1 USamuyeli 15
1 USamuyeli wathi kuSawuli, “Mina yimi engathunywa nguThixo ukuthi ngikugcobe ukuba yinkosi yabantu bakhe u-Israyeli; ngakho-ke khathesi lalela ilizwi elivela kuThixo.
And Samuel said to Saul, Jehovah sent me to anoint thee king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken to the voice of the words of Jehovah.
2 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uSomandla: ‘Ama-Amaleki ngizawajezisa ngenxa yalokhu akwenzayo ku-Israyeli lapho abacathamela ekuphumeni kwabo eGibhithe.
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I have considered what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
3 Khathesi hamba uyehlasela ama-Amaleki uqede du konke okungokwawo. Ungawayekeli; bulala amadoda labafazi, abantwana lensane, inkomo lezimvu, amakamela kanye labobabhemi.’”
Now go and smite Amalek, and destroy utterly all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
4 Ngakho uSawuli wabiza abantu wababuthanisa eThelayimi, izinkulungwane ezimbili zebutho lezinyawo kanye lamadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi avela koJuda.
And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 USawuli waya edolobheni lase-Amaleki bacathama edongeni.
And Saul came to the city of the Amalekites, and set an ambush in the valley.
6 Wasesithi kumaKheni, “Sukani, tshiyani ama-Amaleki ukuze ngingaliqothuli kanye lawo; ngoba lina latshengisa umusa kuwo wonke ama-Israyeli ekuphumeni kwawo eGibhithe.” Ngakho amaKheni asuka kuma-Amaleki.
And Saul said to the Kenites, Go, depart, and go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. And the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
7 Lapho-ke uSawuli wahlasela ama-Amaleki umango wonke kusukela eHavila kusiya eShuri, empumalanga kweGibhithe.
And Saul smote Amalek from Havilah as thou comest to Shur, which is opposite to Egypt.
8 Wathumba u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki ephila, kodwa bonke abantu bakhe wabaqothula ngokupheleleyo, ngenkemba.
And he took Agag the king of Amalek alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 Kodwa uSawuli lebutho kabambulalanga u-Agagi lezimvu ezinhle lenkomo, amathole anonileyo lamawundlu lakho konke okwakukuhle. Lokhu babengafisi ukukuqeda ngokupheleleyo, konke okwakuseyiseka lokungelasizo bakuqeda du.
And Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and oxen, and beasts of the second bearing, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not devote them to destruction; but everything that was mean and weak, that they destroyed utterly.
10 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kuSamuyeli lisithi,
And the word of Jehovah came to Samuel, saying,
11 “Ngilusizi ngokuthi ngibeke uSawuli waba yinkosi, ngoba usengifulathele njalo kalandelanga imilayo yami.” USamuyeli wakhathazeka, wakhuleka kuThixo bonke lobobusuku.
It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned away from following me, and hath not fulfilled my words. And Samuel was much grieved; and he cried to Jehovah all night.
12 USamuyeli wavuka ekuseni kakhulu ukuba ayebonana loSawuli, kodwa watshelwa ukuthi, “USawuli uye eKhameli. Uzibekele ilitshe lesikhumbuzo sakhe khonale wasephenduka esehlela eGiligali.”
And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set him up a monument, and has turned about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
13 Kwathi uSamuyeli esemficile, uSawuli wathi, “Uthixo kakubusise! Sengikwenzile engikulaywe nguThixo.”
And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, Blessed art thou of Jehovah: I have fulfilled the word of Jehovah.
14 Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi, “Pho ukukhala kwezimvu ezindlebeni zami lokhu kuyini na? Kuyini ukubhonsa kwezinkomo lokhu engikuzwayo na?”
And Samuel said, What [means] then this bleating of sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of oxen which I hear?
15 USawuli waphendula wathi, “Amabutho azilethe zivela kuma-Amaleki; agcine izimvu ezinhle lenkomo ukuba azenze umhlatshelo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, kodwa ezinye sizikhucule.”
And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites, because the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
16 USamuyeli wathi kuSawuli, “Mana! Wothi ngikutshele okutshiwo nguThixo kimi ebusuku obedluleyo.” USawuli waphendula wathi, “Ngitshela.”
And Samuel said to Saul, Stay, that I may tell thee what Jehovah has said to me this night. And he said to him, Say on.
17 USamuyeli wasesithi, “Lanxa wazibona umncane, kawuzange ube yinhloko yezizwana zako-Israyeli na? Uthixo wakugcoba ukuba ube yinkosi ko-Israyeli.
And Samuel said, Was it not when thou wast little in thine eyes that thou [becamest] the head of the tribes of Israel, and Jehovah anointed thee king over Israel?
