2 Samuel 18
1 David organized the men who were with him and put commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds in charge of them.
UDavida wabutha bonke abantu ababelaye wababekela abalawuli bezinkulungwane labalawuli bamakhulu.
2 David sent the army out divided into three sections. One third was commanded by Joab, one third was commanded by Abishai, son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third was commanded by Ittai the Gittite. The king told the men, “I myself will go out into battle with you.”
UDavida wahlukanisa amabutho akhe, ingxenye eyodwa kokuthathu ilawulwa nguJowabi, ingxenye eyodwa ingaphansi komfowabo kaJowabi u-Abhishayi indodana kaZeruya, lengxenye eyodwa kokuthathu ingaphansi kuka-Ithayi umGithi. Inkosi yatshela amabutho yathi, “Mina ngokwami impela ngizaphuma lani.”
3 But the men replied, “No, you must not go out into battle! For if we have to run away, they won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't care about that either. But you are worth ten thousand of us, so it's better if you stay here and send us help from the town.”
Kodwa abantu bathi, “Akumelanga uphume; nxa sizancindezeleka ukuba sibaleke, kabayikuzihlupha ngathi. Lanxa kungaze kufe ingxenye yethu, kabayikuzihlupha; kodwa wena ulingana labethu abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi. Kungabangcono khathesi ukuba usisekele usedolobheni.”
4 “I will do whatever you think best,” the king replied. The king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
Inkosi yaphendula yathi, “Ngizakwenza loba kuyini lokho okukhanya kungcono kini.” Ngakho inkosi yema eceleni kwesango abantu sebephuma ngamaviyo amakhulu lawezinkulungwane.
5 The king ordered Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Treat young Absalom gently for me.” All the men heard the king giving orders to each of his commanders about Absalom.
Inkosi yalaya uJowabi, lo-Abhishayi kanye lo-Ithayi yathi, “Libe lesisa ejaheni u-Abhisalomu ngenxa yami.” Amabutho wonke ayizwa inkosi ilaya umlawuli ngamunye ngo-Abhisalomu.
6 David's army marched out to face the Israelites in battle, which was fought in the forest of Ephraim.
Ibutho lahamba lisiya egangeni ukuyakulwa lo-Israyeli, njalo ukulwa kwenzakala eguswini lako-Efrayimi.
7 The Israelites were defeated by David's men and many were killed that day—some twenty thousand.
Khonapho ibutho lako-Israyeli lehlulwa ngabantu bakaDavida, njalo ukubulalana kwaba kukhulu ngalelolanga, abantu abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili.
8 The battle covered the whole countryside, and that day more died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.
Impi yaqhela yagcwala ilizwe lonke, njalo igusu laqeda abantu abanengi kulenkemba ngalolosuku.
9 Absalom ran into some of David's men while he was riding on his mule. As the mule went under the twisted branches of a large oak tree, Absalom's hair got caught in the tree. The mule he was riding kept going, leaving him hanging between earth and sky.
Kwenzakala nje ukuthi u-Abhisalomu ahlangane labantu bakaDavida. Wayegade imbongolo yakhe, kwasekusithi imbongolo idlula ngaphansi kwezingatsha ezenileyo zesihlahla esikhulu somʼOkhi, ikhanda lika-Abhisalomu labanjwa esihlahleni. Wasala elenga emoyeni, imbongolo ayeyigadile ilokhu ihamba.
10 One of David's men saw what happened, so he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree!”
Kwathi omunye wabantu esebone lokhu, watshela uJowabi wathi, “Ngibone u-Abhisalomu elenga esihlahleni somʼOkhi.”
11 “What! You saw him like that?” Joab said to the man. “Why didn't you kill him right then and there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a soldier's belt as a reward!”
UJowabi wasesithi emuntwini owayemtshele lokhu, “Ini? Umbonile? Pho kungani ungamcakazelanga phansi khonapho na? Kade ngizakupha amashekeli esiliva alitshumi kanye lebhanti lobuqhawe.”
12 But the man replied, “Even if you gave me a thousand shekels of silver, I wouldn't hurt the king's son. We all heard the king give the order to you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Look after young Absalom for me.’
