1 Chronicles 21
1 Satan interfered to cause trouble for Israel. He provoked David to do a census of Israel.
USathane wasemelana labako-Israyeli njalo wafuqela uDavida ukuba abale abantu bako-Israyeli.
2 So David told Joab and the army commanders, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so I can have a total number.”
Ngakho uDavida wathi kuJowabi kanye labalawuli bamabutho, “Hambani liyebala u-Israyeli kusukela eBherishebha kusiya koDani. Beseliphenduka lizongitshela ukuze ngazi ukuthi bangaki khonale.”
3 But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his people a hundred times over. Your Majesty, aren't they all your subjects? Why do you want to do this? Why should you make Israel guilty?”
Kodwa uJowabi waphendula wathi, “Sengathi uThixo angandisa amabutho akhe ngokuphindwe okwedlula ikhulu. Mhlekazi wami nkosi, kambe kabasibantu benkosi yami bonke laba? Inkosi yami ifunelani ukukwenza lokhu? Kungani ithanda ukwehlisela icala phezu kwabako-Israyeli?”
4 But the king was adamant so Joab left and went all over Israel. Eventually he returned to Jerusalem,
Loba kwakunjalo, uJowabi wakhulelwa yilizwi lenkosi, ngakho uJowabi walibhoda lonke elako-Israyeli wasebuyela eJerusalema.
5 and he gave David the number of people censused. In Israel there were 1,100,000 fighting men who could handle a sword, and 470,000 in Judah.
UJowabi wafika wabikela uDavida inani lamadoda ayengalwa empini: Kulolonke elako-Israyeli kwakulamadoda ayisigidi lezinkulungwane ezilikhulu ayelakho ukuthi angayiphatha inkemba, kubalwa labazinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane alamatshumi ayisikhombisa koJuda.
6 However, Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the census total, because he disagreed with what the king had ordered.
Kodwa ekubaleni kwakhe uJowabi kazange ahlanganise abaLevi labakaBhenjamini, ngoba umlayo wenkosi wawumnenga.
7 The Lord considered the census a bad thing to do and he punished Israel for it.
Kanti njalo lowomlayo wawuyisono phambi kukaNkulunkulu, lakanye wamjezisa u-Israyeli.
8 Then David said to God, “I have committed a terrible sin by doing this. Please take away the guilt of your servant, for I have been very stupid.”
Ngakho uDavida wasesithi kuNkulunkulu, “Ngonile kakhulu phambi kwakho ngokwenza lokhu. Ngakho, ngiyakuncenga, susa umlandu lo encekwini yakho. Ngenze ubuwula obukhulu kakhulu.”
9 The Lord told Gad, David's seer,
UThixo wakhuluma loGadi, umboni kaDavida, wathi:
10 “Go and tell David that this is what the Lord says: ‘I'm giving you three options. Choose one of them, and that's what I'll do to you.’”
“Hamba uyetshela uDavida ukuthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Ngikunika ukuthi ukhethe phakathi kokuthathu. Khetha okukodwa okumele ngikwehlisele khona mina.’”
11 So Gad went and told David, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Make your choice:
Ngakho uGadi waya kuDavida wathi kuye, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: ‘Zikhethele wena okufunayo:
12 either three years of famine; or three months of devastation, running from the swords of your enemies; or three days of the Lord's sword—in other words three days of plague in the land, with an angel of the Lord causing destruction throughout the whole of Israel.’ Now you have to decide how I should reply to the one who sent me.”
iminyaka emithathu yendlala, loba izinyanga ezintathu zokududulwa uxotshwa yizitha zakho, ngenkemba zazo zikukhulela, loba insuku ezintathu zokumelana lenkemba kaThixo, kuyikuthi kuyabe kuyisifo elizweni, ingilosi kaThixo iletha incithakalo kulolonke elako-Israyeli.’ Ngakho, khathesi khetha ukuthi ngifike ngithini kulo ongithumileyo.”
13 David replied to Gad, “This is an awful situation for me! Please, let the Lord decide my punishment, for he is so merciful. Don't let me be punished by people.”
UDavida wathi kuGadi, “Ngisosizini olukhulu kakhulu; kungangcono ngizinikele ezandleni zikaThixo, ngoba umusa wakhe mkhulu kakhulu; kodwa unganginikeli ezandleni zabantu.”
14 So the Lord a plague on Israel, and 70,000 Israelites died.
Ngakho uThixo wathumela isifo ko-Israyeli, kwafa amadoda azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa ko-Israyeli.
