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?’
30. “Ngako oko uNdikhoyo, uThixo kaSirayeli, uthi: ‘Mna ndathembisa ukuba indlu yakho nendlu kayihlo yoba ngababingeleli bam naphakade.’ Kodwa ngoku uNdikhoyo uthi: ‘Unotshe! Mna ndiwonga abo bandihlonelayo, abo bandidelayo ndibaqalekise.
31. Iyeza imihla endiza kuwashunqula amandla akho namandla endlu kayihlo, khon' ukuze ingabikho ingwevu kumlibo wenu.
32. Niya kubona imbandezelo endaweni yam, naxa amanye amaSirayeli aya kuba nempumelelo. Ewe, akusayi kubuya kubekho nkonde kowenu.
33. Nokuba kungakho omnye wenzala yakho osasondela eqongeni, naloo nto iseza kukulilisa ikuhluphe, kuba inkoliso yamadoda endlu yakho iya kufa iselula.