1 USamuyeli 15
1 USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: INkosi yangithuma ukuthi ngikugcobe ube yinkosi phezu kwabantu bayo, phezu kukaIsrayeli; ngakho-ke lalela ilizwi lamazwi eNkosi.
And Samuel said to Saul: “The Lord sent me, so that I would anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now therefore, listen to the voice of the Lord.
2 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla ithi: Ngizananzelela lokho uAmaleki akwenza kuIsrayeli, ukuthi wema njani emelene laye endleleni ekwenyukeni kwakhe eGibhithe.
‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: I have taken account of all that Amalek has done to Israel, how he stood against him in the way, when he ascended from Egypt.
3 Hamba-ke uyetshaya uAmaleki, utshabalalise konke alakho; ungamyekeli, kodwa ubulale kusukela kowesilisa kusiya kowesifazana, kusukela kusane kusiya komunyayo, kusukela enkabini kusiya emvini, kusukela ekamelweni kusiya kubabhemi.
Now therefore, go and strike Amalek, and demolish all that is his. You shall not spare him, and you shall not covet anything out of the things that are his. Instead, kill from man even to woman, and little ones as well as infants, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
4 USawuli wasebiza abantu, wababala eTelayimi, izinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili abahamba ngenyawo, lamadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi akoJuda.
And so, Saul instructed the people, and he numbered them like lambs: two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 USawuli wasefika emzini kaAmaleki, wacathama esigodini.
And when Saul had arrived as far as the city of Amalek, he placed ambushes at the torrent.
6 USawuli wasesithi kumaKeni: Hambani, lisuke, lehle liphume phakathi kwamaAmaleki, hlezi ngilibhubhise kanye lawo; ngoba lina lenza umusa kubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli ekwenyukeni kwabo bephuma eGibhithe. Ngakho amaKeni asuka aphuma phakathi kwamaAmaleki.
And Saul said to the Kenite: “Go away, withdraw, and descend from Amalek. Otherwise, I will include you with him. For you showed mercy to all the sons of Israel, when they ascended from Egypt.” And so the Kenite withdrew from the midst of Amalek.
7 USawuli wasetshaya amaAmaleki, kusukela eHavila uze uyefika eShuri ephambi kweGibhithe.
And Saul struck down Amalek, from Havilah even until you arrive at Shur, which is opposite the region of Egypt.
8 Wambamba uAgagi inkosi yamaAmaleki ephila; labo bonke abantu wabatshabalalisa ngobukhali benkemba.
And he apprehended Agag, the king of Amalek, alive. But all the common people he put to death with the edge of the sword.
9 Kodwa uSawuli labantu bamyekela uAgagi, lokuhle kakhulu kwezimvu lokwenkomo, lokunonisiweyo, lamawundlu, lakho konke okuhle; kabathandanga ukukutshabalalisa, kodwa yonke into edelelekayo lecakileyo bayitshabalalisa.
And Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the flocks of sheep, and of the herds, and the garments, and the rams, and all that was beautiful, and they were not willing to destroy them. Yet truly, whatever was vile or worthless, these they demolished.
10 Kwasekufika ilizwi leNkosi kuSamuweli lisithi:
Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying
11 Sengizisola ngokuthi ngambeka uSawuli waba yinkosi; ngoba ubuyele emuva ekungilandeleni, kaqinisanga amazwi ami. USamuweli wasethukuthela, wakhala eNkosini ubusuku bonke.
“It displeases me that I have appointed Saul as king. For he has forsaken me, and he has not fulfilled the work of my words.” And Samuel was greatly saddened, and he cried out to the Lord, all night long
12 USamuweli wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu ukuhlangabeza uSawuli; kwasekutshelwa uSamuweli kuthiwa: USawuli usefikile eKharmeli; khangela-ke, uzimisele insika, wabhoda, wedlula, wehlela eGiligali.
And when Samuel had risen while it was still dark, so that he might go to Saul in the morning, it was reported to Samuel that Saul had arrived at Carmel, and that he had erected for himself a triumphant arch. And, while returning, he had continued on and descended to Gilgal. Therefore, Samuel went to Saul. And Saul was offering a holocaust to the Lord, from the best of the spoils, which he had brought from Amalek.
13 USamuweli wasefika kuSawuli; uSawuli wathi kuye: Kawubusiswe yiNkosi; ngiliqinisile ilizwi leNkosi.
And when Samuel had gone to Saul, Saul said to him: “You are the blessed of the Lord. I have fulfilled the word of the Lord.”
14 USamuweli wasesithi: Kuyini pho lokhukukhala kwezimvu endlebeni zami, lokubhonsa kwenkomo engikuzwayo?
And Samuel said, “Then what is this voice of the flocks, which resounds in my ears, and of the herds, which I am hearing?”
15 USawuli wasesithi: Babuye lazo kumaAmaleki; ngoba abantu bayekele okuhle kakhulu kwezimvu lokwenkomo ukuze bahlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho; kodwa okuseleyo sikutshabalalisile.
And Saul said: “They have brought these from Amalek. For the people spared the best of the sheep and of the herds, so that they might be immolated to the Lord your God. Yet truly, the remainder we have slain.”
16 USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: Yekela, ngikutshele ukuthi iNkosi itheni kimi kulobubusuku. Wasesithi kuye: Khuluma.
Then Samuel said to Saul, “Permit me, and I will reveal to you what the Lord has said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”
17 USamuweli wasesithi: Angithi, lapho usemncinyane emehlweni akho, waba yinhloko yezizwe zakoIsrayeli, leNkosi yakugcoba waba yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli?
