1 USamuyeli 28
1 Kwasekusithi ngalezonsuku amaFilisti abuthanisela impi amabutho awo ukuze alwe loIsrayeli. UAkishi wasesithi kuDavida: Yazi lokwazi ukuthi uzaphuma impi lami, wena labantu bakho.
Some time later, the people of Philistia gathered their army to attack the Israelis [again]. King Achish told David, “I am expecting that you and your men will join with my men to attack [the Israelis].”
2 UDavida wasesithi kuAkishi: Sibili, wena uzakwazi ukuthi inceku yakho ingenzani. UAkishi wasesithi kuDavida: Ngakho, ngizakubeka ube ngumlindi wekhanda lami zonke izinsuku.
David replied, “[We will go with you, and then] you will see for yourself what we can do!” Achish said, “Okay, I will appoint you to be my bodyguard permanently.”
3 USamuweli wayesefile, loIsrayeli wonke wayemlilele, bamngcwabela eRama, ngitsho emzini wakibo. USawuli wayebasusile-ke elizweni abalamadlozi labalumbayo.
[While Samuel was still alive, Saul did many things that pleased Yahweh. One of the good things that] Saul [did was to] expel from Israel all the people who were fortune-tellers or who talked to the spirits of dead people. But Samuel had died, and all the Israeli people had mourned for him. Then they had buried him in Ramah, his hometown. [After that, Saul did not try to please Yahweh any more].
4 AmaFilisti asebuthana afika amisa inkamba eShunemi. USawuli wasebuthanisa uIsrayeli wonke, bamisa inkamba eGilibowa.
The army of Philistia gathered and set up their tents at Shunem [city, in the north of Israel]. Saul gathered the Israeli army and set up their tents at Gilboa [in the eastern part of the same valley].
5 Lapho uSawuli ebona inkamba yamaFilisti, wesaba, lenhliziyo yakhe yathuthumela kakhulu.
When Saul saw the army of Philistia, he became so afraid that his heart pounded/shook.
6 Lapho uSawuli ebuza eNkosini, iNkosi kayimphendulanga langamaphupho langeUrimi langabaprofethi.
He prayed to Yahweh, but Yahweh did not answer him. Yahweh did not [tell Saul what he should do by] giving him a dream, or by [having the priest throw] the marked stones [that were in his sacred vest], or by [giving a message about Saul to] any prophet.
7 USawuli wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe: Ngidingelani owesifazana oledlozi ukuze ngiye kuye, ngibuze kuye. Inceku zakhe zasezisithi kuye: Khangela, kulowesifazana oledlozi eEndori.
Then Saul said to his servants, “Find for me a woman who talks to the spirits of dead people, in order that I can ask her [what will happen].” His servants replied, “There is a woman in Endor [town] who does that.”
8 USawuli wasezifihla isimo, wagqoka ezinye izigqoko, wahamba, yena lamadoda amabili laye; basebefika kowesifazana ebusuku. Wathi: Akungivumisele ngedlozi, ungenyusele engizamutsho kuwe.
So Saul [took off the clothes that showed that he was the king, and he] put on ordinary clothes (to disguise himself/so that people would not recognize who he was). Then he and two of his men went during the night to talk to that woman. Saul said to her, “I want you to talk to a spirit [of someone who has died]. Cause to appear the person whose name I will [give to you].”
9 Kodwa owesifazana wathi kuye: Khangela, wena uyazi ukuthi uSawuli wenzeni, ukuthi ubaqumile elizweni abalamadlozi labalumbayo. Pho, uwuthiyelani umphefumulo wami ukungibulala?
But the woman replied, “You surely know what Saul has done. He expelled from this land all the people who talk to spirits of dead people and all fortune-tellers. I think that you are trying to trap me, in order that I will be executed [for doing something that is not permitted].”
10 Kodwa uSawuli wafunga kuye ngeNkosi, esithi: Kuphila kukaJehova, isijeziso kasiyikuza kuwe ngaloludaba.
Saul replied, solemnly asking Yahweh to listen to what he was saying, “Just as surely as Yahweh lives, you will not be punished for doing this.”
11 Owesifazana wasesithi: Ngikwenyusele bani? Wasesithi: Ngenyusela uSamuweli.
Then the woman said, “Whom do you want me to cause to appear?” Saul replied, “Cause Samuel to appear.”
12 Lapho owesifazana ebona uSamuweli, wakhala ngelizwi elikhulu; owesifazana wasekhuluma kuSawuli esithi: Ungikhohliseleni? Ngoba unguSawuli.
[So] the woman [did that. But] when she saw Samuel, she screamed. She said, “You have tricked me [RHQ]! You are Saul! [You will execute me for doing this]!”
13 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Ungesabi; kodwa ubonani? Owesifazana wasesithi kuSawuli: Ngibona onkulunkulu besenyuka emhlabathini.
