2 Samuel 11
1 In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.
Kwathi entwasa, ngesikhathi amakhosi ayesiyakulwa ngaso impi, uDavida wathuma uJowabi elabantu benkosi lebutho lonke lako-Israyeli. Baqothula ama-Amoni basebevimbezela iRabha. Kodwa uDavida wasala eJerusalema.
2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.
Ngelinye ilanga kusihlwa uDavida wavuka embhedeni wakhe wahambahamba phezu kophahla lwesigodlo. Esephahleni wabona owesifazane egeza. Owesifazane lowo wayemuhle kakhulu,
3 So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
uDavida wasethuma umuntu ukuyabuza ngaye. Umuntu lowo wathi, “Kanti lo kasuBhathishebha, indodakazi ka-Eliyami umka-Uriya umHithi na?”
4 Then David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. (Now she had just purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned home.
UDavida wathuma izithunywa ukuyamthatha. Weza kuye, wembatha laye. (Owesifazane lo wayezihlambulule ekungcoleni kwakhe.) Emva kwalokho wabuyela ekhaya.
5 And the woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
Owesifazane lowo wathatha isisu, wasethumela ilizwi kuDavida, esithi, “Sengilesisu.”
6 At this, David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David.
Ngakho uDavida wathumela ilizwi leli kuJowabi elithi: “Ngilethela u-Uriya umHithi.” UJowabi wamthumela kuDavida.
7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing with the war.
U-Uriya esefikile kuye, uDavida wambuza ukuthi uJowabi wayenjani, amabutho ayenjani kanye lokuthi impi yayiqhubeka njani.
8 Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him.
UDavida wasesithi ku-Uriya, “Yehlela endlini yakho ugeze inyawo zakho.” Ngakho u-Uriya wasuka esigodlweni, walandelwa yisipho esavela enkosini esasala sithunyelwa kuye.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.
Kodwa u-Uriya walala entubeni yesigodlo lezinceku zonke zenkosi yakhe akaze aya endlini yakhe.
10 And David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey?” David asked Uriah. “Why didn’t you go home?”
Kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ukuthi, “U-Uriya kayanga ekhaya,” wambuza wathi, “Angithi usanda kufika nje uvela khatshana? Kungani ungayanga ekhaya?”
11 Uriah answered, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camped in the open field. How can I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing!”
U-Uriya wathi kuDavida, “Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo lo-Israyeli loJuda kuhlezi emathenteni, inkosi yami uJowabi kanye labantu benkosi yami bamise egangeni. Pho ngingaya kanjani endlini ukuyakudla, lokunatha ngilale lomkami futhi na? Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uphila, mina angiyikwenza into enjalo!”
12 “Stay here one more day,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.
UDavida wasesithi kuye, “Hlala lapha elinye ilanga futhi, kusasa ngizakubuyisela emuva.” Ngakho u-Uriya wahlala eJerusalema lolosuku kanye lolwalandelayo.
13 Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and he got Uriah drunk. And in the evening Uriah went out to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.
Esecelwe nguDavida, wadla wanatha laye, uDavida wasemdakisa. Kodwa kusihlwa u-Uriya waphuma wayalala ecansini lakhe phakathi kwezinceku zenkosi yakhe; akayanga ekhaya.
14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.
Ekuseni uDavida walobela uJowabi incwadi wayiphathisa u-Uriya.
15 In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”
Kuyo wayelobe ukuthi, “U-Uriya mbeke kuviyo eliphambili lapho impi evutha khona kakhulu. Lapho-ke khumukani kuye ukuze acakazelwe phansi afe.”
16 So as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he saw the strongest enemy soldiers.
Ngakho kwathi uJowabi idolobho eselivimbezele, wabeka u-Uriya lapho ayesazi khona ukuthi yikho okwakulabavikeli abalamandla kakhulu.
17 And when the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of David’s servants fell, and Uriah the Hittite also died.
Kwathi abantu bakulelodolobho sebephumile ukuba balwe loJowabi, abanye babantu ebuthweni likaDavida bafa; u-Uriya umHithi laye futhi wafa.
18 Joab sent to David a full account of the battle
UJowabi wathumela uDavida umbiko opheleleyo ngempi.
19 and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king all the details of the battle,
Walaya isithunywa wathi: “Lapho usuqedile ukwethulela inkosi umbiko wempi,
20 if the king’s anger flares, he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Did you not realize they would shoot from atop the wall?
ulaka lwenkosi lungavutha, ibe isibuza isithi, ‘Kungani lisondele eduzane kangaka ledolobho ukuba lilwe? Kalazanga yini ukuthi kade bengatshoka imitshoko besemdulini?
21 Who was the one to strike Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If so, then you are to say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.’”
Ngubani obulele u-Abhimelekhi indodana kaJerubhi-Bheshethi na? Owesifazane obephezu komduli kamjikijelanga ngembokodo, wayafela eThebhezi na? Kungani lisondele eduzane kangaka lomduli?’ Ingakubuza lokhu, uthi kuyo, ‘Lenceku yakho u-Uriya umHithi ifile.’”
22 So the messenger set out and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to say.
Isithunywa sasuka sahamba, kwathi sesifikile samtshela uDavida konke uJowabi ayesithume ukuba siyekutsho.
23 The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.
Isithunywa sathi kuDavida, “Abantu basikhulele, baphuma bazasihlasela etshatshalazini, kodwa sibadudulele emuva entubeni yedolobho.
24 Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s servants were killed. And your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.”
Lapho-ke abemitshoko batshoke izinceku zakho besemdulini, kwathi abanye abantu benkosi bafa. Lenceku yakho, u-Uriya umHithi ifile.”
25 Then David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Do not let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him with these words.”
UDavida watshela isithunywa wathi, “Yitsho lokhu kuJowabi: ‘Ungakhathazwa yilokhu; inkemba idla omunye njengoba isidla omunye. Qinisa ukuhlasela idolobho, ulichithe.’ Yitsho lokhu ukuba umise isibindi uJowabi.”
26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.
Kwathi umka-Uriya esezwile ukuthi umkakhe usefile, wamlilela.
27 And when the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.
Kwathi isikhathi sokulila sesiphelile, uDavida wamletha endlini yakhe, wasesiba ngumkakhe wamzalela indodana. Kodwa into eyenziwa nguDavida yathukuthelisa uThixo.
