1 USamuyeli 6
1 Kwathi ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo selihlale elizweni lamaFilistiya izinyanga eziyisikhombisa,
Now the ark of God was in the land of the Philistines seven months.
2 amaFilistiya abiza abaphristi labahlahluli athi, “Sizakwenzani ngebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo na? Sitsheleni ukuthi singalibuyisela njani emuva endaweni yalo.”
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying: What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? tell us how we are to send it back to its place? And they said:
3 Baphendula bathi, “Nxa libuyisela ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli, lingalibuyiseli lingelalutho, kodwa impela thumelani umnikelo wecala kuye. Ngalokho lizasila, njalo lizakwazi ukuthi kungani isandla sakhe singasuswanga kini.”
If you send back the ark of the God of Israel, send it not away empty, but render unto him what you owe for sin, and then you shall be healed: and you shall know why his hand departeth not from you.
4 AmaFilistiya abuza athi, “Ngumnikelo bani wecala okumele siwuthumele kuye na?” Baphendula bathi, “Amathumba egolide amahlanu lamagundwane egolide amahlanu, kusiya ngenani lababusi bamaFilistiya, ngoba isifo sinye sihlasele lina kanye lababusi benu.”
They answered: What is it we ought to render unto him for sin? and they answered:
5 Yenzani izifanekiso zamathumba lamagundwane achitha ilizwe, lidumise unkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. Mhlawumbe uzasusa isandla sakhe kini lakubonkulunkulu benu kanye laselizweni lenu.
According to the number of the provinces of the Philistines you shall make five golden emerods, and five golden mice: for the same plague hath been upon you all, and upon your lords. And you shall make the likeness of your emerods, and the likeness of the mice that have destroyed the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel: to see if he will take off his hand from you, and from your gods, and from your land.
6 Kungani lisenza inhliziyo zenu zibe lukhuni njengalokhu okwenziwa ngamaGibhithe loFaro na? Lapho unkulunkulu wama-Israyeli esebaphethe kalukhuni kabawavumelanga ama-Israyeli ukuba ahambe na?
Why do you harden your hearts, as Egypt and Pharao hardened their hearts? did not he, after he was struck, then let them go, and they departed?
7 “Ngakho-ke khathesi, lungisani inqola entsha lamankomokazi amabili azeleyo njalo angakaze afakwe ijogwe. Bophelani amankomokazi enqoleni, kodwa lisuse amankonyane awo liwavalele esibayeni.
Now therefore take and make a new cart: and two kine that have calved, on which there hath come no yoke, tie to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
8 Thathani ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo lilibeke enqoleni, kuthi emxhakeni oseceleni kwalo lifake izinto zegolide elizithumela kuye njengomnikelo wecala. Ikhupheni izihambele ngendlela yayo,
And you shall take the ark of the Lord, and lay it on the cart, and the vessels of gold, which you have paid him for sin, you shall put into a little box, at the side thereof: and send it away that it may go.
9 kodwa liyiqaphelisise. Ingaya elizweni lakibo, iqonde eBhethi-Shemeshi, kuyabe kunguThixo olethe incithakalo le enkulu phezu kwethu. Kodwa nxa ingenzi njalo, sizakwazi ukuthi kade kungasisosandla sakhe esisitshayileyo kanye lokuthi kuzenzakalele kodwa nje kithi.”
And you shall look: and if it go up by the way of his own coasts towards Bethsames, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, we shall know that it is not his hand hath touched us, but it hath happened by chance.
10 Ngakho-ke bakwenza lokhu. Bathatha amankomokazi amabili anjalo bawabophela enqoleni kwathi amankonyane awo bawavalela esibayeni.
They did therefore in this manner: and taking two kine, that had suckling calves, they yoked them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
11 Babeka ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo enqoleni ndawonye lomxhaka owawulamagundwane egolide lezifanekiso zamathumba.
And they laid the ark of God upon the cart, and the little box that had in it the golden mice and the likeness of the emerods.
