Abahluleli 13
1 Abako-Israyeli benza okubi njalo emehlweni kaThixo, ngakho uThixo wabanikela ezandleni zamaFilistiya okweminyaka engamatshumi amane.
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and he delivered them into the hands of the Philistines forty years.
2 Umuntu othile waseZora, owayethiwa nguManowa, owosendo lwakoDani, wayelomfazi owayeyinyumba engelamntwana.
Now there was a certain man of Saraa, and of the race of Dan, whose name was Manue, and his wife was barren.
3 Ingilosi kaThixo yabonakala kuye yathi, “Uyinyumba kawulamntwana, kodwa uzathatha isisu ube lendodana.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to her, and said: Thou art barren and without children: but thou shalt conceive and bear a son.
4 Ngakho nanzelela ukuthi kawunathi wayini loba okunye okunathwayo okulemvubelo kanye lokuthi ungadli ukudla okungcolileyo,
Now therefore beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing.
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.”
Because thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall touch his head: for he shall be a Nazarite of God, from his infancy, and from his mother’s womb, and he shall begin to deliver 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.
And when she was come to her husband she said to him: A man of God came to me, having the countenance of an angel, very awful. And when I asked him who he was, and whence he came, and by what name he was called, he would not tell me.
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 answered thus: Behold thou shalt conceive and bear a son: beware thou drink no wine, nor strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite of God from his infancy, from his mother’s 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 Manue prayed to the Lord, and said: I beseech thee, O Lord, that the mail of God, whom thou didst send, may come again, and teach us what we ought to do concerning the child that shall be born.
9 UNkulunkulu wamuzwa uManowa, ingilosi kaNkulunkulu yafika njalo kowesifazane lowo esegangeni; kodwa umkakhe uManowa wayengekho.
And the Lord heard the prayer of Manue, and the angel of the Lord appeared again to his wife as she was sitting in the field. But Manue her husband was not with her. And when she saw the angel,
10 Owesifazane lowo wagijima wayatshela umkakhe wathi, “Ukhona lapha! Umuntu engimbone mhlalokhuyana!”
She made haste and ran to her husband: and told him saying: Behold the man hath appeared to me whom I saw before.
11 UManowa wasuka walandela umkakhe. Esefikile kulowomuntu, wathi, “Unguwe yini lowo owakhuluma lomkami?” Yena wathi, “Nginguye.”
He rose up and followed his wife: and coming to the man, said to him: Art thou he that spoke to the woman? And he answered: I am.
12 Ngakho uManowa wambuza wathi, “Lapho amazwi akho esegcwalisekile, umfana kuzamele aphile njani njalo lomsebenzi wakhe uzakuba ngowani?”
And Manue said to him: When thy word shall come to pass, what wilt thou that the child should do? or from what shall he keep himself?
13 Ingilosi kaThixo yaphendula yathi, “Umkakho kumele enze konke engimtshele khona.
And the angel of the Lord said to Manue: From all the things I have spoken of to thy wife, let her refrain herself:
14 Kangadli lutho oluvela evinini, loba anathe iwayini loba okunye okunathwayo okulemvubelo loba adle ukudla okungcolileyo. Kumele enze konke engimlaye khona.”
And let her eat nothing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: and whatsoever I have commanded her, let her fulfill and observe.
15 UManowa wathi engilosini kaThixo, “Sifuna ukuba uhlale size sikuhlabele izinyane lembuzi.”
And Manue said to the angel of the Lord: I beseech thee to consent to my request, and let us dress a kid for thee.
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 answered him: If thou press me, I will not eat of thy bread: but if thou wilt offer a holocaust, offer it to the Lord. And Manue knew not it was the angel of the Lord.
17 UManowa waseyibuza ingilosi kaThixo esithi, “Ungubani ibizo lakho, ukuze sikubonge lapho ilizwi lakho seligcwalisekile?”
And he said to him: What is thy name, that, if thy word shall come to pass, we may honour thee?
18 Yaphendula yathi, “Kungani ungibuza ibizo lami? Kaliqedisiseki.”
And he answered him: Why askest thou my name, which is wonderful?
19 Lapho-ke uManowa wathatha izinyane lembuzi, ndawonye lomnikelo wamabele wakunikela kuThixo phezu kwedwala. Njalo uThixo wenza into emangalisayo uManowa lomkakhe bekhangele:
Then Manue took a kid of the flocks, and the libations, and put them upon a rock, offering to the Lord, who doth wonderful things: and he and his wife looked on.
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 from the altar went up towards heaven, the angel of the lord ascended also in the flame. And when Manue and his wife saw this, they fell flat on the ground.
21 Kwathi ingilosi kaThixo ingasazibonakalisanga futhi kuManowa lomkakhe, uManowa wananzelela ukuthi kwakuyingilosi kaThixo.
And the angel of the Lord appeared to them no more. And forthwith Manue understood that it was an angel of the Lord,
22 Wasesithi kumkakhe, “Silahliwe, sizakufa. Sibone uNkulunkulu!”
And he said to his wife: We shall certainly die, because 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.”
And his wife answered him: If the Lord had a mind to kill us, he would not have received a holocaust and libations at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor have told us the things that are to come.
24 Owesifazane wazala umfana wamuthi nguSamsoni. Wakhula loThixo wambusisa,
And she bore a son, and called his name Samson. And the child 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 be with him in the camp of Dan, between Saraa and Esthaol.
