1 Amakhosi 13
1 UJerobhowamu esemi e-alithareni ukuze atshise impepha, kwafika umuntu kaNkulunkulu eBhetheli evela koJuda elelizwi likaThixo,
And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD to Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
2 walethula e-alithareni lelilizwi likaThixo elithi: “Wena alithare! Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo ukuthi, ‘Kuzazalwa indodana endlini kaDavida, ibizo lakhe lizakuba nguJosiya. Izakwenza umhlatshelo phezu kwakho ngabaphristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo okwakhathesi abenza iminikelo khona lapha, lamathambo abantu azatshiselwa phezu kwakho.’”
And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus says the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burnt on you.
3 Ngalolosuku umuntu kaNkulunkulu wenza isibonakaliso esithi: “Lesi yisiboniso esivela kuThixo: I-alithari lizadatshulwa phakathi lomlotha ophezu kwalo uzachithwa.”
And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD has spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.
4 Inkosi uJerobhowamu isizwile isikhalazo sendoda evela kuNkulunkulu nge-alithare leBhetheli yelulela isandla sayo e-alithareni, yathi, “Mbambeni!” Kodwa isandla leso ayeselulile soma wehluleka ukusifinyeza.
And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
5 Kwathi i-alithari lalo ladatshulwa phakathi umlotha walo walahlwa, njengokwesibonakaliso esasethulwe ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu ngelizwi likaThixo.
The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
6 Inkosi yathi emuntwini kaNkulunkulu, “Ake ungincengele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, ungikhulekele, ukuba isandla sami sisiliswe sibuyele esimeni saso.” Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wasemncengela kuThixo, lesandla sikaJerobhowamu sasiliswa saba njengakuqala.
And the king answered and said to the man of God, Entreat now the face of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God sought the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
7 Wasesithi emuntwini kaNkulunkulu: “Ake siye ekhaya ukuba udle, ngizakunika umvuzo.”
And the king said to the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.
8 Kodwa umuntu kaNkulunkulu wayiphendula inkosi wathi, “Loba ungaze unginike ingxenye yenotho yakho, kangihambi lawe; kangiyikudla ukudla, njalo angiyikunatha amanzi kulindawo;
And the man of God said to the king, If you will give me half your house, I will not go in with you, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:
9 ngoba ngilaywe ngelizwi likaThixo ukuthi: ‘Ungabokudla ukudla, unganathi amanzi njalo ungaphenduki ngendlela oze ngayo.’”
For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that you came.
10 Ngakho wabuyela ngenye indlela, kasabuyelanga ngendlela ayeze ngayo eBhetheli.
So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.
11 Kwakulomphrofethi omdala owayehlala eBhetheli, okweza kuye amadodana akhe amtshela ngokwakwenziwe ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu ngalolosuku. Amadodana atshela uyise lokuthi indoda leyo yayitheni enkosini.
Now there dwelled an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken to the king, them they told also to their father.
12 Uyise wasebuza amadodana ukuthi: “Pho angabe uhambe ngayiphi indlela?” Amadodana atshengisa uyise indlela eyathathwa ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu owavela koJuda.
And their father said to them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.
13 Wasesithi emadodaneni akhe, “Lungisani ubabhemi lingifakele isihlalo phezu kwakhe.” Kwathi sebemlungisele wagada ubabhemi
And he said to his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,
14 walandela umuntu kaNkulunkulu, wamfica ehlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla somʼOkhi wambuza wathi, “Nguwe umuntu kaNkulunkulu na ovela koJuda?” Indoda yathi, “Yebo yimi.”
And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said to him, Are you the man of God that came from Judah? And he said, I am.
15 Ngakho umphrofethi wasesithi kuye, “Woza siye ekhaya uzokudla.”
Then he said to him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16 Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wathi, “Angingeke ngiphenduke ukuthi ngibuyele lawe emuva, njalo angingeke ngidle ukudla loba nginathe amanzi lawe kule indawo.
And he said, I may not return with you, nor go in with you: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place:
17 Ilizwi likaThixo lifike kimi lathi, ‘Ungadli ukudla kwalapha, unganathi lamanzi akhona njalo ungabobuyela ngendlela oze ngayo.’”
For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, You shall eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that you came.