12 Emva kwalokho amankomokazi ahamba eqonde eBhethi-Shemeshi, elokhu esemgwaqweni njalo ebhonsa indlela yonke; kawazange aphambukele kwesokudla kumbe kwesenxele. Ababusi bamaFilistiya bawalandela baze bayafika emngceleni weBhethi Shemeshi.
And the kine took the straight way that leadeth to Bethsames, and they went along the way, lowing as they went: and turned not aside neither to the right hand nor to the left: and the lords of the Philistines followed them as far as the borders of Bethsames.
13 Ngalesosikhathi abantu beBhethi-Shemeshi babevuna ingqoloyi yabo esigodini, njalo bathi lapho bekhangela babona ibhokisi lesivumelwano, bathokoza ukulibona.
Now the Bethsamites were reaping wheat in the valley: and lifting up their eyes they saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
14 Inqola yafika ensimini kaJoshuwa waseBhethi-Shemeshi, yasisima khonapho phansi kwedwala elikhulu. Abantu babanda inqola yaba zinkuni basebehlaba amankomokazi ukuba ngumnikelo wokutshiswa kuThixo.
And the cart came into the field of Josue a Bethsamite, and stood there. And there was a great stone, and they cut in pieces the wood of the cart, and laid the kine upon it a holocaust to the Lord.
15 AbaLevi bethula ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo, kanye lomxhaka owawulezinto zegolide, bakubeka phezu kwedwala elikhulu. Ngalelolanga abantu baseBhethi-Shemeshi banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa benza lemihlatshelo kuThixo.
And the Levites took down the ark of God, and the little box that was at the side of it, wherein were the vessels of gold, and they put them upon the great stone. The men also of Bethsames offered holocausts and sacrificed victims that day to the Lord.
16 Ababusi abahlanu bamaFilistiya bakubona konke lokhu basebebuyela e-Ekroni ngalelolanga.
And the five princes of the Philistines saw, and they returned to Accaron the same day.
17 Amathumba egolide amaFilistiya awathumela kuThixo njengomnikelo wecala yila, elilodwa ele-Ashidodi, leleGaza, lele-Ashikheloni, leleGathi kanye lele-Ekroni.
And these are the golden emerods, which the Philistines returned for sin to the Lord: For Azotus one, for Gaza one, for Ascalon one, for Geth one, for Accaron one:
18 Lenani lamagundwane egolide lalisiya ngenani lamadolobho amaFilistiya ayengawababusi abahlanu, amadolobho ayevikelwe alemizi yawo yasemaphandleni. Idwala elikhulu ababebeke ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo phezu kwalo, liyibufakazi lalamhlanje ensimini kaJoshuwa waseBhethi-Shemeshi.
And the golden mice according to the number of the cities of the Philistines, of the five provinces, from the fenced city to the village that was without wall, and to the great Abel (the stone) whereon they set down the ark of the Lord, which was till that day in the field of Josue the Bethsamite.
19 Kodwa uNkulunkulu watshaya abanye babantu baseBhethi-Shemeshi, wabulala abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa babo ngoba babelunguze phakathi kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu. Abantu balila ngenxa yokugadla okunzima uThixo ayekwenze kubo,
But he slew of the men of Bethsames, because they had seen the ark of the Lord: and he slew of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand of the common people. And the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten the people with a great slaughter.
20 njalo abantu baseBhethi-Shemeshi babuza bathi, “Pho ngubani ongema phambi kukaThixo, uNkulunkulu lo ongcwele na?”
And the men of Bethsames said: Who shall be able to stand before the Lord this holy God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
21 Emva kwalokho bathumela izithunywa ebantwini baseKhiriyathi-Jeyarimi, besithi, “AmaFilistiya aselibuyisile ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo. Wozani lizolithatha lilise endaweni yenu.”
And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Cariathiarim, saying: The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord, come ye down and fetch it up to you.
