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: The Lord sent me to anoint thee king over his People Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the Lord:
2 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uSomandla: ‘Ama-Amaleki ngizawajezisa ngenxa yalokhu akwenzayo ku-Israyeli lapho abacathamela ekuphumeni kwabo eGibhithe.
Thus saith the Lord of hosts: I have reckoned up all that Amalec hath done to Israel: I how he opposed them in the way when they came up out of Egypt.
3 Khathesi hamba uyehlasela ama-Amaleki uqede du konke okungokwawo. Ungawayekeli; bulala amadoda labafazi, abantwana lensane, inkomo lezimvu, amakamela kanye labobabhemi.’”
Now therefore go, and smite Amalec, and utterly destroy all that he hath: spare him not, nor covet any thing that is his: but slay both man and woman, child 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.
So Saul commanded the people, and numbered them as lambs: two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand of the men of Juda.
5 USawuli waya edolobheni lase-Amaleki bacathama edongeni.
And when Saul was come to the city of Amalec, he laid ambushes in the torrent.
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 Cinite: Go, depart and get ye down from Amalec: lest I destroy thee with him. For thou hast shewn kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. And the Cinite departed from the midst of Amalec.
7 Lapho-ke uSawuli wahlasela ama-Amaleki umango wonke kusukela eHavila kusiya eShuri, empumalanga kweGibhithe.
And Saul smote Amalec from Hevila, until thou comest to Sur, which is over against Egypt.
8 Wathumba u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki ephila, kodwa bonke abantu bakhe wabaqothula ngokupheleleyo, ngenkemba.
And he took Agag the king of Amalec alive: but all the common people he slew 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 flocks of sheep and of the herds, and the garments and the rams, and all that was beautiful, and would not destroy them: but every thing that was vile and good for nothing, that they destroyed.
10 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kuSamuyeli lisithi,
And the word of the Lord 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 made Saul king: for he hath forsaken me, and hath not executed my commandments. And Samuel was grieved, and he cried unto the Lord 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 when Samuel rose early, to go to Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, that Saul was come to Carmel, and had erected for himself a triumphant arch, and returning had passed on, and gone down to Galgal. And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul was offering a holocaust to the Lord out of the choicest of the spoils which he had brought from Amalec.
13 Kwathi uSamuyeli esemficile, uSawuli wathi, “Uthixo kakubusise! Sengikwenzile engikulaywe nguThixo.”
And when Samuel was come to Saul, Saul said to him: Blessed be thou of the Lord, I have fulfilled the word of the Lord.
14 Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi, “Pho ukukhala kwezimvu ezindlebeni zami lokhu kuyini na? Kuyini ukubhonsa kwezinkomo lokhu engikuzwayo na?”
And Samuel said: What meaneth then this bleating of the flocks, which soundeth in my ears, and the lowing of the herds, 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 Amalec: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the herds that they might be sacrificed to the Lord thy God, but the rest we have slain.
16 USamuyeli wathi kuSawuli, “Mana! Wothi ngikutshele okutshiwo nguThixo kimi ebusuku obedluleyo.” USawuli waphendula wathi, “Ngitshela.”
And Samuel said to Saul: Suffer me, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said to him: Speak.
17 USamuyeli wasesithi, “Lanxa wazibona umncane, kawuzange ube yinhloko yezizwana zako-Israyeli na? Uthixo wakugcoba ukuba ube yinkosi ko-Israyeli.
And Samuel said: When thou wast a little one in thy own eyes, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed thee to be king over Israel.
18 Njalo wakuthuma emsebenzini, esithi, ‘Hamba uyeqothula abantu labayana ababi, ama-Amaleki, uvuse impi labo uze ubaqede du.’
And the Lord sent thee on the way, and said: Go, and kill the sinners of Amalec, and thou shalt fight against them until thou hast utterly destroyed them.
19 Pho kungani ungalalelanga uThixo? Kungani uzithathele impango wenza okubi phambi kukaThixo na?”
Why then didst thou not hearken to the voice of the Lord: but hast turned to the prey, and hast done evil in the eyes of the Lord.
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: Yea I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord, and have walked in the way by which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalec, and Amalec I have slain.
21 Amabutho athatha izimvu lenkomo empangweni, ezinhle zalezo ezazahlukaniselwe uNkulunkulu, ukuze zenziwe umhlatshelo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.”
But the people took of the spoils sheep and oxen, as the firstfruits of those things that were slain, to offer sacrifice to the Lord their God in Galgal.
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: Doth the Lord desire holocausts and victims, and not rather that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifices: and to hearken rather than to offer the fat of rams.
23 Ngoba ukuhlamuka kufana lesono sokuhlahlula, lobuqholo bufana lobubi bokukhonza izithombe. Ngoba ilizwi likaThixo ulalile, usekwalile njengenkosi.”
Because it is like the sin of witchcraft, to rebel: and like the crime of idolatry, to refuse to obey. Forasmuch therefore as thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord 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 because I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words, fearing the people, and obeying their voice.
25 Khathesi-ke ngiyakucela, thethelela isono sami ubuyele emuva lami, ukuze ngikhonze uThixo.”
But now bear, I beseech thee, my sin, and return with me, that I may adore the Lord.
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 return with thee, because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
27 Kwathi uSamuyeli ephenduka ukuba asuke, uSawuli wabamba umphetho wesembatho sakhe, sasesidabuka.
And Samuel turned about to go away: but he 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.
And Samuel said to him: The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to thy neighbour who is better than thee.
29 Yena oyiNkazimulo ka-Israyeli kaqambi manga kumbe aguqule ingqondo yakhe, ngoba kasumuntu ukuba aguqule ingqondo yakhe.”
But the triumpher in Israel will riot spare, and will not be moved to repentance: for he is not a mail 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.”
Then he said: I have sinned: yet honour me now before the ancients of my people, and before Israel, and return with me, that I may adore the Lord thy God.
31 Ngakho uSamuyeli wabuyela loSawuli wasekhonza uThixo.
So Samuel turned again after Saul: and Saul adored the Lord.
32 USamuyeli wasesithi, “Ngilethelani u-Agagi inkosi yama-Amaleki.” U-Agagi waya kuye ngokwethemba ecabanga esithi, “Impela intukuthelo yokufa isiphelile.”
And Samuel said: Bring hitherto me Agag the king of Amalec. And Agag was presented to him very fat, and trembling. And Agag said: Doth bitter death separate in this manner?
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 hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed him in pieces before the Lord in Galgal.
34 Emva kwalokho uSamuyeli wasuka waya eRama, kodwa uSawuli waya emzini wakhe eGibhiya yakoSawuli.
And Samuel departed to Ramatha: but Saul went up to his house in Gabaa.
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 till the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, because the Lord repented that he had made him king over Israel.
