2 Samuel 14
1 Joab, son of Zeruiah, knew that the king kept on thinking about Absalom.
UJowabi indodana kaZeruya wasenanzelela ukuthi inhliziyo yenkosi ikuAbisalomu.
2 So Joab sent a messenger to Tekoa to bring back a wise woman who lived there. He told her, “Pretend to be a mourner. Put on clothes for mourning, and don't use any scented oils. Be like a woman who has been in mourning for the dead a long time.
UJowabi wasethumela eThekhowa ukuthi alande khona owesifazana ohlakaniphileyo, wathi kuye: Ake uzitshaye olilayo, ake ugqoke izigqoko zokulila, ungazigcobi ngamafutha, kodwa ube njengowesifazana oselilele ofileyo insuku ezinengi.
3 Then go to the king and tell him this.” Joab told her what to say.
Ungene enkosini, ukhulume kuyo ngalindlela. UJowabi wasefaka amazwi emlonyeni wakhe.
4 When the woman from Tekoa went to see the king, she bowed facedown to the ground in respect, and said, “Please help me, Your Majesty!”
Lapho owesifazana umThekhowa ekhuluma enkosini, wathi mbo ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini, wakhothama, wathi: Siza, nkosi!
5 “What's the matter?” the king asked her. “Sadly I'm a widow. My husband is dead,” she replied.
Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Ulani? Yena wasesithi: Sibili, ngingumfazi ongumfelokazi, lendoda yami yafa.
6 “Your Majesty, I had two sons. They had a fight outside, and there was nobody there to stop them. One of them hit the other, and killed him.
Njalo incekukazi yakho yayilamadodana amabili, alwa womabili egangeni; kwakungelamlamuli phakathi kwawo; enye yasitshaya enye, yayibulala.
7 Now the whole family is against me. They're saying, ‘Hand over your son who killed his brother so we can put him to death for murdering his brother. That way he won't inherit anything either!’ By doing this they would snuff out the last ember of hope I have to carry on my husband's name and family in the world.”
Khangela-ke, usendo lonke seluvukele incekukazi yakho, bathi: Nikela lowo owatshaya umfowabo wambulala, ukuthi simbulale ngenxa yempilo yomfowabo ambulalayo, sichithe lendlalifa. Ngalokho bacitshe ilahle lami eliseleyo, ukuze bangatshiyeli indoda yami ibizo lensali ebusweni bomhlaba.
8 “Go on home,” the king told the woman, “and I myself will make sure your case is dealt with for you.”
Inkosi yasisithi kowesifazana: Yana endlini yakho; mina-ke ngizalaya ngawe.
9 “Thank you, Your Majesty,” said the woman. “I and my family will take the blame, and may Your Majesty and your family be held to be innocent.”
Owesifazana umThekhowa wasesithi enkosini: Nkosi yami, nkosi, icala kalibe phezu kwami laphezu kwendlu kababa; kodwa inkosi lesihlalo sayo sobukhosi kube msulwa.
10 “If anyone complains to you about it, bring him here to me, and he won't bother you again!” the king told her.
Inkosi yasisithi: Okhuluma ulutho kuwe, umlethe kimi, njalo kayikuphinda akuthinte futhi.
11 “Please, Your Majesty,” the woman continued, “swear by the Lord your God that you will stop the person wanting to avenge the murder from making it worse by killing my son!” “As the Lord lives,” he promised, “not a single hair from your son's head will fall to the ground.”
Wasesithi: Inkosi ake ikhumbule iNkosi uNkulunkulu wayo ukuthi umphindiseli wegazi angabe esachitha, hlezi bachithe indodana yami. Yasisithi: Kuphila kukaJehova, kakuyikuwela emhlabathini olulodwa unwele lwendodana yakho.
12 “Could I please ask for one other thing, Your Majesty?” the woman asked. “Go ahead,” he replied.
Owesifazana wasesithi: Incekukazi yakho ake ikhulume ilizwi enkosini yami inkosi. Yasisithi: Khuluma.
13 “So why have you schemed in a similar way against the people of God?” the woman asked. “Since Your Majesty just decided my case by what you said, haven't you convicted yourself because you refuse to bring back the son you banished?
Owesifazana wasesithi: Pho, unakaneleni okunje ngabantu bakaNkulunkulu? Ngokukhuluma lindaba inkosi injengolecala, ngokuthi inkosi kayibuyisanga oxotshiweyo wayo.
14 Yes, we all have to die. We're like water spilled on the ground that can't be collected again. But that's not what God does. Instead he works out ways for anyone who is banished to come back home to him.
Ngoba kumele sife, sinjengamanzi achithekele emhlabathini angabuthwanga; kodwa uNkulunkulu kayikususa impilo, kodwa uzacabanga amacebo ukuthi angalahli kuye oxotshiweyo.
15 That's why I've come to explain this to Your Majesty, because someone has frightened me. So I thought to myself, I will go and speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant my request.
Ngakho-ke, njengoba ngizile ukukhuluma linto enkosini, inkosi yami, kungoba abantu bangesabisile; incekukazi yakho yasisithi: Khathesi ngizakhuluma lenkosi; mhlawumbe inkosi izakwenza ilizwi lencekukazi yayo.
16 Perhaps the king will listen and save me from the man who would cut off both me and my son from God's chosen people.
Ngoba inkosi izakuzwa, ukukhulula incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu ofuna ukuchitha mina kanye lendodana yami elifeni likaNkulunkulu.
17 I thought: May what Your Majesty says bring me peace, for Your Majesty is able to tell the difference between good and evil, just like an angel of God. May the Lord your God be with you!”
