1 USamuyeli 6
1 Kwathi ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo selihlale elizweni lamaFilistiya izinyanga eziyisikhombisa,
And the ark of the LORD was in the country 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 to the ark of the LORD? tell us with which we shall send it to his place.
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.”
And they said, If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed 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.”
Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
5 Yenzani izifanekiso zamathumba lamagundwane achitha ilizwe, lidumise unkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. Mhlawumbe uzasusa isandla sakhe kini lakubonkulunkulu benu kanye laselizweni lenu.
Why you shall make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off 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 then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had worked wonderfully among them, did they not let the people 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 make a new cart, and take two milk cows, on which there has come no yoke, and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:
8 Thathani ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo lilibeke enqoleni, kuthi emxhakeni oseceleni kwalo lifake izinto zegolide elizithumela kuye njengomnikelo wecala. Ikhupheni izihambele ngendlela yayo,
And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it on the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by 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 see, if it goes up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.
10 Ngakho-ke bakwenza lokhu. Bathatha amankomokazi amabili anjalo bawabophela enqoleni kwathi amankonyane awo bawavalela esibayeni.
And the men did so; and took two milk cows, and tied 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 the LORD on the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors.
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 cows took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Bethshemesh.
13 Ngalesosikhathi abantu beBhethi-Shemeshi babevuna ingqoloyi yabo esigodini, njalo bathi lapho bekhangela babona ibhokisi lesivumelwano, bathokoza ukulibona.
And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and 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 Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they split the wood of the cart, and offered the cows a burnt offering 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 the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to the LORD.
16 Ababusi abahlanu bamaFilistiya bakubona konke lokhu basebebuyela e-Ekroni ngalelolanga.
And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron 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 tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron 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 all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even to the great stone of Abel, where on they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.
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,
And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and three score and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of 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 Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD 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 Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come you down, and fetch it up to you.
