1 USamuyeli 15
1 USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: INkosi yangithuma ukuthi ngikugcobe ube yinkosi phezu kwabantu bayo, phezu kukaIsrayeli; ngakho-ke lalela ilizwi lamazwi eNkosi.
Samuel said to Saul, “Yahweh sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. Now listen to the words of Yahweh.
2 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla ithi: Ngizananzelela lokho uAmaleki akwenza kuIsrayeli, ukuthi wema njani emelene laye endleleni ekwenyukeni kwakhe eGibhithe.
This is what Yahweh of hosts says, 'I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way, when they came up 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 go and attack Amalek and completely destroy all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'”
4 USawuli wasebiza abantu, wababala eTelayimi, izinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili abahamba ngenyawo, lamadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi akoJuda.
Saul summoned the people and numbered them at the city of Telaim—two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 USawuli wasefika emzini kaAmaleki, wacathama esigodini.
Then Saul came to the city of Amalek and waited in the valley.
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.
Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, come out from among the Amalekites, so I do not destroy you along with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel, when they came from Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.
7 USawuli wasetshaya amaAmaleki, kusukela eHavila uze uyefika eShuri ephambi kweGibhithe.
Then Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt.
8 Wambamba uAgagi inkosi yamaAmaleki ephila; labo bonke abantu wabatshabalalisa ngobukhali benkemba.
Then he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive; he completely destroyed all the people 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.
But Saul and the people spared Agag, as well as the best of the sheep, oxen, fattened calves, and the lambs. Everything that was good, they did not destroy. But they completely destroyed anything that was despised and worthless.
10 Kwasekufika ilizwi leNkosi kuSamuweli lisithi:
Then the word of Yahweh 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 grieves me that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” Samuel was angry; he cried out to Yahweh all night.
12 USamuweli wasevuka ekuseni kakhulu ukuhlangabeza uSawuli; kwasekutshelwa uSamuweli kuthiwa: USawuli usefikile eKharmeli; khangela-ke, uzimisele insika, wabhoda, wedlula, wehlela eGiligali.
Samuel got up early to meet Saul in the morning. Samuel was told, “Saul came to Carmel and he set up a monument to himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.”
13 USamuweli wasefika kuSawuli; uSawuli wathi kuye: Kawubusiswe yiNkosi; ngiliqinisile ilizwi leNkosi.
Then Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you by Yahweh! I have fulfilled the command of Yahweh.”
14 USamuweli wasesithi: Kuyini pho lokhukukhala kwezimvu endlebeni zami, lokubhonsa kwenkomo engikuzwayo?
Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?”
15 USawuli wasesithi: Babuye lazo kumaAmaleki; ngoba abantu bayekele okuhle kakhulu kwezimvu lokwenkomo ukuze bahlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho; kodwa okuseleyo sikutshabalalisile.
Saul replied, “They have brought them from the Amalekites. For the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God. The rest we have completely destroyed.”
16 USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: Yekela, ngikutshele ukuthi iNkosi itheni kimi kulobubusuku. Wasesithi kuye: Khuluma.
Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait, and I will tell you what Yahweh has said to me tonight.” Saul said to him, “Speak!”
17 USamuweli wasesithi: Angithi, lapho usemncinyane emehlweni akho, waba yinhloko yezizwe zakoIsrayeli, leNkosi yakugcoba waba yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli?
Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel? Then Yahweh anointed you king over Israel,
18 INkosi ikuthumile-ke ngendlela yathi: Hamba uyetshabalalisa izoni, amaAmaleki, ulwe lawo aze aphele.
and Yahweh sent you on your way and said, 'Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are destroyed.'
19 Pho, kungani ungalilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi, kodwa waphaphela impango, wenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi?
Why did you not obey the voice of Yahweh, but instead you seized the booty and did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh?”
