1 USamuyeli 31
1 AmaFilisti alwa-ke loIsrayeli; lamadoda akoIsrayeli abaleka phambi kwamaFilisti, awa efile entabeni yeGilibowa.
Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
2 AmaFilisti asenamathela kuSawuli lamadodana akhe; amaFilisti abulala uJonathani, loAbinadaba, loMaliki-Shuwa, amadodana kaSawuli.
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
3 Lempi yaba nzima kuSawuli, abatshoki bamfica, amadoda edandili; wasesiba lobuhlungu kakhulu ngabatshoki.
And the battle went sore against Saul, an the archers overtook him; and he was in great anguish by reason of the archers.
4 USawuli wasesithi kumthwali wezikhali zakhe: Hwatsha inkemba yakho, ungigwaze ngayo, hlezi laba abangasokanga bafike bangigwaze, badlale kubi ngami. Kodwa umthwali wezikhali zakhe kavumanga, ngoba wesaba kakhulu. Ngakho uSawuli wathatha inkemba, waziwisela phezu kwayo.
Then said Saul to his armour-bearer: 'Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and make a mock of me.' But his armour-bearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon it.
5 Lapho umthwali wezikhali zakhe ebona ukuthi uSawuli usefile, laye waziwisela phezu kwenkemba yakhe, wafa kanye laye.
And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him.
6 Wafa-ke uSawuli lamadodana akhe amathathu lomthwali wezikhali zakhe labo bonke abantu bakhe ngalolosuku ndawonye.
So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and all his men, that same day together.
7 Lapho amadoda akoIsrayeli ayengaphetsheya kwesigodi layengaphetsheya kweJordani ebona ukuthi amadoda akoIsrayeli abalekile, lokuthi uSawuli lamadodana akhe sebefile, atshiya imizi, abaleka; amaFilisti asefika, ahlala kiyo.
And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 Kwasekusithi kusisa lapho amaFilisti efika ukuhlubula ababuleweyo, afica uSawuli lamadodana akhe amathathu bewile entabeni yeGilibowa.
And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
9 Asequma ikhanda lakhe, ahlubula izikhali zakhe, athumela elizweni lamaFilisti inhlangothi zonke ukumemezela imibiko endlini yezithombe zabo lebantwini.
And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry the tidings unto the house of their idols, and to the people.
10 Abeka izikhali zakhe endlini kaAshitarothi. Abophela isidumbu sakhe emdulini weBeti-Shani.
And they put his armour in the house of the Ashtaroth; and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
11 Kwathi abahlali beJabeshi-Gileyadi sebezwile ngalokho amaFilisti akwenze kuSawuli,
And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard concerning him that which the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 asukuma wonke amaqhawe, ahamba ubusuku bonke, athatha isidumbu sikaSawuli lezidumbu zamadodana akhe emdulini weBeti-Shani, eza eJabeshi, azitshisa khona.
all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
13 Asethatha amathambo abo, awangcwaba ngaphansi kwesihlahla setamarisiki eJabeshi, azila ukudla insuku eziyisikhombisa.
And they took their bones, and buried them under the tamarisk-tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
