< Kings II 2 >
1 And it came to pass after this that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda? and the Lord said to him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? and he said, To Chebron.
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uDavida wabuza uThixo wathi, “Ngingaya yini kwelinye lamadolobho akoJuda na?” UThixo wathi, “Hamba.” UDavida wabuza wathi, “Ngiye ngaphi na?” UThixo waphendula wathi, “EHebhroni.”
2 And David went up there to Chebron, [he] and both his wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite,
Ngakho uDavida waya khonale labafazi bakhe ababili, u-Ahinowama waseJezerili lo-Abhigeli, umfelokazi kaNabhali waseKhameli.
3 and the men that were with him, every one and his family; and they lived in the cities of Chebron.
UDavida wathatha amadoda ayelaye, leyo laleyo labendlu yayo, bayahlala eHebhroni lasemizini yakhona.
4 And the men of Judea come, and anoint David there to reign over the house of Juda; and they reported to David, saying, The men of Jabis of the country of Galaad have buried Saul.
Ngakho abantu bakoJuda bafika eHebhroni bamgcobela khona uDavida ukuba yinkosi yendlu kaJuda. Kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ukuthi abantu baseJabheshi Giliyadi yibo ababengcwabe uSawuli,
5 And David sent messengers to the rulers of Jabis of the country of Galaad, and David said to them, Blessed be you of the Lord, because you have wrought this mercy towards your lord, even towards Saul the anointed of the Lord, and you have buried him and Jonathan his son.
wathuma izithunywa ebantwini baseJabheshi Giliyadi ukuba bayekuthi kubo, “UThixo kalibusise ngokubonakalisa umusa lo kuSawuli inkosi yenu ngokumgcwaba.
6 And now may the Lord deal in mercy and truth towards you: and I also will requite towards you this good deed, because you have done this.
Sengathi khathesi uThixo angalitshengisa umusa lokwethembeka, njalo lami futhi ngizalitshengisa lona lolothando ngoba lenze lokhu.
7 And now let your hands be made strong, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and moreover the house of Juda have anointed me to be king over them.
Khathesi-ke qinani libe lesibindi, ngoba uSawuli inkosi yenu usefile, njalo indlu yakoJuda isigcobe mina ukuba yinkosi yabo.”
8 But Abenner, the son of Ner, the commander-in-chief of Saul's army, took Jebosthe son of Saul, and brought him up from the camp to Manaem
Ngalesisikhathi, u-Abhineri indodana kaNeri, umlawuli webutho likaSawuli, wayethethe u-Ishi-Bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli wamletha ngaseMahanayimi.
9 and made him king over the land of Galaad, and over Thasiri, and over Jezrael, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
Wamenza waba yinkosi yaseGiliyadi, e-Ashuri kanye leJezerili, eyako-Efrayimi, lakoBhenjamini kanye lo-Israyeli wonke.
10 Jebosthe, Saul's son [was] forty years old, when he reigned over Israel; and he reigned two years, but not over the house of Juda, who followed David.
U-Ishi-Bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli waba yinkosi yako-Israyeli eleminyaka engamatshumi amane ubudala bakhe, njalo wabusa iminyaka emibili. Kodwa indlu kaJuda yalandela uDavida.
11 And the days which David reigned in Chebron over the house of Juda were seven years and six months.
Isikhathi uDavida eyinkosi yendlu yakoJuda eHebhroni saba yiminyaka eyisikhombisa lezinyanga eziyisithupha.
12 And Abenner the son of Ner went forth, and the servants of Jebosthe the son of Saul, from Manaem to Gabaon.
U-Abhineri indodana kaNeri, ekanye labantu baka-Ishi-Bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli, basuka eMahanayimi baya eGibhiyoni.
13 And Joab the son of Saruia, and the servants of David, went forth from Chebron, and met them at the fountain of Gabaon, at the same place: and these sat down by the fountain on this side, and those by the fountain on that side.
UJowabi indodana kaZeruya kanye labantu bakaDavida baphuma bayahlangana labo echibini laseGibhiyoni. Elinye ixuku lahlala phansi ngakwelinye icele lechibi kwathi elinye lalo ixuku lahlala ngakwelinye icele.
14 And Abenner said to Joab, Let now the young men arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.
U-Abhineri wasesithi kuJowabi, “Ezinye zezinsizwa kazisukume zilwe mathupha phambi kwethu.” UJowabi wathi, “Kulungile, kazikwenze lokho.”
15 And there arose and passed over by number twelve of the children of Benjamin, belonging to Jebosthe the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
Ngakho zasukuma zabalwa, abantu abalitshumi lambili bakoBhenjamini ngaku-Ishi-Bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli letshumi lambili abakoDavida.
16 And they seized every one the head of his neighbour with his hand, and his sword [was thrust] into the side of his neighbour, and they fall down together: and the name of that place was called The portion of the treacherous ones, which is in Gabaon.
Indoda ngayinye yabamba lowo eyayisilwa laye ngekhanda yatshonisa inkemba yayo emhlubulweni walowo eyayisilwa laye, bawela phansi bonke. Ngakho indawo leyo eGibhiyoni yathiwa yiHelikhathi Hazurimi.
17 And the battle was very severe on that day; and Abenner and the men of Israel were worsted before the servants of David.
