Abahluleli 13

1 Abako-Israyeli benza okubi njalo emehlweni kaThixo, ngakho uThixo wabanikela ezandleni zamaFilistiya okweminyaka engamatshumi amane.

And the children of Israel again did evil in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.

2 Umuntu othile waseZora, owayethiwa nguManowa, owosendo lwakoDani, wayelomfazi owayeyinyumba engelamntwana.

Now there was a certain man of Zorah of the family of the Danites, and his name was Manoah; and his wife had never given birth to a child.

3 Ingilosi kaThixo yabonakala kuye yathi, “Uyinyumba kawulamntwana, kodwa uzathatha isisu ube lendodana.

And the angel of the Lord came to the woman, and said to her, See now! though you have never given birth to children, you will be with child and give birth to a son.

4 Ngakho nanzelela ukuthi kawunathi wayini loba okunye okunathwayo okulemvubelo kanye lokuthi ungadli ukudla okungcolileyo,

Now then take care to have no wine or strong drink and to take no unclean thing for food;

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 you are with child and will give birth to a son; his hair is never to be cut, for the child is to be separate to God from his birth; and he will take up the work of freeing Israel from the hands 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.

Then the woman came in, and said to her husband, A man came to me, and his form was like the form of a god, causing great fear; I put no question to him about where he came from, and he did not give 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, You are with child and will give birth to a son; and now do not take any wine or strong drink or let anything unclean be your food; for the child will be separate to God from his birth to 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 made prayer to the Lord, and said, O Lord, let the man of God whom you sent come to us again and make clear to us what we are to do for the child who is to come.

9 UNkulunkulu wamuzwa uManowa, ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yafika njalo kowesifazane lowo esegangeni; kodwa umkakhe uManowa wayengekho.

And God gave ear to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came to the woman again when she was seated in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her.

10 Owesifazane lowo wagijima wayatshela umkakhe wathi, “Ukhona lapha! Umuntu engimbone mhlalokhuyana!”

So the woman, running quickly, gave her husband the news, saying, I have seen the man who came to me the other day.

11 UManowa wasuka walandela umkakhe. Esefikile kulowomuntu, wathi, “Unguwe yini lowo owakhuluma lomkami?” Yena wathi, “Nginguye.”

And Manoah got up and went after his wife, and came up to the man and said to him, Are you the man who was talking to this woman? And he said, I am.

12 Ngakho uManowa wambuza wathi, “Lapho amazwi akho esegcwalisekile, umfana kuzamele aphile njani njalo lomsebenzi wakhe uzakuba ngowani?”

And Manoah said, Now when your words come true, what is to be the rule for the child and what will be his work?

13 Ingilosi kaThixo yaphendula yathi, “Umkakho kumele enze konke engimtshele khona.

And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, Let the woman take note of what I have said to her.

14 Kangadli lutho oluvela evinini, loba anathe iwayini loba okunye okunathwayo okulemvubelo loba adle ukudla okungcolileyo. Kumele enze konke engimlaye khona.”

She is to have nothing which comes from the vine for her food, and let her take no wine or strong drink or anything which is unclean; let her take care to do all I have given her orders to do.

15 UManowa wathi engilosini kaThixo, “Sifuna ukuba uhlale size sikuhlabele izinyane lembuzi.”

And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, Now let us keep you while we make ready 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 said to Manoah, Though you keep me I will not take of your food; but if you will make a burned offering, let it be offered to the Lord. For it had not come into Manoah's mind that he 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 when your words come true we may give you honour?

18 Yaphendula yathi, “Kungani ungibuza ibizo lami? Kaliqedisiseki.”

But the angel of the Lord said to him, Why are you questioning me about my name, seeing that it is a wonder?

19 Lapho-ke uManowa wathatha izinyane lembuzi, ndawonye lomnikelo wamabele wakunikela kuThixo phezu kwedwala. Njalo uThixo wenza into emangalisayo uManowa lomkakhe bekhangele:

So Manoah took the young goat with its meal offering, offering it on the rock to the Lord, who did strange things.

20 Kwathi ilangabi libhebha lisuka e-alithareni lisiya ezulwini, ingilosi kaThixo yenyukela phezulu iphakathi kwelangabi. Bebona lokhu uManowa lomkakhe bathi mbo phansi ngobuso.

And when the flame went up to heaven from the altar, the angel of the Lord went up in the flame of the altar, while Manoah and his wife were looking on; and they went down on their faces to the earth.

21 Kwathi ingilosi kaThixo ingasazibonakalisanga futhi kuManowa lomkakhe, uManowa wananzelela ukuthi kwakuyingilosi kaThixo.

But the angel of the Lord was seen no more by Manoah and his wife. Then it was clear to Manoah that he was the angel of the Lord.

22 Wasesithi kumkakhe, “Silahliwe, sizakufa. Sibone uNkulunkulu!”

And Manoah said to his wife, Death will certainly be our fate, for it is a god whom we have seen.

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 said to him, If the Lord was purposing our death, he would not have taken our burned offering and our meal offering, or have given us such orders about the child.

24 Owesifazane wazala umfana wamuthi nguSamsoni. Wakhula loThixo wambusisa,

So the woman gave birth to a son, and gave him the name Samson; and he became a man and the blessing of the Lord was on him.

25 loMoya kaThixo waqala ukuqubuka phakathi kwakhe eseseMahane Dani, phakathi kweZora le-Eshithawoli.

And the spirit of the Lord first came on him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.