1 Samuel 15
1 Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore listen to the voice of the LORD’s words.
USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: INkosi yangithuma ukuthi ngikugcobe ube yinkosi phezu kwabantu bayo, phezu kukaIsrayeli; ngakho-ke lalela ilizwi lamazwi eNkosi.
2 The LORD of Armies says, ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way when he came up out of Egypt.
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla ithi: Ngizananzelela lokho uAmaleki akwenza kuIsrayeli, ukuthi wema njani emelene laye endleleni ekwenyukeni kwakhe eGibhithe.
3 Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
Hamba-ke uyetshaya uAmaleki, utshabalalise konke alakho; ungamyekeli, kodwa ubulale kusukela kowesilisa kusiya kowesifazana, kusukela kusane kusiya komunyayo, kusukela enkabini kusiya emvini, kusukela ekamelweni kusiya kubabhemi.
4 Saul summoned the people, and counted them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.
USawuli wasebiza abantu, wababala eTelayimi, izinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili abahamba ngenyawo, lamadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi akoJuda.
5 Saul came to the city of Amalek, and set an ambush in the valley.
USawuli wasefika emzini kaAmaleki, wacathama esigodini.
6 Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
USawuli wasesithi kumaKeni: Hambani, lisuke, lehle liphume phakathi kwamaAmaleki, hlezi ngilibhubhise kanye lawo; ngoba lina lenza umusa kubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli ekwenyukeni kwabo bephuma eGibhithe. Ngakho amaKeni asuka aphuma phakathi kwamaAmaleki.
7 Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is before Egypt.
USawuli wasetshaya amaAmaleki, kusukela eHavila uze uyefika eShuri ephambi kweGibhithe.
8 He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
Wambamba uAgagi inkosi yamaAmaleki ephila; labo bonke abantu wabatshabalalisa ngobukhali benkemba.
9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, of the cattle, of the fat calves, of the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to utterly destroy them; but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
Kodwa uSawuli labantu bamyekela uAgagi, lokuhle kakhulu kwezimvu lokwenkomo, lokunonisiweyo, lamawundlu, lakho konke okuhle; kabathandanga ukukutshabalalisa, kodwa yonke into edelelekayo lecakileyo bayitshabalalisa.
10 Then the LORD’s word came to Samuel, saying,
Kwasekufika ilizwi leNkosi kuSamuweli lisithi:
11 “It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments.” Samuel was angry; and he cried to the LORD all night.
Sengizisola ngokuthi ngambeka uSawuli waba yinkosi; ngoba ubuyele emuva ekungilandeleni, kaqinisanga amazwi ami. USamuweli wasethukuthela, wakhala eNkosini ubusuku bonke.
12 Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and Samuel was told, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, turned, passed on, and went down to Gilgal.”
USamuweli wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu ukuhlangabeza uSawuli; kwasekutshelwa uSamuweli kuthiwa: USawuli usefikile eKharmeli; khangela-ke, uzimisele insika, wabhoda, wedlula, wehlela eGiligali.
13 Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, “You are blessed by the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.”
USamuweli wasefika kuSawuli; uSawuli wathi kuye: Kawubusiswe yiNkosi; ngiliqinisile ilizwi leNkosi.
14 Samuel said, “Then what does this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the cattle which I hear mean?”
USamuweli wasesithi: Kuyini pho lokhukukhala kwezimvu endlebeni zami, lokubhonsa kwenkomo engikuzwayo?
15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the cattle, to sacrifice to the LORD your God. We have utterly destroyed the rest.”
USawuli wasesithi: Babuye lazo kumaAmaleki; ngoba abantu bayekele okuhle kakhulu kwezimvu lokwenkomo ukuze bahlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho; kodwa okuseleyo sikutshabalalisile.
16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stay, and I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” He said to him, “Say on.”
USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: Yekela, ngikutshele ukuthi iNkosi itheni kimi kulobubusuku. Wasesithi kuye: Khuluma.