Kodwa umuntu lowo waphendula wathi, “Lanxa amashekeli ayinkulungwane engalinganiselwa ezandleni zami, ngingeke ngiphakamise isandla sami ngihlasele indodana yenkosi. Sizizwele inkosi ilaya wena lo-Abhishayi kanye lo-Ithayi yathi, ‘Vikelani ijaha u-Abhisalomu ngenxa yami.’
13 If I had disobeyed and killed Absalom—and the king finds out everything—you yourself wouldn't have defended me.”
Aluba ngibeke ukuphila kwami engozini njalo akulanto efihlakeleyo enkosini, ubungayikuba lobuzalwane lami.”
14 “I'm not going to waste time waiting around like this with you!” Joab told him. He grabbed three spears and drove them into Absalom's heart while he was still alive, hanging from the oak tree.
UJowabi wathi, “Mina angiyikulindela wena kanje.” Ngakho wathatha imikhonto emithathu wayitikitela enhliziyweni ka-Abhisalomu, u-Abhisalomu elokhu esaphila esesihlahleni somʼOkhi.
15 Ten of Joab's armor-bearers surrounded Absalom and hacked him to death.
Njalo abathwali bezikhali zikaJowabi bamhanqa u-Abhisalomu, bamtshaya bambulala.
16 Then Joab blew the ram's horn, and his men stopped chasing the Israelites because Joab had signaled them to stop.
Emva kwalokho uJowabi wakhalisa icilongo, amabutho aseyekela ukuxotshana lo-Israyeli, ngoba uJowabi wawamisa.
17 They took Absalom and threw him into a deep pit in the forest, and piled a large heap of stones over him. All the Israelites ran away to their homes.
Bamthatha u-Abhisalomu bamphosela egodini elikhulu eguswini babuthelela inqwaba enkulu yamatshe phezu kwakhe. Ngalesosikhathi wonke u-Israyeli wabalekela ekhaya lakhe.
18 Absalom while he was alive had made a stone pillar and set it up in the King's Valley as a memorial to himself, for he thought to himself, “I don't have a son to keep the memory of my name alive.” He named the pillar after himself, and it's called Absalom's Monument even today.
U-Abhisalomu esaphila wayethethe insika wayimisa eSigodini seNkosi njengesikhumbuzo sakhe, ngoba wacabanga wathi, “Angilandodana yokuqhuba ukukhunjulwa kwebizo lami.” Insika wayibiza ngaye, njalo ithiwa Isikhumbuzo sika-Abhisalomu kuze kube lamhla.
19 Then Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, said, “Please let me run and take the good news to the king that the Lord has vindicated him over his enemies.”
Ngalesosikhathi u-Ahimazi indodana kaZadokhi wathi, “Kuhle ngigijime ngihambise umbiko enkosini ukuthi uThixo useyihlengile esandleni sezitha zayo.”
20 “You're not the man to take the good news today,” Joab replied. “You can do it some other time, but don't do it today, because the king's son is dead.”
UJowabi wathi kuye, “Kawusuwe omele ahambise imibiko lamhla. Ungayihambisa imibiko ngesinye isikhathi, kodwa akumelanga wenzenjalo lamhla, ngoba indodana yenkosi ifile.”
21 So Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” He bowed to Joab and ran off.
UJowabi wasesithi kumKhushi, “Hamba uyetshela inkosi lokho okubonileyo.” UmKhushi wakhothama phambi kukaJowabi wasesuka egijima.
22 Ahimaaz asked Joab again, “Never mind what happens, please let me run too, after the Ethiopian!” “Son, why do you want to run—you won't get anything for it?” Joab replied.
U-Ahimazi indodana kaZadokhi waphinda wathi kuJowabi, “Loba kunjani, ake ungivumele ngigijime ngilandele umKhushi.” Kodwa uJowabi waphendula wathi, “Ndodana yami, kungani ufuna ukuhamba? Kawulambiko ozakulethela umvuzo.”
23 “Doesn't matter, I want to run anyway,” he said. “Fine, start running!” Joab told him. Ahimaaz took the route over flatter ground and overtook the Ethiopian.
