< 1 Samuel 4 >

1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
Ilizwi likaSamuweli lafika kuIsrayeli wonke. UIsrayeli wasephuma ukuyamelana lamaFilisti empini, bamisa inkamba ngaseEbeni-Ezeri, lamaFilisti amisa inkamba eAfeki.
2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.
AmaFilisti asezihlela ukumelana loIsrayeli; kwathi impi isabalala, uIsrayeli watshaywa phambi kwamaFilisti; njalo atshaya emaviyweni egangeni phose amadoda azinkulungwane ezine.
3 And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why hath the LORD smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh to us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us from the hand of our enemies.
Kwathi abantu befika enkambeni, abadala bakoIsrayeli bathi: INkosi isitshayeleni lamuhla phambi kwamaFilisti? Asizithatheleni eShilo umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi; nxa usiza phakathi kwethu uzasisindisa esandleni sezitha zethu.
4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who dwelleth [between] the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [were] there with the ark of the covenant of God.
Ngakho abantu bathumela eShilo, ukuthi bathathe khona umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi yamabandla, ehlala phakathi kwamakherubhi; lamadodana amabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, ayelapho lomtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.
5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.
Kwasekusithi lapho umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi ufika enkambeni, uIsrayeli wonke wahlokoma ngokuhlokoma okukhulu kwaze kwaduma umhlaba.
6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What [meaneth] the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.
Lapho amaFilisti esizwa umsindo wokuhlokoma athi: Utshoni umsindo walokhukuhlokoma okukhulu enkambeni yamaHebheru? Asesazi ukuthi umtshokotsho weNkosi ufikile enkambeni.
7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God hath come into the camp. And they said, Woe to us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.
AmaFilisti asesesaba, ngoba athi: UNkulunkulu ufikile enkambeni. Athi-ke: Maye kithi! Ngoba kakuzanga kwenzeke okunje mandulo.
8 Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these [are] the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
Maye kithi! Ngubani ozasophula esandleni salaba onkulunkulu abalamandla? Laba ngonkulunkulu abatshaya amaGibhithe ngazo zonke inhlupheko enkangala.
9 Be strong, and acquit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye may not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you: acquit yourselves like men, and fight.
Qinani, libe ngamadoda, maFilisti, hlezi lisebenzele amaHebheru njengoba alisebenzela. Ngakho banini ngamadoda, lilwe.
10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
Ngakho amaFilisti alwa, loIsrayeli watshaywa, babalekela, ngulowo lalowo ethenteni lakhe. Njalo kwaba lokubulawa okukhulu kakhulu, ngoba kwawa koIsrayeli abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu abahamba ngenyawo.
11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
Umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wasuthathwa, lamadodana womabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, abulawa.
12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
Kwasekugijima umuntu wakoBhenjamini evela emaviyweni, wafika eShilo ngalolosuku, lezigqoko zakhe zidatshuliwe elenhlabathi ekhanda lakhe.
13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the way-side watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told [it], all the city cried out.
Ekufikeni kwakhe, khangela-ke, uEli wayehlezi esihlalweni eceleni kwendlela elindile, ngoba inhliziyo yakhe yayithuthumelela umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu. Kwathi lowomuntu esengenile emzini ukubika, kwakhala umuzi wonke.
14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What [meaneth] the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
Lapho uEli esizwa umsindo wokukhala wathi: Uyini umsindo wale inhlokomo? Lowomuntu wasephangisa weza wamtshela uEli.
15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
Njalo uEli wayeleminyaka engamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye leyisificaminwembili, lamehlo akhe ema ukuthi ayengelakho ukubona.
16 And the man said to Eli, I [am] he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?
Lowomuntu wasesithi kuEli: Nginguye ovela emaviyweni; ngibaleke emaviyweni lamuhla. Wasesithi: Kwenziweni, ndodana yami?
17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel hath fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
Owaletha umbiko wasephendula wathi: UIsrayeli ubalekile phambi kwamaFilisti, futhi kube lokubulawa okukhulu ebantwini, njalo lamadodana akho womabili, uHofini loPhinehasi, afile, lomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe.
18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
Kwasekusithi esekhulume ngomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu, wawa nyovane esihlalweni eceleni kwesango, kwephuka intamo yakhe, wafa, ngoba lowomuntu wayemdala, enzima. Njalo wayahlulele uIsrayeli iminyaka engamatshumi amane.
19 And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was with child [near] to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law, and her husband were dead, she bowed herself, and travailed; for her pains came upon her.
Lomalokazana wakhe, umkaPhinehasi, wayekhulelwe, esezabeletha; esezwile umbiko wokuthi umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe, lokuthi uyisezala lomkakhe bafile, wakhothama wabeletha, ngoba wafikelwa yimihelo.
20 And about the time of her death, the women that stood by her said to her, Fear not; for thou hast borne a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard [it].
Njalo phose ngesikhathi sokufa kwakhe abesifazana ababemi belaye bathi: Ungesabi, ngoba ubelethe indodana. Kodwa kaphendulanga njalo kazange akunanze.
21 And she named the child I-chabod, saying, The glory hath departed from Israel. (Because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.)
Wambiza umfana ngokuthi nguIkabodi, esithi: Inkazimulo isukile koIsrayeli; ngoba umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe, langenxa kayisezala lomkakhe.
22 And she said, The glory hath departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.
Wasesithi: Inkazimulo isukile koIsrayeli ngoba umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe.

< 1 Samuel 4 >