1 USamuyeli 9
1 Kwakukhona-ke indoda yakoBhenjamini obizo layo linguKishi, indodana kaAbiyeli, indodana kaZerori, indodana kaBekorathi, indodana kaAfiya, umBhenjamini, iqhawe elilamandla.
There was a wealthy and influential man from the tribe of Benjamin, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Bekorath, son of Aphiah, a descendant of Benjamin.
2 Njalo yayilendodana, obizo layo lalinguSawuli, ijaha elihle; kwakungelamuntu omuhle kulalo phakathi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli; kusukela emahlombe alo kusiya phezulu lalilide kulabo bonke abantu.
Kish had a son called Saul, the most handsome young man in all of Israel. He was head and shoulders taller than anyone else.
3 Obabhemikazi bakaKishi, uyise kaSawuli, balahleka-ke. Ngakho uKishi wathi kuSawuli indodana yakhe: Ake uthathe enye yezinceku lawe, usukume uhambe uyedinga obabhemikazi.
One time the donkeys of Saul's father Kish went astray. Kish told to his son Saul, “Please go and look for the donkeys. You can take one of the servants with you.”
4 Wasedabula intaba zakoEfrayimi, wadabula ilizwe leShalisha, kodwa kababatholanga. Basebedabula ilizwe leShalima, kodwa babengekho. Basebedabula ilizwe lakoBhenjamini, kodwa kababatholanga.
Saul searched the hill country of Ephraim and then the land of Shalishah, but didn't find the donkeys. He and the servant searched the region of Shaalim, but they weren't there. Then they searched the land of Benjamin, and they still couldn't find them.
5 Bona sebefikile elizweni leZufi, uSawuli wathi encekwini yakhe eyayilaye: Woza sibuyele, hlezi ubaba ayekele obabhemikazi abesenqinekela thina.
When they got to the land of Zuph, Saul told his servant, “Come on, let's go back, otherwise my father won't be worrying about the donkeys, but about us.”
6 Yasisithi kuye: Khangela-ke, kulomuntu kaNkulunkulu kulumuzi, ungumuntu ohloniphekayo; konke akutshoyo kuyenzeka sibili. Khathesi asiye khona; mhlawumbe angasitshela indlela esizahamba ngayo.
But the servant replied, “Hold on! There's a man of God here in this town. He's very well thought of, and everything he says comes true. Let's go and see him. Maybe he can tell us which way we should take.”
7 USawuli wasesithi encekwini yakhe: Kodwa khangela, uba sisiya, sizamphathelani lowomuntu? Ngoba isinkwa kasisekho ezitsheni zethu; futhi kakulasipho sokusa emuntwini kaNkulunkulu. Silani?
“But if we do go, what can we give him?” Saul replied. “All the bread in our bags is gone. We don't have anything to take to the man of God. What do we have with us?”
8 Inceku yasibuya yamphendula uSawuli yathi: Khangela, kutholakala esandleni sami ingxenye yesine yeshekeli lesiliva; ngizamnika yona lowomuntu kaNkulunkulu ukuze asitshele indlela yethu.
“Look, I've got a quarter shekel of silver with me. I'll give it to the man of God so he can tell us the way we should take,” the servant told Saul.
9 (Endulo koIsrayeli lapho umuntu esiyabuza kuNkulunkulu, wayesitsho kanje: Woza siye kumboni; ngoba lo ongumprofethi lamuhla kuqala wayebizwa ngokuthi ngumboni.)
(In the old days in Israel, someone who went to inquire of God would say, “Come on, let's go to the seer,” because prophets used to be known as seers.)
10 USawuli wasesithi encekwini yakhe: Lihle ilizwi lakho; woza sihambe. Basebesiya emzini lapho okwakukhona lowomuntu kaNkulunkulu.
“That's good,” Saul told his servant. “So let's go.” They went to the town where the man of God was.
11 Besenyuka ngomqanso womuzi, bona bafica amantombazana ephuma ukuyakukha amanzi, bathi kuwo: Umboni ulapha yini?
As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water and asked them, “Is the seer here?”
12 Asebaphendula athi: Ukhona; khangelani, uphambi kwenu. Phangisani khathesi; ngoba ufike lamuhla emzini, ngoba abantu balomhlatshelo lamuhla endaweni ephakemeyo.
“He is,” they replied, “up ahead of you. But you'll have to hurry. He's come to town today because the people are having a sacrifice at the high place.
13 Ekungeneni kwenu emzini, lizahle limthole engakenyukeli endaweni ephakemeyo ukuyakudla; ngoba abantu kabayikudla aze afike, ngoba nguye obusisa umhlatshelo, emva kwalokho abanxusiweyo badle. Ngakho-ke yenyukani, ngoba yena, phose ngalesisikhathi, lizamthola.
