1 Kandi amajambo ya Samweli yagenda ashikirizwa Abisirayeli bose.

Muri ico gihe, Abisirayeli baja kugwana n’Abafilisitiya. Abisirayeli bakoranira ahitwa Ebenezeri, Abafilisitiya na bo bakoranira ahitwa Afeki. 2 Abafilisitiya bakoranya ingabo zabo zose kugira ngo baje gutera Abisirayeli. Intambara irakomera cane, maze Abisirayeli baneshwa n’Abafilisitiya, babicamwo abantu ibihumbi bine ku rugamba. 3 Abasoda bagarutse aho bari bacumbitse, abakuru b’Abisirayeli barabaza bati: "Ni kuki Uhoraho yatumye tuneshwa uwu musi imbere y’Abafilisitiya? Nimuze tuzane Isandugu y’Isezerano y’Uhoraho iri i Shilo, kugira ngo ajane natwe adukize ukuboko kw’abansi bacu."

4 Nuko abantu batuma intumwa i Shilo, baragenda bazana ya Sandugu y’Isezerano y’Uhoraho Mushoboravyose, avyagiye ku ntebe y’ubwami hagati y’Abakerubi. Abahungu ba Eli babiri, Hofuni na Finehasi, bari kumwe n’Isandugu y’Isezerano y’Imana.

5 Ya Sandugu y’Isezerano y’Uhoraho ishitse aho bacumbitse, Abisirayeli bose barahaguruka biha akamo gakomeye kugeza aho isi inyiganyiga. 6 Abafilisitiya bumvise ako kamo, barabazanya bati: "Mbega ako kamo ko mu Baheburayo kavuye ku ki?"

Bamaze kumenya ko ari kubera Isandugu y’Uhoraho ishitse aho bacumbitse, 7 Abafilisitiya bagira ubwoba. Baravuga bati: "Imana yaje hagati muri bo. Turashize! Nta kintu nk’ico cari bwigere kibaho! 8 Turashize! Ni nde yodukiza ukuboko kw’izo mana zikomeye z’Abisirayeli? Izo ni zo zateje ivyago bikomeye cane Abanyegiputa igihe Abisirayeli bari mu bugaragwa. 9 Yemwe Bafilisitiya nimushikame! Mube abagabo, atari aho na ho muca muba abagurano b’Abaheburayo, nk’uko na bo bahora ari abagurano bacu. Nimube abagabo, mugwane!"

10 Nuko Abafilisitiya baragwana, hanyuma Abisirayeli baraneshwa, umuntu wese ahungira mw’ihema ryiwe. Abishwe bari benshi cane; uwo musi mu Bisirayeli hapfa abasoda ibihumbi mirongo itatu. 11 Isandugu y’Imana irafatwa, na Hofuni na Finehasi bene Eli barapfa.

12 Kuri uwo musi nyene, umuntu umwe wo mu muryango wa Benyamini ariruka ava ku rugamba aja i Shilo, yitabaguriyeko impuzu ziwe, yisutse n’umukungugu mu mutwe. 13 Ashitse asanga Eli yicaye ku ntebe yiwe i ruhande y’inzira, agerageza kwumva amakuru y’intambara, kuko yari ahagaritswe umutima n’Isandugu y’Imana. Uwo muntu yinjiye mu gisagara ababwira ivyabaye, abo muri ico gisagara bose baca bakoma induru.

14 Eli yumvise iyo nduru aca abaza ati: "Mbega iyo nduru ni iy’iki?"

Wa muntu yihutira kuja aho Eli yari ari. 15 Eli yari amaze imyaka mirongo icenda n’umunani, amaso yiwe yarahumye atakibona. 16 Nuko abwira Eli ati: "Mvuye ubu nyene ku rugamba; mpunze mvayo uwu musi nyene."

Eli aramubaza ati: "None vyagenze gute ga mwana wanje?"

17 Wa muntu yazanye inkuru arishura ati: "Abisirayeli bahunze imbere y’Abafilisitiya, kandi hapfuye abasoda benshi cane. Mbere n’abahungu bawe bompi, Hofuni na Finehasi bapfuye, n’Isandugu y’Imana bayitwaye."

18 Amaze kuvuga ivy’Isandugu y’Imana, Eli yikubita hasi atanguza umugongo avuye kuri ya ntebe yiwe aho yari ari i ruhande y’irembo. Izosi ryiwe riravunika aca arapfa, kuko yari ashaje kandi avyibushe cane. Yari amaze imyaka mirongo ine ari umucamanza w’Abisirayeli.

19 Umukazana wiwe, muka Finehasi, yari afise inda igeze kuvuka, yumvise iyo nkuru ko Isandugu y’Imana yafashwe kandi ko sebukwe n’umugabo wiwe bose bapfuye, afatwa n’ibise aca aravyara, ariko agira umubabaro urenze urugero. 20 Ari ku mpfiro, abakirizi baravuga bati: "Ntiwihebure; uvyaye umuhungu." Ariko ntiyagira ico yishura canke ngo anavyiteho.

21 Yita uwo muhungu Ikabodi, risigura ngo: "Icubahiro kivuye kuri Isirayeli," kuko bafashe Isandugu y’Imana kandi sebukwe n’umugabo wiwe bakaba bapfuye. 22 Aravuga ati: "Icubahiro cavuye kuri Isirayeli ko Isandugu y’Imana yafashwe."