1 Samuel 12

1 And Samuel said to all Israel: Behold I have hearkened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.

USamuweli wasesithi kuIsrayeli wonke: Khangelani, ngililalele ilizwi lenu kukho konke elakutsho kimi, sengibeke inkosi phezu kwenu.

2 And now the king goeth before you: but I am old and greyheaded: and my sons are with you: having then conversed with you from my youth unto this day, behold here I am.

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 Speak of me before the Lord, and before his anointed, whether I have taken any man’s ox, or ass: If I have wronged any man, if I have oppressed any man, if I have taken a bribe at any man’s hand: and I will despise it this day, and will restore it 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: Thou hast not wronged us, nor oppressed us, nor taken ought at any man’s hand.

Basebesithi: Kawusiqilibezelanga, kawusicindezelanga, njalo kawemukelanga lalutho esandleni samuntu.

5 And he said to them: The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found any thing 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 said to the people: It is the Lord, who made Moses and Aaron, and brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt.

USamuweli wasesithi ebantwini: KuyiNkosi eyenza uMozisi loAroni, eyenyusa oyihlo elizweni leGibhithe.

7 Now therefore stand up, that I may plead in judgment against you before the Lord, concerning all the kindness of the Lord, which he hath shewn to you, and to your fathers:

Khathesi-ke, manini njalo ngahlulelane lani phambi kweNkosi ngezenzo zonke ezilungileyo zeNkosi eyazenza kini lakuboyihlo.

8 How Jacob went into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the Lord: and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and brought your fathers out of Egypt: and made them 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 delivered them into the hands of Sisara, captain of the army of Hasor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

Sebeyikhohliwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, yabathengisa esandleni sikaSisera induna yebutho leHazori, lesandleni samaFilisti, lesandleni senkosi yakoMowabi; basebesilwa bemelene labo.

10 But afterwards they cried to the Lord, and said: We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and Astaroth: but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

Basebekhala eNkosini bathi: Sonile, ngoba siyilahlile iNkosi, sakhonza oBhali laboAshitarothi. Kodwa khathesi sophule esandleni sezitha zethu, sizakukhonza.

11 And the Lord sent Jerobaal, and Badan, and Jephte, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies round about, and you dwelt securely.

INkosi yasithuma uJerubali, loBhedani, loJefitha, loSamuweli, yalikhulula esandleni sezitha zenu inhlangothi zonke, laselihlala livikelekile.

12 But seeing that Naas king of the children of Ammon was come against you, you said to me: Nay, but a king shall reign over us: whereas the Lord your God was your king.

Lapho libona ukuthi uNahashi inkosi yabantwana bakoAmoni yeza ukumelana lani, lathi kimi: Hatshi, kodwa inkosi izasibusa; kanti iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu yayiyinkosi yenu.

13 Now therefore your king is here, whom you have chosen and desired: Behold the Lord hath given you a king.

Khathesi-ke, khangelani, inkosi elayikhethayo, elayicelayo; khangelani-ke, iNkosi imisile inkosi phezu kwenu.

14 If you will fear the Lord, and serve him, and hearken to his voice, and not provoke the mouth of the Lord: then shall both you, and the king who reigneth over you, be followers of the Lord your God.

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 will not hearken to the voice of the Lord, but will rebel against his words, the hand of the Lord shall be upon you, and upon your fathers.

Kodwa uba lingalilaleli ilizwi leNkosi, kodwa livukela umlomo weNkosi, isandla seNkosi sizamelana lani, njengoba samelana laboyihlo.

16 Now then stand, and see this great thing which the Lord will do in your sight.

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 you shall know and see that you yourselves have done a great evil in the sight of the Lord, in desiring a king over you.

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 cried unto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day.

USamuweli wasekhala eNkosini, iNkosi yasinika umdumo lezulu mhlalokho; ngakho bonke abantu bayesaba kakhulu iNkosi loSamuweli.

19 And all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel: Pray for thy servants to the Lord thy God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for 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 done all this evil: but yet depart not from following the Lord, but 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 vain things which shall never profit you, nor deliver you, because they are vain.

Njalo lingaphambuki ngoba lingalandela izinto eziyize ezingasizi lutho ezingakhululiyo, ngoba ziyize.

22 And the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because the Lord hath sworn to make you his people.

Ngoba iNkosi kayiyikubatshiya abantu bayo ngenxa yebizo layo elikhulu, ngoba iNkosi yathokoza ukulenza libe ngabantu bayo.

23 And far from me be this sin against the Lord, that I should cease to pray for you, and I will teach you the good and right way.

Mina-ke kakube khatshana lami ukuthi ngone eNkosini ngokuyekela ukulikhulekela; kodwa ngizalifundisa indlela enhle lelungileyo.

24 Therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in truth and with your whole heart, for you have seen the great works which he hath done among you.

Kuphela yesabani iNkosi, liyikhonze ngeqiniso ngenhliziyo yenu yonke, ngoba bonani okukhulu elenzele khona.

25 But if you will still do wickedly: both you and your king shall perish together.

Kodwa uba liphikelela lisenza okubi, lina kanye lenkosi yenu lizachithwa.