< 2 Chronicles 18 >
1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.
Njalo uJehoshafathi wayelenotho lodumo ngobunengi; wahlangana ngobuhlobo loAhabi.
2 And some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria, where Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him, and urged him to march up to Ramoth-gilead.
Ekupheleni kweminyaka wasesehlela kuAhabi eSamariya. UAhabi wamhlabela izimvu lenkabi ngobunengi, labantu ababelaye, wamncenga ukuthi enyukele eRamothi-Gileyadi.
3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat replied, “I am like you, and my people are your people; we will join you in the war.”
UAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli wasesithi kuJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda: Uzahamba lami eRamothi-Gileyadi yini? Wasesithi kuye: Njengami unjalo wena, labantu bami banjengabantu bakho. Sizakuba lawe empini.
4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
UJehoshafathi wasesithi enkosini yakoIsrayeli: Akubuze lamuhla ilizwi leNkosi.
5 So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasibuthanisa abaprofethi, amadoda angamakhulu amane, yathi kubo: Sihambe yini eRamothi-Gileyadi empini kumbe ngiyekele? Basebesithi: Yenyuka, ngoba uNkulunkulu uzayinikela esandleni senkosi.
6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”
Kodwa uJehoshafathi wathi: Kasekho yini lapha umprofethi weNkosi ukuthi sibuze kuye?
7 The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.
Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Kusekhona indoda eyodwa esingabuza ngayo eNkosini, kodwa mina ngiyamzonda ngoba kaprofethi lutho oluhle ngami, kodwa okubi zonke izinsuku zakhe; lo nguMikhaya indodana kaImla. UJehoshafathi wasesithi: Inkosi ingatsho njalo.
8 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasibiza umthenwa othile yathi: Landa masinyane uMikhaya indodana kaImla.
9 Dressed in royal attire, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.
Njalo inkosi yakoIsrayeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda babehlezi ngulowo lalowo esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, begqoke izembatho, behlezi ebaleni engenelweni lesango leSamariya, bonke abaprofethi beprofetha-ke phambi kwabo.
10 Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made for himself iron horns and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are finished off.’”
UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenahana wasezenzela impondo zensimbi, wathi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngalezi uzahlaba amaSiriya uze uwaqede.
11 And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
Labo bonke abaprofethi baprofetha njalo, besithi: Yenyukela eRamothi-Gileyadi uphumelele, ngoba iNkosi izayinikela esandleni senkosi.
12 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold, with one accord the words of the prophets are favorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”
Isithunywa esasiyebiza uMikhaya sakhuluma kuye sisithi: Khangela, amazwi abaprofethi ngamlomo munye mahle enkosini; ngakho ilizwi lakho ake lifanane lelomunye wabo, ukhulume okuhle.
13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me.”
Kodwa uMikhaya wathi: Kuphila kukaJehova, ngeqiniso lokho uNkulunkulu wami akutshoyo, lokho ngizakukhuluma.
14 When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for they will be given into your hand.”
Esefikile enkosini, inkosi yathi kuye: Mikhaya, siye eRamothi-Gileyadi empini kumbe ngiyekele yini? Wasesithi: Yenyukani, liphumelele, ngoba bazanikelwa esandleni senu.
15 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Ngizakufungisa kuze kube yizikhathi ezingaki ukuze ungakhulumi kimi ngaphandle kweqiniso ebizweni leNkosi?
16 So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These people have no master; let each one return home in peace.’”
Wasesithi: Ngabona uIsrayeli wonke echithekile phezu kwezintaba njengezimvu ezingelamelusi; iNkosi yasisithi: Laba kabalamakhosi, kababuyele ngulowo endlini yakhe ngokuthula.
17 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?”
Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Kangikutshelanga yini: Kayikuprofetha okuhle ngami kodwa okubi kuphela?
18 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left.
Wasesithi: Ngakho zwanini ilizwi leNkosi. Ngabona iNkosi ihlezi esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi, lexuku lonke lamazulu limi ngakwesokunene sayo langakwesokhohlo sayo.
19 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.
INkosi yasisithi: Ngubani ozahuga uAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli ukuze enyuke awe eRamothi-Gileyadi? Omunye wasekhuluma esitsho ngokunjalo, lomunye esitsho ngokunjalo.
20 Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.
Kwasekuphuma umoya, wema phambi kweNkosi wathi: Mina ngizamhuga. INkosi yasisithi kuwo: Ngani?
21 And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’
Wasusithi: Ngizaphuma ngibe ngumoya wamanga emlonyeni wabo bonke abaprofethi bakhe. Yasisithi: Uzamhuga, njalo uzakuba lamandla; phuma wenze njalo.
22 So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
Ngakho-ke, khangela, iNkosi ifake umoya wamanga emlonyeni walababaprofethi bakho, njalo iNkosi ikhulume okubi ngawe.
23 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?”
UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenahana wasesondela, watshaya uMikhaya esihlathini, wathi: UMoya weNkosi wedlula ngandlela bani esuka kimi ukuthi akhulume lawe?
24 Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”
UMikhaya wasesithi: Khangela, uzabona ngalolosuku mhla uzangena ekamelweni phakathi kwekamelo ukuthi ucatshe.
25 And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi: Thathani uMikhaya, limbuyisele kuAmoni umbusi womuzi lakuJowashi indodana yenkosi,
26 and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”
lithi: Itsho njalo inkosi: Fakani lo entolongweni, limdlise isinkwa senhlupho lamanzi enhlupho ngize ngibuye ngokuthula.
27 But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”
UMikhaya wasesithi: Uba ubuya lokubuya ngokuthula, iNkosi izabe ingakhulumanga ngami. Wathi: Lalelani, bantu lonke.
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
Ngakho inkosi yakoIsrayeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda benyukela eRamothi-Gileyadi.
29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Ngizazifihla isimo, ngingene empini, kodwa wena gqoka izembatho zakho. Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasizifihla isimo, basebengena empini.
30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
Inkosi yeSiriya yayilayile-ke izinduna zenqola eyayilazo isithi: Lingalwi lomncane loba omkhulu, kodwa lenkosi yakoIsrayeli kuphela.
31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “This is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him.
Kwasekusithi induna zezinqola zibona uJehoshafathi zona zathi: Yena uyinkosi yakoIsrayeli. Ngakho zamhanqela ukulwa. Kodwa uJehoshafathi wahlaba umkhosi; iNkosi yasimsiza. UNkulunkulu wazihuga zasuka kuye.
32 And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
Ngoba kwathi lapho induna zezinqola zibona ukuthi kwakungayisiyo inkosi yakoIsrayeli, zaphenduka ekuyilandeleni.
33 However, a certain man drew his bow without taking special aim, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So the king said to his charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!”
Umuntu othile wasedonsa idandili engananzelele, wahlaba inkosi yakoIsrayeli phakathi kwenhlangano lebhatshi lensimbi; yasisithi kumtshayeli wenqola: Phendula isandla sakho, ungikhuphe ebuthweni, ngoba ngilimele.
34 The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. And at sunset he died.
Impi yasikhula mhlalokho; inkosi yayisekelwe enqoleni iqondene lamaSiriya kwaze kwaba ntambama; yafa ngesikhathi sokutshona kwelanga.