18 Njalo wakuthuma emsebenzini, esithi, ‘Hamba uyeqothula abantu labayana ababi, ama-Amaleki, uvuse impi labo uze ubaqede du.’
And Jehovah sent thee on a way and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
19 Pho kungani ungalalelanga uThixo? Kungani uzithathele impango wenza okubi phambi kukaThixo na?”
Why then didst thou not hearken to the voice of Jehovah, but didst fall upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of Jehovah?
20 USawuli wathi, “Kodwa mina ngimlalele uThixo. Ngihambile emsebenzini uThixo anginike wona. Ama-Amaleki ngiwaqede du, ngabuya lo-Agagi inkosi yawo.
And Saul said to Samuel, I have indeed hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
21 Amabutho athatha izimvu lenkomo empangweni, ezinhle zalezo ezazahlukaniselwe uNkulunkulu, ukuze zenziwe umhlatshelo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.”
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.
22 Kodwa uSamuyeli waphendula wathi: “Kambe uThixo uthokozela iminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo ngokunjengokulalela ilizwi likaThixo na? Ukulalela kungcono kulomhlatshelo, lokukhathalela kungcono kulamahwahwa enqama.
And Samuel said, Has Jehovah delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, As in hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, Attention than the fat of rams.
23 Ngoba ukuhlamuka kufana lesono sokuhlahlula, lobuqholo bufana lobubi bokukhonza izithombe. Ngoba ilizwi likaThixo ulalile, usekwalile njengenkosi.”
For rebellion is [as] the sin of divination, And selfwill is [as] iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, He hath also rejected thee from being king.
24 USawuli wasesithi kuSamuyeli, “Ngenzile isono. Ngephule umlayo kaThixo leziqondiso zakho. Ngesabe abantu ngavumela okwabo.
And Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of Jehovah, and thy words; for I feared the people, and hearkened to their voice.
25 Khathesi-ke ngiyakucela, thethelela isono sami ubuyele emuva lami, ukuze ngikhonze uThixo.”
And now, I pray thee, forgive my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah.
26 Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi kuye, “Angiyikubuyela emuva lawe. Ilizwi likaThixo ulalile, njalo uThixo usekwalile njengombusi wako-Israyeli!”
And Samuel said to Saul, I will not turn again with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah has rejected thee from being king over Israel.
27 Kwathi uSamuyeli ephenduka ukuba asuke, uSawuli wabamba umphetho wesembatho sakhe, sasesidabuka.
And as Samuel turned to go away, [Saul] laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
28 USamuyeli wathi kuye, “Uthixo usewudabule kuwe lamhla umbuso wako-Israyeli, njalo usewunike omunye wabomakhelwane bakho, lowo ongcono kulawe.
Then Samuel said to him, Jehovah has rent the kingdom of Israel from thee to-day, and has given it to thy neighbour, who is better than thou.
29 Yena oyiNkazimulo ka-Israyeli kaqambi manga kumbe aguqule ingqondo yakhe, ngoba kasumuntu ukuba aguqule ingqondo yakhe.”
And also the Hope of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.
30 USawuli waphendula wathi, “Ngenzile isono. Kodwa ake ungihloniphe phambi kwabadala babantu bami laphambi kuka-Israyeli; buyela lami, ukuze ngiyekhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho.”
And he said, I have sinned; honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah thy God.
31 Ngakho uSamuyeli wabuyela loSawuli wasekhonza uThixo.
So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped Jehovah.
32 USamuyeli wasesithi, “Ngilethelani u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki.” U-Agagi waya kuye ngokwethemba ecabanga esithi, “Impela intukuthelo yokufa isiphelile.”
And Samuel said, Bring ye near to me Agag the king of Amalek. And Agag came to him gaily. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
33 Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi, “Njengoba inkemba yakho yenze abesifazane baswela abantwana, ngokunjalo unyoko kazukuba lomntwana phakathi kwabesifazane.” USamuyeli wambulala u-Agagi phambi kukaThixo eGiligali.
And Samuel said, As thy sword has made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless above women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.
34 Emva kwalokho uSamuyeli wasuka waya eRama, kodwa uSawuli waya emzini wakhe eGibhiya yakoSawuli.
And Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
35 USamuyeli kwaze kwaba lusuku lokufa kwakhe engazange ayembona uSawuli futhi, lanxa uSamuyeli wamlilela uSawuli. Uthixo wakhathazeka ngokuthi wayenze uSawuli waba yinkosi yako-Israyeli.
And Samuel saw Saul no more until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned over Saul; and Jehovah repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.
