< Kings I 12 >

1 And Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have listened to your voice in all things that you have said to me, and I have set a king over you.
USamuweli wasesithi kuIsrayeli wonke: Khangelani, ngililalele ilizwi lenu kukho konke elakutsho kimi, sengibeke inkosi phezu kwenu.
2 And now, behold, the king goes before you; and I am grown old and shall rest; and, behold, my sons [are] amongst you; and, behold, I have gone about before you from my youth to this day.
Khathesi-ke, khangelani, inkosi iyahamba phambi kwenu; mina sengimdala, sengiyimpunga, khangelani, lamadodana ami akini; mina-ke ngihambile phambi kwenu kusukela ebutsheni bami kuze kube lamuhla.
3 Behold, [here am] I, answer against me before the Lord and before his anointed: whose calf have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom of you have I oppressed? or from whose hand have I taken a bribe, even [to] a sandal? bear witness against me, and I will make restitution to you.
Khangelani, ngilapha; fakazani limelane lami phambi kweNkosi laphambi kogcotshiweyo wayo: Ngithethe inkabi kabani? Loba ngithethe ubabhemi kabani? Ngiqilibezele bani? Ngicindezele bani? Ngemukele kubani isivalamlomo ukuze ngiphofuze amehlo ami ngawo? Njalo ngizakubuyisela kini.
4 And they said to Samuel, You have not injured us, and you have not oppressed us; and you have not afflicted us, and you have not taken anything from any one's hand.
Basebesithi: Kawusiqilibezelanga, kawusicindezelanga, njalo kawemukelanga lalutho esandleni samuntu.
5 And Samuel said to the people, The Lord [is] witness amongst you, and his anointed [is] witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand: and they said, [He is] witness.
Wasesithi kibo: INkosi ingumfakazi imelene lani logcotshiweyo wayo ungumfakazi lamuhla ukuthi kalitholanga lutho esandleni sami. Bathi: Ingumfazaki.
6 And Samuel spoke to the people, saying, The Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron [is] witness, who brought our fathers up out of Egypt.
USamuweli wasesithi ebantwini: KuyiNkosi eyenza uMozisi loAroni, eyenyusa oyihlo elizweni leGibhithe.
7 And now stand still, and I will judge you before the Lord; and I will relate to you all the righteousness of the Lord, the things which he has wrought amongst you and your fathers.
Khathesi-ke, manini njalo ngahlulelane lani phambi kweNkosi ngezenzo zonke ezilungileyo zeNkosi eyazenza kini lakuboyihlo.
8 When Jacob and his sons went into Egypt, and Egypt humbled them, then our fathers cried to the Lord, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron; and they brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he made them to dwell in this place.
Lapho uJakobe esefikile eGibhithe, oyihlo bakhala eNkosini, iNkosi yasithuma oMozisi loAroni, abakhupha oyihlo eGibhithe, babenza bahlala kulindawo.
9 And they forgot the Lord their God, and he sold them into the hands of Sisara captain of the host of Jabis king of Asor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab; and he fought with them.
Sebeyikhohliwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, yabathengisa esandleni sikaSisera induna yebutho leHazori, lesandleni samaFilisti, lesandleni senkosi yakoMowabi; basebesilwa bemelene labo.
10 And they cried to the Lord, and said, We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and the groves: and now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.
Basebekhala eNkosini bathi: Sonile, ngoba siyilahlile iNkosi, sakhonza oBhali laboAshitarothi. Kodwa khathesi sophule esandleni sezitha zethu, sizakukhonza.
11 And he sent Jerobaal, and Barac, and Jephthae, and Samuel, and rescued us out of the hand of our enemies round about, and you lived in security.
INkosi yasithuma uJerubali, loBhedani, loJefitha, loSamuweli, yalikhulula esandleni sezitha zenu inhlangothi zonke, laselihlala livikelekile.
