1 Amakhosi 13
1 Khangela-ke, kwafika umuntu kaNkulunkulu evela koJuda ngelizwi leNkosi waya eBhetheli, njalo uJerobhowamu wayemi eduze lelathi ukutshisa impepha.
One day a prophet, obeying what Yahweh commanded him to do, went from Judah [north] to Bethel. He arrived there right at the time that Jeroboam was standing at the altar, ready to burn incense.
2 Wasememeza emelene lelathi ngelizwi leNkosi wathi: Lathi, lathi, itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, indodana izazalelwa indlu kaDavida, nguJosiya ibizo layo; izahlabela phezu kwakho abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo abatshisa impepha phezu kwakho, lamathambo abantu azatshiselwa phezu kwakho.
Saying what Yahweh told him to say, the prophet shouted, “This is what Yahweh says [about this] altar [APO]: ‘I want you to know that [some day] a descendant [MTY] of King David will be born. His name will be Josiah, and he will come here. He will slaughter at this altar the priests who are burning incense for sacrifices on the hills [in this area], and he will burn the bones of dead people on this altar.’” [APO]
3 Wasenika isibonakaliso ngalolosuku esithi: Lesi yisibonakaliso iNkosi esikhulumileyo yathi: Khangela, ilathi lizadatshulwa lomlotha ophezu kwalo uzachithwa.
Then the prophet also said, “This is what will prove to you that Yahweh has said this: This altar will be split apart, and the ashes that are on it will be scattered.’”
4 Kwasekusithi inkosi isizwile ilizwi lomuntu kaNkulunkulu owamemeza emelene lelathi eBhetheli, uJerobhowamu welula isandla sakhe wasisusa elathini, esithi: Mbambeni! Isandla sakhe-ke ayeselulele kuye soma, waze wehluleka ukusibuyisela kuye.
When King Jeroboam heard the prophet say that, he pointed his finger at him and said to his servants, “Seize that man!” But immediately the king’s arm became paralyzed/stiff, with the result that he could not move it.
5 Lelathi ladatshulwa, lomlotha wachitheka elathini, njengokwesibonakaliso umuntu kaNkulunkulu ayesinikile ngelizwi leNkosi.
And the altar immediately split apart, and the ashes spilled out [on the ground], which is what the prophet said that Yahweh [MTY] had predicted would happen.
6 Inkosi yasiphendula yathi emuntwini kaNkulunkulu: Ake uncenge ubuso bukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, ungikhulekele, ukuthi isandla sami sibuyele kimi. Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wasencenga ubuso bukaJehova, lesandla senkosi sabuyela kuyo, saba njengakuqala.
Then the king said to the prophet, “Please pray that Yahweh will be merciful to me and heal my arm!” So the prophet prayed, and Yahweh completely healed the king’s arm.
7 Inkosi yasisithi emuntwini kaNkulunkulu: Woza lami siye ekhaya, uzivuselele, ngizakunika umvuzo.
Then the king said to the prophet, “Come home with me and eat some food. And I will also give you a reward [for what you have done]!”
8 Kodwa umuntu kaNkulunkulu wathi enkosini: Loba unganginika ingxenye yendlu yakho, kangiyikuhamba lawe; kangiyikudla isinkwa, njalo kangiyikunatha amanzi kulindawo;
But the prophet replied, “Even if you would [promise to] give me half of everything that you own [MTY], I will not go with you, and I will not eat or drink anything with you here,
9 ngoba ngokunjalo yangilaya ngelizwi leNkosi isithi: Ungadli isinkwa, njalo unganathi amanzi, njalo ungabuyeli ngendlela oze ngayo.
because Yahweh commanded me not to eat or drink anything here. He also commanded me not to return home on the road on which I came here.”
10 Ngakho wahamba ngenye indlela, kabuyelanga ngendlela oweza ngayo eBhetheli.
So he started to return home, but he did not go on the road on which he came to Bethel. He went on a different road.
