2 Samuel 17
1 Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom: 'Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night;
U-Ahithofeli wathi ku-Abhisalomu, “Kahle ngikhethe abantu abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili ngiphume lamhla ebusuku ngilandela uDavida.
2 and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid; and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only;
Ngingamhlasela esadiniwe engelamandla. Ngingamtshayisa ngovalo, bonke abantu abalaye bazabaleka. Ngingabulala inkosi kuphela
3 and I will bring back all the people unto thee; when all shall have returned, save the man whom thou seekest, all the people will be in peace.'
abantu bonke ngibabuyisele kuwe. Ukufa komuntu omdingayo kuzakutsho ukuphenduka kwabo bonke; bonke abantu kabayikwenziwa lutho.”
4 And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.
Icebo leli lakhanya lilihle ku-Abhisalomu lakubo bonke abadala bako-Israyeli.
5 Then said Absalom: 'Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.'
Kodwa u-Abhisalomu wathi, “Bizani loHushayi umʼArikhi, ukuze sizwe angakutsho.”
6 And when Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spoke unto him, saying: 'Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner; shall we do after his saying? if not, speak thou.'
UHushayi esezile kuye, u-Abhisalomu wathi, “U-Ahithofeli usesinike iseluleko lesi. Sikwenze yini lokhu akutshoyo? Nxa kungenjalo, sinike owakho umcabango.”
7 And Hushai said unto Absalom: 'The counsel that Ahithophel hath given this time is not good.'
UHushayi waphendula u-Abhisalomu wathi, “Iseluleko osiphiwe ngu-Ahithofeli kasilunganga ngalesi isikhathi.
8 Hushai said moreover: 'Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are embittered in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
Uyamazi uyihlo labantu bakhe, bangamaqhawe, njalo bathukuthela okwebhele leganga lithathelwe imidlwane yalo. Langaphandle kwalokho, uyihlo liqhawe eliyaziyo impi, kabuchithi ubusuku elamabutho.
9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some place; and it will come to pass, when they fall upon them at the first, and whosoever heareth it shall say: There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom;
Lakhathesi nje, ucatshile ebhalwini loba enye indawo. Nxa yena engahlasela amabutho akho kuqala, loba ngubani ozakuzwa ngakho uzakuthi, ‘Kube lokuqothulwa phakathi kwamabutho alandela u-Abhisalomu.’
10 then even he that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they that are with him are valiant men.
Lapho-ke lebutho elilesibindi kulawo wonke, elinhliziyo yalo ifana lenhliziyo yesilwane, lizahedezela ngokwesaba ngoba u-Israyeli wonke uyakwazi ukuthi uyihlo liqhawe kanye lokuthi labo abalaye balesibindi.
11 But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.
Ngakho ngiyakucebisa: Akuthi abako-Israyeli bonke, kusukela koDani kusiya eBherishebha, ngobunengi obunjengetshebetshebe ekhunjini lolwandle, babuthane kuwe, kuthi wena ngokwakho ubakhokhele empini.
12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground; and of him and of all the men that are with him we will not leave so much as one.
Lapho-ke sizamhlasela loba kungaphi lapho angaficwa khona, njalo sizakwehlela phezu kwakhe njengamazolo ewela emhlabathini. Loba yena kumbe loba bani wabantu bakhe kakho ozasala ephila.
13 Moreover, if he withdraw himself into a city, then shall all Israel bring up ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the valley until there be not one small stone found there.'
Angabalekela edolobheni u-Israyeli wonke uzakuza lezintambo edolobheni, silihudulele phansi esigodini kuze kungabe kusatholakala lesihletshana salo.”
14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said: 'The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.' — For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.
U-Abhisalomu labantu bonke bako-Israyeli bathi, “Iseluleko sikaHushayi umʼArikhi singcono kulesika-Ahithofeli.” Ngoba uThixo wayeqonde ukufubisa iseluleko esilungileyo sika-Ahithofeli ukuze alethele u-Abhisalomu incithakalo.
15 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests: 'Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.
UHushayi watshela uZadokhi lo-Abhiyathari, abaphristi, wathi, “U-Ahithofeli usecebise u-Abhisalomu labadala bako-Israyeli ukuba benze ukuthi lokuthi, kodwa mina sengibacebise ukuthi benze okunje lokunje.
