Abahluleli 13
1 Abako-Israyeli benza okubi njalo emehlweni kaThixo, ngakho uThixo wabanikela ezandleni zamaFilistiya okweminyaka engamatshumi amane.
Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD, so He delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
2 Umuntu othile waseZora, owayethiwa nguManowa, owosendo lwakoDani, wayelomfazi owayeyinyumba engelamntwana.
Now there was a man from Zorah named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, whose wife was barren and had no children.
3 Ingilosi kaThixo yabonakala kuye yathi, “Uyinyumba kawulamntwana, kodwa uzathatha isisu ube lendodana.
The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are barren and have no children; but you will conceive and give birth to a son.
4 Ngakho nanzelela ukuthi kawunathi wayini loba okunye okunathwayo okulemvubelo kanye lokuthi ungadli ukudla okungcolileyo,
Now please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean.
5 ngoba uzathatha isisu uzale indodana. Akungabi lempuco ezasetshenziswa ekhanda layo, ngoba umfana uzakuba ngumNaziri, owahlukaniselwe uNkulunkulu kusukela ekuzalweni, njalo uzakukhulula abako-Israyeli ezandleni zamaFilistiya.”
For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall come over his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”
6 Emva kwalokho owesifazane lowo waya kumkakhe wamtshela wathi, “Kufike umuntu kaNkulunkulu kimi. Ubefana lengilosi kaNkulunkulu, esesabeka kakhulu. Angimbuzanga ukuthi ubevela ngaphi, njalo laye kangitshelanga ibizo lakhe.
So the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me. His appearance was like the angel of God, exceedingly awesome. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.
7 Kodwa uthe kimi, ‘Uzathatha isisu uzale indodana. Ngakho-ke unganathi iwayini loba okunye okunathwayo okulemvubelo, njalo ungadli lutho olungcolileyo, ngoba umfana uzakuba ngumNaziri kaNkulunkulu kusukela ekuzalweni kuze kube lusuku lokufa kwakhe.’”
But he said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now, therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb until the day of his death.’”
8 UManowa wasekhuleka kuThixo esithi, “Awu Nkosi, ngiyakucela, umuntu kaNkulunkulu omthumileyo kabuye futhi azesifundisa ukuthi umfana ozazalwa wondliwa njani.”
Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, “Please, O Lord, let the man of God You sent us come to us again to teach us how to raise the boy who is to be born.”
9 UNkulunkulu wamuzwa uManowa, ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yafika njalo kowesifazane lowo esegangeni; kodwa umkakhe uManowa wayengekho.
And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God returned to the woman as she was sitting in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her.
10 Owesifazane lowo wagijima wayatshela umkakhe wathi, “Ukhona lapha! Umuntu engimbone mhlalokhuyana!”
The woman ran quickly to tell her husband, “Behold, the man who came to me the other day has reappeared!”
11 UManowa wasuka walandela umkakhe. Esefikile kulowomuntu, wathi, “Unguwe yini lowo owakhuluma lomkami?” Yena wathi, “Nginguye.”
So Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” “I am,” he said.
12 Ngakho uManowa wambuza wathi, “Lapho amazwi akho esegcwalisekile, umfana kuzamele aphile njani njalo lomsebenzi wakhe uzakuba ngowani?”
Then Manoah asked, “When your words come to pass, what will be the boy’s rule of life and mission?”
13 Ingilosi kaThixo yaphendula yathi, “Umkakho kumele enze konke engimtshele khona.
So the angel of the LORD answered Manoah, “Your wife is to do everything I told her.
14 Kangadli lutho oluvela evinini, loba anathe iwayini loba okunye okunathwayo okulemvubelo loba adle ukudla okungcolileyo. Kumele enze konke engimlaye khona.”
She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor drink any wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.”
15 UManowa wathi engilosini kaThixo, “Sifuna ukuba uhlale size sikuhlabele izinyane lembuzi.”
“Please stay here,” Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “and we will prepare a young goat for you.”
16 Ingilosi kaThixo yaphendula yathi, “Loba lingangibamba ngamandla ukuba ngihlale, angiyikukudla ukudla kwenu. Kodwa nxa lilungisa umnikelo wokutshiswa, unikeleni kuThixo.” (UManowa kananzelelanga ukuthi kwakuyingilosi kaThixo.)
And the angel of the LORD replied, “Even if I stay, I will not eat your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD.” For Manoah did not know that it was the angel of the LORD.
17 UManowa waseyibuza ingilosi kaThixo esithi, “Ungubani ibizo lakho, ukuze sikubonge lapho ilizwi lakho seligcwalisekile?”
Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes to pass?”
18 Yaphendula yathi, “Kungani ungibuza ibizo lami? Kaliqedisiseki.”
“Why do you ask my name,” said the angel of the LORD, “since it is beyond comprehension?”
19 Lapho-ke uManowa wathatha izinyane lembuzi, ndawonye lomnikelo wamabele wakunikela kuThixo phezu kwedwala. Njalo uThixo wenza into emangalisayo uManowa lomkakhe bekhangele:
Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered them on a rock to the LORD. And as Manoah and his wife looked on, the LORD did a marvelous thing.
20 Kwathi ilangabi libhebha lisuka e-alithareni lisiya ezulwini, ingilosi kaThixo yenyukela phezulu iphakathi kwelangabi. Bebona lokhu uManowa lomkakhe bathi mbo phansi ngobuso.
When the flame went up from the altar to the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground.
21 Kwathi ingilosi kaThixo ingasazibonakalisanga futhi kuManowa lomkakhe, uManowa wananzelela ukuthi kwakuyingilosi kaThixo.
And when the angel of the LORD did not appear again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it had been the angel of the LORD.
22 Wasesithi kumkakhe, “Silahliwe, sizakufa. Sibone uNkulunkulu!”
“We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
23 Kodwa umkakhe waphendula wathi, “Aluba uThixo ubeqonde ukusibulala, ubengasoze amukele umnikelo wokutshiswa lomnikelo wamabele ezandleni zethu, loba asitshengise zonke lezizinto kumbe asitshele lokhu asitshele khona.”
But his wife replied, “If the LORD had intended to kill us, He would not have accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things or spoken to us this way.”
24 Owesifazane wazala umfana wamuthi nguSamsoni. Wakhula loThixo wambusisa,
So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him.
25 loMoya kaThixo waqala ukuqubuka phakathi kwakhe eseseMahane Dani, phakathi kweZora le-Eshithawoli.
And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
