1 USamuyeli 12
1 USamuyeli wathi kubo bonke abako-Israyeli, “Ngikuzwile konke elikukhulumileyo kimi njalo sengilibekele inkosi.
And Samuel saith unto all Israel, 'Lo, I have hearkened to your voice, to all that ye said to me, and I cause to reign over you a king,
2 Khathesi selilenkosi engumkhokheli wenu. Mina sengiluphele lenwele sezimpunga, lamadodana ami lilawo khonapha. Kade ngingumkhokheli wenu kusukela ebutsheni bami kuze kube lamhla.
and now, lo, the king is walking habitually before you, and I have become aged and gray-headed, and my sons, lo, they [are] with you, and I have walked habitually before you from my youth till this day.
3 Ngikhonapha. Fakazani okubi ngami phambi kukaThixo logcotshiweyo wakhe. Ngubani engake ngathatha inkabi yakhe na? Ngubani engake ngathatha ubabhemi wakhe na? Ngubani engake ngamqilibezela? Ngubani engake ngamncindezela na? Kukwezikabani izandla engake ngamukela isivalamlomo ukuba ngivale amehlo ami na? Nxa ngake ngenza okunye kwalokhu, ngizakubuyisela.”
'Lo, here [am] I; testify against me, over-against Jehovah, and over-against His anointed; whose ox have I taken, and whose ass have I taken, and whom have I oppressed; whom have I bruised, and of whose hand have I taken a ransom, and hide mine eyes with it? — and I restore to you.'
4 Baphendula bathi, “Kawuzange usiqilibezele loba usincindezele. Kawuthathanga lutho esandleni somuntu.”
And they say, 'Thou hast not oppressed us, nor hast thou crushed us, nor hast thou taken from the hand of any one anything.'
5 USamuyeli wasesithi kubo, “Uthixo ungufakazi umelane lani, logcotshiweyo wakhe ungufakazi ngalelilanga, ukuthi kalitholanga lutho esandleni sami.” Bona bathi, “Yena ungufakazi.”
And he saith unto them, 'A witness [is] Jehovah against you: and a witness [is] His anointed this day, that ye have not found anything in my hand;' and they say, 'A witness.'
6 USamuyeli wasesithi ebantwini, “NguThixo owakhetha uMosi lo-Aroni wakhupha oyihlomkhulu eGibhithe.
And Samuel saith unto the people, 'Jehovah — He who made Moses and Aaron, and who brought up your fathers out of the land of Egypt!
7 Khathesi-ke, manini khonapha, ngoba ngizamelana lani ngobufakazi phambi kukaThixo ngazozonke izenzo ezilungileyo uThixo owazenzela lina laboyihlo.
and, now, station yourselves, and I judge you before Jehovah, with all the righteous acts of Jehovah, which He did with you, and with your fathers.
8 Emva kokuba uJakhobe esefikile eGibhithe, bakhalela usizo kuThixo, uThixo wasethuma uMosi lo-Aroni, abakhupha okhokho benu eGibhithe bazabahlalisa kule indawo.
'When Jacob hath come in to Egypt, and your fathers cry unto Jehovah, then Jehovah sendeth Moses and Aaron, and they bring out your fathers from Egypt, and cause them to dwell in this place,
9 Kodwa bamkhohlwa uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo; ngakho wabanikela esandleni sikaSisera, umlawuli webutho laseHazori, lasezandleni zamaFilistiya kanye lasenkosini yamaMowabi, balwa labo.
and they forget Jehovah their God, and He selleth them into the hand of Sisera, head of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fight against them,
10 Bakhala kuThixo bathi, ‘Sonile, simdelile uThixo sakhonza oBhali labo-Ashithorethi. Kodwa khathesi ake usikhulule ezandleni zezitha zethu, sizakukhonza.’
and they cry unto Jehovah, and say, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Jehovah, and serve the Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and now, deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we serve Thee.
11 Lapho-ke uThixo wathuma uJerubhi-Bhali, loBhedani, loJeftha kanye loSamuyeli, walikhulula ezandleni zezitha zenu inxa zonke, yikho lahlala livikelekile.
'And Jehovah sendeth Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivereth you out of the hand of your enemies round about, and ye dwell confidently.
