1 Pea ko Neamani, ko e ʻeiki pule ki ke kautau ʻoe tuʻi ʻo Silia, ko e tangata ia naʻe ʻeiki mo ongoongolelei ʻi he ʻao ʻo ʻene ʻeiki, koeʻuhi ko e meʻa ʻiate ia, naʻe foaki ʻe Sihova ʻae fakamoʻui ki Silia: ko e tangata foki ia naʻe mālohi ʻaupito ʻi he tau, ka ko e kilia. 2 Pea ʻi he ʻalu atu ʻae ngaahi kongakau ʻoe kakai Silia, naʻa nau ʻomi pōpula ha taʻahine siʻi mei he fonua ʻo ʻIsileli; pea naʻe tauhi ʻe ia ki he uaifi ʻo Neamani. 3 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia ki heʻene fineʻeiki, “Taumaiā kuo nofo ʻa ʻeku ʻeiki mo e palōfita ʻaia ʻoku ʻi Samēlia! he te ne fakamoʻui ia mei heʻene kilia.” 4 Pea naʻe ʻalu ange ʻae tokotaha, mo ne tala ki heʻene ʻeiki, ʻo pehē, “ʻOku pehē mo pehē ʻe he taʻahine ʻaia ʻoku mei he fonua ʻo ʻIsileli.” 5 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he tuʻi ʻo Silia, “ʻOku lelei, ʻalu, pea te u ʻatu ha tohi ki he tuʻi ʻo ʻIsileli.” Pea naʻa ne ʻalu, pea ne ʻave mo ia ʻae taleniti siliva ʻe hongofulu, mo e konga koula ʻe ono afe, mo e kofu kātoa ʻe hongofulu. 6 Pea naʻa ne ʻomi ʻae tohi ki he tuʻi ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻo pehē, “Ko eni ʻoka hoko atu ʻae tohi ni kiate koe, vakai, kuo u fekau atu mo ia kiate koe ʻa Neamani ko ʻeku tamaioʻeiki, koeʻuhi ke ke fakamoʻui ia mei heʻene kilia.” 7 Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē hili ʻa ʻene lau ʻe he tuʻi ʻo ʻIsileli ʻae tohi, naʻa ne haehae ʻa hono ngaahi kofu, mo ne pehē, “He ko e ʻOtua au, ke tāmate mo fakamoʻui, kuo fekau ai ʻe he tangata ni ke u fakamoʻui ha tangata mei heʻene kilia? Ko ia mou vakai, pea mou tokanga ki heʻene kumi ha meʻa ke fakatupu ai ʻae kovi kiate au.”

8 ¶ Pea ʻi heʻene fanongo ʻe ʻIlaisa ko e tangata ʻoe ʻOtua ki he haehae ʻe he tuʻi ʻo ʻIsileli ʻa hono ngaahi kofu, naʻa ne fekau ai ki he tuʻi, ʻo pehē, “Ko e hā kuo ke haehae ai ho ngaahi kofu? Tuku ke ne haʻu kiate au, pea te ne ʻilo ʻoku ai ha palōfita ʻi ʻIsileli.” 9 Ko ia naʻe haʻu ʻa Neamani mo ʻene fanga hoosi pea mo ʻene saliote, pea tuʻu ʻi he matapā ʻoe fale ʻo ʻIlaisa. 10 Pea naʻe fekau atu ʻe ʻIlaisa ha tangata fekau kiate ia, ʻo pehē, “ʻAlu ʻo kaukau ʻi Sioatani ke liunga fitu, pea ʻe toe hoko mai ho kakano kiate koe, pea te ke maʻa ai.” 11 Ka naʻe ʻita lahi ʻa Neamani, pea ʻalu ia, mo ne pehē, “Vakai, naʻaku pehē ʻeau, te ne ʻomi moʻoni kituʻa kiate au, pea tuʻu, ʻo ne ui ki he huafa ʻo Sihova ko hono ʻOtua, mo ne ala ʻaki ʻa hono nima ki he potu, mo ne fakamoʻui ai ʻae kilia. 12 ‌ʻIkai ʻoku lelei hake ʻa ʻApana mo Paapaa ko e vaitafe ʻi Tamasikusi, ʻi he ngaahi vai kotoa pē ʻo ʻIsileli? ʻIkai te u faʻa kaukau ʻi ai, pea u maʻa ai? Ko ia, naʻa ne foki atu ʻo ʻalu ʻi he ʻita lahi.” 13 Pea naʻe fakaofi atu ʻa ʻene kau tamaioʻeiki kiate ia, mo nau lea kiate ia, ʻo pehē, “ʻEku tamai, ka ne tala ʻe he palōfita ke ke fai ha meʻa lahi, ʻikai kuo ke fai ia? Kae muʻa hake eni, ʻa ʻene pehē mai kiate koe, ‘Kaukau, pea te ke maʻa ai?’ ” 14 Pea naʻa ne toki ʻalu hifo, mo ne kaukau ia ʻo liunga fitu ʻi Sioatani, ʻo hangē ko e lea ʻae tangata ʻoe ʻOtua: pea naʻe toe hoko mai kiate ia ʻa hono kakano, ʻo hangē ko e kakano ʻo ha tamasiʻi siʻi, pea naʻa ne maʻa ai. 15 Pea naʻa ne toe ʻalu ange ki he tangata ʻoe ʻOtua, ʻaia mo ʻene kau fononga kotoa pē, pea haʻu, ʻo ne tuʻu ʻi hono ʻao: pea naʻa ne pehē, “Vakai, ʻoku ou toki ʻilo eni ʻoku ʻikai ha ʻOtua ʻi māmani kotoa pē, ka ʻi ʻIsileli pe: pea ko ia ʻoku ou kole, ke ke maʻu ha meʻaʻofa mei hoʻo tamaioʻeiki.” 