1 Amakhosi 13
1 Khangela-ke, kwafika umuntu kaNkulunkulu evela koJuda ngelizwi leNkosi waya eBhetheli, njalo uJerobhowamu wayemi eduze lelathi ukutshisa impepha.
A man of God came out of Judah by the word of Yahweh to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar 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.
He cried against the altar by the word of Yahweh: “Altar, altar! This is what Yahweh says, 'See, a son named Josiah will be born to the family of David, and on you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now burn incense on you. On you they will burn human bones.'”
3 Wasenika isibonakaliso ngalolosuku esithi: Lesi yisibonakaliso iNkosi esikhulumileyo yathi: Khangela, ilathi lizadatshulwa lomlotha ophezu kwalo uzachithwa.
Then the man of God gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that Yahweh has spoken: 'Look, the altar will be split apart, and the ashes on it will be poured out.'”
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 the king heard what the man of God said, that he had cried out against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam reached out with his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” Then the hand with which he had reached out against the man dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself.
5 Lelathi ladatshulwa, lomlotha wachitheka elathini, njengokwesibonakaliso umuntu kaNkulunkulu ayesinikile ngelizwi leNkosi.
(The altar was also split apart and the ashes poured out from the altar, as described by the sign that the man of God had given by the word of Yahweh.)
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.
King Jeroboam answered and said to the man of God, “Plead for the favor of Yahweh your God and pray for me, so that my hand may be restored to me again.” So the man of God prayed to Yahweh, and the king's hand was restored to him again, and it became as it was before.
7 Inkosi yasisithi emuntwini kaNkulunkulu: Woza lami siye ekhaya, uzivuselele, ngizakunika umvuzo.
The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.”
8 Kodwa umuntu kaNkulunkulu wathi enkosini: Loba unganginika ingxenye yendlu yakho, kangiyikuhamba lawe; kangiyikudla isinkwa, njalo kangiyikunatha amanzi kulindawo;
The man of God said to the king, “Even if you give me half your possessions, I will not go with you, nor will I eat food or drink water in this place,
9 ngoba ngokunjalo yangilaya ngelizwi leNkosi isithi: Ungadli isinkwa, njalo unganathi amanzi, njalo ungabuyeli ngendlela oze ngayo.
because Yahweh commanded me by his word, 'You will eat no bread nor drink water, nor return by the way that you came.'”
10 Ngakho wahamba ngenye indlela, kabuyelanga ngendlela oweza ngayo eBhetheli.
So the man of God left another way and did not return to his home by the way that he had come to Bethel.
11 Kwakuhlala-ke umprofethi othile omdala eBhetheli. Amadodana akhe eza amtshela sonke isenzo umuntu kaNkulunkulu ayesenzile mhlalokho eBhetheli; amazwi ayewakhulume enkosini, lawo awatshela uyise.
Now there was an old prophet living in Bethel, and one of his sons came and told him all the things that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. His sons also told him the words that the man of God had spoken to the king.
12 Uyise wasesithi kiwo: Uhambe ngayiphi indlela? Ngoba amadodana akhe ayebonile indlela umuntu kaNkulunkulu owayevele koJuda ahambe ngayo.
Their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” Now his sons had seen the way the man of God from Judah had gone.
13 Wasesithi emadodaneni akhe: Ngibophelelani isihlalo kubabhemi. Basebembophelela isihlalo kubabhemi, wasegada kuye.
So he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey and he rode off on it.
14 Wasemlandela umuntu kaNkulunkulu, wamfica ehlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla se-okhi, wathi kuye: Nguwe umuntu kaNkulunkulu ovele koJuda yini? Wasesithi: Yimi.
The old prophet went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree; and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” He answered, “I am.”
15 Wasesithi kuye: Woza lami siye ekhaya, udle isinkwa.
Then the old prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat food.”
16 Wasesithi: Ngingeke ngibuyele lawe, kumbe ngingene lawe, angiyikudla isinkwa, njalo angiyikunatha lawe amanzi kulindawo,
The man of God answered, “I may not return with you nor go in with you, neither will I eat food nor drink water with you in this place,
17 ngoba ilizwi lathi kimi ngelizwi leNkosi: Kawuyikudla isinkwa, unganathi amanzi khona, ungabuyeli uhambe ngendlela oze ngayo.
because it was commanded to me by the word of Yahweh, 'You will eat no food nor drink water there, nor return by the way that 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.
