Judges 13
1 Again the Israeli people did things that Yahweh said were very evil. So Yahweh enabled the people of Philistia to conquer them. They ruled over the Israelis for 40 years.
Abako-Israyeli benza okubi njalo emehlweni kaThixo, ngakho uThixo wabanikela ezandleni zamaFilistiya okweminyaka engamatshumi amane.
2 There was a man named Manoah from the descendants of Dan who lived in Zorah [town]. His wife was unable to become pregnant, so they had no children.
Umuntu othile waseZora, owayethiwa nguManowa, owosendo lwakoDani, wayelomfazi owayeyinyumba engelamntwana.
3 One day, Yahweh appeared to Manoah’s wife in the form of an angel, and said to her, “Even though you have not been able to give birth to any children until now, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son.
Ingilosi kaThixo yabonakala kuye yathi, “Uyinyumba kawulamntwana, kodwa uzathatha isisu ube lendodana.
4 [From now until he is born], you must not drink any wine or other alcoholic/fermented drink, and you must not eat any food that will make you unacceptable to God.
Ngakho nanzelela ukuthi kawunathi wayini loba okunye okunathwayo okulemvubelo kanye lokuthi ungadli ukudla okungcolileyo,
5 After you give birth to your son, you must never allow his hair to be cut. He must be dedicated to God from the day he is born until the day he dies. He is the one who will rescue [many of] the Israeli people from the people of Philistia.”
ngoba uzathatha isisu uzale indodana. Akungabi lempuco ezasetshenziswa ekhanda layo, ngoba umfana uzakuba ngumNaziri, owahlukaniselwe uNkulunkulu kusukela ekuzalweni, njalo uzakukhulula abako-Israyeli ezandleni zamaFilistiya.”
6 The woman ran and told her husband, “A prophet came to me. He looked awesome, like an angel from God. I did not ask where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.
Emva kwalokho owesifazane lowo waya kumkakhe wamtshela wathi, “Kufike umuntu kaNkulunkulu kimi. Ubefana lengilosi kaNkulunkulu, esesabeka kakhulu. Angimbuzanga ukuthi ubevela ngaphi, njalo laye kangitshelanga ibizo lakhe.
7 But he told me, ‘You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. Until then, you must not drink any wine or any alcoholic/fermented drink, and you must not eat any food that would make you unacceptable to God. Your son must be dedicated to God from the day he is born until the day he dies.’”
Kodwa uthe kimi, ‘Uzathatha isisu uzale indodana. Ngakho-ke unganathi iwayini loba okunye okunathwayo okulemvubelo, njalo ungadli lutho olungcolileyo, ngoba umfana uzakuba ngumNaziri kaNkulunkulu kusukela ekuzalweni kuze kube lusuku lokufa kwakhe.’”
8 Then Manoah prayed to Yahweh, saying, “O Yahweh, I plead with you, allow that prophet whom you sent to us to come again, and teach us how we should raise the boy who will be born to us.”
UManowa wasekhuleka kuThixo esithi, “Awu Nkosi, ngiyakucela, umuntu kaNkulunkulu omthumileyo kabuye futhi azesifundisa ukuthi umfana ozazalwa wondliwa njani.”
9 God did what Manoah asked, and Yahweh again appeared to his wife in the form of an angel, while she was out in the field. But again her husband Manoah was not with her.
UNkulunkulu wamuzwa uManowa, ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yafika njalo kowesifazane lowo esegangeni; kodwa umkakhe uManowa wayengekho.
10 So she quickly ran and said to her husband, “The man who appeared to me a few days ago has come back again!”
Owesifazane lowo wagijima wayatshela umkakhe wathi, “Ukhona lapha! Umuntu engimbone mhlalokhuyana!”
11 Manoah ran back with his wife, and asked, “Are you the man who talked with my wife a few days ago?” He replied, “Yes, I am.”
UManowa wasuka walandela umkakhe. Esefikile kulowomuntu, wathi, “Unguwe yini lowo owakhuluma lomkami?” Yena wathi, “Nginguye.”
12 Manoah asked him, “When what you promised occurs [and my wife gives birth to a son], what rules must he obey, and what work will he do [when he grows up]?”
