1 Samuel 15
1 Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel. Now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD.
USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: INkosi yangithuma ukuthi ngikugcobe ube yinkosi phezu kwabantu bayo, phezu kukaIsrayeli; ngakho-ke lalela ilizwi lamazwi eNkosi.
2 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they ambushed them on their way up from Egypt.
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla ithi: Ngizananzelela lokho uAmaleki akwenza kuIsrayeli, ukuthi wema njani emelene laye endleleni ekwenyukeni kwakhe eGibhithe.
3 Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
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 So Saul summoned the troops and numbered them at Telaim—200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 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 lay in wait in the valley.
USawuli wasefika emzini kaAmaleki, wacathama esigodini.
6 And he warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt, go on and get away from the Amalekites. Otherwise I will sweep you away with them.” So the Kenites moved away from 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 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt.
USawuli wasetshaya amaAmaleki, kusukela eHavila uze uyefika eShuri ephambi kweGibhithe.
8 He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but devoted all the others to destruction with the sword.
Wambamba uAgagi inkosi yamaAmaleki ephila; labo bonke abantu wabatshabalalisa ngobukhali benkemba.
9 Saul and his troops spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and the best of everything else. They were unwilling to destroy them, but they devoted to destruction all that was despised and worthless.
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 word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying,
Kwasekufika ilizwi leNkosi kuSamuweli lisithi:
11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all that night.
Sengizisola ngokuthi ngambeka uSawuli waba yinkosi; ngoba ubuyele emuva ekungilandeleni, kaqinisanga amazwi ami. USamuweli wasethukuthela, wakhala eNkosini ubusuku bonke.
12 Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and behold, he has set up a monument for himself and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.”
USamuweli wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu ukuhlangabeza uSawuli; kwasekutshelwa uSamuweli kuthiwa: USawuli usefikile eKharmeli; khangela-ke, uzimisele insika, wabhoda, wedlula, wehlela eGiligali.
13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”
USamuweli wasefika kuSawuli; uSawuli wathi kuye: Kawubusiswe yiNkosi; ngiliqinisile ilizwi leNkosi.
14 But Samuel replied, “Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?”
USamuweli wasesithi: Kuyini pho lokhukukhala kwezimvu endlebeni zami, lokubhonsa kwenkomo engikuzwayo?
15 Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but the rest we devoted to destruction.”
USawuli wasesithi: Babuye lazo kumaAmaleki; ngoba abantu bayekele okuhle kakhulu kwezimvu lokwenkomo ukuze bahlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho; kodwa okuseleyo sikutshabalalisile.
16 “Stop!” exclaimed Samuel. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied.
USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: Yekela, ngikutshele ukuthi iNkosi itheni kimi kulobubusuku. Wasesithi kuye: Khuluma.
17 And Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, have you not become 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 sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and devote to destruction the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have wiped them out.’
INkosi ikuthumile-ke ngendlela yathi: Hamba uyetshabalalisa izoni, amaAmaleki, ulwe lawo aze aphele.
19 So why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you rush upon the plunder and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”
Pho, kungani ungalilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi, kodwa waphaphela impango, wenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi?
20 “But I did obey the LORD,” Saul replied. “I went on the mission that the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek and devoted the Amalekites to destruction.
USawuli wasesithi kuSamuweli: Isibili ngililalele ilizwi leNkosi, ngihambile ngendlela iNkosi ebingithume ngayo, ngibuyile loAgagi inkosi yakoAmaleki, njalo ngitshabalalisile amaAmaleki.
21 The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”
Kodwa abantu bathethe okwempango, izimvu lenkomo, okuhle kwezinto ebezizatshabalaliswa, ukuze bahlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.
22 But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better 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 like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”
Ngoba umvukela unjengesono sokuvumisa, lobuqholo buyisiphambeko lokukhonza izithombe. Ngoba ulalile ilizwi leNkosi, layo ikwalile ukuthi ungabi yinkosi.
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, 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 forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.”
Ngakho-ke ake uthethelele isono sami, ubuyele lami, ukuze ngikhonze iNkosi.
26 “I will not return with you,” Samuel replied. “For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and He has rejected you as 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 to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore.
Kuthe uSamuweli etshibilika ukuthi ahambe, wabamba umphetho wesembatho sakhe, sasesidabuka.
28 So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
USamuweli wasesithi kuye: INkosi iwudabule kuwe lamuhla umbuso wakoIsrayeli, yawunika umakhelwane wakho ongcono kulawe.
29 Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.”
Futhi-ke aMandla kaIsrayeli kawaqambi manga, kawazisoli, ngoba kawasimuntu ukuthi azisole.
30 “I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me, so 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 me Agag king of the Amalekites.” Agag came to him cheerfully, for he thought, “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 But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at 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, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.
USamuweli wasesiya eRama, loSawuli wenyukela endlini yakhe eGibeya kaSawuli.
35 And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted 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.
