1 Samuel 7
1 Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD.
Njalo abantu beKiriyathi-Jeyarimi beza, benyusa umtshokotsho weNkosi, bawungenisa endlini kaAbinadaba phezu kwaloloqaqa, bangcwelisa uEleyazare indodana yakhe ukuthi agcine umtshokotsho weNkosi.
2 And from that day a long time passed, twenty years in all, as the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim. And all the house of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD.
Kwasekusithi kusukela ngosuku umtshokotsho uhlala eKiriyathi-Jeyarimi, insuku zanda; ngoba kwaba yiminyaka engamatshumi amabili; lendlu yonke yakoIsrayeli yakhala ilandela iNkosi.
3 Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
USamuweli wasekhuluma endlini yonke kaIsrayeli esithi: Uba libuyela eNkosini ngenhliziyo yenu yonke, susani onkulunkulu bezizweni phakathi kwenu laboAshitarothi, liqondise inhliziyo yenu eNkosini, likhonze yona yodwa, ngakho izalophula esandleni samaFilisti.
4 So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only the LORD.
Ngakho abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesusa oBhali laboAshitarothi, bakhonza iNkosi yodwa.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.”
USamuweli wasesithi: Buthanisani uIsrayeli wonke eMizipa; njalo ngizalikhulekela eNkosini.
6 When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.
Basebebuthana eMizipa, bakha amanzi, bawathela phambi kweNkosi, bazila ukudla mhlalokho, bathi lapho: Sonile eNkosini. USamuweli wasesahlulela abantwana bakoIsrayeli eMizipa.
7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. And when the Israelites learned of this, they feared the Philistines
Kwathi amaFilisti esezwile ukuthi abantwana bakoIsrayeli babuthene eMizipa, iziphathamandla zamaFilisti zenyuka zamelana loIsrayeli. Abantwana bakoIsrayeli sebekuzwile bawesaba amaFilisti.
8 and said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesithi kuSamuweli: Ungathuli ukusikhalela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu ukuze asisindise esandleni samaFilisti.
9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him.
USamuweli wasethatha iwundlu elimunyayo, walinikela lonke eNkosini laba ngumnikelo otshiswayo. USamuweli wakhalela uIsrayeli eNkosini, iNkosi yasimphendula.
10 As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.
Kwathi uSamuweli esanikela umnikelo wokutshiswa, amaFilisti asondela empini loIsrayeli; kodwa iNkosi yaduma ngelizwi elikhulu phezu kwamaFilisti ngalolosuku, yawachithachitha, asetshaywa phambi kukaIsrayeli.
11 Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth-car.
Amadoda akoIsrayeli asephuma eMizipa axotshana lamaFilisti, awatshaya, kwaze kwaba ngaphansi kweBetikari.
12 Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
USamuweli wasethatha ilitshe, walimisa phakathi kweMizipa leSheni, wabiza ibizo lalo iEbeni-Ezeri, wathi: Kuze kube khathesi iNkosi isisizile.
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped invading the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
Ngakho amaFilisti ehliselwa phansi, kawabe esaphinda ukungena emngceleni wakoIsrayeli. Njalo isandla seNkosi samelana lamaFilisti zonke izinsuku zikaSamuweli.
14 The cities from Ekron to Gath, which the Philistines had taken, were restored to Israel, who also delivered the surrounding territory from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between the Israelites and the Amorites.
Imizi amaFilisti ayeyithethe-ke koIsrayeli yabuyiselwa kuIsrayeli kusukela eEkhironi kuze kufike eGathi; lomngcele wayo uIsrayeli wawukhulula esandleni samaFilisti. Njalo kwaba lokuthula phakathi kukaIsrayeli lamaAmori.
15 So Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
USamuweli wasesahlulela uIsrayeli insuku zonke zempilo yakhe.
16 Every year he would go on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places.
Wahamba iminyaka ngeminyaka wabhoda eBhetheli, leGiligali, leMizipa; wahlulela uIsrayeli kuzo zonke lezozindawo.
17 Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, and there he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.
Lokubuyela kwakhe kwakuyikuya eRama, ngoba indlu yakhe yayilapho; wahlulela uIsrayeli khona, wayakhela lapho iNkosi ilathi.