16 Ka naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “ʻOku moʻui ʻa Sihova ʻaia ʻoku ou tuʻu ni ʻi hono ʻao, pea ʻe ʻikai te u maʻu ha meʻa. Pea naʻa ne kole fakamātoato ke ne maʻu ia; ka naʻe ʻikai loto ia ki ai.” 17 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Neamani, “Pea ka kuo pehē, ʻoku ou kole ai ke ʻomi ki hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ha kavenga ʻe ua ʻoe kelekele ke fakaheka ki ha miuli ʻe ua? Koeʻuhi ʻe ʻikai siʻi toe ʻatu ʻe hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ha feilaulau tutu, pe ha feilaulau ki ha ngaahi ʻotua kehe, ka kia Sihova pe.” 18 “Ke fakamolemole ʻe Sihova ʻa hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ʻi he meʻa ko eni, ʻoka hū atu ʻa ʻeku ʻeiki ki he fale ʻo Limoni ke lotu ai, pea ʻoku ne faʻaki ki hoku nima, pea ʻoku ou punou hifo ʻi he fale ʻo Limoni: ʻo kau ka punou hifo au ʻi he fale ʻo Limoni, ke fakamolemole ʻe Sihova ʻa hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ʻi he meʻa ni.” 19 Pea naʻa ne pehē kiate ia, “Ke ke ʻalu ʻi he fiemālie.” Pea naʻa ne ʻalu ʻo mamaʻo siʻi mei he potu ko ia.

20 ¶ Ka naʻe pehē ʻe Kehesi ko e tamaioʻeiki ʻa ʻIlaisa ko e tangata ʻoe ʻOtua, “Vakai, kuo mamae ʻa ʻeku ʻeiki ki he tangata Silia ni ko Neamani, ko e meʻa ʻi heʻene taʻemaʻu mei hono nima ʻae meʻa naʻa ne ʻomi: kae hangē ʻoku moʻui ʻa Sihova, te u lele atu kiate ia, ʻo maʻu ha meʻa meiate ia.” 21 Ko ia naʻe muimui atu ʻa Kehesi kia Neamani. Pea ʻi he sio ʻa Neamani ki heʻene lele mai kiate ia, naʻa ne ʻalu hifo mei heʻene saliote ke fetaulaki kiate ia mo ne pehē, “ʻOku lelei kotoa pē?” 22 Pea naʻa ne pehē, “ʻOku lelei kotoa pē. Kuo fekau au ʻe heʻeku ʻeiki, ke fakahā, Vakai, kuo haʻu eni kiate au mei he moʻunga ʻo ʻIfalemi ʻae ongo talavou mei he ngaahi foha ʻoe kau palōfita: pea ʻoku ou kole ke ke foaki kiate kinaua, ha taleniti siliva ʻe taha, mo e ngaahi kofu kātoa ʻe ua.” 23 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Neamani, “Ke ke fiemālie pe, ʻave ʻae taleniti ʻe ua.” Pea naʻa ne ueʻi mālohi ia, pea naʻa ne noʻotaki ʻae taleniti siliva ʻe ua ki he kato ʻe ua, mo e ngaahi kofu kātoa ʻe ua, pea naʻa ne ʻai ia ki heʻene tamaioʻeiki ʻe toko ua; pea naʻa na fua atu ia ʻi hono ʻao. 24 Pea ʻi heʻene hoko atu ki he fale leʻo, naʻa ne toʻo ia mei hona nima, mo ne ʻai atu ia ki fale: pea naʻa ne tukuange ʻae ongo tangata ke ʻalu, pea naʻa na ʻalu. 25 Ka naʻe hū atu ia ki fale, mo ne tuʻu ʻi he ʻao ʻo ʻene ʻeiki. Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ʻIlaisa kiate ia, “Kuo ke haʻu mei fē Kehesi?” Pea naʻa ne pehē ʻe ia, naʻe ʻikai ʻalu hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ki ha potu. 26 Pea naʻa ne pehēange kiate ia, “ʻIkai naʻe ʻalu ʻa hoku loto mo koe, ʻi heʻene tafoki mai ʻae tangata mei hono saliote ke fakafetaulaki kiate koe? He ko e kuonga eni ke maʻu kofu, mo e ngoue ʻolive, mo e ngoue vaine, mo e fanga sipi, mo e fanga pulu, mo e kau tamaioʻeiki, mo e kau kaunanga? 27 Ko ia foki, ʻe piki kiate koe ʻae kilia naʻe ʻia Neamani, pea ki ho hako ʻo taʻengata.” Pea naʻa ne ʻalu atu mei hono ʻao ko e kilia ʻo tatau mo e ʻuha hinehina.