2 Kings 6
1 The sons of the prophets told Elisha, “Look, the place we meet with you is too small for us.
Ixuku labaphrofethi lathi ku-Elisha, “Khangela, indawo esihlala kiyo lawe kayisasanelanga.
2 Let's go to the Jordan and each of us can carry one log back. We can build a new place there for us to meet.” “Go ahead,” said Elisha.
Asiye eJodani lapho esizagamula khona izigodo sakhe indawo yokuhlala.” U-Elisha wathi, “Kulungile, hambani.”
3 One of them asked, “Please come with your servants.” “I'll come,” he replied.
Omunye wabo wathi, “Ungazake uhambe lezinceku zakho na?” U-Elisha wathi, “Kulungile ngizahamba.”
4 So he went with them. When they got to the Jordan, they started cutting down trees.
Ngakho wasehamba labo. Baya eJodani bafika baqalisa ukugamula izigodo.
5 But as one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no! My master, it was one that was borrowed!” he shouted.
Omunye wathi egamula, ihloka lakhe laqamuka isihloko salo sawela emanzini. Wasekhala esithi, “Nkosi yami, ihloka leli bengilibolekile.”
6 “Where did it fall?” the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron axhead float.
Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wasebuza esithi, “Liwele ngaphi?” Uthe esemtshengisile indawo yakhona, u-Elisha wagamula uswazi waluphosela khonapho, lokho kwenza ihloka lelo landenda.
7 “Pick it up,” Elisha told the man. So he reached out his hand and picked it up.
Wasesithi, “Lenyule emanzini.” Umuntu lowo welula isandla sakhe walenyula.
8 The Aramean king was at war with Israel. After consulting with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in this particular place.”
Inkosi yase-Aramu yayisempini ilwisana labako-Israyeli. Ngemva kokukhulumisana lezikhulu zayo inkosi yathi, “Inkamba yami ngizayimisa endaweni ethile.”
9 Then the man of God sent a warning to the king of Israel: “Watch out if you go near this place, because the Arameans are going to be there.”
Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wathumela ilizwi enkosini yako-Israyeli lisithi, “Qaphela ungedluli kuleyana indawo, ngoba ama-Aramu azakwehla ayekhona.”
10 So the king of Israel sent a warning to the place the man of God had indicated. Elisha repeatedly warned the king, so that he was on the alert in those places.
Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yahlolisisa kuleyondawo eyayiqanjwe ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu. U-Elisha wakuphinda enkosini lokhu kuxwayisa kanenginengi, ukuze izivikele ezindaweni ezinjengalezi.
11 This made the Aramean king really mad. He summoned his officers, demanding an answer: “Tell me, which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
Lokhu kwayithukuthelisa inkosi yase-Aramu. Yabiza izikhulu zayo yazihwabhela yathi, “Aliyikungitshela yini ukuthi phakathi kwethu ngubani oseceleni lenkosi yako-Israyeli na?”
12 “It's none of us, my lord the king,” one of his officers replied. “It's Elisha, the prophet who lives in Israel—he tells the king of Israel even what you say in your bedroom.”
Esinye sezikhulu zakhe sathi, “Kakho phakathi kwethu nkosi yami, kodwa u-Elisha, umphrofethi wako-Israyeli, ulakho ukutshela inkosi yako-Israyeli ngalawo mazwi owakhuluma usendlini yakho yokulala.”
13 So the king gave the order, “Go and find out where he is so I can send soldiers to capture him.” He was told, “Elisha is in Dothan.”
Inkosi yabalaya yathi, “Hambani liyemdinga lapho akhona, ukuze ngithumele amadoda ayemthumba.” Kwavela impendulo ethi, “UseDothani.”
14 So he sent horses, chariots, and a large army. They came at night and surrounded the town.
Inkosi yasithumela amabhiza lezinqola zokulwa kanye lamabutho aqinileyo. Bahamba ebusuku bahle bagombolozela umuzi wakhona.
15 Early in the morning when the servant of the man of God got up, he went out and saw that an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my master, what are we going to do?” he asked Elisha.
Kuthe inceku yomuntu kaNkulunkulu ivuka ekuseni ngelanga elilandelayo yaphuma phandle yathola amabutho alamabhiza lezinqola zokulwa sezihonqolozele idolobho. Inceku yethuka yathi, “Maye, nkosi yami, sizakwenzenjani na?”
16 Elisha replied, “Don't be afraid, for there are many more who are with us than there are with them!”
Umphrofethi wathi, “Ungesabi. Labo abalathi banengi kulalabo abangakubo.”
17 Elisha prayed, saying, “Lord, please open his eyes so he can see.” The Lord opened the servant's eyes, and when he looked he saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
U-Elisha wasekhuleka wathi, “Oh Thixo, vula amehlo akhe ukuze abone.” Ngakho uThixo wavula amehlo enceku, yakhangela yabona amaqaqa agcwele amabhiza lezinqola zokulwa ezomlilo zihonqolozele u-Elisha.
18 As the army descended on him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
Kuthe izitha zisondela kuye, u-Elisha wakhuleka kuThixo wathi, “Tshaya lababantu babe yiziphofu.” Ngakho wabaphumputhekisa, njengokucela kuka-Elisha.
19 Then Elisha went and told them, “This isn't the right road, and this isn't the right town. Follow me, and I'll take you to the man you're looking for.” He led them to Samaria.
