1 USamuyeli 13
1 USawuli wayelomnyaka embusweni wakhe. Esebuse uIsrayeli okweminyaka emibili,
Saul was ruling for less than a year, when he ruled during year two over Israel,
2 uSawuli wasezikhethela abayizinkulungwane ezintathu kwamaIsrayeli; njalo abayizinkulungwane ezimbili babeloSawuli eMikimashi lentabeni yeBhetheli, lenkulungwane yaba loJonathani eGibeya yakoBhenjamini; labaseleyo babantu wabayekela bahamba, ngulowo lalowo ethenteni lakhe.
that Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the people he sent away, each to his own home.
3 UJonathani wasetshaya ibutho lenqaba yamaFilisti eyayiseGeba, lamaFilisti akuzwa. USawuli wasevuthela uphondo elizweni lonke esithi: AmaHebheru kawezwe.
Now Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was at Gibeah, and the Philistines heard of it. Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear."
4 UIsrayeli wonke wezwa kuthiwa uSawuli utshayile ibutho lenqaba yamaFilisti lokuthi uIsrayeli laye waba levumba kumaFilisti. Abantu basebebizelwa ndawonye ukulandela uSawuli baye eGiligali.
All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had become repulsive to the Philistines. So the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 AmaFilisti asebuthana ukuthi alwe loIsrayeli, inqola eziyizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu, labagadi bamabhiza abayizinkulungwane eziyisithupha, labantu abalingana letshebetshebe elisekhunjini lolwandle ngobunengi; enyuka amisa inkamba eMikimashi, empumalanga kweBeti-Aveni.
The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, and brought up against Israel three thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude: and they came up, and camped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven.
6 Kwathi amadoda akoIsrayeli ebona ukuthi asekuminyezelweni, ngoba abantu bacindezelwa, abantu bacatsha embalwini lezixukwini zameva, lemadwaleni, lezinqabeni, lemigodini.
When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were in a difficult situation), then the people hid themselves in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.
7 LamaHebheru achapha iJordani, aya elizweni leGadi leGileyadi. Kodwa uSawuli wayelokhu eseGiligali, labantu bonke bathuthumela bemlandela.
Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
8 Waselinda insuku eziyisikhombisa, njengesikhathi esamiswa nguSamuweli; kodwa uSamuweli kafikanga eGiligali, labantu bahlakazeka besuka kuye.
And he stayed seven days, according to the time that Samuel had said. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people began to abandon him.
9 USawuli wasesithi: Sondezani kimi umnikelo wokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula. Wasenikela umnikelo wokutshiswa.
Saul said, "Bring here the burnt offering to me, and the peace offerings." He offered the burnt offering.
10 Kwasekusithi eseqede ukunikela umnikelo wokutshiswa, khangela, uSamuweli wafika; uSawuli wasephuma ukumhlangabeza ukuze ambingelele.
It came to pass that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, look, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.
11 USamuweli wasesithi: Wenzeni? USawuli wasesithi: Ngoba ngibone ukuthi abantu babehlakazeka besuka kimi, lawe ungafikanga ngesikhathi esimisiweyo sezinsuku, lokuthi amaFilisti asebuthene eMikimashi.
Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash;
12 Ngakho ngathi: Khathesi amaFilisti azangehlela eGiligali, ngingancenganga ubuso beNkosi. Ngasengizibamba ngamandla, nganikela umnikelo wokutshiswa.
therefore I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down on me to Gilgal, and I haven't entreated the favor of Jehovah.' I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering."
13 USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: Wenze ngobuwula; kawuwugcinanga umlayo weNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eyakulaya wona; ngoba khathesi iNkosi ibizawumisa umbuso wakho koIsrayeli kuze kube nininini.
Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Jehovah your God, which he commanded you; for now Jehovah would have established your kingdom on Israel forever.
14 Kodwa khathesi umbuso wakho kawuyikuma. INkosi isizidingele umuntu ngokwenhliziyo yayo, njalo iNkosi isimlayile ukuthi abe ngumbusi phezu kwabantu bayo, ngoba kawugcinanga lokho iNkosi ekulaye khona.
But now your kingdom shall not continue. Jehovah has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and Jehovah has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which Jehovah commanded you."
15 USamuweli wasesukuma wenyuka esuka eGiligali waya eGibeya yakoBhenjamini. USawuli wasebala abantu abaficwa belaye, phose abangamakhulu ayisithupha.
And Samuel arose and departed from Gilgal, and the rest of the people went up after Saul to meet him after the men of war, when they had come up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.
16 Njalo uSawuli loJonathani indodana yakhe labantu abaficwa belabo bahlala eGibeya yakoBhenjamini, kodwa amaFilisti amisa inkamba eMikimashi.
Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin: but the Philistines camped in Michmash.
17 Abachithi basebephuma enkambeni yamaFilisti ngezigaba ezintathu; esinye isigaba saphendukela endleleni yeOfira, saya elizweni leShuwali;
The spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual;
18 lesinye isigaba saphendukela endleleni yeBhethi-Horoni; lesinye isigaba saphendukela endleleni yomngcele okhangele esihotsheni seZeboyimi ngasenkangala.
and another company turned the way to Beth Horon; and another company turned toward the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboim.
19 Njalo kwakungatholakali mkhandi elizweni lonke lakoIsrayeli, ngoba amaFilisti athi: Hlezi amaHebheru enze izinkemba loba imikhonto.
Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines had said, "Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears."
20 UIsrayeli wonke-ke wehlela kumaFilisti ukulola, ngulowo lalowo isikali sakhe sekhuba, lemataka yakhe, lehloka lakhe, lesikela yakhe.
But all Israel would go down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, mattock, axe, and sickle;
21 Imbadalo yezikali zekhuba lamamataka lamafologwe alencijo ezintathu lamahloka lokulungisa izincijo yayiyipimi.
and the charge was one payim for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and three shekels for picks and axes and to set the goads.
22 Ngakho kwathi ngosuku lwempi kakutholakalanga inkemba loba umkhonto esandleni saloba ngubani wabantu ababeloSawuli lababeloJonathani; kodwa kwatholakala kuSawuli loJonathani indodana yakhe.
So on the day of the battle of Michmash there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
23 Lebutho lenqaba yamaFilisti laphuma laya emkhandlweni weMikimashi.
The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