Yena wathi, “Loba kunjani, mina ngifuna ukugijima.” Ngakho uJowabi wathi, “Gijima!” U-Ahimazi wagijima ngendlela yasemagcekeni, wamdlula umKhushi.
24 David was sitting between the inside and outside gates. The watchman climbed up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. He looked out, and saw a man running by himself.
Kwathi uDavida ehlezi phakathi kwesango langaphakathi lelangaphandle, umlindi wakhwela waya phezulu ephahleni lwesango, phansi komduli. Kwathi lapho ekhangela, wabona umuntu egijima eyedwa.
25 So he shouted down to tell the king. “If he's by himself then he's bringing good news,” the king replied. As the first runner got closer,
Umlindi wamemeza inkosi wayibikela lokho. Inkosi yathi, “Nxa eyedwa, uzakuba lezindaba ezinhle.” Umuntu waqhubeka elokhu esondela eduze.
26 the watchman saw someone else running, and he shouted down to the gatekeeper, “Look! There's another man running by himself!” “He'll also be bringing good news,” said the king.
Umlindi wabona omunye umuntu egijima, wasebiza umlindi wesango ngaphansi, wathi, “Khangela, omunye umuntu ugijima eyedwa!” Inkosi yathi, “Laye uzakuba ngoletha izindaba ezinhle.”
27 “The first man seems to me to be running like Ahimaaz, son of Zadok,” said the watchman. “He's a good man,” he king replied. “He'll bring good news.”
Umlindi wasesithi, “Ngibona angathi owakuqala ugijima njengo-Ahimazi indodana kaZadokhi.” Inkosi yathi, “Ungumuntu olungileyo. Uza lezindaba ezinhle.”
28 Ahimaaz shouted out greetings to the king, Then he came and he bowed facedown before the king. “Blessed be the Lord your God!” he said. “He has defeated the men who rebelled against Your Majesty!”
Lapho-ke u-Ahimazi wamemeza enkosini wasesithi, “Konke kulungile.” Wakhothama phambi kwenkosi wathi mbo phansi ngobuso, wathi, “Kadunyiswe uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho. Usebanikele abantu abaphakamisa izandla zabo ukuhlasela inkosi yami.”
29 “How is young Absalom? Is he alright?” the king asked. Ahimaaz answered, “It was very chaotic when your officer Joab sent me, your servant. I really don't know what was happening.”
Inkosi yasibuza isithi, “Ijaha u-Abhisalomu usindile na?” U-Ahimazi waphendula wathi, “Ngibone ukuphithizela okukhulu uJowabi esezathuma inceku yenkosi lami, inceku yakho, kodwa kangazi ukuthi kade kuyini.”
30 “Stand to one side and wait,” the king told him. So Ahimaaz stood to one side and waited.
Inkosi yasisithi, “Buyela eceleni ume khona.” Ngakho wabuyela eceleni wama khona.
31 Right then the Ethiopian arrived and said, “Your Majesty, listen to the good news! Today the Lord has defeated all those who rebelled against you!”
Lapho-ke umKhushi wafika wathi, “Mhlekazi wami, nkosi, zwana izindaba ezinhle! UThixo lamhla usekukhulule kubo bonke abakuhlamukelayo.”
32 “How is young Absalom? Is he alright?” the king asked. The Ethiopian replied, “May what has happened to the young man happen to Your Majesty's enemies, and to everyone who rebels against you!”
Inkosi yambuza yathi, “Ijaha u-Abhisalomu usindile na?” UmKhushi waphendula wathi, “Sengathi izitha zomhlekazi inkosi yami labo bonke abayihlamukelayo ukuba bayilimaze bangaba njengejaha leliyana.”
33 The king broke down. He went up to the room over the gate and cried. As he walked, he sobbed out, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I'd died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
Inkosi yadabuka kakhulu. Yakhwela yaya ekamelweni elingaphezu kwesango yakhala. Yahamba ikhala isithi, “Oh, ndodana yami Abhisalomu! Ndodana yami, ndodana yami Abhisalomu! Aluba kufe mina esikhundleni sakho, Oh Abhisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!”