Incekukazi yakho yasisithi: Akuthi ilizwi lenkosi yami, inkosi, libe ngelokuthula, ngoba njengengilosi kaNkulunkulu, injalo inkosi yami, inkosi, ukuzwa okubi lokuhle. Ngakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho kayibe lawe.
18 “Please don't refuse to answer the question I'm about to ask,” the king said to the woman. “Please ask your question, Your Majesty,” she replied.
Inkosi yasiphendula yathi kowesifazana: Ake ungangifihleli indaba engizayibuza kuwe. Owesifazana wasesithi: Ake ikhulume inkosi yami, inkosi.
19 “Is all this Joab's doing?” the king asked. The woman replied, “As you live, Your Majesty, no one can hide anything from you. Yes, it was Joab, your officer, who ordered me to do this—he told me exactly what to say.
Inkosi yasisithi: Isandla sikaJowabi silawe yini kukho konke lokhu? Owesifazana wasephendula wathi: Kuphila komphefumulo wakho, nkosi yami, nkosi, isibili kakho ongaya ngakwesokunene langakwesokhohlo asuke lakuyiphi into inkosi yami, inkosi, eyikhulumileyo; ngoba inceku yakho uJowabi, yona yangilaya, yiyo eyafunza incekukazi yakho wonke lamazwi.
20 He did so to show the other side of the situation, but Your Majesty is as wise as an angel of God, and you know everything that happens in this country.”
Inceku yakho uJowabi iyenzile linto ukuthi iphendule ukuma kwendaba. Njalo inkosi yami ihlakaniphile njengenhlakanipho yengilosi kaNkulunkulu, ukwazi konke okusemhlabeni.
21 The king said to Joab, “Fine, I'll do it. Go and bring young Absalom back.”
Inkosi yasisithi kuJowabi: Khangela khathesi, ngenzile lindaba; ngakho hamba ubuyise umfana uAbisalomu.
22 Joab bowed down with his face to the ground in respect, and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “I, your servant, know that you approve of me, Your Majesty, because you have granted my request.”
UJowabi wasesithi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini, wakhothama, wayibusisa inkosi; uJowabi wasesithi: Lamuhla inceku yakho iyazi ukuthi ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, nkosi, ngokuthi inkosi yenzile indaba yenceku yayo.
23 Joab went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
Wasesuka uJowabi, waya eGeshuri, wamletha uAbisalomu eJerusalema.
24 But the king gave this order, “He may return to his home, but he's not to come and see me.” So Absalom returned to his own home, but he didn't go and see the king.
Inkosi yasisithi: Kaphendukele endlini yakhe, angaboni ubuso bami. Ngakho uAbisalomu waphendukela endlini yakhe, kabonanga ubuso benkosi.
25 Absalom was admired as the most handsome man in the whole of Israel. He didn't have a single blemish from head to toe.
KoIsrayeli wonke-ke kwakungelamuntu onjengoAbisalomu ukudunyiswa kakhulu ngobuhle; kwakungelasici kuye kusukela kungaphansi yonyawo lwakhe kuze kufike enkanda yakhe.
26 He cut his hair every year because it got so heavy—it weighed two hundred royal shekels.
Nxa ephuca ikhanda lakhe - ngoba kwakusithi ekupheleni kwawo wonke umnyaka aliphuce, ngoba zazinzima kuye, ngakho waliphuca - walinganisa inwele zekhanda lakhe, amashekeli angamakhulu amabili ngesilinganiso senkosi.
27 He had three sons, and a daughter named Tamar—a very beautiful woman.
Kwasekuzalelwa uAbisalomu amadodana amathathu lendodakazi eyodwa, obizo layo lalinguTamari; wayengowesifazana omuhle ebukeka.
28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years but was not permitted to see the king.
UAbisalomu wasehlala eJerusalema iminyaka emibili epheleleyo, kabonanga ubuso benkosi.
29 Absalom called Joab to arrange for him to see the king, for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come. Absalom called Joab again, but Joab still wouldn't come.
UAbisalomu wasethumela kuJowabi ukuthi amthume enkosini; kodwa kavumanga ukuza kuye. Waphinda wathumela ngokwesibili, kodwa kavumanga ukuza.
30 So Absalom told his servants, “Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley growing there. Go and set it on fire!” Absalom's servants went and set the field on fire.
Wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe: Bonani, isabelo sikaJowabi siseceleni kwesami, njalo ulebhali lapho; hambani lisithungele ngomlilo. Izinceku zikaAbisalomu zasezithungela isabelo ngomlilo.
31 Joab went to Absalom's house and asked “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
Wasesuka uJowabi weza kuAbisalomu endlini, wathi kuye: Izinceku zakho zithungeleleni isabelo esingesami ngomlilo?
32 “Look here,” said Absalom, “I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here. I want you to go to the king and ask: Why did I bother coming back from Geshur? It would have been better for me to stay there.’ So go and arrange for me to see the king, and if I'm guilty of anything, he can kill me.”
UAbisalomu wasesithi kuJowabi: Khangela, ngithumele kuwe ngisithi: Woza lapha, ukuze ngikuthume enkosini, ukuthi: Ngibuyeleni ngisuka eGeshuri? Bekukuhle kimi ukuthi ngabe ngilokhu ngikhonale. Ngakho-ke kangibone ubuso benkosi; njalo uba kulecala kimi, kayingibulale.
33 So Joab went and told the king what Absalom had said. Then David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed down with his face to the ground before him in respect. Then the king kissed Absalom.
Ngakho uJowabi weza enkosini, wayitshela; isimbizile uAbisalomu weza enkosini, wayikhothamela ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini, phambi kwenkosi; inkosi yasimanga uAbisalomu.
