Kings I 4
1 And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together against Israel to war; and Israel went out to meet them and encamped at Abenezer, and the Philistines encamped in Aphec.
Ilizwi likaSamuyeli lafika ku-Israyeli wonke. Ngalesosikhathi abako-Israyeli baphuma ukuyakulwa lamaFilistiya. Abako-Israyeli bamisa e-Ebhenezeri, amaFilistiya e-Afekhi.
2 And the Philistines prepare to fight with Israel, and the battle was turned against them; and the men of Israel fell before the Philistines, and there were smitten in the battle in the field four thousand men.
AmaFilistiya ahlela amabutho awo ukuba ayohlangana labako-Israyeli, kwathi ekumemethekeni kwempi, u-Israyeli wehlulwa ngamaFilistiya, abulala abaphosa babe zinkulungwane ezine enkundleni yokulwela.
3 And the people came to the camp, and the elders of Israel said, Why has the Lord caused us to fall this day before the Philistines? let us take the ark of our God out of Selom, and let it proceed from the midst of us, and it shall save us from the hand of our enemies.
Kwathi esebuyele ezihonqweni, abadala bako-Israyeli bathi, “Kungani uThixo esilethele ukwehlulwa lamhla phambi kwamaFilistiya na? Kasiyenithatha ibhokisi lesivumelwano sika Thixo eShilo, ukuze lihambe lathi lisisindise esandleni sezitha zethu.”
4 And the people sent to Selom, and they take thence the ark of the Lord who dwells between the cherubs: and both the sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, [were] with the ark.
Ngakho abantu bathuma amadoda eShilo, abuya lebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo uSomandla, ehlezi ebukhosini phakathi kwamakherubhi. Lamadodana ka-Eli amabili, uHofini loFinehasi, ayekhona lebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.
5 And it came to pass when the ark of the Lord entered into the camp, that all Israel cried out with a loud voice, and the earth resounded.
Kwathi lapho ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo lifika ezihonqweni, wonke u-Israyeli wenza umsindo omkhulu iphansi laze lanyikinyeka.
6 And the Philistines heard the cry, and the Philistines said, What [is] this great cry in the camp of the Hebrews: and they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.
Esizwa ukuxokozela amaFilistiya abuza athi, “Utshoni umsindo wonke lo ezihonqweni zamaHebheru na?” Kwathi esezwile ukuthi ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo laselikhona ezihonqweni,
7 And the Philistines feared, and said, These are the Gods that are come to them into the camp.
amaFilistiya esaba. Athi, “Unkulunkulu usefikile ezihonqweni. Siphakathi kohlupho. Akulanto enje eseyake yenzakala ngaphambili.
8 Woe to us, O Lord, deliver us to-day for such a thing has not happened aforetime: woe to us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these [are] the Gods that smote Egypt with every plague, and in the wilderness.
Maye kithi! Ngubani ozasikhulula esandleni sabonkulunkulu laba abalamandla abatshaya amaGibhithe ngenhlobo zonke zezifo enkangala?
9 Strengthen yourselves and behave yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye may not serve the Hebrews as they have served us, but be ye men and fight with them.
Qinani, maFilistiya! Wobani ngamadoda hlezi libe yizichaka zamaHebheru, njengalokhu ababeyikho kini. Wobani ngamadoda, lilwe!”
10 And they fought with them; and the men of Israel fall, and they fled every man to his ten; and there was a very great slaughter; and there fell of Israel thirty thousand fighting men.
Ngakho amaFilistiya alwa, abako-Israyeli behlulwa njalo amadoda wonke abalekela emathenteni awo. Ababulawayo babebanengi kakhulu; u-Israyeli walahlekelwa ngamabutho ezinyawo azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu.
11 And the ark of God was taken, and both the sons of Heli, Ophni, and Phinees, died.
Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lathunjwa, lamadodana amabili ka-Eli, Hofini loFinehasi, afa.