So the old prophet said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of Yahweh, saying, 'Bring him back with you into your house, that he may eat food and drink water.'” But he was lying to the man of God.
19 Wasebuyela laye, wadla isinkwa endlini yakhe, wanatha amanzi.
So the man of God went back with the old prophet and ate food in his house and drank water.
20 Kwasekusithi behlezi etafuleni, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kumprofethi owayembuyisile;
As they sat at the table, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet who had brought him back,
21 wasememeza kulowomuntu kaNkulunkulu owayevela koJuda, esithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngenxa yokuthi kawulalelanga umlomo weNkosi, ungagcinanga umlayo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eyakulaya wona,
and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Yahweh says, 'Because you have been disobedient to the word of Yahweh and have not kept the command that Yahweh your God gave you,
22 kodwa ubuyile, wadla isinkwa, wanatha amanzi endaweni eyathi ngayo kuwe: Ungadli isinkwa, njalo unganathi amanzi; isidumbu sakho kasiyikuya engcwabeni laboyihlo.
but came back and have eaten food and drunk water in the place about which Yahweh told you to eat no food and drink no water, your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.'”
23 Kwasekusithi emva kokudla kwakhe isinkwa lemva kokunatha kwakhe, wasembophelela isihlalo kubabhemi lowomprofethi ayembuyisile.
After he had eaten food and after he had drunk, the prophet saddled the donkey of the man of God, the man who had come back with him.
24 Kwathi esehambile, isilwane samfica endleleni, sambulala; isidumbu sakhe sasesiphoselwa endleleni, ubabhemi wema eceleni kwaso, isilwane laso sema eceleni kwesidumbu.
When the man of God was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left on the road. Then the donkey stood by it, and the lion also stood by the body.
25 Khangela-ke, abantu bedlula babona isidumbu siphoselwe endleleni lesilwane simi eceleni kwesidumbu; bafika bakubika emzini lapho lowomprofethi omdala ayehlala khona.
When men passed by and saw the body left on the road, and the lion standing by the body, they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived.
26 Kwathi lowomprofethi owayembuyisile esizwa wathi: Ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu ongalalelanga umlomo weNkosi; ngakho iNkosi imnikele esilwaneni esimphoqoze sambulala, njengokwelizwi leNkosi elakhuluma kuye.
When the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of Yahweh. Therefore Yahweh gave him to the lion, which tore him to pieces and killed him, just as the word of Yahweh warned him.”
27 Wasekhuluma emadodaneni akhe esithi: Ngibophelelani isihlalo kubabhemi. Basebebophela isihlalo.
So the old prophet spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle my donkey,” and they saddled it.
28 Wasehamba wathola isidumbu sakhe siphoselwe endleleni, lobabhemi lesilwane kumi eceleni kwesidumbu. Isilwane sasingasidlanga isidumbu, singephulanga ubabhemi.
He went and found the body left in the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the body. The lion had not eaten the body, nor attacked the donkey.
29 Umprofethi wasesiphakamisa isidumbu somuntu kaNkulunkulu, wasiphanyeka kubabhemi, wasibuyisa; umprofethi omdala wafika emzini ukulila lokumngcwaba.
The prophet took up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. He came to his own city to mourn and to bury him.
30 Wasilalisa isidumbu engcwabeni lakhe, bamlilela bathi: Maye mfowethu!
He laid the body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, “Woe, 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.
Then after he had buried him, the old prophet spoke to his sons, saying, “When I am dead, bury me in the tomb in which the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones.
32 Ngoba udaba luzakwenzeka sibili, alumemeza ngelizwi leNkosi emelene lelathi eliseBhetheli, njalo emelene lezindlu zonke zezindawo eziphakemeyo ezisemizini yeSamariya.
For the message he declared by the word of Yahweh, against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses on the high places in the cities of Samaria, will certainly happen.”
33 Emva kwaloludaba uJerobhowamu kaphendukanga endleleni yakhe embi, kodwa wabuya wenza abapristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo ebantwini abaphansi kakhulu; ofunayo wamehlukanisa waba ngowabapristi bendawo eziphakemeyo.
After this Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but continued to appoint common priests for the high places from among all sorts of people. Any who would serve he consecrated as a priest.
34 Langale into kwaba lesono kuyo indlu kaJerobhowamu, ngitsho ukuyiquma lokuyichitha isuke ebusweni bomhlaba.
This matter became sin to the family of Jeroboam and caused his family to be destroyed and to be exterminated from the face of the earth.
