1 USamuyeli 9
1 Kwakulomuntu wakoBhenjamini, indoda elesithunzi, ibizo layo lalinguKhishi indodana ka-Abhiyeli, indodana kaZerori, indodana kaBhekhorathi, indodana ka-Afiya owakoBhenjamini.
And there is a man of Benjamin, and his name [is] Kish, son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Bechorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor,
2 Wayelendodana ethiwa nguSawuli, ijaha elilesithunzi kungekho ongalinganiswa lalo phakathi kwama-Israyeli, edlula abantu bonke ngobude kusukela emahlombe kusiya ekhanda.
and he has a son, and his name [is] Saul, a choice youth and handsome, and there is not a man among the sons of Israel more handsome than he—from his shoulder and upward, higher than any of the people.
3 Ngalesisikhathi obabhemi bakaKhishi uyise kaSawuli balahleka, uKhishi wasesithi kuSawuli indodana yakhe, “Thatha enye yezinceku uhambe layo ukuyadinga obabhemi.”
And the donkeys of Kish, father of Saul, are lost, and Kish says to his son Saul, “Now take one of the young men with you, and rise, go, seek the donkeys.”
4 Ngakho wadabula elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi lasemangweni ozungeze iShalisha, kodwa kababatholanga. Baqhubeka baya esifundeni saseShalimi, kodwa obabhemi babengekho. Wadabula phakathi kwelizwe lakoBhenjamini, kodwa kabawatholanga.
And he passes over through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passes over through the land of Shalisha, and they have not found [them]; and they pass over through the land of Shaalim, and they are not; and he passes over through the land of Benjamin, and they have not found [them].
5 Kwathi sebefikile esifundeni saseZufi, uSawuli wathi encekwini eyayilaye, “Woza, kasibuyele, hlezi ubaba ekele ukucabanga ngabobabhemi aqalise ukukhathazeka ngathi.”
They have come to the land of Zuph, and Saul has said to his young man who [is] with him, “Come, and we return, lest my father leave off from the donkeys, and has been sorrowful for us.”
6 Kodwa inceku yaphendula yathi, “Khangela, kulumuzi kulomuntu kaNkulunkulu; uyahlonitshwa kakhulu, njalo konke akutshoyo kuyenzakala. Kasiye khona khathesi nje. Mhlawumbe angasitshela ukuthi siqonde ngaphi.”
And he says to him, “Now behold, a man of God [is] in this city, and the man is honored; all that he speaks certainly comes; now, we go there, it may be he declares to us our way on which we have gone.”
7 USawuli wasesithi encekwini, “Singaya kuye, sizamnikani umuntu lowo na? Ukudla kakusekho emigodleni yethu. Kasilasipho esingahamba laso emuntwini kaNkulunkulu. Kuyini esilakho na?”
And Saul says to his young man, “And behold, we go, and what do we bring to the man? For the bread has gone from our vessels, and there is no present to bring to the man of God—what [is] with us?”
8 Inceku yaphendula njalo yathi, “Khangela, ngilokwesine kweshekeli elesiliva. Ngizakunika umuntu kaNkulunkulu ukuze asitshele ukuthi siqonde ngaphi.”
And the young man adds to answer Saul and says, “Behold, there is found a fourth of a shekel of silver with me: and I have given to the man of God, and he has declared our way to us.”
9 (Ngaphambilini ko-Israyeli, lapho umuntu esiyabuza uNkulunkulu, wayesithi, “Woza, kasiye kumboni,” ngoba umphrofethi wakhathesi wayethiwa ngumboni.)
Formerly in Israel, thus said the man in his going to seek God: “Come and we go to the seer.” For the “prophet” of today is formerly called “the seer.”
10 USawuli wasesithi encekwini yakhe, “Kuhle. Woza kasihambe.” Ngakho basuka baya emzini okwakuhlala khona umuntu kaNkulunkulu.
And Saul says to his young man, “Your word [is] good; come, we go”; and they go to the city where the man of God [is].
11 Besaqansa uqaqa besiya kulowomuzi bahlangana lamantombazana ayephume ukuyakukha amanzi basebewabuza besithi, “Kulomboni lapha na?”
They are going up in the ascent of the city, and have found young women going out to draw water, and say to them, “Is the seer in this [place]?”
12 Aphendula athi, “Ukhona. Uphambidlana kwenu. Phangisani khathesi; usanda kufika emzini wethu lamhla, ngoba abantu balomhlatshelo endaweni ephakemeyo.
And they answer them and say, “He is; behold, before you! Hurry, now, for he has come to the city today, for the people [have] a sacrifice today in a high place.
13 Khonokho nje lingena umuzi, lizamfica engakaqanseli phezulu endaweni ephakemeyo ukuyakudla. Abantu kabayikuqalisa ukudla aze afike, ngoba kumele abusise umhlatshelo; emva kwalokho bazakudla-ke labo abanxusiweyo. Hambani-ke, lizamthola khathesi nje.”
At your going into the city so you find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people do not eat until his coming, for he blesses the sacrifice; afterward, they who are called eat, and now, go up, for you should find him at this time.”
