Eyokuqala KaSamuweli 9:1-27
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USamuweli udibana noSawule (1-27)
9 Kwakukho indoda yakwaBhenjamin, egama linguKishe,+ unyana ka-Abhiyeli, unyana kaTserore, unyana kaBhekorati, unyana ka-Afiya, umBhenjamin.+ Le ndoda yayisisityebi.
2 UKishe wayenonyana ogama linguSawule,+ owayesemtsha, eyinzwana ibe kwakungekho ndoda eyayiyinzwana ukogqitha yena kumaSirayeli. Wayemde, bonke abantu bemela emagxeni kuye.
3 Xa zalahlekayo iidonki* zikaKishe utata kaSawule, uKishe wathi kuSawule unyana wakhe: “Nceda, thatha esinye isicaka niyokukhangela ezi donki.”
4 Badlula kummandla weentaba wakwaEfrayim baza bagqithela kwilizwe laseShalisha, bengazifumani. Bahamba badlulela kwilizwe laseShahalim, kodwa zazingekho nalapho ezi donki. Balihamba lonke ilizwe lakwaBhenjamin, abazifumana.
5 Bathe bakufika kwilizwe lakwaTsufi, uSawule wathi kwisicaka sakhe esasikunye naye: “Masigoduke, ukuze utata angaqalisi ukuxhalela thina kunokuba axhalele iidonki.”+
6 Kodwa isicaka sathi kuye: “Kukho umntu kaThixo kwesi sixeko, yaye lo mntu uhlonitshwa gqitha. Yonke into ayithethayo iyenzeka.+ Masikhawuleze siye kuye. Mhlawumbi angasixelela indlela esimele sihambe ngayo.”
7 Wathi uSawule kwisicaka sakhe: “Ukuba ke siyaya kuye, siza kumphathela ntoni lo mntu? Isonka siphelile ezingxoweni zethu, yaye akukho sipho sinokumphathela sona umntu kaThixo wokwenene. Yintoni esinayo?”
8 Ngoko saphinda sathi isicaka kuSawule: “Jonga! Ndiphethe isahlulo sesine seshekele* yesilivere. Ndiza kusinika umntu kaThixo wokwenene, yaye yena uza kusinika umkhondo.”
9 (Kumaxesha angaphambili kwaSirayeli, le yindlela ebethetha ngayo umntu xa esiya kubuza uThixo: “Yizani, masiye kwimboni.”+ Kuba umntu obizwa ngokuba ngumprofeti namhlanje, wayedla ngokubizwa ngokuba yimboni kumaxesha angaphambili.)
10 Emva koko uSawule wathi kwisicaka sakhe: “Ilungile le nto uyithethayo. Yiza, masihambe.” Ngoko bahamba baya esixekweni apho kwakukho umntu kaThixo wokwenene.
11 Bathi besanyuka eqhineni besiya esixekweni, bathi gqi ngamantombazana eyokukha amanzi. Bathi kuwo: “Ikhona imboni+ kule ndawo?”
12 Athi: “Ikhona. Jongani! Seniza kufika kuyo. Khawulezani, kuba namhlanje ize apha esixekweni, kuba namhlanje abantu bayabingelela+ kwindawo ephakamileyo.+
13 Ukungena kwenu nje esixekweni, niza kuyifumana kanye ngaphambi kokuba inyuke iye kutya endaweni ephakamileyo. Abantu abanakutya ingekafiki, kuba kaloku yiyo esikelela umbingelelo. Ukugqiba nje kwayo, baza kutsho batye abo bamenyiweyo. Khawulezani ninyuke, niza kuyifumana.”
14 Ngoko benyuka baya esixekweni. Njengoko babesondela phakathi esixekweni, babona uSamuweli ephuma ebahlangabeza ukuze benyuke kunye baye kwindawo ephakamileyo.
15 Ngosuku olungaphambi kokuza kukaSawule, uYehova wayethe kuSamuweli:*
16 “Malunga neli xesha ngomso, ndiza kuthumela kuwe indoda esuka kwilizwe lakwaBhenjamin.+ Uze uyithambise ibe yinkokheli yabantu bam uSirayeli.+ Yona iza kubasindisa abantu bam kumaFilisti. Kuba ndiyibonile intlungu yabantu bam, yaye isikhalo sabo side safika kum.”+
17 Uthe ke uSamuweli akumbona uSawule, uYehova wathi kuye: “Nantsi ke le ndoda bendithe ngayo kuwe, ‘Nguye oza kulawula abantu bam.’”*+
18 USawule wasondela kuSamuweli egeyithini waza wathi: “Ndicela undixelele, iphi indlu yemboni?”
19 USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Ndim imboni. Nyuka uhambe phambi kwam uye endaweni ephakamileyo, uza kutya nam namhlanje.+ Ndiza kukukhulula uhambe ekuseni, ibe ndiza kukuxelela yonke into ofuna ukuyazi.*
20 Zona iidonki ebezilahlekile kwiintsuku ezintathu ezidluleyo,+ sukuzikhathaza ngazo, kuba zifunyenwe. Zezikabani izinto ezinqwenelekayo zakwaSirayeli? Ayizozakho nayo yonke indlu katata wakho na?”+
21 USawule wathi: “AndingomBhenjamin na wesona sizwe sincinci kwezakwaSirayeli?+ Ayontsapho yasekhaya na eyona ingabalulekanga kuzo zonke iintsapho zesizwe sakwaBhenjamin? Ngoko kutheni uthethe ngale ndlela nam?”
22 Emva koko uSamuweli wathatha uSawule nesicaka sakhe wabasa kwiholo yokutyela waza wabanika eyona ndawo ihloniphekileyo kwabo babemenyiwe. Babengamadoda amalunga ne-30.
23 USamuweli wathi kumpheki: “Yiza nalaa nyama bendikunike yona, ndaza ndathi kuwe, ‘Yibeke ecaleni.’”
24 Waza ke umpheki weza nomlenze nento ehamba nawo, wawubeka phambi koSawule. USamuweli wathi: “Nantsi phambi kwakho inyama obuyibekelwe. Yitya kuba bebeyibekele wena, ilungiselelwe eli xesha. Kuba bendithe, ‘ndimeme iindwendwe.’” Ngaloo mini uSawule watya noSamuweli.
25 Emva koko behla besuka endaweni ephakamileyo+ baya esixekweni, waza waqhubeka encokola noSawule phezu kwendlu.
26 Bavuka ekuseni, kwaza ke kwakuthi qheke ukusa uSamuweli wabiza uSawule ephezu kwendlu, wathi: “Vuka uzokuhamba.” Ngoko uSawule wavuka baza bobabini baya phandle.
27 Ngoxa babesihla ngasekupheleni kwemimandla emelene nesixeko, uSamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Xelela esi sicaka+ ukuba sibe sihamba phambili,” ngoko sadlula. “Kodwa ngoku, wena yima ukuze ndikuvise ilizwi likaThixo.”
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Ngokoqobo, “iimazi zeedonki.”
^ Ishekele yayilingana ne-11,4 g. Funda Isihlomelo B14.
^ Ngokoqobo, “wayeyityhilile indlebe kaSamuweli.”
^ Okanye “oza kugcina abantu bam phakathi kwemida.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “yonke into esentliziyweni yakho.”