Impi ngalolosuku yayinzima, njalo u-Abhineri labantu bako-Israyeli behlulwa ngabantu bakaDavida.
18 And there were there the three sons of Saruia, Joab, and Abessa, and Asael: and Asael was swift in his feet as a roe in the field.
Amadodana amathathu kaZeruya ayekhona: uJowabi, lo-Abhishayi kanye lo-Asaheli. U-Asaheli wayelejubane njengomziki.
19 And Asael followed after Abenner, and turned not to go to the right hand or to the left from following Abenner.
Waxotshana lo-Abhineri, engaphambukeli kwesokudla loba kwesenxele lapho emxhuma.
20 And Abenner looked behind him, and said, Are you Asael himself? and he said, I am.
U-Abhineri wakhangela emuva kwakhe wabuza wathi, “Kanti nguwe, Asaheli?” Yena waphendula wathi, “Yimi.”
21 And Abenner said to him, Turn you to the right hand or to the left, and lay hold for yourself on one of the young men, and take to yourself his armour: but Asel would not turn back from following him.
U-Abhineri wasesithi kuye, “Phambukela eceleni kwesokudla loba kwesenxele; ubambe enye yezinsizwa uyithathele izikhali zayo.” Kodwa u-Asaheli kayekelanga ukuxotshana laye.
22 And Abenner said yet again to Asael, Stand aloof from me, lest I strike you to the ground? and how should I lift up my face to Joab?
U-Abhineri wamxwayisa futhi wathi, “Yekela ukuxotshana lami. Kungani kumele ngikulahle phansi na? Ngingamkhangela njani ebusweni umfowethu uJowabi na?”
23 And what does this mean? return to Joab your brother? But he would not stand aloof; and Abenner smites him with the hinder end of the spear on the loins, and the spear went out behind him, and he falls there and dies on the spot: and it came to pass that every one that came to the place where Asael fell and died, stood still.
Kodwa u-Asaheli wala ukuyekela ukuxotshana laye; ngakho u-Abhineri wamgwaza esiswini ngomcijo womkhonto wakhe, umkhonto waze wayathutsha emhlane wakhe. Wawela khonapho, wafela khonapho. Amadoda afika ema nxa efika endaweni lapho u-Asaheli ayewe wafela kuyo.
24 And Joab and Abessa pursued after Abenner, and the sun went down: and they went as far as the hill of Amman, which is in the front of Gai, by the desert way of Gabaon.
Kodwa uJowabi lo-Abhishayi baxotshana lo-Abhineri, kwathi ilanga selitshona bafika eqaqeni lwase-Ama, eduzane leGiya endleleni yenkangala yaseGibhiyoni.
25 And the children of Benjamin who followed Abenner gather themselves together, and they formed themselves into one body, and stood on the top of a hill.
Lapho-ke abantu bakoBhenjamini bema ngemva kuka-Abhineri. Benza ixuku bayajama phezu koqaqa.
26 And Abenner called Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour perpetually? know you not that it will be bitter at last? How long then will you refuse to tell the people to turn from following our brethren?
U-Abhineri wabiza uJowabi wathi, “Kanti inkemba sekumele idle kokuphela na? Kawuboni ukuthi kuzaphetha kabuhlungu na? Koze kube nini phambi kokuba ulaye abantu bakho ukuba bayekele ukuxotshana labafowabo na?”
27 And Joab said, As the Lord lives, if you had not spoken, even from the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.
UJowabi waphendula wathi, “Ngeqiniso njengoba uNkulunkulu ekhona, aluba kawukhulumanga, amadoda la abezaxotshana labafowabo kuze kube sekuseni.”
28 And Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people departed, and did not pursue after Israel, and did not fight any longer.
Ngakho uJowabi watshaya icilongo, bonke abantu bakhe basebesima, kabasaxotshananga lo-Israyeli, kumbe babuye balwe futhi.
29 And Abenner and his men departed at evening, [and went] all that night, and crossed over Jordan, and went along the whole adjacent [country], and they come to the camp.
Ngalobobusuku bonke u-Abhineri labantu bakhe bahamba badabula i-Arabha. Bachapha iJodani, baqhubeka bedabula iBhethironi yonke baze bayafika eMahanayimi.
30 And Joab returned from following Abenner, and he assembled all the people, and there were missing of the people of David, nineteen men, and Asael.
UJowabi waphenduka ekuxotshaneni lo-Abhineri wasebuthanisa abantu bakhe bonke. Ngaphandle kuka-Asaheli abantu bakaDavida abalitshumi lasificamunwemunye batholakala bengekho.
31 And the servants of David struck of the children of Benjamin, of the men of Abenner, three hundred and sixty men belonging to him.
Kodwa abantu bakaDavida babebulele abakoBhenjamini ababelo-Abhineri abangamakhulu amathathu lamatshumi ayisithupha.
32 And they take up Asael, and bury him in the tomb of his father in Bethleem. And Joab and the men with him went all the night, and the morning rose upon them in Chebron.
Bathatha u-Asaheli bayamngcwaba ethuneni likayise eBhethilehema. Emva kwalokho uJowabi labantu bakhe bahamba ubusuku bonke bafika eHebhroni emadabukakusa.