U-Elisha wabatshela wathi, “Akusiwo umgwaqo njalo akusiwo umuzi eliwudingayo. Ngilandelani, ngizalikhokhela liye emuntwini elimdingayo.” Ngakho wabakhokhelela eSamariya.
20 After they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, “Lord, open the eyes of these men that they can see.” The Lord opened their eyes, and they looked around and saw that they were in Samaria.
Sebephakathi komuzi, u-Elisha wathi, “Thixo, vula amehlo alababantu ukuze babone.” Ngakho uThixo wavula amehlo abo, bazibonela ukuthi babephakathi kweSamariya.
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”
Inkosi yako-Israyeli ithe ibabona, yabuza ku-Elisha yathi, “Ngibabulale yini, baba? Ngibabulale na?”
22 “No, don't you kill them!” he replied. “Would you kill prisoners you captured with your own sword or bow? Give them some food and water so that they may eat and drink, and then let them go back to their master.”
Yena waphendula wathi, “Ungababulali. Kambe ungababulala yini ngenkemba loba ngomtshoko wakho abantu obathumbileyo. Baphe ukudla lamanzi ukuze badle babe sebebuyela enkosini yabo.”
23 So the king had a great feast prepared for them, and once they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them back to their master. The Aramean raiders did not enter the land of Israel again.
Inkosi yako-Israyeli yasibenzela idili elikhulu, bathe sebeqedile ukudla lokunatha, yabakhulula ukuba bahambe, ngakho basuka babuyela enkosini yabo. Kwathi amaxuku amabutho ase-Aramu ayehlala ehlasela elako-Israyeli akhawula ukuhlasela.
24 Sometime after this Ben-hadad king of Aram called up all his army and went to lay siege to Samaria.
Ngemva kwesikhathi, uBheni-Hadadi inkosi yase-Aramu yaqoqa amabutho ayo wonke yayavimbezela umuzi waseSamariya.
25 So there was a major famine in Samaria. In fact the siege lasted so long that a donkey's head cost eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove's dung cost five shekels of silver.
Kwaba lendlala enkulu eSamariya ngesikhathi sokuvinjezelwa kwayo; ngakho inhloko kababhemi yayithengiswa ngamashekeli esiliva angamatshumi ayisificaminwembili, legajana lombhida othile ngamashekeli amahlanu esiliva.
26 As the king of Israel was walking by on the city wall, a woman called out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
Kwathi ngolunye usuku inkosi yako-Israyeli ihambahamba phezu komduli womuzi, owesifazane othile wamemeza esithi kuyo, “Akungincede, baba nkosi yami!”
27 “If the Lord doesn't help you, why would you think I can help you?” the king replied. “I don't have grain from the threshing floor, or wine from the winepress.”
Inkosi yaphendula yathi, “Nxa uThixo engakusizi, mina kambe ngizaluthatha ngaphi uncedo? Ngizaluthatha esikhamelweni sewayini yini loba esizeni sokubhulela na?”
28 But then he asked her, “What's the problem?” “This woman told me, ‘Give up your son and we'll eat him today, and tomorrow we'll eat my son,’” she answered.
Wasebuza wathi, “Kodwa uhlutshwa yini?” Owesifazane waphendula wathi, “Owesifazane lo uthe kimi, ‘Letha umntanakho ukuba simudle lamuhla, kuzakuthi kusasa sidle owami.’
29 “So we cooked my son and we ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we can eat him,’ but she's hidden her son.”
Ngakho simphekile umntanami samudla. Ngosuku olulandelayo ngasengisithi, ‘Letha umntanakho ukuba simudle.’ Kodwa yena ubesemfihlile.”
30 When the king heard what the woman said he ripped his clothes. As he walked by on the wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.
Inkosi ithe isizwa okwakutshiwo ngowesifazane lowo yadabula izigqoko zayo. Inkosi yayihamba phezu komduli, abantu bayikhangela, babona ukuthi isigqoko sayo sangaphansi sasingesokulila.
31 “May God punish me very severely if the head of Elisha, son of Shaphat, remains on his shoulders today!” he declared.
Inkosi yathi, “Sengathi uNkulunkulu angangihlanekela kubi nxa ikhanda lika-Elisha indodana kaShafathi kungasa lilokhu limi phezu kwamahlombe akhe lamuhla!”
32 Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders. The king had sent a messenger on ahead, but before he got there, Elisha told the elders, “Can you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? So, as soon as the messenger arrives, close the door and hold it shut against him. Isn't that the sound of his master's footsteps following him?”
U-Elisha wayehlezi endlini yakhe labadala babehlezi laye. Inkosi yasithumela isithunywa phambili, kodwa sithe singakafiki u-Elisha wathi ebadaleni, “Liyakubona yini ukuthi umbulali lo usethumele umuntu ukuba azoquma ikhanda lami na? Khangelani, ekufikeni kwesithunywa lapha libovala umnyango libambe isivalo siqine. Kalizizwa yini izisinde zenkosi yaso ngemva kwaso na?”
33 While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger arrived. The king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”
Kwathi esakhuluma, isithunywa sahle safika. Ngakho inkosi yathi, “Uhlupho lonke lolu luvela kuThixo. Pho-ke ngisamlindelelani uThixo na?”
