1 Sam 4 - Ndebele Bible (iBhayibhili Elingcwele) 1978

AmaFilistiya anqoba abakoIsrayeli; athatha umtshokotsho wesivumelwano

1Ilizwi likaSamuweli lalilamandla kuye wonke uIsrayeli. AbakoIsrayeli baphuma ukuyakulwa lamaFilistiya ayebahlasela; bamisa eEbenezeri, lamaFilistiya amisa eAfeki.

2Azihlela ukulwa loIsrayeli; kwathi lapho impi ibambana, uIsrayeli wehlulwa ngamaFilistiya abulalela egangeni amadoda angaba zinkulungwane ezine.

3Kwathi lapho amabutho efika ezihonqweni, abadala bakoIsrayeli bathi: INkosi isibulaleleni lamhla phambi kwamaFilistiya na? Asiyethatha eShilo umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi, siwulethe lapha ukuze ize phakathi kwethu isisize ezandleni zezitha zethu.

4Ngakhoke basebethumela abantu eShilo, bathatha khona umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi yamabandla, ehlezi phezu kwamakherubi; amadodana amabili kaEli, uHofini loFiniyasi, ayelapho lomtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.Eks 25:22

5Kwathi lapho umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi ufika ezihonqweni, wonke uIsrayeli wahlokoma kakhulu kwaze kwaduma umhlabathi.

6Lapho amaFilistiya esizwa umsindo wokuhlokoma athi: Ngowani umsindo wokuhlokoma okungaka ezihonqweni zamaHeberu na? Lapho esizwa kuthiwa umtshokotsho weNkosi ufikile ezihonqweni,

7amaFilistiya esaba, athi: Unkulunkulu ufikile ezihonqweni. Athike: Maye babo! Ngoba kakuzanga kube khona okunje ngaphambili.

8Maye babo! Ngubani ozakusophula ezandleni zalaba onkulunkulu abatshaya amaGibithe ngazo zonke izifo enkangala?

9Manini sibindi, libe ngamadoda lina maFilistiya, ukuba lingabi yizigqili zamaHeberu njengoba abe yizigqili zenu. Wobani ngamadoda, lilwe.

10Ngakho amaFilistiya alwa, abakoIsrayeli behlulwa, babalekela emizini yabo. Kwabulawa abanengi, ngoba kwafa koIsrayeli abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu abangamabutho.

11Wathunjwa umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu, lamadodana womabili kaEli, uHofini loFiniyasi, abulawa.

12Kwaphuma empini umuntu wakoBenjamini, wagijimela eShilo ngalona lolosuku, izigqoko zakhe zidatshuliwe lekhanda lakhe ligcwele inhlabathi.

13Ekufikeni kwakhe uEli wayehlezi esihlalweni sakhe eceleni kwendlela elindile, ngoba inhliziyo yakhe yayilovalo ngomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu. Lowomuntu esengenile emzini wayibika indaba, kwakhala umuzi wonke.

14Lapho uEli esizwa umsindo wokukhala wathi: Ngumsindo wani lowo na? Lowomunti waphangisa wayamtshela uEli.

15UEli wayeseleminyaka engamatshumi aficamunwemunye lesificaminwembili ubudala, lamehlo akhe esenqundekile engasaboni.

16Lowomuntu wathi kuEli: Nginguye ovela empini; ngibaleke empini lamhlanje. Yena wathi: Kuqhubeke njani, mntanami na?

17Owaletha umbiko waphendula wathi: UIsrayeli amxotshile amaFilistiya, futhi abantu abanengi babulewe; amadodana akho womabili, uHofini loFiniyasi, afile; lomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthunjiwe.

18Wanela ukuphatha umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu, uEli wawa ngesiphundu esihlalweni sakhe eceleni kwentuba, kwephuka intamo yakhe, wafa, ngoba wayesengumuntu omdala, enzima. Wayahlulele uIsrayeli iminyaka engamatshumi amane.

19Umalokazana wakhe, umkaFiniyasi, wayekhulelwe, esezabeletha. Lapho esizwa kuthiwa umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthunjiwe, lokuthi uyisezala lomkakhe bafile, waguqa phansi wabeletha, ngoba wayesehelelwa.

20Ngesikhathi sokufa kwakhe abesifazana ababembelethisa bathi kuye: Ungesabi, ngoba ubelethe indodana. Kodwa kaphendulanga loba ananze abakutshoyo.

21Wamutha ibizo umntwana wathi ngulkabodi, okuyikuthi udumo lusukile koIsrayeli; ngoba umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthunjiwe, langenxa yokufa kukayisezala lomkakhe.

22Wathi: Udumo lusukile koIsrayeli ngoba umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu uthunjiwe.