2 Samuel 17
1 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me choose twelve thousand men and set off in pursuit of David tonight.
UAhithofeli wasesithi kuAbisalomu: Ake ngikhethe amadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili, ngisukume ngixotshane loDavida ngalobubusuku.
2 I'll attack him while he is tired and weak. I'll catch him by surprise and all his men will run away. I'll only kill the king
Ngizamehlela esakhathele ebuthakathaka ezandleni, ngimethuse; labo bonke abantu abalaye bazabaleka; ngizatshaya inkosi kuphela.
3 and bring everybody else back to you. When everybody returns apart from the one man you're after, the whole country will be at peace.”
Ngizabuyisela abantu bonke kuwe. Umuntu omdingayo ufanana lokubuya kwabo bonke. Bonke abantu bazakuba sekuthuleni.
4 This plan looked good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.
Lalelilizwi lalilungile emehlweni kaAbisalomu lemehlweni abo bonke abadala bakoIsrayeli.
5 But then Absalom said, “Call in Hushai the Archite too, and let's hear what he's got to say as well.”
UAbisalomu wasesithi: Bizani-ke loHushayi umArki, sizwe ukuthi laye uthini ngomlomo.
6 When Hushai came in, Absalom, asked him, “Ahithophel has recommended this plan. Should we go ahead with it? If not, what's your suggestion?”
UHushayi esefikile kuAbisalomu, uAbisalomu wakhuluma kuye esithi: UAhithofeli ukhulume ngalindlela: Senze ilizwi lakhe yini? Uba kungenjalo, khuluma wena.
7 “For once Ahithophel's advice isn't good,” Hushai replied.
UHushayi wasesithi kuAbisalomu: Iseluleko uAhithofeli aselulekileyo ngalesisikhathi kasisihle.
8 “You know what your father and his men are like. They're great fighters, and now they're as furious as a she-bear robbed of her cubs. In any case, your father is experienced in military tactics, and he won't spend the night with his men.
UHushayi wathi futhi: Wena uyamazi uyihlo labantu bakhe ukuthi bangamaqhawe, ukuthi bathukuthele enhliziyweni, njengebhere elithathelwe imidlwane egangeni. Futhi uyihlo yindoda yempi; kayikulala labantu ebusuku.
9 Right now he's holed up in a cave or some place like that. If he attacks first and some of your men are killed, people who hear about it will say, ‘Absalom's men are being slaughtered.’
Khangela, khathesinje ucatshile komunye wemigodi, loba kwenye yezindawo. Kuzakuthi lapho abanye babo bewile ekuqaleni, kuthi loba ngubani ozwayo athi: Bekulokubulawa ebantwini abalandela uAbisalomu.
10 Then even the bravest soldier who has the heart of a lion will be scared to death, because everyone in Israel knows that your father is a powerful man who has brave men with him.
Kuthi laye olobuqhawe, onhliziyo yakhe injengenhliziyo yesilwane, ancibilike lokuncibilika; ngoba uIsrayeli wonke uyazi ukuthi uyihlo uliqhawe, lalabo abalaye balobuqhawe.
11 My recommendation is that you call up the entire Israelite army from Dan to Beersheba—an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore! Once they've assembled, then you yourself lead them into battle!
Ngakho ngiyeluleka ukuthi uIsrayeli wonke abuthane, abuthane kuwe kusukela koDani kuze kufike eBherishebha, ngangetshebetshebe eliselwandle ngobunengi, wena ngokwakho ubususiya empini.
12 Then we'll attack David wherever he is, and we'll fall on him as dew falls on the ground. Neither he nor a single one of all the men with him will be left alive!
Ngakho sizamehlela kwenye yezindawo lapho angatholakala khona, simehlele njengamazolo ewela emhlabathini; njalo kungasali kuye lebantwini bonke abalaye loyedwa.
13 If he tries to find protection in a town, all of Israel will bring ropes to that town, and we will pull it down into the valley so that not even a stone will be left.”
Uba-ke engena emzini, uIsrayeli wonke uzaletha amagoda kulowomuzi, siwuhudulele esifuleni, kungabe kusatholwa lalitshana khona.
14 Absalom and all the Israelite leaders said, “Hushai the Arkite's advice is better than Ahithophel's.” For the Lord had decided to block Ahithophel's good advice in order that he might bring disaster on Absalom.
UAbisalomu lawo wonke amadoda akoIsrayeli basebesithi: Iseluleko sikaHushayi umArki singcono kuleseluleko sikaAhithofeli. Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu yayilayile ukuthi kufutshiswe iseluleko esihle sikaAhithofeli ukuze iNkosi imehlisele okubi uAbisalomu.
15 Hushai spoke to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, and told them, “Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the Israelite leaders to act in one way, but I have advised them to act in this different way.
UHushayi wasesithi kuZadoki lakuAbhiyatha abapristi: UAhithofeli weluleke uAbisalomu labadala bakoIsrayeli kanje lakanje; mina-ke ngeluleka kanje lakanje.