18 Umphrofethi omdala wamphendula wathi, “Lami ngingumphrofethi njengawe. Ingilosi seza kimi ngelizwi likaThixo sathi: ‘Ubomletha umbuyisele emuva endlini yakho ukuze ayekudla isinkwa njalo anathe lamanzi.’” (Kodwa wayeqamba amanga.)
He said to him, I am a prophet also as you are; and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with you into your house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied to him.
19 Ngakho umuntu kaNkulunkulu wabuyela laye wafika wadla ukudla wanatha lamanzi endlini yakhe.
So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
20 Besahlezi endaweni yokudlela, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuye umphrofethi omdala owayemphendule wabuyela laye emuva.
And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet that brought him back:
21 Wakhuluma kulowomuntu kaNkulunkulu owayevela koJuda wathi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: ‘Usuphikise ilizwi likaThixo awusagcinanga imilayo kaThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akulaya ngayo.
And he cried to the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus says the LORD, For as much as you have disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you,
22 Uphenduke endleleni wafika wadla ukudla wanatha lamanzi lapho utshelwe ukuthi ungaze wadla ukudla kumbe unathe amanzi akhona. Ngenxa yalokho isidumbu sakho asisayikungcwatshwa emangcwabeni abokhokho bakho.’”
But came back, and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to you, Eat no bread, and drink no water; your carcass shall not come to the sepulcher of your fathers.
23 Kwathi umuntu kaNkulunkulu eseqedile ukudla lokunatha, umphrofethi owayemphendule endleleni wambuyisela emuva wafaka isihlalo sakhe phezu kukababhemi wamkhweza.
And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.
24 Uthe esengene indlela yakhe, kwavela isilwane endleleni sambulala, isidumbu sakhe sasala phansi emgwaqweni, kwathi ubabhemi wema ngapha kwesidumbu lesilwane sime ngale kwaso.
And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcass.
25 Abantu ababesedlula lapho babona isidumbu siwele khonapho emgwaqweni, isilwane simi eceleni phansi kwesidumbu, bedlulela edolobheni bayabikela umphrofethi omdala lapho ayehlala khona.
And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcass cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcass: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelled.
26 Kwathi umphrofethi owayemphendule endleleni ehambeni lwakhe ekuzwa lokhu, wathi, “Ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu odelele ilizwi likaThixo. UThixo umnikele esilwaneni, esimphoqoze sambulala, njengoba ilizwi likaThixo belimxwayisile.”
And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient to the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke to him.
27 Umphrofethi wathi emadodaneni akhe, “Ngilungiselani ubabhemi limethese isihlalo.” Akwenza lokho amadodana,
And he spoke to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.
28 wasesuka esiya khonale lapho afumana khona isidumbu endleleni, ngapha kumi isilwane ngale kungubabhemi emaceleni aso. Isilwane asizange sisithinte isidumbu kanti njalo sasivele singazange simthinte lobabhemi.
And he went and found his carcass cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcass: the lion had not eaten the carcass, nor torn the ass.
29 Ngakho umphrofethi wathatha isidumbu somuntu kaNkulunkulu, wasikhweza kubabhemi, wasithwalela edolobheni lakhe lapho afika amlilela khona njalo wamngcwaba khona.
And the prophet took up the carcass of the man of God, and laid it on the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.
30 Wasebeka isidumbu engcwabeni lakhe, wamlilela wathi, “Maye, umfowethu!”
And he laid his carcass in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!
31 Ngemva kokumngcwaba, wathi emadodaneni akhe, “Ekufeni kwami, lingingcwabe engcwabeni lona leli okungcwatshwe khona umuntu kaNkulunkulu; libeke amathambo ami ndawonye lamathambo akhe.
And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulcher wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:
32 Ngoba ilizwi alimemezelayo ngelizwi likaThixo phezu kwe-alithari eBhetheli laphezu kwazo zonke indawana zomhlatshelo eziphakemeyo emadolobheni aseSamariya lizagcwaliseka.”
For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
33 Langemva kwalokhu, uJerobhowamu kazange aguqule izindlela zakhe zokona, waqhubeka ekhetha abaphristi bendawo eziphakemeyo edobha nje ingqe ngubani ebantwini. Kwakusithi loba ngubani ofuna ukuba ngumphristi wayemgcobela indawo eziphezulu.
After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.
34 Lesi kwakuyisono sendlu kaJerobhowamu esakhokhelela ekuweni lasekudilikeni kwayo kayaze yaba khona emhlabeni.
And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
