17. Esi sono soonyana bakaEli sokudela iminikelo sasisikhulu kakhulu emehlweni kaNdikhoyo.
18. Yena uSamweli wayehlala ekhonza endlwini *kaNdikhoyo – inkwenkwana ethiwe wambu ngesidanga selineni.
19. Minyaka le unina wayedla ngokumenzela umnwetyana, aye nawo eShilo, xa umyeni wakhe aye kwenzela uNdikhoyo idini lonyaka.
20. UEli wayemthamsanqelisa uElikana nomkakhe uHana, athi: “Ubenga uNdikhoyo angenza lo mfazi akuzalele abanye abantwana endaweni yalo wamcelayo waza wamnikela kuye,” baze ke emva koko bagoduke.
21. UNdikhoyo ngenene wamvelela uHana, waza wamitha, wazala abanye oonyana abathathu kunye neentombi ezimbini. Yona inkwenkwe uSamweli yakhulela kwaNdikhoyo.
22. UEli ngeli xesha wayeselaluphele mpela. Wayesoloko esiva ngemikhwa emibi yoonyana bakhe kumaSirayeli. Wayiva nento yokuba babelala abafazi ababekhonza ngasemasangweni enkundla *yesibingelelo *sikaNdikhoyo.
23. Wabakhalimela wathi: “Yeyantoni le ntlondi niyenzayo ebaliswa ngabantu bonke!
24. Hayi, bantwana bam, imbi le nto endiyiva ithethwa ngani ngabantu bakaNdikhoyo!
25. Kaloku umntu one omnye umntu angathethelelwa phambi koThixo; angalanyulelwa kanjani ke xa one uNdikhoyo ngokwakhe?”Ke bona oonyana bakhe abazange bamhoye, naye uNdikhoyo wayeselezimisele ukubatshabalalisa.
26. Ke yena uSamweli wakhula ngesithomo, ebabalwa nguNdikhoyo, ethandwa nangabantu.
27. Kwafika umfo wakwaThixo kuEli, wathi: “Utsho *uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Wazi kakuhle ukuba ndazityhila kookhokho bakho, xa babengamakhoboka eJiputa phantsi kokumkani walapho.
28. Uyayazi nento yokuba ndabatyumba phakathi kwezizwe zakwaSirayeli, ndathi bona boba ngababingeleli bam, basondele eqongeni lam, benze isiqhumiso, bagaxele *isidanga sam. Ndatsho nokuthi boba nenxaxheba kumadini anikelwa kum ngomlilo ngamaSirayeli.
29. Kungani ke ukuba ninyelise amadini neminikelo emiselwe ndim endaweni yam? Kungani ukuba uxabise oonyana bakho ngaphezu kwam, suka nizingxale ngokuthatha ezona-zona ndawo ziphambili zeminikelo endiyenzelwa ngabantu bam amaSirayeli?’