2 Samuel 18
1 And David marshalled the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
UDavida wasebala abantu ababelaye, wabeka phezu kwabo izinduna zezinkulungwane lenduna zamakhulu.
2 And David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
UDavida wasethuma ingxenye yesithathu yabantu ngaphansi kwesandla sikaJowabi, lengxenye yesithathu ngaphansi kwesandla sikaAbishayi indodana kaZeruya, umfowabo kaJowabi, lengxenye yesithathu ngaphansi kwesandla sikaIthayi umGiti. Inkosi yasisithi ebantwini: Lami ngizaphuma lokuphuma kanye lani.
3 But the people said, Thou shalt not go forth, for if we should in any case flee, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us; for thou art worth ten thousand of us; and now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.
Kodwa abantu bathi: Kawuyikuphuma. Ngoba uba sibaleka lokubaleka, kabayikusinaka; kumbe uba kusifa ingxenye yethu, kabayikuba landaba lathi. Kanti khathesi wena ulingana lenkulungwane ezilitshumi zethu; ngakho-ke kungcono ukuthi ube lusizo lwethu usemzini.
4 And the king said to them, I will do what is good in your sight. And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
Inkosi yasisithi kibo: Lokho okulungileyo emehlweni enu ngizakwenza. Inkosi yasisima eceleni kwesango; bonke abantu basebephuma ngamakhulu langezinkulungwane.
5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, [Deal] gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
Inkosi yasibalaya oJowabi loAbishayi loIthayi, isithi: Liliphathe kahle ijaha, uAbisalomu, ngenxa yami. Njalo bonke abantu bezwa lapho inkosi ilaya zonke izinduna indaba kaAbisalomu.
6 And the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
Abantu basebephumela egangeni ukuyakulwa bemelene loIsrayeli; njalo impi yayiseguswini lakoEfrayimi.
7 And the people of Israel were routed before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day: twenty thousand men.
Abantu bakoIsrayeli basebetshaywa lapho phambi kwenceku zikaDavida, kwasekusiba khona ukubulala okukhulu ngalolosuku - abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili.
8 And the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Ngoba impi yahlakazeka khona ebusweni belizwe lonke, njalo igusu ladla abantu abanengi ngalolosuku okwedlula labo inkemba eyabadlayo.
9 And Absalom found himself in the presence of David's servants. And Absalom was riding upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of the great terebinth, and his head caught in the terebinth, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
UAbisalomu wasehlangana lenceku zikaDavida. Njalo uAbisalomu wayegade imbongolo; kwathi imbongolo ifika ngaphansi kwengatsha ezihlangeneyo zesihlahla se-okhi elikhulu, ikhanda lakhe laselibambelela esihlahleni se-okhi; waselenga phakathi kwamazulu lomhlaba, njalo imbongolo engaphansi kwakhe yedlula.
10 And a man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth.
Umuntu othile wasebona, watshela uJowabi wathi: Khangela, ngibone uAbisalomu elenga esihlahleni se-okhi.
11 And Joab said to the man that told him, And behold, thou sawest [him], and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten silver pieces and a girdle.
UJowabi wasesithi kulowomuntu omtshelayo: Khangela-ke, umbonile, kungani-ke ungamtshayelanga emhlabathini khonapho? Bengizakunika inhlamvu ezilitshumi zesiliva lebhanti elilodwa.
12 And the man said to Joab, Though I should receive a thousand silver pieces in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Take care, whoever it be [of you], of the young man Absalom.
Kodwa lowomuntu wathi kuJowabi: Loba bengingemukela ezandleni zami inhlamvu eziyinkulungwane zesiliva, bengingayikwelulela isandla sami endodaneni yenkosi, ngoba ezindlebeni zethu inkosi yakulaya wena loAbishayi loIthayi isithi: Nanzelelani, loba ngubani, angathinti ijaha uAbisalomu.
13 Or I should have acted falsely against mine own life, for there is no matter concealed from the king, and thou wouldest have set thyself against [me].
Uba bengenze inkohliso ngempilo yami, ngoba kakulalutho olucatshela inkosi, lawe ubuzazimisa umelene lami.
14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three spears in his hand, and thrust them into Absalom's body, while he was yet alive in the midst of the terebinth.
UJowabi wasesithi: Kangiyikulibala ngokunjalo lawe. Wasethatha imikhonto emithathu esandleni sakhe, wamgwaza uAbisalomu enhliziyweni esaphila, phakathi kwesihlahla se-okhi.
15 And ten young men that bore Joab's armour surrounded and smote Absalom, and killed him.
Njalo amajaha alitshumi ayethwala izikhali zikaJowabi, amzingelezela amtshaya uAbisalomu ambulala.
16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab kept back the people.
UJowabi wasevuthela uphondo, abantu basebebuya ekuxotshaneni loIsrayeli, ngoba uJowabi wabamisa abantu.
17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and raised a very great heap of stones upon him. And all Israel fled every one to his tent.
