Eyokuqala KaSamuweli 15:1-35
15 USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “UYehova wandithuma ukuba ndikuthambise ube ngukumkani wabantu bakhe amaSirayeli,+ ngoku ke mamela ukuba uthini uYehova.+
2 Uthi uYehova wemikhosi: ‘Ndiza kuwaphendulisa ama-Amaleki ngento awayenza kuSirayeli, kuba amhlasela ngoxa wayenyuka ephuma eYiputa.+
3 Hamba ke uyokuwaxabela,+ uwatshabalalise+ kunye nayo yonke into anayo, ungawasizeli. Umele uwabulale+ onke, indoda nomfazi, umntwana nosana, inkunzi yenkomo negusha, inkamela nedonki.’”+
4 USawule wabiza abantu, wababala eTelayim. Kwakukho amajoni ahamba ngeenyawo ayi-200 000, namadoda akwaYuda ayi-10 000.+
5 USawule wahamba wada wayokufika kwisixeko sama-Amaleki waza wawalalela entlanjeni.
6 Emva koko, uSawule wathi kumaKeni:+ “Hambani, washiyeni ama-Amaleki, ukuze ndinganitshayeli kunye nawo.+ Kuba nina nabathanda ngokungagungqiyo bonke abantu bakwaSirayeli+ ngelaa xesha babenyuka bephuma eYiputa.” Ngoko amaKeni emka phakathi kwama-Amaleki.
7 Emva koko uSawule wawaxabela ama-Amaleki+ ukususela eHavila+ ukuyokutsho eShure,+ esecaleni kwaseYiputa.
8 Bonke abantu wabatshabalalisa ngekrele,+ kodwa yena uAgagi+ ukumkani wama-Amaleki wamgcina ephila.
9 USawule nabantu zange bambulale* uAgagi nezona gusha zintle, iinkomo ezintle, izilwanyana ezityetyisiweyo, iinkunzi zeegusha, nayo yonke into eyayintle.+ Babengafuni ukuzitshabalalisa. Kodwa zonke ezinye izinto ezingenaxabiso nezazingafunwa mntu bazitshabalalisa.
10 Emva koko lafika ilizwi likaYehova kuSamuweli, lisithi:
11 “Ndiyazisola* ngokuba ndimenze ukumkani uSawule, kuba uyekile ukundilandela, yaye akayenzanga into ebendimthume yona.”+ Waba buhlungu kakhulu uSamuweli, wakhala kuYehova ubusuku bonke.+
12 Xa uSamuweli evuka ekuseni ukuze ayokudibana noSawule, kwathiwa kuye: “USawule uye eKarmele,+ wazimisela ilitye lesikhumbuzo apho,+ emva koko wehla waya eGiligali.”
13 Xa bade badibana, wathi uSawule kuye: “Kwanga angakusikelela uYehova. Ndiyenzile into ebeyithethile uYehova.”
14 Kodwa uSamuweli wathi: “Kutheni ke ngoku ndisiva iigusha neenkomo ezikhalayo?”+
15 USawule wathi: “Abantu baze nazo bezithatha kuma-Amaleki. Baye bahlangula* ezona gusha nezona nkomo zintle ukuze babingelele ngazo kuYehova uThixo wakho. Kodwa ke yonke enye into ebishiyekile siyitshabalalisile.”
16 USamuweli wathi kuSawule: “Khawume! Makhe ndikuxelele into ayithethileyo uYehova izolo ebusuku.”+ Yena wathi: “Ungayithetha!”
17 USamuweli wathi: “Wawungazidelanga na wena kuqala+ xa wenziwa inkokheli yezizwe zakwaSirayeli, naxa uYehova wakuthambisa waba ngukumkani wakwaSirayeli?+
18 Ethubeni uYehova wakuthuma wathi, ‘Hamba uyokutshabalalisa laa ma-Amaleki onayo.+ Yilwa nawo de uwatshayele.’+
19 Ngoko kutheni ungalithobelanga ilizwi likaYehova? Usuke wazitsibela ngokubawa izinto zama-Amaleki,+ waza wenza into embi emehlweni kaYehova!”
