< 1 Kings 22 >
1 Now for three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.
Kwathatha iminyaka kungelampi phakathi kwe-Aramu le-Israyeli.
2 And it came about in the third year, that Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, came down to the king of Israel.
Kodwa ngomnyaka wesithathu uJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda wayabonana lenkosi yako-Israyeli.
3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, Do you not see that Ramoth-gilead is ours? and we are doing nothing to get it back from the hands of the king of Aram.
Inkosi yako-Israyeli yayike yakhuluma lezikhulu zayo isithi, “Alikwazi na ukuthi eleRamothi Giliyadi ngelethu kodwa asikenzi lutho ukuze silithathe ezandleni zenkosi yase-Aramu?”
4 And he said to Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead to make war? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as you are: my people as your people, my horses as your horses.
Ngakho yasicela uJehoshafathi isithi, “Ungahamba lami na ukuze siyehlasela eRamothi Giliyadi?” UJehoshafathi ephendula inkosi yako-Israyeli wathi, “Mina ngikanye lawe, abantu bami banjengabakho, amabhiza ami anjengawakho.”
5 Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Let us now get directions from the Lord.
Kodwa uJehoshafathi waphinda wathi enkosini yako-Israyeli, “Akubuze kuThixo kuqala.”
6 So the king of Israel got all the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, Am I to go to Ramoth-gilead to make war or not? And they said, Go up: for the Lord will give it into the hands of the king.
Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yahlanganisa abaphrofethi abangaba ngamakhulu amane yasibabuza isithi, “Ngihambe ngiyehlasela iRamothi Giliyadi yini, loba ngiyekele na?” Abaphrofethi bathi, “Hamba ngoba iNkosi izayinikela esandleni sakho.”
7 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there no other prophet of the Lord here from whom we may get directions?
Kodwa uJehoshafathi wabuza wathi, “Kambe kakusela mphrofethi kaThixo lapha esingabuza kuye na?”
8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is still one man by whom we may get directions from the Lord, Micaiah, son of Imlah; but I have no love for him, for he is a prophet of evil to me and not of good. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi, “Ukhona oyedwa esingabuza uThixo ngaye kodwa ngiyamzonda ngoba kakaze aphrofethe okuhle ngami, uhlala ekhuluma okubi. Ibizo lakhe nguMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.” UJehoshafathi wathi, “Inkosi kayimelanga itsho njalo.”
9 Then the king of Israel sent for one of his unsexed servants and said, Go quickly and come back with Micaiah, the son of Imlah.
Inkosi yako-Israyeli yasibiza omunye wezikhulu zayo yathi kuye, “Phangisa ungilethele uMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.”
10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were seated on their seats of authority, dressed in their robes, by the doorway into Samaria; and all the prophets were acting as prophets before them.
Bembethe izembatho zabo zobukhosi, inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda babehlezi ezihlalweni zabo zobukhosi esizeni sokubhulela amabele esangweni laseSamariya labo bonke abaphrofethi bephrofetha phambi kwabo.
11 And Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made himself horns of iron and said, The Lord says, Pushing back the Aramaeans with these, you will put an end to them completely.
UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana wayekhande impondo zensimbi, wasesithi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uthi: ‘Ngempondo lezi uzagwaza ama-Aramu uwabhubhise.’”
12 And all the prophets said the same thing, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and it will go well for you, for the Lord will give it into the hands of the king.
Bonke abaphrofethi babevele bephrofetha okufananayo besithi, “Hlasela iRamothi Giliyadi unqobe, ngoba uThixo uyinikile esandleni senkosi.”
13 Now the servant who had gone to get Micaiah said to him, See now, all the prophets with one voice are saying good things to the king; so let your words be like theirs and say good things.
Isithunywa esasithunywe ukuyabiza uMikhaya sathi kuye, “Khangela, abanye abaphrofethi bafakaza bengela kuthandabuza ukuthi inkosi izanqoba. Lawe vumelana labo, ukhulume okuyithokozisayo.”
