< 2 Samuel 20 >
1 Now by chance there was present a good-for-nothing person named Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he, sounding the horn, said, We have no part in David, or any interest in the son of Jesse: let every man go to his tent, O Israel.
Kwasekusenzakala ukuthi kube khona lapho umuntu kaBheliyali, obizo lakhe linguShebha indodana kaBikiri umBhenjamini; wasevuthela uphondo wathi: Kasilasabelo kuDavida, kasilalifa endodaneni kaJese; wonke umuntu emathenteni akhe, Israyeli!
2 So all the men of Israel, turning away from David, went after Sheba, the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah were true to their king, going with him from Jordan as far as Jerusalem.
Ngakho wonke umuntu wakoIsrayeli wenyuka wasuka emva kukaDavida, elandela uShebha indodana kaBikiri; kodwa abantu bakoJuda banamathela enkosini yabo, kusukela eJordani kwaze kwaba seJerusalema.
3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women to whom he had given the care of the house, and had them shut up, and gave them the necessaries of life, but did not go near them. So they were shut up till the day of their death, living as widows.
UDavida wasefika endlini yakhe eJerusalema; inkosi yathatha abafazi abalitshumi, abafazi abancane, eyayibatshiye ukuze balinde indlu, yababeka endlini elindiweyo, yabanika ukudla, kodwa kayingenanga kubo. Basebevalelwa kwaze kwaba lusuku lokufa kwabo, bephila ebufelokazini.
4 Then the king said to Amasa, Get all the men of Judah together, and in three days be here yourself.
Inkosi yasisithi kuAmasa: Biza abantu bakoJuda babuthane kimi ngensuku ezintathu, lawe ube khona lapha.
5 So Amasa went to get all the men of Judah together, but he took longer than the time David had given him.
UAmasa wasehamba ukubuthanisa uJuda, kodwa waphuza phezu kwesikhathi esimisiweyo ayemmisele sona.
6 And David said to Abishai, Sheba, the son of Bichri, will do us more damage than Absalom did; so take some of your lord's servants and go after him, before he makes himself safe in the walled towns, and gets away before our eyes.
UDavida wasesithi kuAbishayi: Khathesi uShebha indodana kaBikiri uzasenzela okubi okwedlula uAbisalomu; wena thatha inceku zenkosi yakho, uxotshane laye, hlezi azitholele imizi ebiyelwe ngemithangala, asiphunyuke.
7 So there went after Abishai, Joab and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the fighting-men; they went out of Jerusalem to overtake Sheba, the son of Bichri.
Kwasekuphuma emva kwakhe amadoda kaJowabi lamaKerethi lamaPelethi lamaqhawe wonke, basebephuma eJerusalema ukuxotshana loShebha indodana kaBikiri.
8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came face to face with them. Now Joab had on his war-dress, and round him a band from which his sword was hanging in its cover; and while he was walking, it came out, falling to the earth.
Sebeselitsheni elikhulu eliseGibeyoni, uAmasa weza phambi kwabo. UJowabi wayebhince isigqoko ayesigqokile, laphezu kwaso kulebhanti elilenkemba ebotshelwe ekhalweni lwakhe isesikhwameni sayo; esaqhubeka inkemba yawa.
9 And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well, my brother? And with his right hand he took him by the hair of his chin to give him a kiss.
UJowabi wasesithi kuAmasa: Uyaphila yini, mfowethu? UJowabi wasebamba uAmasa ngesilevu ngesandla sokunene ukuze amange.
10 But Amasa did not see danger from the sword which was now in Joab's left hand, and Joab put it through his stomach so that his inside came out on to the earth, and he did not give him another blow. So Joab and his brother Abishai went on after Sheba, the son of Bichri.
Kodwa uAmasa wayengayinanzeleli inkemba eyayisesandleni sikaJowabi; wasemtshaya ngayo kubambo lwesihlanu, wathululela imibilini yakhe emhlabathini, kamphindanga, wafa. UJowabi loAbishayi umfowabo basebexotshana loShebha indodana kaBikiri.
11 And one of Joab's young men, taking his place at Amasa's side, said, Whoever is for Joab and for David, let him go after Joab!
Omunye wamajaha kaJowabi wema phansi kwakhe, wathi: Omthandayo uJowabi, longokaDavida, landela uJowabi.
12 And Amasa was stretched out in a pool of blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people were stopping, he took Amasa out of the highway and put him in a field, with a cloth over him, when he saw that everyone who went by came to a stop.