20 Noko ke, uSawule wathi kuSamuweli: “Kodwa ndilithobele nje ilizwi likaYehova! Ndiyenzile le nto ebendithume yona uYehova, ndabuya noAgagi ukumkani wama-Amaleki, futhi ndiwatshabalalisile ama-Amaleki.+
21 Kodwa bona abantu bathathe iigusha neenkomo zotshaba. Bathathe ezona zintle ukuze bazitshabalalise ngokubingelela ngazo kuYehova uThixo wakho eGiligali.”+
22 Emva koko uSamuweli wathi: “Ngaba uYehova uvuyiswa yiminikelo etshiswayo nemibingelelo+ ngaphezu kokuthotyelwa kwelizwi likaYehova? Jonga! Ukuthobela kubaluleke ukogqitha umbingelelo,+ nokumamela kubaluleke ngaphezu kwamanqatha eenkunzi zeegusha,+
23 kuba ukungathobeli+ kuyafana nesono sokuvumisa.+ Nokunyanzelisa ngekratshi kuyafana nokwenza imilingo nokukhonza izithixo. Ekubeni ungalithobelanga ilizwi likaYehova,+ naye uza kukuyekisa ukuba ngukumkani.”+
24 USawule wathi kuSamuweli: “Ndonile, kuba ndiye ndatsiba ngaphaya komyalelo kaYehova namazwi akho, kuba ndoyike abantu ndaza ndamamela into abayithethayo.
25 Ngoku ke ndiyakucela, sixolele isono sam, undikhaphe ndiyokuqubuda kuYehova.”+
26 Kodwa uSamuweli wathi: “Andizukukukhapha, kuba khange ulithobele ilizwi likaYehova, noYehova uza kukuyekisa ukuba ngukumkani kaSirayeli.”+
27 Njengoko uSamuweli wayejika eza kuhamba, uSawule wabamba umphetho wesambatho esingenamikhono sikaSamuweli, kodwa sakrazuka.
28 Wathi ke uSamuweli kuye: “UYehova ulukrazule kuwe namhlanje ulawulo lwasebukhosini lukaSirayeli, yaye uza kulunika omnye umntu ongcono kunawe.+
29 Ngapha koko, Obalaseleyo kaSirayeli+ akazukuthetha ubuxoki+ okanye atshintshe ingqondo,* kuba akalali neli avuke neliya* njengomntu.”+
30 Wathi yena: “Ndonile. Kodwa ndicela undiphathe ngembeko phambi kwabadala babantu bakowethu naphambi koSirayeli. Jika nam, yaye mna ndiza kuqubuda kuYehova uThixo wakho.”+
31 Ngoko uSamuweli wabuya elandela emva kukaSawule, yaye uSawule waqubuda kuYehova.
32 USamuweli wathi: “Mziseni kum uAgagi ukumkani wakwa-Amaleki.” Ngoko uAgagi waya kuye ekrikriza,* kuba wayesele ezixelele le nto: ‘Ngokuqinisekileyo sigqithile isisongelo sokufa* ngoku.’
33 Noko ke, uSamuweli wathi: “Kanye njengokuba abafazi bashiywa bengenabantwana ngenxa yekrele lakho, nomama wakho uza kuba ngoyena ushiywe engenabantwana kubo bonke abafazi.” Emva koko uSamuweli wamxhaxha uAgagi phambi koYehova eGiligali.+
34 USamuweli wahamba waya eRama, waza uSawule waya endlini yakhe eGibheya.
35 USamuweli akazange aphinde ambone uSawule kwada kwayimini yokufa kwakhe, kuba uSamuweli wayesakhathazekile ngenxa kaSawule.+ UYehova wazisola ngokwenza uSawule ukumkani kwaSirayeli.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “bamsizela.”
^ Okanye “Ndibuhlungu.”
^ Okanye “basizela.”
^ Okanye “azisole.”
^ Okanye “akazisoli.”
^ Okanye kusenokwenzeka, “ngokuzithemba.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “agqithile amava abuhlungu okufa.”