12 And you saw that Naas king of the children of Ammon came against you, and you said, Nay, none but a king shall reign over us; whereas the Lord our God [is] our king.
Lapho libona ukuthi uNahashi inkosi yabantwana bakoAmoni yeza ukumelana lani, lathi kimi: Hatshi, kodwa inkosi izasibusa; kanti iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu yayiyinkosi yenu.
13 And now behold the king whom you have chosen; and behold, the Lord has set a king over you.
Khathesi-ke, khangelani, inkosi elayikhethayo, elayicelayo; khangelani-ke, iNkosi imisile inkosi phezu kwenu.
14 If you should fear the Lord, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not resist the mouth of the Lord, and you and your king that reigns over you should follow the Lord, [well].
Uba liyesaba iNkosi liyikhonza lilalela ilizwi layo, lingawuvukeli umlomo weNkosi, khona lina, lani kanye lenkosi ezabusa phezu kwenu lizalandela iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu.
15 But if you should not listen to the voice of the Lord, and you should resist the mouth of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be upon you and upon your king.
Kodwa uba lingalilaleli ilizwi leNkosi, kodwa livukela umlomo weNkosi, isandla seNkosi sizamelana lani, njengoba samelana laboyihlo.
16 And now stand still, and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes.
Lakhathesi manini, libone linto enkulu iNkosi ezayenza phambi kwamehlo enu.
17 [Is it] not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; and know you and see, that your wickedness [is] great which you have wrought before the Lord, having asked for yourselves a king.
Angithi lamuhla kuyisivuno sengqoloyi? Ngizakhala eNkosini njalo izanika umdumo lezulu, ukuze lazi libone ukuthi ububi benu bukhulu elibenze emehlweni eNkosi ngokuzicelela inkosi.
18 And Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunders and rain in that day; and all the people feared greatly the Lord and Samuel.
USamuweli wasekhala eNkosini, iNkosi yasinika umdumo lezulu mhlalokho; ngakho bonke abantu bayesaba kakhulu iNkosi loSamuweli.
19 And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, and let us not die; for we have added to all our sins this iniquity, in asking for us a king.
Bonke abantu basebesithi kuSamuweli: Khulekela izinceku zakho eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho, ukuze singafi; ngoba sengezelele ezonweni zethu zonke lobububi bokuzicelela inkosi.
20 And Samuel said to the people, Fear not: you have [indeed] wrought all this iniquity; only turn not from following the Lord, and serve the Lord with all your heart.
USamuweli wasesithi ebantwini: Lingesabi; lina lenze bonke lobububi, kodwa lingaphambuki ekuyilandeleni iNkosi, kodwa likhonze iNkosi ngenhliziyo yenu yonke.
21 And turn not aside after the [gods] that are nothing, who will do nothing, and will not deliver [you], because they are nothing.
Njalo lingaphambuki ngoba lingalandela izinto eziyize ezingasizi lutho ezingakhululiyo, ngoba ziyize.
22 For the Lord will not cast off his people for his great name's sake, because the Lord graciously took you to himself for a people.
Ngoba iNkosi kayiyikubatshiya abantu bayo ngenxa yebizo layo elikhulu, ngoba iNkosi yathokoza ukulenza libe ngabantu bayo.
23 And far be it from me to sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will serve the Lord, and show you the good and the right way.
Mina-ke kakube khatshana lami ukuthi ngone eNkosini ngokuyekela ukulikhulekela; kodwa ngizalifundisa indlela enhle lelungileyo.
24 Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth and with all your heart, for you see what great things he has wrought with you.
Kuphela yesabani iNkosi, liyikhonze ngeqiniso ngenhliziyo yenu yonke, ngoba bonani okukhulu elenzele khona.
25 But if you continue to do evil, then shall you and your king be consumed.
Kodwa uba liphikelela lisenza okubi, lina kanye lenkosi yenu lizachithwa.

< Kings I 12 >