16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying: Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but in any wise pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.'
Khathesi-ke thumelani lizwi ngokuphangisa litshele uDavida ukuthi, ‘Ngalobubusuku ungalali emazibukweni asenkangala; chaphela ngaphetsheya kungekho kuphutha, hlezi inkosi labantu bonke abalayo baminzwe.’”
17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; and a maid-servant used to go and tell them; and they went and told king David; for they might not be seen to come into the city.
UJonathani lo-Ahimazi babehlala e-Eni Rogeli. Intombazana eyinceku yayizahamba iyebatshela, labo bezahamba bayetshela inkosi uDavida, ngoba babengeke bazifake engozini yokubonakala bengena edolobheni.
18 But a lad saw them, and told Absalom; and they went both of them away quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down thither.
Kodwa ijaha elithile lababona laselitshela u-Abhisalomu. Ngakho bobabili basuka masinyane baya endlini yomuntu othile eBhahurimi. Wayelomthombo egumeni lakhe, bangena kuwo.
19 And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and strewed groats thereon; and nothing was known.
Umkakhe wathatha okokwembesa wakwendlala phezu komlomo womthombo wasehaza amabele phezu kwakho. Kakho owayesazi ulutho ngakho.
20 And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house; and they said: 'Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?' And the woman said unto them: 'They are gone over the brook of water.' And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
Abantu baka-Abhisalomu sebefike kowesifazane lowo endlini, bambuza bathi, “U-Ahimazi loJonathani bangaphi?” Owesifazane wabaphendula wathi, “Bachaphele ngaphetsheya kwesifudlana.” Abantu labo badinga kodwa kabatholanga muntu, ngakho babuyela eJerusalema.
21 And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David; and they said unto David: 'Arise ye, and pass quickly over the water; for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.'
Abantu labo sebehambile, ababili labo baphuma emthonjeni basebesiyatshela inkosi uDavida. Bathi kuyo, “Suka uchaphe umfula masinyane; u-Ahithofeli usecebise ukuthi lokuthi okubi ngawe.”
22 Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan; by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over the Jordan.
Ngakho uDavida labantu bonke ababelaye basuka bachapha iJodani. Kwathi kusisa, engasekho owayesele engakachaphi iJodani.
23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and got him home, unto his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; and he died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
Kwathi u-Ahithofeli ebona ukuthi iseluleko sakhe sasingalandelwanga, wabophela isihlalo kubabhemi wakhe wasuka waya endlini yakhe emzini wakibo. Walungisa indlu yakhe, wasezibophela. Ngakho wafa wangcwatshwa ethuneni likayise.
24 When David was come to Mahanaim, Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
UDavida waya eMahanayimi, kwathi u-Abhisalomu wachapha iJodani labantu bonke bako-Israyeli.
25 And Absalom had set Amasa over the host instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Jesraelite, that went in to Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.
U-Abhisalomu wayesebeke u-Amasa ukuba ngumlawuli webutho esikhundleni sikaJowabi. U-Amasa wayeyindodana yomuntu owayethiwa nguJetha, umʼIsrayeli owayethethe u-Abhigeli indodakazi kaNahashi udadewabo kaZeruya unakaJowabi.
26 And Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.
Abako-Israyeli lo-Abhisalomu bamisa elizweni laseGiliyadi.
27 And it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
Kwathi uDavida esefikile eMahanayimi, uShobhi indodana kaNahashi waseRabha yama-Amoni, loMakhiri indodana ka-Amiyeli waseLo-Debhari, loBhazilayi umGiliyadi waseRogelimi
28 brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and parched corn, and beans, and lentils, and parched pulse,
bamlethela okokwendlala lemiganu lempahla ezenziwe ngebumba. Bamlethela lamabele kanye lebhali, ifulawa lamabele akhanzingiweyo, indumba lamalentili,
29 and honey, and curd, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat; for they said: 'The people is hungry, and faint, and thirsty, in the wilderness.'
uluju lamasi, izimvu, letshizi evela echagweni lwamankomokazi ukuba uDavida labantu bakhe badle. Ngoba bathi, “Abantu sebelambile njalo badiniwe futhi bomile enkangala.”
