1 Samuel 8
1 Now when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
USamuyeli eseluphele wabeka amadodana akhe ukuba ngabahluleli baka-Israyeli.
2 The name of his first son was Joel and the name of his second Abijah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.
Ibizo lezibulo lakhe lalinguJoweli, ibizo leyesibili lingu-Abhija, njalo ayesebenza eBherishebha.
3 And his sons did not go in his ways, but moved by the love of money took rewards, and were not upright in judging.
Kodwa amadodana akhe kawahambanga ezindleleni zakhe. Aphambukela eceleni emva kokuthola inzuzo yenkohliso amukela lemfumbathiso, onakalisa lokwahlulela ngemfanelo.
4 Then all the responsible men of Israel got together and went to Samuel at Ramah,
Ngakho bonke abadala bako-Israyeli babuthana ndawonye basebesiya kuSamuyeli eRama.
5 And said to him, See now, you are old, and your sons do not go in your ways: give us a king now to be our judge, so that we may be like the other nations.
Bathi kuye, “Usuluphele, njalo amadodana akho kawahambi ezindleleni zakho, ngakho sibekele inkosi ezasikhokhela, njengezinye izizwe zonke ezilayo.”
6 But Samuel was not pleased when they said to him, Give us a king to be our judge. And Samuel made prayer to the Lord.
Kodwa kwathi besithi, “Sinike inkosi ezasikhokhela,” lokhu kwamcunula uSamuyeli; ngakho wakhuleka kuThixo.
7 And the Lord said to Samuel, Give ear to the voice of the people and what they say to you: they have not been turned away from you, but they have been turned away from me, not desiring me to be king over them.
Njalo uThixo wathi kuye: “Lalela konke lokho abantu abakutshoyo kuwe; akusuwe abamalayo, kodwa bale mina njengeNkosi yabo.
8 As they have done from the first, from the day when I took them out of Egypt till this day, turning away from me and worshipping other gods, so now they are acting in the same way to you.
Njengalokhu abakwenzayo kusukela ngosuku engabakhupha ngalo eGibhithe kuze kube lamhlanje, bangala bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu, lokhu yikho abakwenzayo kuwe.
9 Give ear now to their voice: but make a serious protest to them, and give them a picture of the sort of king who will be their ruler.
Ngakho balalele; kodwa ubaxwayise kakhulu njalo ubazise okuzakwenziwa kubo yinkosi ezababusa.”
10 And Samuel said all these words of the Lord to the people who were desiring a king.
USamuyeli wabatshela wonke amazwi kaThixo abantu ababecela inkosi kuye.
11 And he said, This is the sort of king who will be your ruler: he will take your sons and make them his servants, his horsemen, and drivers of his war-carriages, and they will go running before his war-carriages;
Wathi, “Nanku okuzakwenziwa yinkosi ezalibusa: Izathatha amadodana enu iwasebenzise lezinqola zayo zempi lamabhiza, njalo azagijima phambi kwezinqola zayo zempi.
12 And he will make them captains of thousands and of fifties; some he will put to work ploughing and cutting his grain and making his instruments of war and building his war-carriages.
Amanye uzawenza abe ngabalawuli bezinkulungwane labalawuli bamatshumi amahlanu; njalo amanye azalima amasimu ayo avune kanye lamabele ayo, amanye njalo azakwenza izikhali zayo zempi kanye lempahla zezinqola zayo zempi.
13 Your daughters he will take to be makers of perfumes and cooks and bread-makers.
Izathatha amadodakazi enu ukuba abe ngabenzi bamakha labapheki kanye labapheki bezinkwa.
14 He will take your fields and your vine-gardens and your olive-gardens, all the best of them, and give them to his servants.
Izathatha amasimu enu avundileyo lezivini kanye lezivande zama-oliva ikunike izinceku zayo.
15 He will take a tenth of your seed and of the fruit of your vines and give it to his servants.
Izathatha okwetshumi emabeleni enu lokwesivuno samavini ikunike izikhulu zayo.
16 He will take your men-servants and your servant-girls, and the best of your oxen and your asses and put them to his work.
Izisebenzi zenu ezesilisa lezesifazane lenkomo zenu ezinhle kanye labobabhemi izakuthatha ikusebenzise.
17 He will take a tenth of your sheep: and you will be his servants.
Izathatha okwetshumi emihlambini yenu njalo lina ngokwenu lizakuba yizigqili zayo.
18 Then you will be crying out because of your king whom you have taken for yourselves; but the Lord will not give you an answer in that day.
Nxa lolosuku selufikile lizakhalela ukukhululwa enkosini eliyikhethileyo, kodwa uThixo kayikuliphendula ngalolosuku.”
19 But the people gave no attention to the voice of Samuel; and they said, No, but we will have a king over us,
Kodwa abantu bala ukumlalela uSamuyeli. Bathi, “Hatshi! Sifuna inkosi ezasibusa.
20 So that we may be like the other nations, and so that our king may be our judge and go out before us to war.
Lapho-ke sizakuba njengezinye izizwe zonke, silenkosi esikhokhelayo njalo ihambe phambi kwethu ilwe izimpi zethu.”
21 Then Samuel, after hearing all the people had to say, went and gave an account of it to the Lord.
Kwathi uSamuyeli esekuzwile konke okwakutshiwo ngabantu, wakubika kuThixo.
22 And the Lord said to Samuel, Give ear to their voice and make a king for them. Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, Let every man go back to his town.
Uthixo waphendula wathi, “Lalela ilizwi labo ubaphe inkosi.” USamuyeli wasesithi ebantwini bako-Israyeli, “Umuntu wonke kabuyele emzini wakibo.”
