2 Samuel 15
1 Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.
Kwasekusithi emva kwalokhu uAbisalomu wazilungisela izinqola lamabhiza, labantu abangamatshumi amahlanu begijima phambi kwakhe.
2 He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out and ask, “What city are you from?” And if he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,”
UAbisalomu wayesevuka ekuseni kakhulu eme eceleni kwendlela yesango; kwakusithi wonke umuntu olecala lomthetho eliya enkosini ukwahlulelwa, uAbisalomu ambize athi: Ungowawuphi umuzi? Lapho esithi: Inceku yakho ingowesinye sezizwe zakoIsrayeli;
3 Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.”
uAbisalomu abesesithi kuye: Bona, indaba zakho zinhle zilungile, kodwa kakho owenkosi ukuthi akuzwe.
4 And he would add, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then everyone with a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice.”
UAbisalomu abesesithi: Kungathi ngabe ngibekwe umahluleli elizweni, ukuthi wonke umuntu olecala lomthetho lodaba angeza kimi, njalo bengizamlungisela.
5 Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.
Kwakusithi lapho kusondela umuntu ukumkhothamela, elule isandla sakhe, ambambe, amange.
6 Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for justice. In this way he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
UAbisalomu wasesenza ngalindlela kuIsrayeli wonke, bona abeza enkosini ukwahlulelwa; ngalokho uAbisalomu wathumba inhliziyo yamadoda akoIsrayeli.
7 After four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD.
Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kweminyaka engamatshumi amane uAbisalomu wathi enkosini: Ake ngiyekhokha isithembiso sami engasithembisa eNkosini eHebroni.
8 For your servant made a vow while dwelling in Geshur of Aram, saying: ‘If indeed the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.’”
Ngoba inceku yakho yathembisa isithembiso ngisahlala eGeshuri eSiriya ngisithi: Uba iNkosi ingibuyisela lokungibuyisela eJerusalema, ngizayikhonza iNkosi.
9 “Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom got up and went to Hebron.
Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Hamba ngokuthula. Wasesukuma waya eHebroni.
10 Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’”
Kodwa uAbisalomu wathuma izinhloli ezizweni zonke zakoIsrayeli esithi: Lapho lisizwa ukukhala kophondo, lizakuthi: UAbisalomu uyinkosi eHebroni!
11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter.
Kwasekuhamba loAbisalomu amadoda angamakhulu amabili esuka eJerusalema, anxusiweyo, ahamba ebuqothweni bawo, njalo engazi lutho.
12 While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.
UAbisalomu wasethumela wabiza uAhithofeli weGilo, umeluleki kaDavida, esuka emzini wakhe, eGilo, esahlaba imihlatshelo. Njalo ugobe lwaqina, labantu bahamba banda kuAbisalomu.
13 Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”
Kwasekufika isithunywa kuDavida, sisithi: Inhliziyo yabantu bakoIsrayeli ilandela uAbisalomu.
14 And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! We must leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and put the city to the sword.”
Wasesithi uDavida ezincekwini zakhe zonke ezazilaye eJerusalema: Sukumani, sibaleke, ngoba kasilakuphepha ebusweni bukaAbisalomu. Phangisani ukuhamba, hlezi aphangise asifice, asehlisele okubi, atshaye umuzi ngobukhali benkemba.
15 The king’s servants replied, “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are your servants.”
Izinceku zenkosi zasezisithi enkosini: Njengakho konke inkosi, inkosi yami, ekukhethayo, khangela, nanzi inceku zakho.
16 Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.
Yasiphuma inkosi, layo yonke indlu yayo iyilandela. Inkosi yasitshiya abafazi abalitshumi, abafazi abancane, ukuze balinde indlu.
17 So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house,
Yasiphuma inkosi, labo bonke abantu beyilandela; bema endlini ekhatshana.
18 and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.
Lazo zonke inceku zayo zedlula eceleni kwayo, njalo wonke amaKerethi lawo wonke amaPelethi lawo wonke amaGiti, amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha, eza amlandela evela eGati, edlula phambi kwenkosi.
19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.
Inkosi yasisithi kuIthayi umGiti: Lawe uhambelani lathi? Buyela uhlale lenkosi, ngoba ungowezizweni njalo ungumxotshwa endaweni yakho.
