1 Samuel 6
1 The ark was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
Kwathi ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo selihlale elizweni lamaFilistiya izinyanga eziyisikhombisa,
2 The Philistines called for the priests, and for the diviners, and for the magicians, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of YHWH? Tell us how we should send it to its place."
amaFilistiya abiza abaphristi labahlahluli athi, “Sizakwenzani ngebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo na? Sitsheleni ukuthi singalibuyisela njani emuva endaweni yalo.”
3 And they said, "If you are going to send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty. But return to him a reparation, then you shall be healed and he will be reconciled to you. Will not, then, his hand be removed from you?"
Baphendula bathi, “Nxa libuyisela ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli, lingalibuyiseli lingelalutho, kodwa impela thumelani umnikelo wecala kuye. Ngalokho lizasila, njalo lizakwazi ukuthi kungani isandla sakhe singasuswanga kini.”
4 Then they said, "What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him?" They said, "Five golden tumors, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on you and your lords.
AmaFilistiya abuza athi, “Ngumnikelo bani wecala okumele siwuthumele kuye na?” Baphendula bathi, “Amathumba egolide amahlanu lamagundwane egolide amahlanu, kusiya ngenani lababusi bamaFilistiya, ngoba isifo sinye sihlasele lina kanye lababusi benu.”
5 Therefore you shall make images of your tumors, and images of the mice that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
Yenzani izifanekiso zamathumba lamagundwane achitha ilizwe, lidumise unkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. Mhlawumbe uzasusa isandla sakhe kini lakubonkulunkulu benu kanye laselizweni lenu.
6 Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
Kungani lisenza inhliziyo zenu zibe lukhuni njengalokhu okwenziwa ngamaGibhithe loFaro na? Lapho unkulunkulu wama-Israyeli esebaphethe kalukhuni kabawavumelanga ama-Israyeli ukuba ahambe na?
7 "Now therefore take and prepare yourselves a new cart, and two milk cows, on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and take their calves from them back home;
“Ngakho-ke khathesi, lungisani inqola entsha lamankomokazi amabili azeleyo njalo angakaze afakwe ijogwe. Bophelani amankomokazi enqoleni, kodwa lisuse amankonyane awo liwavalele esibayeni.
8 and take the ark, and lay it on the cart; and put the figures of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a box by its side; and send it away, that it may go.
Thathani ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo lilibeke enqoleni, kuthi emxhakeni oseceleni kwalo lifake izinto zegolide elizithumela kuye njengomnikelo wecala. Ikhupheni izihambele ngendlela yayo,
9 And watch; if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it was a chance that happened to us."
kodwa liyiqaphelisise. Ingaya elizweni lakibo, iqonde eBhethi-Shemeshi, kuyabe kunguThixo olethe incithakalo le enkulu phezu kwethu. Kodwa nxa ingenzi njalo, sizakwazi ukuthi kade kungasisosandla sakhe esisitshayileyo kanye lokuthi kuzenzakalele kodwa nje kithi.”
10 The men did so, and took two milk cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home;
Ngakho-ke bakwenza lokhu. Bathatha amankomokazi amabili anjalo bawabophela enqoleni kwathi amankonyane awo bawavalela esibayeni.
11 and they put the ark on the cart, and the box with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors.
Babeka ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo enqoleni ndawonye lomxhaka owawulamagundwane egolide lezifanekiso zamathumba.
12 The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh; they went along the highway, mooing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines followed them to the territory of Beth Shemesh.
Emva kwalokho amankomokazi ahamba eqonde eBhethi-Shemeshi, elokhu esemgwaqweni njalo ebhonsa indlela yonke; kawazange aphambukele kwesokudla kumbe kwesenxele. Ababusi bamaFilistiya bawalandela baze bayafika emngceleni weBhethi Shemeshi.
13 And those of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to meet it.
Ngalesosikhathi abantu beBhethi-Shemeshi babevuna ingqoloyi yabo esigodini, njalo bathi lapho bekhangela babona ibhokisi lesivumelwano, bathokoza ukulibona.
14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stopped there near a large rock. And they split the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to YHWH.
Inqola yafika ensimini kaJoshuwa waseBhethi-Shemeshi, yasisima khonapho phansi kwedwala elikhulu. Abantu babanda inqola yaba zinkuni basebehlaba amankomokazi ukuba ngumnikelo wokutshiswa kuThixo.
15 The Levites took down the ark of YHWH, and the chest that was with it, in which the articles of gold were, and put them on the large rock. And the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to YHWH.
AbaLevi bethula ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo, kanye lomxhaka owawulezinto zegolide, bakubeka phezu kwedwala elikhulu. Ngalelolanga abantu baseBhethi-Shemeshi banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa benza lemihlatshelo kuThixo.
16 When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
Ababusi abahlanu bamaFilistiya bakubona konke lokhu basebebuyela e-Ekroni ngalelolanga.
17 These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to YHWH: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
Amathumba egolide amaFilistiya awathumela kuThixo njengomnikelo wecala yila, elilodwa ele-Ashidodi, leleGaza, lele-Ashikheloni, leleGathi kanye lele-Ekroni.
18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages. The large rock on which they set down the ark of YHWH is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite.
Lenani lamagundwane egolide lalisiya ngenani lamadolobho amaFilistiya ayengawababusi abahlanu, amadolobho ayevikelwe alemizi yawo yasemaphandleni. Idwala elikhulu ababebeke ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo phezu kwalo, liyibufakazi lalamhlanje ensimini kaJoshuwa waseBhethi-Shemeshi.
19 But the sons of Jeconiah did not rejoice with the people of Beth Shemesh when they saw the ark of YHWH. So he struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned, because YHWH had struck the people with a great slaughter.
Kodwa uNkulunkulu watshaya abanye babantu baseBhethi-Shemeshi, wabulala abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa babo ngoba babelunguze phakathi kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu. Abantu balila ngenxa yokugadla okunzima uThixo ayekwenze kubo,
20 And the men of Beth Shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before this holy thing? And to whom should he go up from us?"
njalo abantu baseBhethi-Shemeshi babuza bathi, “Pho ngubani ongema phambi kukaThixo, uNkulunkulu lo ongcwele na?”
21 They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, "The Philistines have brought back the ark of YHWH; come down, and bring it up to yourselves."
Emva kwalokho bathumela izithunywa ebantwini baseKhiriyathi-Jeyarimi, besithi, “AmaFilistiya aselibuyisile ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo. Wozani lizolithatha lilise endaweni yenu.”