14 And Micaiah said, By the living Lord, whatever the Lord says to me I will say.
Kodwa uMikhaya wathi, “Njengokutsho kukaThixo, mina ngizayitshela lokho engikuthunywe nguThixo.”
15 When he came to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, are we to go to Ramoth-gilead to make war or not? And in answer he said, Go up, and it will go well for you; and the Lord will give it into the hands of the king.
Ekufikeni kwakhe, inkosi yambuza yathi, “Mikhaya, sihambe siyehlasela iRamothi Giliyadi yini, loba ngiyekele na?” Yena waphendula wathi, “Hlasela njalo unqobe, ngoba uThixo uzalinikela ezandleni zakho nkosi.”
16 Then the king said to him, Have I not, again and again, put you on your oath to say nothing to me but what is true in the name of the Lord?
Inkosi yathi kuye, “Kumele ngikufungise kangaki ukuze ungangikhohlisi kodwa ungitshele iqiniso ebizweni likaThixo?”
17 Then he said, I saw all Israel wandering on the mountains like sheep without a keeper; and the Lord said, These have no master: let them go back, every man to his house in peace.
Ngakho uMikhaya waphendula wathi, “Ngabona u-Israyeli wonke ehlakazekile ezintabeni njengezimvu ezingelamelusi, kulapho uThixo athi ‘Lababantu abalamkhomkheli. Yekela bonke babuyele emakhaya ngokuthula.’”
18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not say that he would not be a prophet of good but of evil?
Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi, “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi uvele kaphrofethi okuhle ngami, kodwa okubi kuphela?”
19 And he said, Give ear now to the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord seated on his seat of power, with all the army of heaven in their places round him at his right hand and at his left.
UMikhaya waqhubekela phambili wathi, “Ngakho zwana ilizwi likaThixo elithi, Ngabona uThixo ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi lamabutho wonke asezulwini emi ngakwesokunene sakhe lakwesokhohlo sakhe.
20 And the Lord said, How may Ahab be tricked into going up to Ramoth-gilead to his death? And one said one thing and one another.
Njalo uThixo wathi, ‘Ngubani ozahugela u-Ahabi ekuhlaseleni iRamothi Giliyadi ukuze ayefela khonale na?’ Omunye waqamba lokhu, lomunye okwakhe.
21 Then a spirit came forward and took his place before the Lord and said, I will get him to do it by a trick.
Ekucineni kwavela umoya, wema phambi kukaThixo wathi, ‘Mina ngizamhuga.’
22 And the Lord said, How? And he said, I will go out and be a spirit of deceit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Your trick will have its effect on him: go out and do so.
UThixo wabuza wathi, ‘Uzakwenza ngandlela bani?’ Umoya waphendula wathi, ‘Ngizahamba ngiyekuba ngumoya wokuqamba amanga emilonyeni yabo bonke abaphrofethi bakhe.’ UThixo wathi, ‘Uzaphumelela ukumhuga. Hamba-ke uyekwenza lokho.’
23 And now, see, the Lord has put a spirit of deceit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the Lord has said evil against you.
Ngakho khathesi uThixo usefake umoya wenkohliso emilonyeni yabaphrofethi bakho bonke laba. UThixo usekumisele ukubhujiswa.”
24 Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, came near and gave Micaiah a blow on the side of the face, saying, Where is the spirit of the Lord whose word is in you?
Kusenjalo uZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana wasondela, wamwakala uMikhaya ebusweni. Wabuza wathi: “Umoya kaThixo wasuka njani kimi ungena kuwe na?”
25 And Micaiah said, Truly, you will see on that day when you go into an inner room to keep yourself safe.
UMikhaya waphendula wathi, “Uzazibonela mhla uzakuyacatsha endlini engaphakathi.”
26 And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon, the ruler of the town, and to Joash, the king's son;
Inkosi yako-Israyeli yalaya yathi, “Thathani uMikhaya limbuyisele ku-Amoni obusa idolobho lakoJowashi indodana yenkosi.