20 In fact, you arrived only yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I do not know where I am going? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness.”
Ufike izolo; pho, lamuhla ngikuzulazulise ngokuhamba lathi, njengoba ngiya lapho engiya khona? Buyela ubuyisele abafowenu. Umusa leqiniso kakube lawe.
21 But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!”
Kodwa uIthayi wayiphendula inkosi wathi: Kuphila kukaJehova, njalo kuphila kwenkosi yami, inkosi, isibili kuleyondawo lapho inkosi yami, inkosi, ezakuba kiyo, loba kusekufeni loba kusekuphileni, lalapho izakuba khona inceku yakho.
22 “March on then,” said David to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.
UDavida wasesithi kuIthayi: Hamba, uchaphe. UIthayi umGiti wasechapha kanye labantu bakhe bonke labantwanyana ababelaye.
23 Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly as all the people passed by. And as the king crossed the Kidron Valley, all the people also passed toward the way of the wilderness.
Ilizwe lonke lakhala inyembezi ngelizwi elikhulu, njalo abantu bonke bachapha. Inkosi yasichapha isifula iKidroni, labantu bonke bachapha, ngasendleleni yenkangala.
24 Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until the people had passed out of the city.
Njalo khangela, uZadoki laye lawo wonke amaLevi elaye, bethwele umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, bawubeka phansi umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu; uAbhiyatha wasesenyuka, abantu bonke baze baphela ukudlula bephuma emzini.
25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His dwelling place again.
Inkosi yasisithi kuZadoki: Buyisela umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu emzini. Uba ngizathola umusa emehlweni eNkosi, izangibuyisa ingitshengise wona kanye lendawo yayo yokuhlala.
26 But if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.”
Kodwa uba isitsho njalo, ithi: Kangithokozi ngawe; khangela ngilapha, kayenze kimi njengokuhle emehlweni ayo.
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace—you with your son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar with his son Jonathan.
Inkosi yasisithi kuZadoki umpristi: Ungumboni yini? Buyela emzini ngokuthula, loAhimahazi indodana yakho loJonathani indodana kaAbhiyatha, amadodana enu womabili elani.
28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
Bona, ngizalinda emazibukweni enkangala, kuze kufike ilizwi elivela kini lokungibikela.
29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.
Ngakho uZadoki loAbhiyatha bawubuyisela umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, bahlala khona.
30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
UDavida wasesenyuka ngomqanso wemihlwathi, esenyuka ekhala inyembezi, embomboze ikhanda lakhe, wahamba engelamanyathela; labo bonke abantu ababelaye bambomboza, ngulowo lalowo ikhanda lakhe, benyuka, besenyuka bekhala inyembezi.
31 Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
Kwasekubikwa kuDavida kwathiwa: UAhithofeli uphakathi kwabakugobe loAbisalomu. UDavida wasesithi: Nkosi, ake enze icebo likaAhithofeli libe yibuthutha.
32 When David came to the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.
Kwasekusithi uDavida esefike engqongeni lapho ayekhonza khona uNkulunkulu, khangela, uHushayi umArki wamhlangabeza, isembatho sakhe sidatshuliwe, lenhlabathi isekhanda lakhe.
33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.
UDavida wasesithi kuye: Uba usedlula lami, uzakuba ngumthwalo kimi.
34 But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant.’
Kodwa uba ubuyela emzini uthi kuAbisalomu: Ngizakuba yinceku yakho, nkosi; kade ngiyinceku kayihlo, kodwa khathesi sengizakuba yinceku yakho; khona uzangichithela icebo likaAhithofeli.
35 Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report to them everything you hear from the king’s palace.
Njalo kabakho yini kanye lawe lapho oZadoki loAbhiyatha abapristi? Ngakho kuzakuthi yonke indaba oyizwayo endlini yenkosi, uyitshele oZadoki loAbhiyatha abapristi.
36 Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.”
Khangela, kukhona lapho kanye labo amadodana abo amabili, uAhimahazi okaZadoki, loJonathani okaAbhiyatha; njalo uzathumela ngesandla sabo kimi yonke into ozayizwa.
37 So David’s friend Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.
UHushayi umngane kaDavida wasefika emzini, loAbisalomu wafika eJerusalema.