12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the battle, and he came to Selom on that day: and his clothes [were] rent, and earth [was] upon his head.
Ngalelolanga umuntu wakoBhenjamini wagijima esuka empini waya eShilo, izigqoko zakhe zazidabukile elothuli ekhanda.
13 And he came, an behold, Heli was upon the seat by the gate looking along the way, for his heart was greatly alarmed for the ark of God: and the man entered into the city to bring tidings; and the city cried out.
Ekufikeni kwakhe, kwakulo-Eli ehlezi esihlalweni eceleni komgwaqo, elindile, ngoba inhliziyo yakhe yayisesabela ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu. Kwathi umuntu lowo esengenile emzini wabika okwasekwenzakele, umuzi wonke waqhinqa isililo.
14 And Heli heard the sound of the cry, and said, What [is] the voice of this cry? and the men hasted and went in, and reported to Heli.
U-Eli wezwa umsindo wokukhala wabuza wathi, “Ukuxokozela lokhu kutshoni na?” Umuntu lowo watshitshela ku-Eli,
15 Now Heli [was] ninety years old, and his eyes were fixed, and he saw not.
owayeleminyaka engamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye munye lasificaminwembili mibili ubudala, njalo amehlo akhe ayesefiphele, engasaboni.
16 And Heli said to them that stood round about him, What [is] the voice of this sound? And the man hasted and advanced to Heli, and said to him, I am he that is come out of the camp, and I have fled from the battle to-day: and Heli said, What [is] the even, [my] son?
Watshela u-Eli wathi, “Ngisanda kufika ngivela empini; ngibalekile kuyo ngalonaleli ilanga.” U-Eli wabuza wathi, “Kutheni ndodana yami?”
17 And they young man answered and said, The men of Israel fled from the face of the Philistines, and there was a great slaughter among the people, and both thy sons are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
Umuntu owaletha umbiko waphendula wathi, “U-Israyeli ubalekile phambi kwamaFilistiya njalo ibutho lilahlekelwe kakhulu. Njalo lamadodana akho amabili, uHofini loFinehasi, afile njalo lebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lithunjiwe.”
18 And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God, that he fell from the seat backward near the gate, and his back was broken, and he died, for [he was] an old man and heavy: and he judged Israel twenty years.
Kwathi esethinte ngebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, u-Eli wawa ngesiphundu esihlalweni sakhe eceleni kwesango. Intamo yakhe yephuka, wafa, ngoba wayesengumuntu omdala njalo emkhulu. Wayekhokhele u-Israyeli iminyaka engamatshumi amane.
19 And his daughter-in-law the wife of Phinees [was] with child, [about] to bring forth; and she heard the tidings, that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead; and she wept and was delivered, for her pains came upon her.
Umalukazana wakhe, umkaFinehasi, wayekhulelwe njalo esezabeletha. Kwathi esizwa izindaba zokuthi ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lalithunjiwe lokuthi uyisezala lomkakhe basebefile, wahelelwa wabeletha, kodwa wakhulelwa yibuhlungu bomhelo wakhe.
20 And in her time she was at the point of death; and the women that stood by her, said to her, Fear not, for thou hast born a son: but she answered not, and her heart did not regard it.
Esesifa, abesifazane ababembelethisa bathi kuye, “Ungalahli ithemba; uzele indodana.” Kodwa yena kaphendulanga loba anake.
21 And she called the child Uaebarchaboth, because of the ark of God, and because of her father-in-law, and because of her husband.
Wametha ibizo umfana wathi ngu-Ikhabhodi, esithi, “Udumo lusukile ko-Israyeli” ngenxa yokuthunjwa kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lokufa kukayisezala kanye lomkakhe.
22 And they said, The glory of Israel is departed, forasmuch as the ark of the Lord is taken.
Wathi, “Udumo lusukile ko-Israyeli, ngoba ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lithunjiwe.”