And Samuel said: “Was it not when you were little in your own eyes that you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you as king over Israel.
18 INkosi ikuthumile-ke ngendlela yathi: Hamba uyetshabalalisa izoni, amaAmaleki, ulwe lawo aze aphele.
And the Lord sent you on the way, and he said: ‘Go and put to death the sinners of Amalek. And you shall fight against them, even unto utter annihilation.’
19 Pho, kungani ungalilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi, kodwa waphaphela impango, wenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi?
Why then, did you not listen to the voice of the Lord? Instead, you turned to the spoils, and you did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”
20 USawuli wasesithi kuSamuweli: Isibili ngililalele ilizwi leNkosi, ngihambile ngendlela iNkosi ebingithume ngayo, ngibuyile loAgagi inkosi yakoAmaleki, njalo ngitshabalalisile amaAmaleki.
And Saul said to Samuel: “On the contrary, I did listen to the voice of the Lord, and I walked in the way along which the Lord sent me, and I led back Agag, the king of Amalek, and I put to death Amalek.
21 Kodwa abantu bathethe okwempango, izimvu lenkomo, okuhle kwezinto ebezizatshabalaliswa, ukuze bahlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.
But the people took some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, as the first-fruits of those things that were slain, to immolate to the Lord their God at Gilgal.”
22 Kodwa uSamuweli wathi: Kambe iNkosi iyathokoza ngeminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, njengekulaleleni ilizwi leNkosi? Khangela, ukulalela kungcono kulomhlatshelo, lokuqaphelisa kulamahwahwa ezinqama.
And Samuel said: “Does the Lord want holocausts and victims, and not instead that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifice. And to heed is greater than to offer the fat of rams.
23 Ngoba umvukela unjengesono sokuvumisa, lobuqholo buyisiphambeko lokukhonza izithombe. Ngoba ulalile ilizwi leNkosi, layo ikwalile ukuthi ungabi yinkosi.
Therefore, it is like the sin of paganism to rebel. And it is like the crime of idolatry to refuse to obey. For this reason, therefore, because you have rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord has also rejected you from being king.”
24 USawuli wasesithi kuSamuweli: Ngonile; ngoba ngeqile umlayo weNkosi lamazwi akho; ngoba ngesaba abantu, ngakho ngalalela ilizwi labo.
And Saul said to Samuel: “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the word of the Lord, and your words, by fearing the people and obeying their voice.
25 Ngakho-ke ake uthethelele isono sami, ubuyele lami, ukuze ngikhonze iNkosi.
But now, I beg you, to bear my sin, and to return with me, so that I may adore the Lord.”
26 Kodwa uSamuweli wathi kuSawuli: Kangiyikubuyela lawe ngoba ulalile ilizwi leNkosi, layo iNkosi ikwalile ukuthi ungabi yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli.
And Samuel said to Saul: “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27 Kuthe uSamuweli etshibilika ukuthi ahambe, wabamba umphetho wesembatho sakhe, sasesidabuka.
And Samuel turned away, so that he might depart. But Saul took hold of the edge of his cloak, and it tore.
28 USamuweli wasesithi kuye: INkosi iwudabule kuwe lamuhla umbuso wakoIsrayeli, yawunika umakhelwane wakho ongcono kulawe.
And Samuel said to him: “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you this day. And he has delivered it to your neighbor, who is better than you are.
29 Futhi-ke aMandla kaIsrayeli kawaqambi manga, kawazisoli, ngoba kawasimuntu ukuthi azisole.
Moreover, the One who triumphs within Israel will not spare, and he will not be moved to repentance. For he is not a man, that he should repent.”
30 Wasesithi: Ngonile, ake ungihloniphe khathesi phambi kwabadala babantu bakithi laphambi kukaIsrayeli, ubuyele lami, ukuthi ngikhonze iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.
Then he said: “I have sinned. But now, honor me before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and return with me, so that I may adore the Lord your God.”
31 Ngakho uSamuweli wabuyela elandela uSawuli; uSawuli wayikhonza-ke iNkosi.
Therefore, Samuel turned again after Saul. And Saul adored the Lord.
32 USamuweli wasesithi: Msondezeni kimi uAgagi inkosi yakoAmaleki. UAgagi wasesiya kuye ethokozile; uAgagi wathi: Isibili ukubaba kokufa sekudlulile.
And Samuel said, “Bring near to me Agag, the king of Amalek.” And Agag, very fat and trembling, was presented to him. And Agag said, “Does bitter death separate in this manner?”
33 USamuweli wasesithi: Njengoba inkemba yakho yemuke abesifazana abantwana, ngokunjalo unyoko uzakwemukwa abantwana phakathi kwabesifazana. USamuweli wasemhlahlela uAgagi phambi kweNkosi eGiligali.
And Samuel said, “Just as your sword caused women to be without their children, so will your mother be without her children among women.” And Samuel cut him into pieces, before the Lord at Gilgal.
34 USamuweli wasesiya eRama, loSawuli wenyukela endlini yakhe eGibeya kaSawuli.
Then Samuel went away to Ramah. But Saul ascended to his house at Gibeah.
35 USamuweli kaphindanga wambona uSawuli kwaze kwaba lusuku lokufa kwakhe, kodwa uSamuweli wamlilela uSawuli; leNkosi yazisola ngokuthi yayimbekile uSawuli abe yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli.
And Samuel did not see Saul any more, until the day of his death. Yet truly, Samuel mourned for Saul, because the Lord regretted that he had appointed him as king over Israel.