12 Kodwa kwathi lapho libona ukuthi uNahashi inkosi yama-Amoni wayesizalihlasela, lathi kimi, ‘Hatshi, sifuna inkosi yokusibusa,’ lanxa uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu wayeyinkosi yenu.
'And ye see that Nahash king of the Bene-Ammon hath come against you, and ye say to me, Nay, but a king doth reign over us; and Jehovah your God [is] your king!
13 Khathesi nansi inkosi eliyikhethileyo, yona elayicelayo; khangelani, uThixo uselibekele inkosi phezu kwenu.
And, now, lo, the king whom ye have chosen — whom ye have asked! and lo, Jehovah hath placed over you a king.
14 Nxa limesaba uThixo limkhonze njalo limlalele lingahlamukeli imilayo yakhe, njalo nxa lina kanye lenkosi elibusayo lilandela uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, kuhle!
'If ye fear Jehovah, and have served Him, and hearkened to His voice, then ye do not provoke the mouth of Jehovah, and ye have been — both ye and the king who hath reigned over you — after Jehovah your God.
15 Kodwa nxa uThixo lingamlaleli, njalo nxa lihlamukela imilayo yakhe, isandla sakhe sizamelana lani, njengoba sasimelane laboyihlo.
'And if ye do not hearken to the voice of Jehovah — then ye have provoked the mouth of Jehovah, and the hand of Jehovah hath been against you, and against your fathers.
16 Khathesi-ke manini lithule libone into enkulu uThixo asezayenza phambi kwamehlo enu!
'Also now, station yourselves and see this great thing which Jehovah is doing before your eyes;
17 Kanti khathesi akusisikhathi sokuvuna ingqoloyi na? Ngizakhuleka kuThixo ukuba athumele umdumo lezulu. Njalo lizabona ukuthi yinto embi njani elayenzayo emehlweni kaThixo lapho licela inkosi.”
is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I call unto Jehovah, and He doth give voices and rain; and know ye and see that your evil is great which ye have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for you a king.'
18 Emva kwalokho uSamuyeli wakhuleka kuThixo, njalo khona mhlalokho uThixo wathumela umdumo lezulu. Ngakho abantu bonke bamesaba uThixo loSamuyeli.
And Samuel calleth unto Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth voices and rain, on that day, and all the people greatly fear Jehovah and Samuel;
19 Bonke abantu bathi kuSamuyeli, “Khulekela izinceku zakho kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho ukuze singafi, ngoba sesengeze kwezinye zonke izono zethu ngobubi bokucela inkosi.”
and all the people say unto Samuel, 'Pray for thy servants unto Jehovah thy God, and we do not die, for we have added to all our sins evil to ask for us a king.'
20 USamuyeli waphendula wathi, “Lingesabi. Selibenzile bonke lobububi; kodwa lingamfulatheli uThixo; kodwa khonzani uThixo ngezinhliziyo zenu zonke.
And Samuel saith unto the people, 'Fear not; ye have done all this evil; only, turn not aside from after Jehovah — and ye have served Jehovah with all your heart,
21 Lingaphendukeli ezithombeni ezingasizi lutho. Zingeke zilenzele lutho, kumbe zilihlenge, ngoba kazilasizo.
and ye do not turn aside after the vain things which do not profit nor deliver, for they [are] vain,
22 Ngenxa yebizo lakhe elikhulu uThixo kayikubalahla abantu bakhe, ngoba uThixo wathokoziswa yikulenza libe ngabakhe.
for Jehovah doth not leave His people, on account of His great name; for Jehovah hath been pleased to make you to Him for a people.
23 Mina-ke kangiyikukwenza ukuthi ngenze isono kuThixo ngokungalikhulekeli. Njalo ngizalifundisa indlela enhle lelungileyo.
'I, also, far be it from me to sin against Jehovah, by ceasing to pray for you, and I have directed you in the good and upright way;
24 Kodwa mesabeni ngeqiniso uThixo, limkhonze ngobuqotho ngezinhliziyo zenu zonke. Khumbulani izinto ezinkulu alenzela zona.
only, fear ye Jehovah, and ye have served Him in truth with all your heart, for see that which He hath made great with you;
25 Kodwa lingaphikelela ukwenza okubi, lina lenkosi yenu lizakhukhulwa.”
and if ye really do evil, both ye and your king are consumed.'