11 Kwakuhlala-ke umprofethi othile omdala eBhetheli. Amadodana akhe eza amtshela sonke isenzo umuntu kaNkulunkulu ayesenzile mhlalokho eBhetheli; amazwi ayewakhulume enkosini, lawo awatshela uyise.
At that time there was an old man living in Bethel who was a prophet. His sons came and told him what the prophet [from Judah] had done there on that day, and they also told him what the prophet had said to the king.
12 Uyise wasesithi kiwo: Uhambe ngayiphi indlela? Ngoba amadodana akhe ayebonile indlela umuntu kaNkulunkulu owayevele koJuda ahambe ngayo.
Their father said, “On which road did he go?” So his sons showed him the road on which the prophet from Judah had gone [when he left Bethel].
13 Wasesithi emadodaneni akhe: Ngibophelelani isihlalo kubabhemi. Basebembophelela isihlalo kubabhemi, wasegada kuye.
Then he said to his sons, “Put a saddle on my donkey.” So they did that, and he got on the donkey.
14 Wasemlandela umuntu kaNkulunkulu, wamfica ehlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla se-okhi, wathi kuye: Nguwe umuntu kaNkulunkulu ovele koJuda yini? Wasesithi: Yimi.
He went along the road to (find/catch up with) the prophet from Judah. He found him sitting under an oak tree. He said to him, “Are you the prophet who came from Judah?” He replied, “Yes, I am.”
15 Wasesithi kuye: Woza lami siye ekhaya, udle isinkwa.
The old prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat some food.”
16 Wasesithi: Ngingeke ngibuyele lawe, kumbe ngingene lawe, angiyikudla isinkwa, njalo angiyikunatha lawe amanzi kulindawo,
He replied, “No, I am not allowed to go with you into your house, or to eat or drink anything with you,
17 ngoba ilizwi lathi kimi ngelizwi leNkosi: Kawuyikudla isinkwa, unganathi amanzi khona, ungabuyeli uhambe ngendlela oze ngayo.
because Yahweh told me, ‘Do not eat or drink anything here, and do not return home on the road on which you came.’”
18 Wasesithi kuye: Lami ngingumprofethi njengawe, njalo ingilosi ikhulume kimi ngelizwi leNkosi isithi: Umbuyise endlini yakho lawe ukuze adle isinkwa anathe amanzi. Kodwa waqamba amanga kuye.
Then the old prophet said to him, “I also am a prophet, like you are. Yahweh sent an angel to tell me that I should take you home with me and give you some food and drink.” But the old man was lying [when he said that].
19 Wasebuyela laye, wadla isinkwa endlini yakhe, wanatha amanzi.
But because of what the old prophet said, the prophet from Judah returned with him to his home and ate some food and drank some water with him.
20 Kwasekusithi behlezi etafuleni, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kumprofethi owayembuyisile;
While they were sitting at the table, Yahweh spoke to the old man.
21 wasememeza kulowomuntu kaNkulunkulu owayevela koJuda, esithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngenxa yokuthi kawulalelanga umlomo weNkosi, ungagcinanga umlayo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eyakulaya wona,
Then he cried out to the prophet from Judah, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You have disobeyed him, and you have not done what he commanded you to do.
22 kodwa ubuyile, wadla isinkwa, wanatha amanzi endaweni eyathi ngayo kuwe: Ungadli isinkwa, njalo unganathi amanzi; isidumbu sakho kasiyikuya engcwabeni laboyihlo.
Instead, you have come back here and had things to eat and drink in a place where he commanded you not to do that. As a result, you will be killed, and your body will not be buried in the grave where your ancestors are buried.’”
23 Kwasekusithi emva kokudla kwakhe isinkwa lemva kokunatha kwakhe, wasembophelela isihlalo kubabhemi lowomprofethi ayembuyisile.
When they had finished eating, the old man put a saddle on the donkey for the prophet from Judah, [and the prophet from Judah left].
