Verse 1: Umphongolo kaJehova wawusezweni lamaFilisti izinyanga eziyisikhombisa.
Verse 2: AmaFilisti abiza abapristi nababhuli, athi: “Siyakwenze njani ngomphongolo kaJehova na? Saziseni ukuthi singawubuyisela kanjani endaweni yawo.”
Verse 3: Bathi: “Uma nimukisa umphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ningawumukisi ze, kepha anobuyisela nokubuyisela kuye umnikelo wecala; khona niyakuphiliswa, kwazeke kini ukuthi isandla sakhe asisuswa ngani kini.”
Verse 4: Athi: “Uyakuba yini umnikelo wecala esiyakuwubuyisela kuye na?” Bathi: “Amathumba ayisihlanu egolide namagundane ayisihlanu egolide njengomumo wamakhosi amaFilisti, ngokuba kuyisifo sinye esikubo bonke nakuwo amakhosi enu.
Verse 5: Niyakwenza imifanekiso yamathumba enu nemifanekiso yamagundane enu alonayo izwe, nimnike uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli udumo; mhlawumbe uyakusenza lula isandla sakhe phezu kwenu, naphezu kwawonkulunkulu benu, naphezu kwezwe lakini.
Verse 6: Nenzeleni zibe lukhuni izinhliziyo zenu, njengalokho abaseGibithe noFaro bazenza lukhuni izinhliziyo zabo na? Lapho esebenzile phakathi kwabo, ababavumelanga yini ukuba bahambe na?
Verse 7: “Manje thathani nilungise inqola entsha nezinkomo ezimbili ezincelisayo okungafikanga joka phezu kwazo, nizibophele izinkomo enqoleni, nibuyisele ekhaya amankonyane azo,
Verse 8: nithathe umphongolo kaJehova, niwubeke enqoleni, nifake impahla yegolide eniyibuyisela kuye ibe ngumnikelo wecala ebhokisini eliseceleni kwawo, niyimukise, ihambe.
Verse 9: Anobona, uma yenyuka ngendlela yasemkhawulweni wayo ukuya eBeti Shemeshi, nguye osenzele lobo bubi obukhulu; kepha uma kungenjalo, siyakwazi ukuthi akusiso isandla sakhe esisishayileyo; sehlelwa ingozi nje.”
Verse 10: Abantu benze njalo; bathatha izinkomo ezimbili ezincelisayo, bazibophela enqoleni, bazivalela amankonyane azo ekhaya,
Verse 11: bawubeka umphongolo kaJehova enqoleni kanye nebhokisi lamagundane egolide nemifanekiso yamathumba abo.
Verse 12: Izinkomo zaqonda endleleni, zaya ngaseBeti Shemeshi, zahamba ngomendo, zihamba zikhala, zingaphambukeli ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesokhohlo; amakhosi amaFilisti azilandela, aze afika emkhawulweni waseBeti Shemeshi.
Verse 13: AbaseBeti Shemeshi babevuna ukolweni esigodini, baphakamisa amehlo abo, bawubona umphongolo, bathokoza ukuwubona.
Verse 14: Inqola yangena ensimini kaJoshuwa waseBeti Shemeshi, yema khona, lapho kwakukhona itshe elikhulu; babanda inqola yaba yizinkuni, banikela ngezinkomo zaba ngumnikelo wokushiswa kuJehova.
Verse 15: AmaLevi ayethulile umphongolo kaJehova nebhokisi elalinawo, okwakukulo impahla yegolide, akubeka etsheni elikhulu; abantu baseBeti Shemeshi banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa, bahlabela uJehova imihlatshelo ngalolo suku.
Verse 16: Amakhosi ayisihlanu amaFilisti esekubonile abuyela e-Ekroni ngalolo suku.
Verse 17: Lawa angamathumba egolide amaFilisti awabuyisa abe ngumnikelo wecala kuJehova: elinye ngele-Ashidodi, nelinye ngeleGaza, nelinye ngele-Ashikeloni, nelinye ngeleGati, nelinye ngele-Ekroni;
Verse 18: namagundane egolide ayenjengomumo wemizi yonke yamaFilisti yamakhosi ayisihlanu, imizi ebiyelweyo nemizana yasemaphandleni, okubufakazi bakho kuyitshe elikhulu abawubeka kulo umphongolo kaJehova, elikhona nanamuhla ensimini kaJoshuwa waseBeti Shemeshi.
Verse 19: Wabulala abantu baseBeti Shemeshi, ngokuba babebukile umphongolo kaJehova; wabulala kubantu amadoda angamashumi ayisikhombisa emadodeni ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisihlanu; abantu balila, ngokuba uJehova wabulala abantu ngokubulala okukhulu.
Verse 20: Abantu baseBeti Shemeshi base bethi: “Ngubani ongema phambi kukaJehova, lo Nkulunkulu ongcwele, na? Uyakwenyukela kubani esuka kithina na?”
Verse 21: Bathuma izithunywa kwabakhileyo eKiriyati Jeharimi, bathi: “AmaFilisti awubuyisele umphongolo kaJehova; yehlani, niwukhuphulele kini.”