1 Samuel 13
1 Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.
USawuli wayelomnyaka embusweni wakhe. Esebuse uIsrayeli okweminyaka emibili,
2 Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people to their own tents.
uSawuli wasezikhethela abayizinkulungwane ezintathu kwamaIsrayeli; njalo abayizinkulungwane ezimbili babeloSawuli eMikimashi lentabeni yeBhetheli, lenkulungwane yaba loJonathani eGibeya yakoBhenjamini; labaseleyo babantu wabayekela bahamba, ngulowo lalowo ethenteni lakhe.
3 Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
UJonathani wasetshaya ibutho lenqaba yamaFilisti eyayiseGeba, lamaFilisti akuzwa. USawuli wasevuthela uphondo elizweni lonke esithi: AmaHebheru kawezwe.
4 All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was considered an abomination to the Philistines. The people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.
UIsrayeli wonke wezwa kuthiwa uSawuli utshayile ibutho lenqaba yamaFilisti lokuthi uIsrayeli laye waba levumba kumaFilisti. Abantu basebebizelwa ndawonye ukulandela uSawuli baye eGiligali.
5 The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel: thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven.
AmaFilisti asebuthana ukuthi alwe loIsrayeli, inqola eziyizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu, labagadi bamabhiza abayizinkulungwane eziyisithupha, labantu abalingana letshebetshebe elisekhunjini lolwandle ngobunengi; enyuka amisa inkamba eMikimashi, empumalanga kweBeti-Aveni.
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in tombs, and in pits.
Kwathi amadoda akoIsrayeli ebona ukuthi asekuminyezelweni, ngoba abantu bacindezelwa, abantu bacatsha embalwini lezixukwini zameva, lemadwaleni, lezinqabeni, lemigodini.
7 Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
LamaHebheru achapha iJordani, aya elizweni leGadi leGileyadi. Kodwa uSawuli wayelokhu eseGiligali, labantu bonke bathuthumela bemlandela.
8 He stayed seven days, according to the time set by Samuel; but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him.
Waselinda insuku eziyisikhombisa, njengesikhathi esamiswa nguSamuweli; kodwa uSamuweli kafikanga eGiligali, labantu bahlakazeka besuka kuye.
9 Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering to me here, and the peace offerings.” He offered the burnt offering.
USawuli wasesithi: Sondezani kimi umnikelo wokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula. Wasenikela umnikelo wokutshiswa.
10 It came to pass that as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.
Kwasekusithi eseqede ukunikela umnikelo wokutshiswa, khangela, uSamuweli wafika; uSawuli wasephuma ukumhlangabeza ukuze ambingelele.
11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you didn’t come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash,
USamuweli wasesithi: Wenzeni? USawuli wasesithi: Ngoba ngibone ukuthi abantu babehlakazeka besuka kimi, lawe ungafikanga ngesikhathi esimisiweyo sezinsuku, lokuthi amaFilisti asebuthene eMikimashi.
12 therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me to Gilgal, and I haven’t entreated the favor of Yahweh.’ I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering.”
Ngakho ngathi: Khathesi amaFilisti azangehlela eGiligali, ngingancenganga ubuso beNkosi. Ngasengizibamba ngamandla, nganikela umnikelo wokutshiswa.
13 Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you; for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom on Israel forever.
USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: Wenze ngobuwula; kawuwugcinanga umlayo weNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eyakulaya wona; ngoba khathesi iNkosi ibizawumisa umbuso wakho koIsrayeli kuze kube nininini.
14 But now your kingdom will not continue. Yahweh has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which Yahweh commanded you.”
Kodwa khathesi umbuso wakho kawuyikuma. INkosi isizidingele umuntu ngokwenhliziyo yayo, njalo iNkosi isimlayile ukuthi abe ngumbusi phezu kwabantu bayo, ngoba kawugcinanga lokho iNkosi ekulaye khona.
15 Samuel arose, and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.
USamuweli wasesukuma wenyuka esuka eGiligali waya eGibeya yakoBhenjamini. USawuli wasebala abantu abaficwa belaye, phose abangamakhulu ayisithupha.
16 Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
Njalo uSawuli loJonathani indodana yakhe labantu abaficwa belabo bahlala eGibeya yakoBhenjamini, kodwa amaFilisti amisa inkamba eMikimashi.
17 The raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual;
Abachithi basebephuma enkambeni yamaFilisti ngezigaba ezintathu; esinye isigaba saphendukela endleleni yeOfira, saya elizweni leShuwali;
18 another company turned the way to Beth Horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
lesinye isigaba saphendukela endleleni yeBhethi-Horoni; lesinye isigaba saphendukela endleleni yomngcele okhangele esihotsheni seZeboyimi ngasenkangala.
19 Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears”;
Njalo kwakungatholakali mkhandi elizweni lonke lakoIsrayeli, ngoba amaFilisti athi: Hlezi amaHebheru enze izinkemba loba imikhonto.
20 but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, each man to sharpen his own plowshare, mattock, ax, and sickle.
UIsrayeli wonke-ke wehlela kumaFilisti ukulola, ngulowo lalowo isikali sakhe sekhuba, lemataka yakhe, lehloka lakhe, lesikela yakhe.
21 The price was one payim each to sharpen mattocks, plowshares, pitchforks, axes, and goads.
Imbadalo yezikali zekhuba lamamataka lamafologwe alencijo ezintathu lamahloka lokulungisa izincijo yayiyipimi.
22 So it came to pass in the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.
Ngakho kwathi ngosuku lwempi kakutholakalanga inkemba loba umkhonto esandleni saloba ngubani wabantu ababeloSawuli lababeloJonathani; kodwa kwatholakala kuSawuli loJonathani indodana yakhe.
23 The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
Lebutho lenqaba yamaFilisti laphuma laya emkhandlweni weMikimashi.