When you enter the town you can find him before he goes up to eat at the high place. The people won't eat before he comes, because he has to bless the sacrifice. After that, those who've been invited will eat. If you leave now you'll catch him.”
14 Basebesenyukela emzini; besangena phakathi komuzi, khangela, uSamuweli waphuma ukubahlangabeza ukwenyukela endaweni ephakemeyo.
So they carried on their way up to the town. As they arrived there was Samuel going in the opposite direction. They met him on his way up to the high place.
15 INkosi yasibonakalisa endlebeni kaSamuweli ngosuku phambi kokufika kukaSawuli, isithi:
The day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told Samuel,
16 Kusasa phose ngalesisikhathi ngizathuma kuwe umuntu ovela elizweni lakoBhenjamini; futhi umgcobe abe ngumbusi phezu kwabantu bami uIsrayeli, ukuze asindise abantu bami esandleni samaFilisti, ngoba ngibonile abantu bami, ngoba ukukhala kwabo kufikile kimi.
“Around this time tomorrow I'm going to send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him as ruler over my people Israel, and he will rescue them from the Philistines. I have seen what's happening to my people and I have heard their cry for help.”
17 Kwathi uSamuweli ebona uSawuli, iNkosi yamphendula: Khangela, umuntu ebengikhuluma ngaye kuwe. Lo uzabusa phezu kwabantu bami.
When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I told you about. He is the one who is going to rule my people.”
18 USawuli wasesondela kuSamuweli phakathi kwesango wathi: Akungitshele, ingaphi lapha indlu yomboni?
Saul went up to Samuel in the gateway and asked him, “Could you please tell me where the house of the seer is?”
19 USamuweli wasemphendula uSawuli wathi: Yimi umboni; yenyuka phambi kwami uye endaweni ephakemeyo, ngoba lamuhla uzakudla lami; lekuseni ngizakuyekela uhambe, ngikutshele konke okusenhliziyweni yakho.
“I am the seer,” Samuel told Saul. “Go up ahead of me and we will eat together. Then in the morning I will answer all your questions and then send you on your way.
20 Lamayelana labobabhemikazi bakho asebelensuku ezintathu belahlekile, ungafaki inhliziyo yakho kubo, ngoba sebetholiwe. Kodwa zikubani iziloyiso zonke zikaIsrayeli? Kazikho kuwe yini lendlini yonke kayihlo?
About the donkeys you lost three days ago—don't worry about them because they've been found. But now—doesn't the hope of all of Israel rest on you and your family line?”
21 USawuli wasephendula wathi: Kangisuye umBhenjamini yini, owesincinyane sezizwe zakoIsrayeli, losendo lwethu luncinyane kulazo zonke insendo zesizwe sakoBhenjamini? Pho-ke, ukhulumelani kimi ngalindlela?
“But I'm from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least significant of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin!” Saul replied. “Why are you telling me this?”
22 USamuweli wasethatha uSawuli lenceku yakhe, wabangenisa ekamelweni lokudlela, wabahlalisa endaweni engaphezulu yabanxusiweyo, ababengaphose babe ngamatshumi amathathu.
Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall, and sat them at the head of the thirty people who'd been invited.
23 USamuweli wasesithi kumpheki: Letha isabelo engikunike sona, engithe kuwe ngaso: Sibeke ngakuwe.
Samuel told the cook, “Bring the special piece of meat I gave you and told you to keep to one side.”
24 Umpheki wasephakamisa umlenze lokwakuphezu kwawo, wakubeka phambi kukaSawuli. USamuweli wasesithi: Khangela, okuseleyo; kubeke phambi kwakho, dlana; ngoba bekubekelwe wena kuze kufike lesisikhathi esimisiweyo, njengoba ngitshilo: Nginxuse abantu. USawuli wasesidla loSamuweli ngalolosuku.
So the cook took the upper thigh of meat and what was with it and placed it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “See, this is what was kept to one side. It was reserved for you. Eat it, for it was kept for you for this particular time, right from when I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 Sebehlile endaweni ephakemeyo baya emzini, wakhuluma loSawuli ephahleni.
Once they had returned from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof of his house.
26 Basebevuka ngovivi; kwasekusithi phose emadabukakusa, uSamuweli wambiza uSawuli ephahleni esithi: Sukuma ukuze ngikuyekele uhambe. Wasesukuma uSawuli, baphuma bobabili, yena loSamuweli, baya phandle.
At dawn the next day Samuel called out to Saul on the roof, “Get up! I need to send you on your way!” So Saul got up, and he went outside with Samuel.
27 Sebesehlela ekucineni komuzi, uSamuweli wathi kuSawuli: Tshela inceku ukuthi yedlule phambi kwethu (yasisedlula), kodwa wena mana okwakhathesi, ukuthi ngikuzwise ilizwi likaNkulunkulu.
As they approached the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell your servant to go on ahead of us. Once he's gone stay here for a while, because I have a message from God to give you.” So the servant went on ahead.
