< 2 Samuel 21 >

1 During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
Ekubuseni kukaDavida kwaba lendlala iminyaka emithathu ilandelana; ngakho uDavida wabuza uThixo. UThixo wathi, “Kungenxa kaSawuli lendlu yakhe enindwe ngegazi; kungenxa yokuthi yena wabulala amaGibhiyoni.”
2 At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)
Inkosi yabiza amaGibhiyoni yakhuluma lawo. (AbaseGibhiyoni babengasiyo ngxenye ka-Israyeli kodwa babengabasalayo bama-Amori, abako-Israyeli babefunge ukubayekela, kodwa uSawuli ngenxa yokutshisekela kwakhe u-Israyeli loJuda wafuna ukubaqeda du.)
3 So David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”
UDavida wabuza amaGibhiyoni wathi, “Kuyini engingalenzela khona na? Ngingakwenza njani ukubuyisana ukuze libusise ilifa likaThixo na?”
4 The Gibeonites said to him, “We need no silver or gold from Saul or his house, nor should you put to death anyone in Israel for us.” “Whatever you ask, I will do for you,” he replied.
AmaGibhiyoni amphendula athi, “Kasilalo ilungelo lokufuna isiliva loba igolide kuSawuli kumbe kwabendlu yakhe, lelungelo lokubulala umuntu ko-Israyeli kasilalo.” UDavida wabuza wathi, “Pho lifuna ukuthi ngilenzeleni?”
5 And they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us to exterminate us from existing within any border of Israel,
Bayiphendula inkosi bathi, “Umuntu owasichithayo waceba okubi ngathi saze satshabalala njalo kasaze saba lendawo loba ngaphi ko-Israyeli,
6 let seven of his male descendants be delivered to us so that we may hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.” “I will give them to you,” said the king.
kasinikwe abenzalo yakhe besilisa abayisikhombisa ukuba babulawe balengiswe phambi kukaThixo eGibhiya kaSawuli, okhethiweyo kaThixo.” Ngakho inkosi yathi, “Ngizalinika bona.”
7 Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
Kodwa uMefibhoshethi indodana kaJonathani, indodana kaSawuli, inkosi yamtshiya ngenxa yesifungo phambi kukaThixo phakathi kukaDavida loJonathani indodana kaSawuli.
8 But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, as well as the five sons whom Merab daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
Kodwa inkosi yathatha u-Arimoni loMefibhoshethi amadodana amabili endodakazi ka-Ayiya uRizipha, ayemzale loSawuli, kanye lamadodana amahlanu endodakazi kaSawuli uMerabi, ayewazale lo-Adiriyeli indodana kaBhazilayi waseMehola.
9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So all seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Yabanikeza kumaGibhiyoni, ababulala abachaya eqaqeni phambi kukaThixo. Bonke beyisikhombisa bafela ndawonye; babulawa ngezinsuku zakuqala zokuvuna, ukuvunwa kwebhali kuqalisa nje.
10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain from heaven poured down on the bodies, she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
URizipha indodakazi ka-Ayiya wathatha isaka wazendlalela lona edwaleni. Kusukela ekuqaliseni kokuvuna izulu laze lana livela emazulwini linetha izidumbu, kavumelanga izinyoni zasemoyeni ukuba zizithinte emini loba izinyamazana zeganga ebusuku.
11 When David was told what Saul’s concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had done,
Kwathi uDavida esetshelwe ngokwakwenziwe yindodakazi ka-Ayiya uRizipha, umfazi kaSawuli weceleni,
12 he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa.
wahamba wayathatha amathambo kaSawuli lawendodana yakhe uJonathani ebantwini baseJabheshi Giliyadi. (Babewathathe ensitha enkundleni kazulu eBhethi-Shani, lapho amaFilistiya ayewachaye khona emva kokubulala kwawo uSawuli eGilibhowa.)
13 So David had the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan brought from there, along with the bones of those who had been hanged.
UDavida wawathatha khonapho amathambo kaSawuli lawendodana yakhe uJonathani, lamathambo alabo ababebulawe babuye bachaywa abuthwa.
14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded, God answered their prayers for the land.
Amathambo kaSawuli lawendodana yakhe uJonathani bawangcwaba ethuneni likasekaSawuli uKhishi, eZela koBhenjamini, benza konke njengokulaya kwenkosi. Emva kwalokho uNkulunkulu wayiphendula imikhuleko eyenzelwa ilizwe.
15 Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel, and David and his servants went down and fought against the Philistines; but David became exhausted.
Kwaphinda kwaba lempi futhi phakathi kwamaFilistiya lo-Israyeli. UDavida wahamba labantu bakhe ukuyakulwa lamaFilistiya, wasedinwa.
16 Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David.
U-Ishibhi-Bhenobi, omunye wabenzalo kaRafa, isihloko somkhonto wakhe wethusi esasilobunzima obungamashekeli angamakhulu amathathu, njalo ehlome ngenkemba entsha, wathi uzabulala uDavida.
17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.”
Kodwa u-Abhishayi indodana kaZeruya wamhlenga uDavida; wamcakazela phansi umFilistiya lowo wambulala. Abantu bakaDavida bafunga kuye bathi, “Kawuyikuhamba lathi futhi empini, ukuze isibane sika-Israyeli singacitshwa.”
18 Some time later at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.
Ngokuqhubeka kwesikhathi kwaba lenye impi futhi lamaFilistiya, eGobi. Ngalesosikhathi uSibhekhayi umHushathi wabulala uSafi, omunye wabosendo kaRafa.
19 Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
Kweyinye impi lamaFilistiya njalo eGobi, u-Elihanani indodana kaJayiri umBhethilehema wabulala umfowabo kaGoliyathi umGithi, owayelomkhonto owawuloluthi olunjengogodo lomaluki.
20 And there was still another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha,
Kanti njalo kwenye impi eyalwelwa eGathi, kwakulendoda enkulu kakhulu ileminwe eyisithupha esandleni ngasinye lamazwane ayisithupha enyaweni ngalunye, sekubalwa konke ndawonye kungamatshumi amabili lane. Laye wayengowosendo lukaRafa.
21 and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David’s brother Shimei killed him.
Kwathi echothoza u-Israyeli, uJonathani indodana kaShimeya, umfowabo kaDavida, wambulala.
22 So these four descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.
Abane laba babengabosendo lukaRafa eGathi, bonke babulawa nguDavida lamabutho akhe.

< 2 Samuel 21 >