1 Amakhosi 13
1 Khangela-ke, kwafika umuntu kaNkulunkulu evela koJuda ngelizwi leNkosi waya eBhetheli, njalo uJerobhowamu wayemi eduze lelathi ukutshisa impepha.
Behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the LORD’s word to Bethel; and 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 LORD’s word, and said, “Altar! Altar! the LORD says: ‘Behold, a son will be born to David’s house, Josiah by name. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and they will burn men’s bones on you.’”
3 Wasenika isibonakaliso ngalolosuku esithi: Lesi yisibonakaliso iNkosi esikhulumileyo yathi: Khangela, ilathi lizadatshulwa lomlotha ophezu kwalo uzachithwa.
He gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the LORD has spoken: Behold, the altar will be split apart, and the ashes that are 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 the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” His hand, which he put out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again 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, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the LORD’s word.
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.
The king answered the man of God, “Now intercede for the favour of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again.” The man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him again, and 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 gave me half of your house, I would not go in with you, neither would I eat bread nor drink water in this place;
9 ngoba ngokunjalo yangilaya ngelizwi leNkosi isithi: Ungadli isinkwa, njalo unganathi amanzi, njalo ungabuyeli ngendlela oze ngayo.
for so was it commanded me by the LORD’s word, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, drink no water, and don’t return by the way that you came.’”
10 Ngakho wahamba ngenye indlela, kabuyelanga ngendlela oweza ngayo eBhetheli.
So he went another way, and didn’t return by the way that he came 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 an old prophet lived in Bethel, and one of his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told their father the words which he 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 which way the man of God went, who came from Judah.
13 Wasesithi emadodaneni akhe: Ngibophelelani isihlalo kubabhemi. Basebembophelela isihlalo kubabhemi, wasegada kuye.
He said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it.
14 Wasemlandela umuntu kaNkulunkulu, wamfica ehlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla se-okhi, wathi kuye: Nguwe umuntu kaNkulunkulu ovele koJuda yini? Wasesithi: Yimi.
He went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. He said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” He said, “I am.”
15 Wasesithi kuye: Woza lami siye ekhaya, udle isinkwa.
Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”
16 Wasesithi: Ngingeke ngibuyele lawe, kumbe ngingene lawe, angiyikudla isinkwa, njalo angiyikunatha lawe amanzi kulindawo,
He said, “I may not return with you, nor go in with you. I will not eat bread or drink water with you in this place.
17 ngoba ilizwi lathi kimi ngelizwi leNkosi: Kawuyikudla isinkwa, unganathi amanzi khona, ungabuyeli uhambe ngendlela oze ngayo.
For it was said to me by the LORD’s word, ‘You shall eat no bread or drink water there, and don’t turn again to go 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.
He said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are; and an angel spoke to me by the LORD’s word, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” He lied to him.
19 Wasebuyela laye, wadla isinkwa endlini yakhe, wanatha amanzi.
So he went back with him, ate bread in his house, and drank water.
20 Kwasekusithi behlezi etafuleni, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kumprofethi owayembuyisile;
As they sat at the table, the LORD’s word came to the prophet who 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 out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “The LORD says, ‘Because you have been disobedient to the LORD’s word, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded 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 bread and drank water in the place of which he said to you, “Eat no bread, and drink no water,” your body will not come to the tomb of your fathers.’”
23 Kwasekusithi emva kokudla kwakhe isinkwa lemva kokunatha kwakhe, wasembophelela isihlalo kubabhemi lowomprofethi ayembuyisile.
After he had eaten bread and after he drank, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back.
24 Kwathi esehambile, isilwane samfica endleleni, sambulala; isidumbu sakhe sasesiphoselwa endleleni, ubabhemi wema eceleni kwaso, isilwane laso sema eceleni kwesidumbu.
When he had gone, a lion met him by the way and killed him. His body was thrown on the path, and the donkey stood by it. 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.
Behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown on the path, and the lion standing by the body; and 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 brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who was disobedient to the LORD’s word. Therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, which has mauled him and slain him, according to the LORD’s word which he spoke to him.”
27 Wasekhuluma emadodaneni akhe esithi: Ngibophelelani isihlalo kubabhemi. Basebebophela isihlalo.
He said to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me,” 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 his body thrown on the path, and the donkey and the lion standing by the body. The lion had not eaten the body nor mauled 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, and laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. He came to the city of the old prophet to mourn, and to bury him.
30 Wasilalisa isidumbu engcwabeni lakhe, bamlilela bathi: Maye mfowethu!
He laid his body in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, 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 he had buried him, he 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 saying which he cried by the LORD’s word against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of 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.
After this thing, Jeroboam didn’t turn from his evil way, but again made priests of the high places from amongst all the people. Whoever wanted to, he consecrated him, that there might be priests of the high places.
34 Langale into kwaba lesono kuyo indlu kaJerobhowamu, ngitsho ukuyiquma lokuyichitha isuke ebusweni bomhlaba.
This thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off and to destroy it from off the surface of the earth.