20 USawuli wasesithi kuSamuweli: Isibili ngililalele ilizwi leNkosi, ngihambile ngendlela iNkosi ebingithume ngayo, ngibuyile loAgagi inkosi yakoAmaleki, njalo ngitshabalalisile amaAmaleki.
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have indeed obeyed the voice of Yahweh, and have gone on the way that Yahweh sent me. I have captured Agag, the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites.
21 Kodwa abantu bathethe okwempango, izimvu lenkomo, okuhle kwezinto ebezizatshabalaliswa, ukuze bahlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eGiligali.
But the people took some of the booty—sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.”
22 Kodwa uSamuweli wathi: Kambe iNkosi iyathokoza ngeminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, njengekulaleleni ilizwi leNkosi? Khangela, ukulalela kungcono kulomhlatshelo, lokuqaphelisa kulamahwahwa ezinqama.
Samuel replied, “Has Yahweh as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to listen is better than the fat of rams.
23 Ngoba umvukela unjengesono sokuvumisa, lobuqholo buyisiphambeko lokukhonza izithombe. Ngoba ulalile ilizwi leNkosi, layo ikwalile ukuthi ungabi yinkosi.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and stubbornness is like wickedness and iniquity. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he 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.
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have broken Yahweh's commandment and your words, because I was afraid of the people and obeyed their voice.
25 Ngakho-ke ake uthethelele isono sami, ubuyele lami, ukuze ngikhonze iNkosi.
Now, please pardon my sin, and return with me so that I may worship Yahweh.”
26 Kodwa uSamuweli wathi kuSawuli: Kangiyikubuyela lawe ngoba ulalile ilizwi leNkosi, layo iNkosi ikwalile ukuthi ungabi yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli.
Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you; for you have rejected the word of Yahweh, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27 Kuthe uSamuweli etshibilika ukuthi ahambe, wabamba umphetho wesembatho sakhe, sasesidabuka.
As Samuel turned to leave, Saul took hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore.
28 USamuweli wasesithi kuye: INkosi iwudabule kuwe lamuhla umbuso wakoIsrayeli, yawunika umakhelwane wakho ongcono kulawe.
Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to a neighbor of yours, one who is better than you.
29 Futhi-ke aMandla kaIsrayeli kawaqambi manga, kawazisoli, ngoba kawasimuntu ukuthi azisole.
Also, the Strength of Israel will not lie nor change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.”
30 Wasesithi: Ngonile, ake ungihloniphe khathesi phambi kwabadala babantu bakithi laphambi kukaIsrayeli, ubuyele lami, ukuthi ngikhonze iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.
Then Saul said, “I have sinned. But please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Turn again with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.”
31 Ngakho uSamuweli wabuyela elandela uSawuli; uSawuli wayikhonza-ke iNkosi.
So Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshiped Yahweh.
32 USamuweli wasesithi: Msondezeni kimi uAgagi inkosi yakoAmaleki. UAgagi wasesiya kuye ethokozile; uAgagi wathi: Isibili ukubaba kokufa sekudlulile.
Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag the king of the Amalekites here to me.” Agag came to him confined with chains and said, “Surely the bitterness of death has past.”
33 USamuweli wasesithi: Njengoba inkemba yakho yemuke abesifazana abantwana, ngokunjalo unyoko uzakwemukwa abantwana phakathi kwabesifazana. USamuweli wasemhlahlela uAgagi phambi kweNkosi eGiligali.
Samuel replied, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” Then Samuel chopped Agag to pieces before Yahweh at Gilgal.
34 USamuweli wasesiya eRama, loSawuli wenyukela endlini yakhe eGibeya kaSawuli.
Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.
35 USamuweli kaphindanga wambona uSawuli kwaze kwaba lusuku lokufa kwakhe, kodwa uSamuweli wamlilela uSawuli; leNkosi yazisola ngokuthi yayimbekile uSawuli abe yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli.
Samuel did not see Saul until the day of his death, for he mourned for Saul. Yahweh was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.