14 Baya kulowomuzi, kwathi lapho bengena kuwo, babona uSamuyeli esiza kubo eqansela endaweni ephakemeyo.
And they go up to the city; they are coming into the midst of the city, and behold, Samuel is coming out to meet them, to go up to the high place;
15 Ngosuku uSawuli engakafiki, uThixo wayeveze lokhu kuSamuyeli wathi,
and YHWH had uncovered the ear of Samuel one day before the coming of Saul, saying,
16 “Ngesikhathi esingaba yisonalesi kusasa ngizaletha kuwe umuntu ovela elizweni lakoBhenjamini. Mgcobe ukuba ngumkhokheli wabantu bami u-Israyeli; uzakhulula abantu bami esandleni samaFilistiya. Ngibakhangele abantu bami, ngoba ukukhala kwabo sekufikile kimi.”
“At this time tomorrow, I send to you a man out of the land of Benjamin—and you have anointed him for leader over My people Israel, and he has saved My people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have seen My people, for its cry has come to Me.”
17 Kwathi uSamuyeli ebona uSawuli, uThixo wathi kuye, “Lo nguye umuntu engikhulume kuwe ngaye; uzabusa abantu bami.”
When Samuel has seen Saul, then YHWH has answered him, “Behold, the man of whom I have spoken to you; this [one] restrains My people.”
18 USawuli wasondela kuSamuyeli wabuza wathi, “Ake ungitshele ukuthi indlu yomboni ingaphi.”
And Saul draws near to Samuel in the midst of the gate and says, “Please declare to me where this seer’s house [is].”
19 USamuyeli waphendula wathi, “Umboni yimi. Hamba phambi kwami uye endaweni ephakemeyo, ngoba lamhla uzakudla lami, ekuseni ngizakuyekela uhambe njalo ngizakutshela konke okusenhliziyweni yakho.
And Samuel answers Saul and says, “I [am] the seer; go up before me into the high place, and you have eaten with me today, and I have sent you away in the morning, and all that [is] in your heart I declare to you.
20 Obabhemi abalahlekileyo ensukwini ezintathu ezedluleyo, ungakhathazeki ngabo; sebebonakele. Njalo kungubani izifiso zonke zika-Israyeli ezikhangele kuye nxa kungasuwe lendlu yonke kayihlo na?”
And as for the donkeys which are lost from you [for] three days as of today, do not set your heart to them, for they have been found; and to whom [is] all the desire of Israel? Is it not to you and to all your father’s house?”
21 USawuli waphendula wathi, “Kodwa mina kangisuye yini wakoBhenjamini, isizwana esincinyane kulazo zonke ko-Israyeli, njalo lendlu yakwethu kayincinyane kulazo zonke izindlu zesizwe sakoBhenjamini na?”
And Saul answers and says, “Am I not a Benjamite—of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? And why have you spoken to me according to this word?”
22 USamuyeli wasengenisa uSawuli lenceku yakhe endlini enkulu wabahlalisa phambi kwalabo ababenxusiwe babengaba ngamatshumi amathathu ubunengi babo.
And Samuel takes Saul, and his young man, and brings them into the chamber, and gives a place to them at the head of those called; and they [are] about thirty men.
23 USamuyeli wasesithi kumpheki wakhe, “Letha iqatha lenyama engikuphe lona, leliyana engithe uligcine.”
And Samuel says to the cook, “Give the portion which I gave to you, of which I said to you, Set it by you.”
24 Ngakho umpheki wathatha umlenze lalokho okwakuphezu kwawo, wakubeka phambi kukaSawuli. USamuyeli wasesithi, “Nanku okube kugcinelwe wena. Dlana, ngoba kade kubekelwe wena kulelithuba, kusukela ngesikhathi ngisithi, ‘Ngilabemzini abanxusiweyo.’” USawuli wadla loSamuyeli ngalolosuku.
(And the cook lifts up the leg, and that which [is] on it, and sets [it] before Saul), and he says, “Behold, that which is left; [it] is set before your face—eat, for it is kept for you for this appointed time, [at my] saying, I have called the people”; and Saul eats with Samuel on that day.
25 Sebehlile endaweni ephakemeyo ukuya emzini, uSamuyeli wakhuluma loSawuli bephezu kophahla lwendlu yakhe.
And they come down from the high place to the city, and he speaks with Saul on the roof.
26 Bavuka ngezikhathi zemadabukakusa, uSamuyeli wabiza uSawuli phezu kophahla wathi, “Lunga ngikuqhube ohanjweni lwakho.” USawuli eselungile, yena loSamuyeli baphuma bonke.
And they rise early, and it comes to pass, at the ascending of the dawn, that Samuel calls to Saul, on the roof, saying, “Rise, and I send you away”; and Saul rises, and they go out, both of them—he and Samuel, outside.
27 Ekuhambeni kwabo besehlela emaphethelweni omuzi, uSamuyeli wathi kuSawuli, “Tshela inceku yakho iqhubeke phambi kwethu” lakanye inceku yenza njalo “kodwa wena sala lapha okwesikhatshana ukuze ngikutshele ilizwi elivela kuNkulunkulu.”
They are going down in the extremity of the city, and Samuel has said to Saul, “Say to the young man that he should pass on before us (and he passes on), and you, stand at this time, and I cause you to hear the word of God.”