Saul said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a god/spirit coming up out of the ground.”
14 Wasesithi kuye: Sinjani isimo sakhe? Wasesithi: Kwenyuka ixhegu elembethe isembatho. Lapho uSawuli esesazi ukuthi nguSamuweli, wakhothama ngobuso emhlabathini, wakhonza.
Saul said, “What does he look like?” The woman replied, “An old man wearing a robe is appearing.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel. So he bowed down with his face touching the ground.
15 USamuweli wasesithi kuSawuli: Ungikhathazeleni ngokungenyusa? USawuli wasephendula wathi: Ngibandezelekile kakhulu, ngoba amaFilisti alwa lami, loNkulunkulu usukile kimi, kasangiphenduli, langesandla sabaprofethi langamaphupho. Ngakho ngikubizile ukuthi ungazise ukuthi ngenzeni.
Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you bothered/disturbed me by causing me to appear?” Saul said, “I am very worried. The army of Philistia is about to attack my army, and God has abandoned me. He does not answer my questions any more. He does not give me dreams [to tell me what to do] or give messages to prophets [to tell me what to do]. That is the reason that I came to see you. So you tell me what I should do!”
16 USamuweli wasesithi: Pho, ubuzelani kimi, lokhu iNkosi isisukile kuwe, yaba yisitha sakho?
Samuel said, “Yahweh has abandoned you and has become your enemy. So why do you ask me [what you should do]? [RHQ]
17 INkosi isizenzele njengokukhuluma kwayo ngesandla sami; iNkosi isidabule umbuso usuka esandleni sakho, yawunika umakhelwane wakho, uDavida.
He has done what he told me [previously] that he would do to you. He has torn the kingdom away from you, and he is giving it to someone who is another Israeli—David.
18 Njengoba ungalilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi, futhi ungenzanga ukuvutha kolaka lwayo kumaAmaleki, ngakho iNkosi yenzile linto kuwe lamuhla.
You did not obey Yahweh. Yahweh was very angry with the Amalek people-group. You did not [kill all of their animals], with the result that you did not show that he was very angry with them. That is the reason that he has done this to you today.
19 Futhi iNkosi izanikela uIsrayeli laye kanye lawe esandleni samaFilisti; kusasa-ke wena lamadodana akho lizakuba lami. Lenkamba yakoIsrayeli iNkosi izayinikela esandleni samaFilisti.
Yahweh will enable the Philistia army to defeat you and all the other Israeli soldiers. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me [in the place where spirits of dead people are]. Yahweh will cause the whole Israeli army to be defeated by the Philistia army.” [And after Samuel said that, he disappeared].
20 USawuli wasehle edilikela emhlabathini, ngokuphelela kobude bakhe, wesaba kakhulu ngenxa yamazwi kaSamuweli, njalo kwakungelamandla kuye, ngoba wayengadlanga kudla usuku lonke lobusuku bonke.
Saul immediately fell flat on the ground. He was so afraid because of what Samuel had said that he became paralyzed. He was also very weak because he had not eaten anything all that day and night.
21 Owesifazana wasesiza kuSawuli, wabona ukuthi wethukile kakhulu, wathi kuye: Khangela, incekukazi yakho ililalele ilizwi lakho, ngifakile umphefumulo wami esandleni sami, ngalalela amazwi owakhulume kimi.
The woman saw that he was extremely worried/terrified. She said to him, “Listen to me! I have done what you requested me to do. I could be executed for doing that.
22 Ngakho-ke lawe akulalele ilizwi lencekukazi yakho, ngifake phambi kwakho ucezwana lwesinkwa ukuze udle, ukuze amandla abe kuwe nxa uhamba indlela yakho.
So now please pay attention to what I say. Allow me to give you some food, in order that you will [eat it and] get enough strength to go back [to your army].”
23 Kodwa wala wathi: Kangiyikudla. Kodwa inceku zakhe kanye lowesifazana bamcindezela; waselalela ilizwi labo. Wasesukuma emhlabathini, wahlala embhedeni.
But Saul refused. He said, “No, I will not eat anything.” Then Saul’s servants also urged him [to eat something], and finally he heeded what they said. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed.
24 Njalo owesifazana wayelethole elinonileyo endlini; waphangisa walihlaba; wathatha impuphu, wayixova, wabhaka isinkwa esingelamvubelo ngayo;
The woman had a fat calf close to her house. She quickly slaughtered it [and cooked it]. She took some flour and mixed it [with olive oil], and baked it without putting in any yeast.
25 wasisondeza phambi kukaSawuli laphambi kwenceku zakhe; badla. Basukuma bahamba ngalobobusuku.
She placed the food in front of Saul and his servants, and they ate some of it. Then that night they got up and left.