27 And say, It is the king's order that this man is to be put in prison and given prison food till I come again in peace.
Liyekuthi, ‘Inkosi ithi: Valelani umuntu lo entolongweni lingamniki lutho ngaphandle kwesinkwa lamanzi ngize ngiphenduke ngokuhle.’”
28 And Micaiah said, If you come back at all in peace, the Lord has not sent his word by me.
UMikhaya waqonqosela wathi: “Nxa ungaphenduka kuhle, uThixo uyabe engakhulumanga ngami.” Waqhubeka wathi, “Lani lonke bantu abambisiseni amazwi ami!”
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up to Ramoth-gilead.
Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda baya eRamothi Giliyadi.
30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will make a change in my clothing, so that I do not seem to be the king, and will go into the fight; but do you put on your robes. So the king of Israel made a change in his dress and went into the fight.
Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Mina ngizakuya empini ngizazifihla ngokulahlisa isimo sami, kodwa wena gqoka ezakho ezobukhosi.” Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yazifihla ngokulahlisa isimo sayo yangena empini.
31 Now the king of Aram had given orders to the thirty-two captains of his war-carriages, saying, Make no attack on small or great, but only on the king of Israel.
Inkosi yase-Aramu yayilaye abalawuli bayo bezinqola zokulwa abangamatshumi amathathu lambili yathi, “Lina lingalwi lamuntu, loba eyisikhulu loba engumuntukazana, ngaphandle kwenkosi yako-Israyeli.”
32 So when the captains of the war-carriages saw Jehoshaphat, they said, Truly, this is the king of Israel; and turning against him, they came round him, but Jehoshaphat gave a cry.
Abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa bathe bebona uJehoshafathi, bahle bathi “Ngempela le yiyo kanye inkosi yako-Israyeli.” Abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa basebehlasela uJehoshafathi, yena wahlaba umkhosi,
33 And when the captains of the war-carriages saw that he was not the king of Israel, they went back from going after him.
baphanga babona ukuthi kwakungasiyo inkosi yako-Israyeli bahle bayekela ukuxotshana laye.
34 And a certain man sent an arrow from his bow without thought of its direction, and gave the king of Israel a wound where his breastplate was joined to his clothing; so he said to the driver of his war-carriage, Go to one side and take me away out of the army, for I am badly wounded.
Umuntu othile wakhokha umtshoko wakhe watshoka engaqondanga muntu umtshoko wayaciba inkosi yako-Israyeli emkenkeni wesihlangu sayo. Inkosi yasisithi kumtshayeli wenqola yokulwa: “Phendula inqola yakho ungisuse lapha. Sengilimele.”
35 But the fight became more violent while the day went on; and the king was supported in his war-carriage facing the Aramaeans, and the floor of the carriage was covered with the blood from his wound, and by evening he was dead.
Kwalwiwa impi kanzima ilanga lonke. Inkosi yayeyanyiswe enqoleni yayo yokulwa ikhangele ama-Aramu. Igazi lamanxeba ayo lagelezela phansi enqoleni yokulwa, kwathi Ngalokhokuhlwa yafa.
36 And about sundown a cry went up from all parts of the army, saying, Let every man go back to his town and his country, for the king is dead.
Ekutshoneni kwelanga kwamenyezelwa kuyo yonke impi ukuthi: “Abantu bonke kababuyele emizini yakibo, bonke kababuyele lowo lalowo elizweni lakibo!”
37 And they came to Samaria, and put the king's body to rest in Samaria.
Ngakho inkosi yafa yasiwa eSamariya, yangcwatshwa khona.
38 And the war-carriage was washed by the pool of Samaria, which was the bathing-place of the loose women, and the dogs were drinking his blood there, as the Lord had said.
Inqola yokulwa bayigezisela esizibeni seSamariya (endaweni eyayigezela izifebe), izinja zakhotha igazi layo, njengokutsho kwelizwi likaThixo.