17 Samuel said, “Though you were little in your own sight, were not you made the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel;
USamuweli wasesithi: Angithi, lapho usemncinyane emehlweni akho, waba yinhloko yezizwe zakoIsrayeli, leNkosi yakugcoba waba yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli?
18 and the LORD sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’
INkosi ikuthumile-ke ngendlela yathi: Hamba uyetshabalalisa izoni, amaAmaleki, ulwe lawo aze aphele.
19 Why then did not you obey the LORD’s voice, but took the plunder, and did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight?”
Pho, kungani ungalilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi, kodwa waphaphela impango, wenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi?
20 Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the LORD’s voice, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
USawuli wasesithi kuSamuweli: Isibili ngililalele ilizwi leNkosi, ngihambile ngendlela iNkosi ebingithume ngayo, ngibuyile loAgagi inkosi yakoAmaleki, njalo ngitshabalalisile amaAmaleki.
21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the devoted things, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”
Kodwa abantu bathethe okwempango, izimvu lenkomo, okuhle kwezinto ebezizatshabalaliswa, ukuze bahlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.
22 Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the LORD’s voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
Kodwa uSamuweli wathi: Kambe iNkosi iyathokoza ngeminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, njengekulaleleni ilizwi leNkosi? Khangela, ukulalela kungcono kulomhlatshelo, lokuqaphelisa kulamahwahwa ezinqama.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected the LORD’s word, he has also rejected you from being king.”
Ngoba umvukela unjengesono sokuvumisa, lobuqholo buyisiphambeko lokukhonza izithombe. Ngoba ulalile ilizwi leNkosi, layo ikwalile ukuthi ungabi yinkosi.
24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
USawuli wasesithi kuSamuweli: Ngonile; ngoba ngeqile umlayo weNkosi lamazwi akho; ngoba ngesaba abantu, ngakho ngalalela ilizwi labo.
25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.”
Ngakho-ke ake uthethelele isono sami, ubuyele lami, ukuze ngikhonze iNkosi.
26 Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the LORD’s word, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
Kodwa uSamuweli wathi kuSawuli: Kangiyikubuyela lawe ngoba ulalile ilizwi leNkosi, layo iNkosi ikwalile ukuthi ungabi yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli.
27 As Samuel turned around to go away, Saul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore.
Kuthe uSamuweli etshibilika ukuthi ahambe, wabamba umphetho wesembatho sakhe, sasesidabuka.
28 Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.
USamuweli wasesithi kuye: INkosi iwudabule kuwe lamuhla umbuso wakoIsrayeli, yawunika umakhelwane wakho ongcono kulawe.
29 Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.”
Futhi-ke aMandla kaIsrayeli kawaqambi manga, kawazisoli, ngoba kawasimuntu ukuthi azisole.
30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.”
Wasesithi: Ngonile, ake ungihloniphe khathesi phambi kwabadala babantu bakithi laphambi kukaIsrayeli, ubuyele lami, ukuthi ngikhonze iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.
31 So Samuel went back with Saul; and Saul worshiped the LORD.
Ngakho uSamuweli wabuyela elandela uSawuli; uSawuli wayikhonza-ke iNkosi.
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag the king of the Amalekites here to me!” Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
USamuweli wasesithi: Msondezeni kimi uAgagi inkosi yakoAmaleki. UAgagi wasesiya kuye ethokozile; uAgagi wathi: Isibili ukubaba kokufa sekudlulile.
33 Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!” Then Samuel cut Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
USamuweli wasesithi: Njengoba inkemba yakho yemuke abesifazana abantwana, ngokunjalo unyoko uzakwemukwa abantwana phakathi kwabesifazana. USamuweli wasemhlahlela uAgagi phambi kweNkosi eGiligali.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
USamuweli wasesiya eRama, loSawuli wenyukela endlini yakhe eGibeya kaSawuli.
35 Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death, but Samuel mourned for Saul. The LORD grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.
USamuweli kaphindanga wambona uSawuli kwaze kwaba lusuku lokufa kwakhe, kodwa uSamuweli wamlilela uSawuli; leNkosi yazisola ngokuthi yayimbekile uSawuli abe yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli.
