1 USamuyeli 10
1 USamuyeli wasethatha umfuma wamafutha wawathela ekhanda likaSawuli wasemanga, esithi, “Uthixo kakugcobanga ukuba ngumbusi welifa lakhe na?
Then Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on his head, then kissed him and said, “Hasn’t the LORD anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?
2 Ekusukeni kwakho kimi lamhla, uzahlangana lamadoda amabili eduze kwengcwaba likaRasheli, eliseZeliza esemngceleni wakoBhenjamini. Azakuthi kuwe, ‘Obabhemi obuyebadinga sebetholakele. Khathesi uyihlo kasacabangi ngabo kodwa usekhathazeka ngawe. Uyabuza esithi, “Ngizakwenzanjani ngendodana yami na?”’
When you have departed from me today, then you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb, on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will tell you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found; and behold, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do for my son?”’
3 Uzahamba-ke usuka lapho uze ufike esihlahleni esikhulu saseThabhori. Amadoda amathathu aya kuNkulunkulu eBhetheli azahlangana lawe khonapho. Enye izathwala amazinyane embuzi amathathu, enye izinkwa ezintathu lenye umgodla wewayini.
“Then you will go on forward from there, and you will come to the oak of Tabor. Three men will meet you there going up to God to Bethel: one carrying three young goats, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a container of wine.
4 Azakubingelela akuphe izinkwa ezimbili, ozazamukela kuwo.
They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hand.
5 Emva kwalokho, uzakuya eGibhiya kaNkulunkulu lapho okulesilindo sebutho lamaFilistiya khona. Lapho usubanga emzini, uzahlangana lodwendwe lwabaphrofethi besehla bevela endaweni ephakemeyo, phambi kwabo kutshaywa imiqangala lamagedla lemifece kanye lemihubhe, njalo bazakuba bephrofetha.
“After that you will come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is; and it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a lute, a tambourine, a pipe, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.
6 UMoya kaThixo uzakwehlela phezu kwakho ngamandla, lawe uzaphrofetha labo, njalo uzaguqulwa ube ngomunye umuntu.
Then the LORD’s Spirit will come mightily on you, then you will prophesy with them and will be turned into another man.
7 Izibonakaliso lezi zingagcwaliseka, yenza loba yini okubona kufanele ukuba ukwenze, ngoba uNkulunkulu ulawe.
Let it be, when these signs have come to you, that you do what is appropriate for the occasion; for God is with you.
8 Hamba ungandulele eGiligali. Ngizakuza kuwe impela ngizenikela umhlatshelo weminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobuzalwane. Kodwa kuzamele ulinde insuku eziyisikhombisa ngize ngifike kuwe ngikutshele okumele ukwenze.”
“Go down ahead of me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Wait seven days, until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”
9 Kwathi uSawuli ephenduka esesuka kuSamuyeli, uNkulunkulu waguqula inhliziyo kaSawuli, njalo zonke izibonakaliso lezi zagcwaliseka mhlalokho.
It was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs happened that day.
10 Bathi befika eGibhiya, udwendwe lwabaphrofethi lwabahlangabeza; uMoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela phezu kwakhe ngamandla, laye wahlanganyela ekuphrofitheni kwabo.
When they came there to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily on him, and he prophesied amongst them.
11 Kwathi labo ababevele bemazi bembona esephrofitha labaphrofethi, babuzana besithi, “Kuyini kanti lokhu osekwenzakale endodaneni kaKhishi? USawuli laye ungomunye wabaphrofethi na?”
When all who knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said to one another, “What is this that has come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also amongst the prophets?”
12 Umuntu owayehlala lapho waphendula wathi, “Uyise wabo ngubani na?” Ngakho kwaba yisitsho ukuthi: “USawuli laye ungomunye wabaphrofethi na?”
One from the same place answered, “Who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also amongst the prophets?”
