< 1 Samuel 11 >
1 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash: 'Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.'
Kwasekusenyuka uNahashi umAmoni, wamisa inkamba maqondana leJabeshi-Gileyadi; wonke amadoda eJabeshi asesithi kuNahashi: Yenza isivumelwano lathi, sizakusebenzela.
2 And Nahash the Ammonite said unto them: 'On this condition will I make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.'
Kodwa uNahashi umAmoni wathi kibo: Ngizasenza phezu kwalokhu isivumelwano lani, ukuze ngilikopole wonke amehlo awesokunene njalo ngehlisele uIsrayeli wonke ihlazo.
3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him: 'Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the borders of Israel; and then, if there be none to deliver us, we will come out to thee.'
Abadala beJabeshi basebesithi kuye: Siyekele okwensuku eziyisikhombisa ukuze sithume izithunywa kuwo wonke umngcele wakoIsrayeli. Uba-ke kungekho ongasisindisa, sizaphuma size kuwe.
4 Then came the messengers to Gibeath-shaul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people; and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
Izithunywa zasezifika eGibeya kaSawuli, zalandisa amazwi endlebeni zabantu, labantu bonke baphakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi.
5 And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said: 'What aileth the people that they weep?' And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.
Khangela-ke, uSawuli weza emva kwezinkabi evela emasimini, uSawuli wathi: Kwenze njani ebantwini ukuthi bakhale? Basebemtshela amazwi amadoda eJabeshi.
6 And the spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly.
UMoya kaNkulunkulu wafika ngamandla phezu kukaSawuli lapho esizwa lawomazwi, lolaka lwakhe lwavutha kakhulu.
7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying: 'Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen.' And the dread of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
Wasethatha inkabi ezimbili, waziquma zaba yiziqa, wazithumela kuwo wonke umngcele wakoIsrayeli ngesandla sezithunywa esithi: Ongaphumi alandele uSawuli alandele loSamuweli, kuzakwenziwanje enkabini zakhe. Ukwesaba iNkosi kwasekusehlela phezu kwabantu, baphuma njengamuntu munye.
8 And he numbered them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
Lapho ebabala eBezeki, abantwana bakoIsrayeli babe yizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amathathu, lamadoda akoJuda eyizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu.
9 And they said unto the messengers that came: 'Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead: To-morrow, by the time the sun is hot, ye shall have deliverance.' And the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
Basebesithi kuzo izithunywa ezazifikile: Lizawatshela njalo amadoda eJabeshi-Gileyadi lithi: Kusasa lizakuba losindiso nxa ilanga selitshisa. Lapho izithunywa zifika zawatshela amadoda eJabeshi, athokoza.
10 And the men of Jabesh said: 'To-morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.'
Ngakho amadoda eJabeshi athi: Kusasa sizaphumela kini, lenze kithi njengakho konke okulungileyo emehlweni enu.
11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and smote the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and it came to pass, that they that remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.
Kwasekusithi kusisa, uSawuli wamisa abantu ngezigaba ezintathu; bafika phakathi kwenkamba ngomlindo wekuseni; bamtshaya uAmoni lwaze lwatshisa usuku; kwasekusithi abaseleyo bahlakazeka, kwaze kwathi kakusalanga kibo ababili bendawonye.
12 And the people said unto Samuel: 'Who is he that said: Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death.'
Abantu basebesithi kuSamuweli: Ngubani othe: USawuli uzabusa yini phezu kwethu? Baletheni labobantu ukuze sibabulale.
13 And Saul said: 'There shall not a man be put to death this day; for to-day the LORD hath wrought deliverance in Israel.'
Kodwa uSawuli wathi: Kakuyikubulawa muntu ngalolusuku, ngoba lamuhla iNkosi yenze inkululeko koIsrayeli.
14 Then said Samuel to the people: 'Come and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.'
USamuweli wasesithi ebantwini: Wozani siye eGiligali, sivuselele umbuso khona.
15 And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace-offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
Bonke abantu basebesiya eGiligali, bambeka khona uSawuli waba yinkosi phambi kweNkosi eGiligali. Bahlaba khona imihlatshelo yeminikelo yokuthula phambi kweNkosi, lalapho uSawuli lawo wonke amadoda akoIsrayeli bathokoza kakhulukazi.