1 USamuyeli 4
1 Ilizwi likaSamuweli lafika kuIsrayeli wonke. UIsrayeli wasephuma ukuyamelana lamaFilisti empini, bamisa inkamba ngaseEbeni-Ezeri, lamaFilisti amisa inkamba eAfeki.
The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
2 AmaFilisti asezihlela ukumelana loIsrayeli; kwathi impi isabalala, uIsrayeli watshaywa phambi kwamaFilisti; njalo atshaya emaviyweni egangeni phose amadoda azinkulungwane ezine.
The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. When they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.
3 Kwathi abantu befika enkambeni, abadala bakoIsrayeli bathi: INkosi isitshayeleni lamuhla phambi kwamaFilisti? Asizithatheleni eShilo umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi; nxa usiza phakathi kwethu uzasisindisa esandleni sezitha zethu.
When the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let’s get the ark of the LORD’s covenant out of Shiloh and bring it to us, that it may come among us and save us out of the hand of our enemies.”
4 Ngakho abantu bathumela eShilo, ukuthi bathathe khona umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi yamabandla, ehlala phakathi kwamakherubhi; lamadodana amabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, ayelapho lomtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.
So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Armies, who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 Kwasekusithi lapho umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi ufika enkambeni, uIsrayeli wonke wahlokoma ngokuhlokoma okukhulu kwaze kwaduma umhlaba.
When the ark of the LORD’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.
6 Lapho amaFilisti esizwa umsindo wokuhlokoma athi: Utshoni umsindo walokhukuhlokoma okukhulu enkambeni yamaHebheru? Asesazi ukuthi umtshokotsho weNkosi ufikile enkambeni.
When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” They understood that the LORD’s ark had come into the camp.
7 AmaFilisti asesesaba, ngoba athi: UNkulunkulu ufikile enkambeni. Athi-ke: Maye kithi! Ngoba kakuzanga kwenzeke okunje mandulo.
The Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” They said, “Woe to us! For there has not been such a thing before.
8 Maye kithi! Ngubani ozasophula esandleni salaba onkulunkulu abalamandla? Laba ngonkulunkulu abatshaya amaGibhithe ngazo zonke inhlupheko enkangala.
Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
9 Qinani, libe ngamadoda, maFilisti, hlezi lisebenzele amaHebheru njengoba alisebenzela. Ngakho banini ngamadoda, lilwe.
Be strong and behave like men, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Strengthen yourselves like men, and fight!”
10 Ngakho amaFilisti alwa, loIsrayeli watshaywa, babalekela, ngulowo lalowo ethenteni lakhe. Njalo kwaba lokubulawa okukhulu kakhulu, ngoba kwawa koIsrayeli abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu abahamba ngenyawo.
The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter; for thirty thousand footmen of Israel fell.
11 Umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wasuthathwa, lamadodana womabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, abulawa.
God’s ark was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
12 Kwasekugijima umuntu wakoBhenjamini evela emaviyweni, wafika eShilo ngalolosuku, lezigqoko zakhe zidatshuliwe elenhlabathi ekhanda lakhe.
A man of Benjamin ran out of the army and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head.
13 Ekufikeni kwakhe, khangela-ke, uEli wayehlezi esihlalweni eceleni kwendlela elindile, ngoba inhliziyo yakhe yayithuthumelela umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu. Kwathi lowomuntu esengenile emzini ukubika, kwakhala umuzi wonke.
When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for God’s ark. When the man came into the city and told about it, all the city cried out.
14 Lapho uEli esizwa umsindo wokukhala wathi: Uyini umsindo wale inhlokomo? Lowomuntu wasephangisa weza wamtshela uEli.
When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, “What does the noise of this tumult mean?” The man hurried, and came and told Eli.
15 Njalo uEli wayeleminyaka engamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye leyisificaminwembili, lamehlo akhe ema ukuthi ayengelakho ukubona.
Now Eli was ninety-eight years old. His eyes were set, so that he could not see.
16 Lowomuntu wasesithi kuEli: Nginguye ovela emaviyweni; ngibaleke emaviyweni lamuhla. Wasesithi: Kwenziweni, ndodana yami?
The man said to Eli, “I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army.” He said, “How did the matter go, my son?”
17 Owaletha umbiko wasephendula wathi: UIsrayeli ubalekile phambi kwamaFilisti, futhi kube lokubulawa okukhulu ebantwini, njalo lamadodana akho womabili, uHofini loPhinehasi, afile, lomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe.
He who brought the news answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and God’s ark has been captured.”
18 Kwasekusithi esekhulume ngomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu, wawa nyovane esihlalweni eceleni kwesango, kwephuka intamo yakhe, wafa, ngoba lowomuntu wayemdala, enzima. Njalo wayahlulele uIsrayeli iminyaka engamatshumi amane.
When he made mention of God’s ark, Eli fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
19 Lomalokazana wakhe, umkaPhinehasi, wayekhulelwe, esezabeletha; esezwile umbiko wokuthi umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe, lokuthi uyisezala lomkakhe bafile, wakhothama wabeletha, ngoba wafikelwa yimihelo.
His daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to giving birth. When she heard the news that God’s ark was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth; for her pains came on her.
20 Njalo phose ngesikhathi sokufa kwakhe abesifazana ababemi belaye bathi: Ungesabi, ngoba ubelethe indodana. Kodwa kaphendulanga njalo kazange akunanze.
About the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she didn’t answer, neither did she regard it.
21 Wambiza umfana ngokuthi nguIkabodi, esithi: Inkazimulo isukile koIsrayeli; ngoba umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe, langenxa kayisezala lomkakhe.
She named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because God’s ark was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22 Wasesithi: Inkazimulo isukile koIsrayeli ngoba umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthethwe.
She said, “The glory has departed from Israel; for God’s ark has been taken.”