15 God also sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But just as the angel was about to destroy it, the Lord saw it, and he relented from causing such a disaster. He told the destroying angel, “That's enough. You can stop now.” Right then the angel of the Lord was standing beside the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Njalo uNkulunkulu wasethumela ingilosi ukuba iyechitha iJerusalema. Kodwa ingilosi ithe isakwenza lokho, uThixo wazisola ngencithakalo eyayizakwenzakala wahle wakhuza ingilosi eyayizabhubhisa abantu wathi, “Kwanele! Susa isandla sakho.” Ingilosi kaThixo ngalesosikhathi yayisimi esizeni sika-Onani umJebusi.
16 When David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, holding his drawn sword extended over Jerusalem, David and the elders, wearing sackcloth, fell on their faces.
UDavida wakhangela phezulu wabona ingilosi kaThixo imi phakathi kwezulu lomhlaba, iphethe inkemba esandleni sayo phezu kweJerusalema. Ngakho uDavida labadala, begqoke amasaka, bawa phansi ngobuso.
17 David said to God, “Wasn't it me who ordered the census of the people? I'm the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Lord my God, please punish me and my family, but don't punish your people with this plague.”
UDavida wathi kuNkulunkulu, “Angithi yimi engithe akubalwe amadoda okulwa na? Yimi engonileyo ngadala isono. Laba abasilutho yizimvu ezilandelayo. Benzeni? Oh Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, isandla sakho asiwele phezu kwami labendlu yami, kodwa akuthi isifo singasali ebantwini bakho.”
18 Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to tell David to go and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Ngakho ingilosi kaThixo yathuma uGadi ukuthi ayetshela uDavida ukuthi ayekwakha i-alithari likaThixo esizeni sika-Onani umJebusi.
19 So David went and did what Gad had told him in the name of the Lord.
Lakanye uDavida walalela ilizwi elakhitshwa nguGadi ngebizo likaThixo.
20 Ornan was busy threshing wheat. He turned around and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him went and hid.
U-Onani esabhula ingqoloyi, wanyemukula wabona ingilosi; amadodana akhe amane ayelaye acatsha.
21 When David arrived, Ornan looked out and saw David. He left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground.
Kwasekufika uDavida, kuthe u-Onani embona, watshiya ukubhula wayakhothamela uDavida elokhu ebuso bukhothamele phansi.
22 David said to Ornan, “Please let me have the threshing floor. I'll buy it at its full price. Then I can build an altar to the Lord here so that the plague on the people may be stopped.”
UDavida wathi kuye, “Ake ungivumele ngibone isiza sakho sokubhulela amabele ukuze ngakhe i-alithari likaThixo, ukuze isifo esisebantwini simiswe. Ngithengisela sona ngentengo yaso egcweleyo.”
23 “Take it, and Your Majesty can do whatever you want with it,” Ornan told David. “You can have the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing boards for firewood, and the wheat for a grain offering. I'll give it all to you.”
U-Onani wathi kuDavida, “Sithathe! Inkosi yami kayenze lokho ebona kuyithokozisa. Khangela, mina ngizaletha inkabi zomnikelo wokutshiswa, lemibhulo yokubhula izakuba zinkuni, ingqoloyi izakuba ngumnikelo wamabele. Konke lokhu ngiyakunika.”
24 “No, I insist, I will pay the full price,” replied King David “I won't take for the Lord what is yours or present burnt offerings that didn't cost me anything.”
Kodwa inkosi uDavida yathi ku-Onani, “Hayi, ngifuna ukuthenga ngentengo egcweleyo. Angiyikuthatha okuya kuThixo okungokwakho, angiyikunikela umnikelo wokutshiswa engingawuthenganga.”
25 So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold for the place.
Ngakho uDavida wanika u-Onani amashekeli egolide angamakhulu ayisithupha ethenga leyondawo.
26 David built an altar to the Lord there and presented burnt offerings and friendship offerings. He called on the Lord in prayer, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
UDavida wakhela uThixo i-alithari kuleyondawo wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobudlelwano. Wakhuleka kuThixo, uThixo wamphendula ngomlilo uvela ezulwini phezu kwe-alithari lomnikelo wokutshiswa.
27 Then the Lord told the angel to put his sword back into its sheath.
Ngakho uThixo wakhuluma lengilosi, yona yasibuyisela inkemba yayo esikhwameni sayo.
28 When David saw that the Lord had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.
Ngalesosikhathi, uDavida esebonile ukuthi uThixo wayemphendule esizeni sika-Onani umJebusi, wanikela iminikelo kuleyondawo.
29 At that time the tent of the Lord that Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering, were at the high place in Gibeon.
Ithabanikeli likaThixo, elalakhiwe nguMosi enkangala, kanye le-alithari leminikelo yokutshiswa ngalesosikhathi kwakusendaweni ephakemeyo eGibhiyoni.
30 But David did not want to go there to ask God's will, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.
Kodwa uDavida wehluleka ukuya khona ukuze abuze kuNkulunkulu ngoba wayesesaba inkemba yengilosi kaThixo.
