1. Ilizwi likaSamweli lafikelela kumaSirayeli onke.Aphuma amaSirayeli, ahlangabezana namaFilistiya ukuya kulwa nawo. AmaSirayeli amisa e-Ebhenezere; wona amaFilistiya amisa eAfeki.
2. AmaFilistiya akha uluhlu ukukhawulela amaSirayeli, kwahlanganwa, zanqoza, aswantsuliswa amaSirayeli ngamaFilistiya, kwawa amawaka amane amaSirayeli kwelo dabi.
3. Ukufika kwawo ekampini amajoni asindileyo edabini akhuza amadoda amakhulu, athi: “Ngani ukuba namhlanje *uNdikhoyo asiyekele siswantsuliswe ngamaFilistiya? Masiye kuphuthuma ityesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo eShilo, ibe lapha phakathi kwethu, khon' ukuze isisindise esandleni seentshaba zethu.”
4. Kwathunywa izigidimi eShilo ukuba ziye kuphuthuma ityesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo onamandla onke, yena ongqongwe *zizithunywa ezimaphiko. Kweza noonyana bakaEli uHofeni noPineyasi, bekhapha ityesi yomnqophiso.
5. Atsho ngentlokomakazi enkulu amaSirayeli ukufika kwetyesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo ekampini, watsho wanyikima umhlaba!
6. Athi akuyiva loo ntswahla amaFilistiya, athi: “Yeyantoni na le ntsholo ingaka ekampini yamaSirayeli?” Athe akuva ukuba kufike ityesi kaNdikhoyo ekampini yamaSirayeli,
7. ankwantya kukoyika amaFilistiya, esithi: “Kufike uThixo ekampini yamaSirayeli! Yehaa! Ayizange ibekho into enjengale ngaphambili!
8. Sifile thina! Yaz'ba sosinda kanjani na esandleni salo Thixo unamandla? Asinguye na owabatshabalalisela entlango ngezibetho amaJiputa?
9. Yomelelani, maFilistiya! Yibani ngamadoda, hleze nathi sibe zizicaka zamaSirayeli kanye njengoko nawo ayezizicaka zethu! Kuf' ayayo, madoda!”
10. Alwa ke amaFilistiya, awaswantsulisa amaSirayeli, aya kutshona ngezindlu zawo. Kwajub' ugodo kwelo dabi, kwawa amashumi amathathu amawaka amajoni akwaSirayeli.
11. Yathinjwa ngamaFilistiya ityesi yomnqophiso kaThixo, oonyana bakaEli uHofeni noPineyasi basala apho itshoba lilel' umbethe.