39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all he did, and his ivory house, and all the towns of which he was the builder, are they not recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel?
Konke okunye ngempilo langokubusa kuka-Ahabi lakho konke akwenzayo, ukwakha isigodlo esasiceciswe ngempondo zezindlovu, lamadolobho ayevikelwe okwenqaba, akulotshwanga na egwalweni lwembali yamakhosi ako-Israyeli?
40 So Ahab was put to rest with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son became king in his place.
U-Ahabi wangcwatshwa laboyise. Ubukhosi bakhe bathathwa yindodana yakhe u-Ahaziya.
41 And Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, became king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab's rule over Israel.
UJehoshafathi indodana ka-Asa waba yinkosi yakoJuda ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kuka-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli.
42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he was king for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
UJehoshafathi waba yinkosi eleminyaka engamatshumi amathathu lemihlanu yokuzalwa, wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili lemihlanu. Ibizo likanina kungu-Azubha indodakazi kaShilihi.
43 He did as Asa his father had done, not turning away from it, but doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord; but the high places were not taken away: the people went on making offerings and burning them in the high places.
Kukho konke ayekwenza wayesenyathelweni likayise u-Asa njalo kazange aphambuke; wenza konke okuhle emehlweni kaThixo. Kodwa izindawo eziphakemeyo zokukhonzela kazisuswanga, abantu babelokhu benikela imihlatshelo, betshisa impepha khonapho.
44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
UJehoshafathi wahlalisana ngokuthula lenkosi yako-Israyeli.
45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his great power, and how he went to war, are they not recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Judah?
Okwenzakala ekubuseni kukaJehoshafathi, ukuphumelela kwakhe kanye lokunqoba ezimpini, akulotshwanga na encwadini yembali yamakhosi akoJuda?
46 He put an end to the rest of those who were used for sex purposes in the worship of the gods, all those who were still in the land in the time of his father Asa.
Waqeda insalela yabesilisa ababefeba emathempelini ayelokhu esasele lapho langemva kokubusa kukayise u-Asa.
47 At that time there was no king in Edom;
Kwakungaselankosi e-Edomi, umsekeli nguye owayebusa.
48 And the representative of King Jehoshaphat made a Tarshish-ship to go to Ophir for gold, but it did not go, because it was broken at Ezion-geber.
UJehoshafathi wakha imikhumbi yokuthutha igolide e-Ofiri, kodwa ayizange isebenze olwandle, yahle yahlikizeka, yabhidlikela e-Eziyoni-Gebheri.
49 Then Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, Let my men go with yours in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not let them.
Ngalesosikhathi u-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi wathi kuJehoshafathi, “Yekela abantu bami bahambe labakho olwandle,” kodwa uJehoshafathi wala.
50 Then Jehoshaphat went to rest with his fathers, and his body was put into the earth in the town of David his father; and Jehoram his son became king in his place.
Ngakho uJehoshafathi waphumula labokhokho bakhe, wangcwatshwa kanye labo emzini kaDavida uyise. UJehoramu indodana yakhe wabusa esikhundleni sakhe.
51 Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of the rule of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, and he was king over Israel for two years.
U-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi waba yinkosi yako-Israyeli eSamariya ngomnyaka wetshumi lesikhombisa wokubusa kukaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda, yena-ke wabusa ko-Israyeli okweminyaka emibili.
52 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, going in the ways of his father and his mother, and in the ways of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel do evil.
Wona emehlweni kaThixo, ngoba wahamba enyathelweni likayise lelikanina walandela njalo izindlela zikaJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi, owabangela u-Israyeli ukuthi enze isono.
53 He was a servant and worshipper of Baal, moving the Lord, the God of Israel, to wrath, as his father had done.
Wasebenzela uBhali njalo wamkhonza wathukuthelisa uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, njengalokhu okwakwenziwe nguyise.