13 Kwathi uSawuli eseyekele ukuphrofetha, wasesiya endaweni ephakemeyo.
When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.
14 Ngalesosikhathi uyise omncane kaSawuli wambuza kanye lenceku yakhe wathi, “Kanti kade lingaphi?” USawuli waphendula wathi, “Kade sidinga obabhemi. Kodwa kuthe sibona ukuthi kabatholakali, sasesisiya kuSamuyeli.”
Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” He said, “To seek the donkeys. When we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel.”
15 Uyise omncane kaSawuli wasesithi, “Ngitshela ukuthi uSamuyeli utheni kuwe.”
Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”
16 USawuli waphendula wathi, “Uqinise kithi ukuthi obabhemi sebebonakele.” Kodwa kamtshelanga uyise omncane okwakutshiwo nguSamuyeli ngobukhosi.
Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys were found.” But concerning the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he didn’t tell him.
17 USamuyeli wabizela abantu bako-Israyeli kuThixo eMizipha
Samuel called the people together to the LORD to Mizpah;
18 wathi kubo, “Nanku okutshiwo yiThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: ‘Ngakhupha u-Israyeli eGibhithe, njalo ngalikhulula esandleni seGibhithe lakuyo yonke imibuso eyayilincindezela.’
and he said to the children of Israel, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’
19 Kodwa khathesi selimalile uNkulunkulu wenu, olihlengayo ezingozini zenu zonke lasezinsizini. Njalo selithe, ‘Hatshi, sibekele inkosi ezasibusa.’ Ngakho-ke khathesi zibonakaliseni phambi kukaThixo ngezizwana zenu langezinsendo zenu.”
But you have today rejected your God, who himself saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said to him, ‘No! Set a king over us!’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands.”
20 Kwathi uSamuyeli esezilethe eduze zonke izizwana zako-Israyeli, isizwana sikaBhenjamini sakhethwa.
So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.
21 Emva kwalokho waletha isizwana sikaBhenjamini phambili, usendo ngosendo, kwakhethwa usendo lukaMathiri. Ekucineni kwakhethwa uSawuli, indodana kaKhishi. Kodwa kwathi sebemdinga akaze abonakala.
He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families and the family of the Matrites was chosen. Then Saul the son of Kish was chosen; but when they looked for him, he could not be found.
22 Ngakho babuza njalo kuThixo bathi, “Umuntu lo uke wafika lapha na?” UThixo wathi, “Ye, usezifihle phakathi kwezimpahla.”
Therefore they asked of the LORD further, “Is there yet a man to come here?” The LORD answered, “Behold, he has hidden himself amongst the baggage.”
23 Bagijima bayamkhipha, njalo kwathi esemi phakathi kwabantu, wayemude kulabo bonke.
They ran and got him there. When he stood amongst the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
24 USamuyeli wasesithi ebantwini bonke, “Liyambona yini umuntu osekhethwe nguThixo? Kakho lamunye onjengaye phakathi kwabantu bonke bako-Israyeli.” Abantu baklabalala besithi, “Impilo ende enkosini!”
Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him amongst all the people?” All the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!”
25 USamuyeli wachaza ebantwini imithetho yobukhosi. Wayiloba emqulwini wayibeka phambi kukaThixo. Emva kwalokho wabachitha abantu, ngulowo lalowo waya emzini wakhe.
Then Samuel told the people the regulations of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the LORD. Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
26 USawuli laye waya kibo eGibhiya ephelekezelwa ngabantu abangamaqhawe uNkulunkulu ayethinte inhliziyo zabo.
Saul also went to his house in Gibeah; and the army went with him, whose hearts God had touched.
27 Kodwa ezinye izidlwangudlwangu zathi, “Umuntu lo angasikhulula kanjani na?” Zameyisa kazaze zamlethela zipho. Kodwa uSawuli wazithulela.
But certain worthless fellows said, “How could this man save us?” They despised him, and brought him no tribute. But he held his peace.
