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1 Uye shoko raSamueri rakasvika kuIsraeri yose.
VaFiristia vanopamba Areka
Zvino vaIsraeri vakaenda kundorwa navaFiristia. VaIsraeri vakaungana paEbhenezeri, vaFiristia vakavaka misasa yavo paAfeki. 2 VaFiristia vakagadzirira varwi vavo kuti vandosangana neIsraeri, uye hondo payakanga yava kupararira, Israeri yakakundwa navaFiristia avo vakauraya varume zviuru zvina zvavo pavairwira. 3 Varwi pavakadzoka kumusasa, vakuru veIsraeri vakabvunza vakati, “Sei Jehovha aita kuti tikundwe nhasi pamberi pavaFiristia? Ngatitorei areka yesungano yaJehovha kubva kuShiro, kuti igoenda nesu uye igotiponesa kubva muruoko rwavavengi vedu.”
4 Naizvozvo vanhu vakatuma varume kuShiro, uye vakadzosa areka yaJehovha Wamasimba Ose uye agere pachigaro choushe pakati pamakerubhi. Zvino vanakomana vaviri vaEri, Hofini naFinehasi, vaivapo neareka yesungano yaMwari.
5 Areka yesungano yaJehovha payakauya mumusasa, Israeri yose yakapururudza uye vakaita ruzha rukuru zvokuti pasi pakatinhira. 6 Pavakanzwa mheremhere, vaFiristia vakabvunza vakati, “Mheremhere iri mumusasa wavaHebheru ndeyei?”
Vakati vazvinzwa kuti areka yaJehovha yakanga yauya mumusasa, 7 vaFiristia vakatya. Vakati, “Mwari asvika mumusasa. Tava munhamo! Hapana chinhu chakadai seichi chati chamboitika. 8 Tine nhamo! Ndianiko achatirwira pamaoko avamwari ava vane simba? Ndivo vamwari vakarova vaIjipita namarudzi ose amatambudziko mugwenga. 9 Simbai vaFiristia! Ivai varume, mukasadaro muchava varanda vavaHebheru sezvavakanga vakaita kwamuri. Ivai varume, murwe!”
10 Saka vaFiristia vakarwa, vaIsraeri vakakundwa uye munhu wose akatiza achidzokera kutende rake. Pakava nokuurayiwa kukuru; Israeri yakarasikirwa navarwi vetsoka zviuru makumi matatu. 11 Areka yaJehovha yakapambwa uye vanakomana vaviri vaEri, Hofini naFinehasi, vakafa.
Kufa kwaEri
12 Zuva rimwe chetero, mumwe murume weBhenjamini akamhanya achibva kuhondo akaenda kuShiro, nguo dzake dzakabvaruka uye ane guruva pamusoro wake. 13 Paakasvikako, Eri akanga akagara pachigaro chake parutivi rwenzira, akangotarisa, nokuti mwoyo wake waityira areka yaJehovha. Murume uyu paakapinda muguta akataura zvakanga zvaitika, guta rose rakachema.
14 Eri akanzwa kuchema akandobvunza achiti, “Mheremhere iyi yose ndeyeiko?”
Murume uyu akachimbidza kuenda kuna Eri, 15 akanga ava namakore makumi mapfumbamwe namasere okuberekwa uye meso ava norutara zvokuti akanga asisaoni. 16 Akati kuna Eri, “Ndiri kubva kuhondo izvozvi; ndatotizako nhasi chaiye.”
Eri akabvunza akati, “Chiiko chaitika mwanakomana wangu?”
17 Murume akauya neshoko akapindura achiti, “Israeri yatiza vaFiristia, uye hondo yarasikirwa zvikuru. Uyewo vanakomana venyu vaviri Hofini naFinehasi vafa, uye areka yaMwari yapambwa.”
18 Paakataura nezveareka yaMwari, Eri akawa negotsi kubva pachigaro chake parutivi rwesuo. Mutsipa wake wakatyoka akabva afa nokuti aiva murume akanga akwegura uye ari mukobvu. Akanga atungamirira Israeri kwamakore makumi mana.
19 Muroora wake, mukadzi waFinehasi, akanga ane pamuviri ava pedyo nokuda kubatsirwa. Paakanzwa nhau idzi dzokuti areka yaJehovha yakanga yapambwa uye kuti vatezvara vake nomurume wake vakanga vafa, akarwadziwa napamuviri akabereka mwana, asi akakurirwa namarwadzo ake pakusununguka. 20 Paakanga ava kufa madzimai aimubatsira akati, “Usaora mwoyo wabatsirwa nomwana mukomana.” Asi haana kumbopindura kana kuzviteerera.
21 Akatumidza mukomana uyu kuti Ikabhodhi, achiti, “Kubwinya kwabva muIsraeri,” nokuda kwokutorwa kweareka yaMwari uye nokufa kwatezvara vake nomurume wake. 22 Akati, “Kubwinya kwabva muIsraeri, nokuti areka yaMwari yapambwa.”