Basebemthatha uAbisalomu, bamphosela emgodini omkhulu eguswini, babeka phezu kwakhe inqwaba enkulu kakhulu yamatshe; uIsrayeli wonke wasebaleka, ngulowo lalowo waya ethenteni lakhe.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a monument, which is in the king's dale; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance; and he called the monument after his own name; and it is called unto this day, Absalom's memorial.
UAbisalomu esaphila wayethethe wazimisela insika esesigodini senkosi, ngoba wathi: Angilandodana yokwenza ukuthi ibizo lami likhunjulwe. Wabiza leyonsika ngebizo lakhe. Yabizwa ngokuthi, isikhumbuzo sikaAbisalomu, kuze kube lamuhla.
19 And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, Let me run, I pray, and carry the king the news that Jehovah has avenged him of his enemies.
UAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki wasesithi: Ake ngigijime, ngiyibikele inkosi ukuthi iNkosi iyiphindisele esandleni sezitha zayo.
20 And Joab said to him, Thou shalt not be a bearer of news to-day, but thou shalt carry the news another day; but to-day thou shalt carry no news, because the king's son is dead.
Kodwa uJowabi wathi kuye: Kawusumbiki wendaba lamuhla, kodwa uzazibika izindaba ngolunye usuku; lamuhla kawuyikubika izindaba, ngenxa yokuthi indodana yenkosi ifile.
21 Then said Joab to the Cushite, Go, tell the king what thou hast seen. And the Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran.
UJowabi wasesithi kumKhushi: Hamba uyebikela inkosi okubonileyo. UmKhushi wamkhothamela uJowabi, wagijima.
22 And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, Come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why wilt thou run, my son, seeing that there is no news suited [to thee]?
UAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki wabuya wasephinda wathi kuJowabi: Loba kunjani, ake ngigijime lami ngimlandele umKhushi. Kodwa uJowabi wathi: Uzagijimelani, mntanami, lokhu ungelambiko ongawuletha?
23 — But, come what may, let me run. And he said to him, Run. And Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outstripped the Cushite.
Kodwa loba kunjani, kangigijime. Wasesithi kuye: Gijima. Wasegijima uAhimahazi ngendlela yemagcekeni, wamdlula umKhushi.
24 And David sat between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate, on to the wall, and lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running alone.
UDavida wayehlezi-ke phakathi kwamasango womabili; umlindi wasesiya ephahleni lwesango emdulini, waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona, khangela-ke, umuntu egijima yedwa.
25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came on and drew near.
Umlindi wasememeza watshela inkosi. Yasisithi inkosi: Uba eyedwa ulombiko emlonyeni wakhe. Wasehamba weza esondela.
26 And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the porter and said, Behold a man running alone. And the king said, He also is a bearer of news.
Umlindi wasebona omunye umuntu egijima; umlindi wabiza umlindisango wathi: Khangela, omunye umuntu ugijima yedwa. Inkosi yasisithi: Laye lo uletha izindaba.
27 And the watchman said, I see the running of the foremost like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man; and comes with good news.
Umlindi wasesithi: Ngibona ukugijima kowokuqala kunjengokugijima kukaAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki. Inkosi yasisithi: Lo ngumuntu olungileyo, uza lendaba ezinhle.
28 And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, Peace! And he fell down to the earth on his face before the king, and said, Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
UAhimahazi wasememeza wathi enkosini: Ukuthula! Wasekhothamela inkosi ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini wathi: Kayibusiswe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, enikele abantu abaphakamisa isandla sabo enkosini yami, inkosi.
29 And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw a great tumult when Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant; but I knew not what it was.
Inkosi yasisithi: Kuhle yini ngejaha, ngoAbisalomu? UAhimahazi wasesithi: Ngibone isiphithiphithi esikhulu lapho uJowabi ethuma inceku yenkosi lenceku yakho, kodwa kangazanga ukuthi kuyini.
30 And the king said, Turn aside [and] stand here. And he turned aside and stood still.
Inkosi yasisithi: Buyela eceleni, ume lapho. Wasebuyela eceleni wema.
31 And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, Let my lord the king receive good tidings, for Jehovah has avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.
Khangela-ke, umKhushi wafika, umKhushi wathi: Yemukela imibiko, nkosi yami, nkosi! Ngoba iNkosi ikuphindisele lamuhla esandleni salabo bonke abakuvukelayo.
32 And the king said to the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite said, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee for evil, be as that young man.
Inkosi yasisithi kumKhushi: Kuhle yini ngejaha, ngoAbisalomu? UmKhushi wasesithi: Kungathi izitha zenkosi yami, inkosi, labo bonke abakuvukelayo ngobubi bangaba njengalelojaha.
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the upper chamber of the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said thus: O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died in thy stead, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Yasikhathazeka kakhulu inkosi, yenyukela endlini ephezulu yesango, yakhala inyembezi, isahamba yakhuluma kanje: Ndodana yami Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami, Abisalomu! Kungathi ngabe kufe mina endaweni yakho, Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!