Ngakho uManowa wambuza wathi, “Lapho amazwi akho esegcwalisekile, umfana kuzamele aphile njani njalo lomsebenzi wakhe uzakuba ngowani?”
13 Yahweh replied, “Your wife must obey all the instructions I gave her.
Ingilosi kaThixo yaphendula yathi, “Umkakho kumele enze konke engimtshele khona.
14 [Before the baby is born], she must not eat grapes, or drink wine or any other alcoholic/fermented drink, or eat anything that would make her unacceptable to God.”
Kangadli lutho oluvela evinini, loba anathe iwayini loba okunye okunathwayo okulemvubelo loba adle ukudla okungcolileyo. Kumele enze konke engimlaye khona.”
15 Then Manoah said, “Please stay here until we can kill and cook a young goat for you.”
UManowa wathi engilosini kaThixo, “Sifuna ukuba uhlale size sikuhlabele izinyane lembuzi.”
16 Yahweh replied, “I will stay here, but I will not eat anything. However, you may kill an animal and sacrifice it as a burned offering to Yahweh.” (Manoah did not realize that the [man he thought was an] angel was really Yahweh.)
Ingilosi kaThixo yaphendula yathi, “Loba lingangibamba ngamandla ukuba ngihlale, angiyikukudla ukudla kwenu. Kodwa nxa lilungisa umnikelo wokutshiswa, unikeleni kuThixo.” (UManowa kananzelelanga ukuthi kwakuyingilosi kaThixo.)
17 Then Manoah asked him, “What is your name? When what you have promised happens, we want to honor you.”
UManowa waseyibuza ingilosi kaThixo esithi, “Ungubani ibizo lakho, ukuze sikubonge lapho ilizwi lakho seligcwalisekile?”
18 Yahweh replied, “(Why do you ask me my name?/You should not ask me my name.) [RHQ] It is (wonderful/it cannot be understood).”
Yaphendula yathi, “Kungani ungibuza ibizo lami? Kaliqedisiseki.”
19 Then Manoah killed a young goat and burned it on a rock, along with a grain offering, as a sacrifice to Yahweh. And Yahweh did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched.
Lapho-ke uManowa wathatha izinyane lembuzi, ndawonye lomnikelo wamabele wakunikela kuThixo phezu kwedwala. Njalo uThixo wenza into emangalisayo uManowa lomkakhe bekhangele:
20 Flames from the altar blazed up toward the sky, and Yahweh ascended in the flames. When Manoah and his wife saw that, they prostrated themselves on the ground.
Kwathi ilangabi libhebha lisuka e-alithareni lisiya ezulwini, ingilosi kaThixo yenyukela phezulu iphakathi kwelangabi. Bebona lokhu uManowa lomkakhe bathi mbo phansi ngobuso.
21 Although Yahweh did not appear in the form of an angel to Manoah and his wife again, Manoah realized that the [man they thought was an] angel was really Yahweh.
Kwathi ingilosi kaThixo ingasazibonakalisanga futhi kuManowa lomkakhe, uManowa wananzelela ukuthi kwakuyingilosi kaThixo.
22 So he said, “Now we will die, because we have seen God!”
Wasesithi kumkakhe, “Silahliwe, sizakufa. Sibone uNkulunkulu!”
23 But his wife said, “No, we will not die, because if Yahweh intended to kill us, he would not have accepted the burned offering and the grain offering. And he would not have appeared to us and told us the wonderful thing that would happen to us, and he would not have performed this miracle.”
Kodwa umkakhe waphendula wathi, “Aluba uThixo ubeqonde ukusibulala, ubengasoze amukele umnikelo wokutshiswa lomnikelo wamabele ezandleni zethu, loba asitshengise zonke lezizinto kumbe asitshele lokhu asitshele khona.”
24 When their son was born, they named him Samson. Yahweh blessed him as he grew up.
Owesifazane wazala umfana wamuthi nguSamsoni. Wakhula loThixo wambusisa,
25 And while he was in Mahaneh-Dan, which is between Zorah and Eshtaol [towns], Yahweh’s Spirit began to control him.
loMoya kaThixo waqala ukuqubuka phakathi kwakhe eseseMahane Dani, phakathi kweZora le-Eshithawoli.