24 Kwathi esehambile, isilwane samfica endleleni, sambulala; isidumbu sakhe sasesiphoselwa endleleni, ubabhemi wema eceleni kwaso, isilwane laso sema eceleni kwesidumbu.
But as he was going, a lion met him and killed him. The prophet’s corpse was lying on the road, and the donkey was standing beside it, and the lion was also standing beside the corpse.
25 Khangela-ke, abantu bedlula babona isidumbu siphoselwe endleleni lesilwane simi eceleni kwesidumbu; bafika bakubika emzini lapho lowomprofethi omdala ayehlala khona.
Some men passed by and were surprised to see the corpse on the road and the lion standing next to the corpse. So they went into Bethel and reported what they had seen.
26 Kwathi lowomprofethi owayembuyisile esizwa wathi: Ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu ongalalelanga umlomo weNkosi; ngakho iNkosi imnikele esilwaneni esimphoqoze sambulala, njengokwelizwi leNkosi elakhuluma kuye.
When the old man who had brought the prophet from Judah to his home heard about it, he said, “That is the prophet who disobeyed what Yahweh told him to do! That is why Yahweh allowed the lion to attack him and kill him. That is what Yahweh said would happen!”
27 Wasekhuluma emadodaneni akhe esithi: Ngibophelelani isihlalo kubabhemi. Basebebophela isihlalo.
Then he said to his sons, “Put a saddle on my donkey.” So they did that.
28 Wasehamba wathola isidumbu sakhe siphoselwe endleleni, lobabhemi lesilwane kumi eceleni kwesidumbu. Isilwane sasingasidlanga isidumbu, singephulanga ubabhemi.
Then he rode on the donkey and found the prophet’s corpse on the road, and his donkey and the lion were still standing there alongside the corpse. But the lion had not eaten any of the flesh of the prophet and had not attacked the donkey.
29 Umprofethi wasesiphakamisa isidumbu somuntu kaNkulunkulu, wasiphanyeka kubabhemi, wasibuyisa; umprofethi omdala wafika emzini ukulila lokumngcwaba.
The old man picked up the corpse of the prophet and put it on his donkey and brought it back to Bethel, in order to mourn for him and to bury his corpse.
30 Wasilalisa isidumbu engcwabeni lakhe, bamlilela bathi: Maye mfowethu!
He buried the prophet’s corpse in the grave where other people in his family [had been buried]. Then he and his sons mourned for him, saying, “[We are very sorry], my brother!”
31 Kwasekusithi emva kokumngcwaba kwakhe wakhuluma emadodaneni akhe esithi: Ekufeni kwami lingingcwabe engcwabeni okungcwatshelwe khona umuntu kaNkulunkulu; lilalise amathambo ami eceleni kwamathambo akhe.
After they had buried him, the old man said to his sons, “When I die, bury my corpse in the grave where we buried the prophet from Judah. Lay my corpse next to his corpse.
32 Ngoba udaba luzakwenzeka sibili, alumemeza ngelizwi leNkosi emelene lelathi eliseBhetheli, njalo emelene lezindlu zonke zezindawo eziphakemeyo ezisemizini yeSamariya.
[And do not forget what he said, because] the things that Yahweh told him to say about the altar in Bethel, and about the shrines on the hills in the towns in Samaria, will surely happen.”
33 Emva kwaloludaba uJerobhowamu kaphendukanga endleleni yakhe embi, kodwa wabuya wenza abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo ebantwini abaphansi kakhulu; ofunayo wamehlukanisa waba ngowabapristi bendawo eziphakemeyo.
But King Jeroboam still did not turn away from continuing to do evil things. Instead, he appointed more priests [who were not descended from Levi]. Anyone who wanted to be a priest, he appointed to be a priest, in order that he could offer sacrifices on the hills.
34 Langale into kwaba lesono kuyo indlu kaJerobhowamu, ngitsho ukuyiquma lokuyichitha isuke ebusweni bomhlaba.
Because he committed that sin, [a few years later] God got rid of most of Jeroboam’s descendants and did not allow them to become kings of Israel.