UAmasa wasegiqika egazini phakathi komgwaqo omkhulu. Lapho lowomuntu ebona ukuthi bonke abantu bayema, wamsusa uAmasa emgwaqweni omkhulu wamusa egangeni, waphosela isembatho phezu kwakhe, lapho ebona ukuthi wonke ofika ngakuye wema.
13 When he had been taken off the road, all the people went on after Joab in search of Sheba, the son of Bichri.
Esesusiwe emgwaqweni omkhulu, bonke abantu badlula bamlandela uJowabi ukuze baxotshane loShebha indodana kaBikiri.
14 And Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel, to Abel of Beth-maacah; and all the Bichrites came together and went in after him.
Wasedabula kuzo zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli, waya eAbeli ngitsho iBeti-Mahaka, lawo wonke amaBeri; basebebuthana bamlandela labo.
15 And Joab and his men got him shut up in Abel of Beth-maacah, and put up an earthwork against the town: and all Joab's men did their best to get the wall broken down.
Basebefika, bamgombolozela eAbeli-Beti-Mahaka; babuthelela idundulu maqondana lomuzi, lema emthangaleni; bonke abantu ababeloJowabi basebewona umduli ukuwuwisela phansi.
16 Then a wise woman got up on the wall, and crying out from the town, said, Give ear, give ear; say now to Joab, Come near, so that I may have talk with you.
Kwasekumemeza owesifazana ohlakaniphileyo phakathi komuzi wathi: Zwanini, zwanini! Ake lithi kuJowabi: Sondela lapha, ukuze ngikhulume lawe.
17 And he came near, and the woman said, Are you Joab? And he said in answer, I am. Then she said, Give ear to your servant's words. And he said, I am giving ear.
Esesondele kuye, owesifazana wathi: Nguwe uJowabi yini? Yena wathi: Nginguye. Wasesithi kuye: Zwana amazwi encekukazi yakho. Wasesithi: Ngiyezwa.
18 Then she said, In the old days, there was a saying, Let them put the question in Abel and in Dan, saying, Has what was ordered by men of good faith in Israel ever come to an end?
Wasekhuluma esithi: Endulo babejwayele ukukhuluma besithi: Kababuze lokubuza eAbeli; basebeqeda ngokunjalo.
19 Your purpose is the destruction of a mother-town in Israel: why would you put an end to the heritage of the Lord?
Ngingowabokuthula, owabathembekileyo bakoIsrayeli; udinga ukuchitha umuzi lonina koIsrayeli. Uginyelani ilifa leNkosi?
20 And Joab, answering her, said, Far, far be it from me to be a cause of death or destruction;
UJowabi wasephendula wathi: Kakube khatshana, kakube khatshana lami ukuthi ngiginye loba ngichithe.
21 Not so: but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba, son of Bichri, by name, has taken up arms against the king, against David: give up this man only, and I will go away from the town. And the woman said to Joab, His head will be dropped over the wall to you.
Udaba kalunjalo; kodwa umuntu wasentabeni yakoEfrayimi, nguShebha indodana kaBikiri ibizo lakhe, uphakamisile isandla sakhe emelene lenkosi, emelene loDavida; nikelani yena kuphela, ngizasuka emzini. Owesifazana wasesithi kuJowabi: Khangela, ikhanda lakhe lizaphoselwa kuwe ngaphezu komduli.
22 Then the woman in her wisdom had talk with all the town. And they had Sheba's head cut off and sent out to Joab. And he had the horn sounded, and sent them all away from the town, every man to his tent. And Joab went back to Jerusalem to the king.
Owesifazana wasesiya ngenhlakanipho yakhe ebantwini bonke. Basebequma ikhanda likaShebha indodana kaBikiri, baliphosela kuJowabi. Wasevuthela uphondo, bahlakazeka besuka kulowomuzi, ngulowo lalowo waya emathenteni akhe. UJowabi wasebuyela eJerusalema enkosini.
23 Now Joab was over all the army; and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was at the head of the Cherethites and the Pelethites;
Njalo uJowabi wayephezu kwebutho lonke lakoIsrayeli; loBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada wayephezu kwamaKerethi laphezu kwamaPelethi;
24 And Adoram was overseer of the forced work; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the recorder;
loAdoniramu wayephezu kwezibhalwa; loJehoshafathi indodana kaAhiludi wayengumabhalane;
25 And Sheva was the scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
loSheva wayengumbhali; loZadoki loAbhiyatha babengabapristi;
26 And in addition, Ira the Jairite was a priest to David.
loIra laye umJayiri wayengumpristi kaDavida.