16 So send a message quickly to David and tell him, ‘Don't wait and spend the night at the fords of the wilderness, but cross over immediately or the king and everybody with him will be destroyed.’”
Ngakho-ke thumani masinyane litshele uDavida lithi: Ungalali emagcekeni enkangala kulobubusuku, futhi chapha lokuchapha, hlezi inkosi iginywe labantu bonke abalayo.
17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel because they couldn't be seen entering the city. A servant girl would come and tell them what was happening. Then they would go and let King David know.
OJonathani loAhimahazi babemile-ke eEnirogeli; incekukazi yeza yabatshela, bona-ke bahamba babikela inkosi uDavida; ngoba babengelakubonwa bengena emzini.
18 But a boy did see them and he told Absalom. So the two left immediately and went to the house of a man in the town of Bahurim. He had a well in his courtyard, and they climbed into it.
Kodwa umfana othile wababona, wabikela uAbisalomu; kodwa bahamba masinyane bobabili, bayafika endlini yomuntu eBahurimi, owayelomthombo egumeni lakhe; behlela khona.
19 His wife took a cloth to cover the well and spread it out over the opening and then scattered grain over it. No one knew the men were there.
Owesifazana wasethatha wendlala isimbombozo phezu komlomo womthombo, wachaya amabele agigiweyo phezu kwaso; ngakho linto kayaziwanga.
20 When Absalom's officers arrived they asked the woman, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” “They crossed over the stream,” she replied. The men searched for them but didn't find them, so they went back to Jerusalem.
Lapho zifika izinceku zikaAbisalomu kowesifazana endlini, zathi: Bangaphi oAhimahazi loJonathani? Owesifazana wasesithi kizo: Bachaphe isifula samanzi. Sezidingile, zingabatholanga, zabuyela eJerusalema.
21 After Absalom's officers left, the two men climbed out of the well and rushed off to give the king their message. “Have everybody get up and cross the river right away, for Ahithophel's advice is to attack you immediately.”
Kwasekusithi sezihambile, benyuka emthonjeni baya bayitshela inkosi uDavida, bathi kuDavida: Sukani lichaphe amanzi masinyane, ngoba uAhithofeli weluleke njalo emelene lani.
22 David and everybody with him got up and crossed the Jordan. By the time it got light there wasn't anybody who hadn't crossed over.
UDavida wasesuka, labo bonke abantu ababelaye, bachapha iJordani; kuze kube sekukhanyeni kokusa kwakungasalanga loyedwa, ongayichaphanga iJordani.
23 When Ahithophel realized that his advice had been ignored, he saddled up his donkey and left for his home in the town where he lived. He put his affairs in order and then he hanged himself. He died and was buried in his father's tomb.
Lapho uAhithofeli ebona ukuthi iseluleko sakhe asilandelwanga, wabophela isihlalo kubabhemi, wasuka waya endlini yakhe emzini wakhe, walaya indlu yakhe, waziphanyeka, wafa, wangcwatshelwa engcwabeni likayise.
24 David went on to Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed over the Jordan with the entire Israelite army.
UDavida wasefika eMahanayimi; uAbisalomu wasechapha iJordani, yena lamadoda wonke akoIsrayeli kanye laye.
25 Absalom had put Amasa in charge of the army to replace Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, the Ishmaelite who lived with Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother.
UAbisalomu wayebeke-ke uAmasa phezu kwebutho esikhundleni sikaJowabi. Njalo uAmasa wayeyindodana yomuntu obizo lakhe lalinguIthira umIsrayeli, owangena kuAbigali indodakazi kaNahashi, udadewabo kaZeruya, unakaJowabi.
26 The Israelites under Absalom set up camp in the land of Gilead.
Ngakho uIsrayeli loAbisalomu bamisa inkamba elizweni leGileyadi.
27 When David arrived at Mahanaim, he was welcomed by Shobi, son of Nahash, from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir, son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim.
Kwasekusithi uDavida esefikile eMahanayimi, uShobi indodana kaNahashi weRaba yabantwana bakoAmoni, loMakiri indodana kaAmiyeli weLodebari, loBarizilayi umGileyadi weRogelimi,
28 They brought bedding, bowls, and clay jars, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,
baletha amacansi, lemiganu, lendiwo zebumba, lengqoloyi, lebhali, lempuphu, lamabele akhanzingiweyo, lendumba, lamalentili, lokunye okukhanzingiweyo,
29 honey, curds, sheep, and cheese made from cow's milk for David and the people with him to eat. For they said, “The people are hungry, tired, and thirsty from their time in the wilderness.”
lenyosi, lamasi, lezimvu, letshizi yenkomo, kusenzelwa uDavida labantu ababelaye ukuze badle; ngoba bathi: Abantu balambile badiniwe bomile enkangala.
