waya elowo ententeni yakhe; abulawa kakhulu kunene. Kwawa kumaSirayeli amawaka angamashumi amathathu angumqikela. Kwathinjwa netyeya yomnqophiso kaThixo; bafa oonyana bobabini bakaEli, uHofeni noPinehasi.”IL 163.3

AmaFilisti ayecinga ukuba letyeya nguthixo wamaSirayeli. Ayengazi ukuba uThixo ophilileyo, owadala izulu nomhlaba, wanikela umthetho wakhe eSinayi, uthumela impumelelo okanye ububi ngoko kuthotyelwa okanye ukugqithwa komthetho wakhe ogcinwe kulotyeya ingcwele.IL 164.1

Kwabakho ukubulawa okukhulu kwaSirayeli. UEli wayehleli ecaleni kwendlela elindile ngentliziyo eyoyikayo ukuva indaba ezivela emkhosini. Wayesoyika ukuba ityeya kaYehova ingathinjwa ihlanjelwe ngumkhosi wamaFilisti. Umthunywa ovela emkhosini weza ebaleka eShilo wamxelela uEli ukuba oonyana bakhe ababini babulewe. Oku waba nokukunyamezela noko ngokuzola, kuba waye nesizathu sokukulindela. Kodwa akuba umthunywa elandelise ngokuthi, “Ityeya kaThixo ithinjiwe,” uEli wahexa esebuhlungwini esihlalweni sakhe waqethuka ngomva, wawa wafa. Wajutyelwa naye yingqumbho kaThixo eyawa phezu koonyana bakhe. Waye nobutyala obukhulu ngezikreqo zabo, ngenxa yokuba waye kuyekelele ngokusisoono ukubaluleka. Ukuthinjwa kwetyeya kaThixo ngamaFilisti kwa kukhangelwe njengelona lishwa likhulu linokumhlela uSirayeli. Umka Pinehasi, xa wayesezakufa, wamthiya umntwana wakhe igama elinguIkabode, esithi, “Uzuko lumkile kwaSirayeli; kuba ityeya kaThixo ithinjiwe.”IL 164.2