1. Ilizwi likaSamuweli laya kumaSirayeli onke.Aphuma amaSirayeli, eya kuwahlangabeza amaFilisti alwe nawo; amisa iintente ngase-Ebhenezere, amaFilisti amisa eAfeki.
2. Aza amaFilisti ákha uluhlu lokulwa namaSirayeli. Idabi lanwenwezela, abulawa amaSirayeli phambi kwamaFilisti. Kwabulawa eluhlwini ethafeni apho amadoda akumawaka amané.
3. Beza abantu eminqubeni, athi amadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli, Yini na ukuba uYehova asibulale namhla phambi kwamaFilisti? Masiye kuthabatha ityeya yomnqophiso kaYehova eShilo, ibe kuthi, ize phakathi kwethu, isisindise esandleni seentshaba zethu.
4. Bathumela ke abantu eShilo; bayithabatha khona ityeya yomnqophiso kaYehova wemikhosi, ohleli phezu kweekerubhi;* babekhona bobabini oonyana bakaEli, uHofeni noPinehasi, benetyeya yomnqophiso kaThixo.
5. Kwathi, xa ifikayo ityeya yomnqophiso kaYehova eminqubeni, aduma kakhulu onke amaSirayeli, umhlaba wathi ndi.
6. Asiva amaFilisti isandi sokuduma kwawo, athi, Sesani na esi sandi sokuduma kungaka eminqubeni yamaHebhere? Azi ke ukuba ityeya kaYehova ifikile eminqubeni.
7. Oyika amaFilisti, kuba ebesithi, UThixo ufikile eminqubeni. Athi, Yeha ke thina! Ngokuba akuzanga kube nje ngaphambili.
8. Yeha ke thina! Ngubani na oya kusihlangula esandleni saba thixo babungangamsha bungaka? Ngaba thixo aba babulála amaYiputa ngezibetho zonke entlango.
9. Yomelelani, nibe ngamadoda, nina maFilisti, hleze nikhonze kumaHebhere, njengokuba ekhonze kuni wona. Yibani ngamadoda, nilwe.
10. Alwa ke amaFilisti, awabulala amaSirayeli; asaba ke wona, waya elowo ententeni yakhe; abulawa kakhulu kunene. Kwawa kumaSirayeli amawaka angamashumi amathathu angumqikela.
11. Kwathinjwa netyeya yomnqophiso kaThixo; bafa oonyana bobabini bakaEli, uHofeni noPinehasi.
12. Kwabaleka indoda yakwaBhenjamin, ivela emkhosini, yafika eShilo kwangaloo mini, iingubo zayo zikrazukile, inomhlaba entloko.