< 1 Kings 20 >
1 And Ben–hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.
UBenihadadi inkosi yeSiriya wasebutha ibutho lakhe lonke, elamakhosi angamatshumi amathathu lambili, lamabhiza lezinqola. Wenyuka wayavimbezela iSamariya, walwa layo.
2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben–hadad,
Wathuma izithunywa kuAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli, emzini, wathi kuye: Utsho njalo uBenihadadi:
3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.
Isiliva sakho legolide lakho ngokwami, labafazi bakho labantwana bakho abahle ngabami.
4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.
Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasiphendula yathi: Njengokwelizwi lakho, nkosi yami, nkosi, ngingowakho, lakho konke engilakho.
5 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben–hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;
Izithunywa zasezibuyela zathi: Utsho njalo uBenihadadi uthi: Lanxa ngithumele kuwe ngisithi: Isiliva sakho legolide lakho labafazi bakho labantwana bakho, kunike mina;
6 Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.
kube kanti phose ngalesisikhathi kusasa ngizathuma kuwe izinceku zami, zizaguduza indlu yakho lezindlu zezinceku zakho; kuzakuthi-ke, yonke into ethandekayo emehlweni akho, zizayifaka esandleni sazo ziyithathe.
7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.
Ngakho inkosi yakoIsrayeli yabiza bonke abadala belizwe yathi: Ake linanzelele libone ukuthi lo udinga ububi, ngoba uthumele kimi ngabafazi bami langabantwana bami langesiliva sami langegolide lami, njalo kangimalelanga.
8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.
Bonke abadala labo bonke abantu basebesithi kuyo: Ungalaleli, njalo ungavumi.
9 Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben–hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.
Wasesithi kuzo izithunywa zikaBenihadadi: Tshelani inkosi yami, inkosi ukuthi: Konke eyakuthumela encekwini yayo kuqala ngizakwenza; kodwa linto kangilamandla okuyenza. Izithunywa zasezihamba, zayibuyisela ilizwi.
10 And Ben–hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
UBenihadadi wasethumela kuye wathi: Kabenze njalo onkulunkulu kimi, bengezelele njalo, uba ubhuqu lweSamariya lungenela izandla ezigcweleyo zabo bonke abantu abangilandelayo.
11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his armour boast himself as he that putteth it off.
Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasiphendula yathi: Mtsheleni: Lowo obhinca izikhali kangaziqakisi njengozikhululayo.
12 And it came to pass, when Ben–hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.
Kwasekusithi esizwa lelilizwi esanatha, yena lamakhosi emadumbeni, wathi ezincekwini zakhe: Zimiseni! Zasezizimisa ukumelana lomuzi.
13 And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith Yhwh, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am Yhwh.
Khangela-ke, umprofethi othile wasondela kuAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli, wathi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Uyalibona lelixuku lonke elikhulu yini? Khangela, ngizalinikela esandleni sakho lamuhla, njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina ngiyiNkosi.
14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith Yhwh, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.
UAhabi wasesithi: Ngobani? Wasesithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngamajaha abaphathi bezabelo. Wasesithi: Ngubani ozaqalisa impi? Wasesithi: Wena.
15 Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.
Wasebala amajaha abaphathi bezabelo, ayengamakhulu amabili lamatshumi amathathu lambili; lemva kwawo wabala bonke abantu, bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli, izinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa.
16 And they went out at noon. But Ben–hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him.
Basebephuma emini, uBenihadadi esenathe wadakwa emadumbeni, yena lamakhosi, amakhosi angamatshumi amathathu lambili ayemsiza.
17 And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben–hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.
Amajaha abaphathi bezabelo asephuma kuqala. UBenihadadi wasethuma, basebemtshela besithi: Kuphume amadoda eSamariya.
18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.
Wasesithi: Loba ephumele ukuthula, abambeni ephila; loba-ke ephumele impi, abambeni ephila.
19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them.
Lala aphuma emzini, amajaha abaphathi bezabelo, lebutho elawalandelayo.
20 And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Ben–hadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen.
Babulala, ngulowo lalowo umuntu wakhe. AmaSamariya asebaleka, uIsrayeli wasexotshana lawo, kodwa uBenihadadi inkosi yeSiriya waphunyuka ngebhiza kanye labagadi bamabhiza.
21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasiphuma, yatshaya amabhiza lenqola, yatshaya phakathi kwamaSiriya ngokubulala okukhulu.
22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.
Lowomprofethi wasesondela enkosini yakoIsrayeli wathi kuyo: Hamba, uziqinise, unanzelele njalo ubone okwenzayo; ngoba ekuthwaseni komnyaka inkosi yeSiriya izakwenyuka imelane lawe.
23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.
Lezinceku zenkosi yeSiriya zathi kuyo: Onkulunkulu babo bangonkulunkulu bezintaba, yikho belamandla kulathi; kube kanti asilwe labo emagcekeni, sibili sizabehlula.
24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms:
Ngakho yenza linto: Susa amakhosi, ngulowo lalowo endaweni yakhe, ubeke izinduna esikhundleni sawo;
25 And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so.
njalo wena zibalele ibutho njengebutho eliwileyo kuwe, lebhiza njengebhiza, lenqola njengenqola; njalo sizakulwa labo emagcekeni, isibili sizabehlula. Yasilalela ilizwi labo, yenza njalo.
26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben–hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.
Kwasekusithi ekuthwaseni komnyaka uBenihadadi wabala amaSiriya, wenyukela eAfeki ekulweni loIsrayeli.
27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.
Abantwana bakoIsrayeli babalwa-ke, banikwa imiphako, basebephuma ukumelana lawo; abantwana bakoIsrayeli bamisa inkamba phambi kwawo njengemihlanjana yembuzi emibili, kodwa amaSiriya agcwala ilizwe.
28 And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith Yhwh, Because the Syrians have said, Yhwh is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am Yhwh.
Kwasekusondela umuntu kaNkulunkulu, wakhuluma enkosini yakoIsrayeli wathi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngenxa yokuthi amaSiriya athe: INkosi inguNkulunkulu wezintaba, kodwa kayisuye uNkulunkulu wezihotsha, ngakho ngizanikela esandleni sakho lelixuku lonke elikhulu, njalo lizakwazi ukuthi mina ngiyiNkosi.
29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day.
Basebemisa inkamba, enye iqondene lenye, insuku eziyisikhombisa. Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesikhombisa impi yadibana; abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebetshaya ngosuku lunye amaSiriya azinkulungwane ezilikhulu ahamba ngenyawo.
30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben–hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.
Labaseleyo babalekela eAfeki emzini; lomduli wawela phezu kwamadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa ayesele. UBenihadadi laye wabaleka, wangena emzini ekamelweni elingaphakathi.
31 And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.
Lezinceku zakhe zathi kuye: Khangela-ke, sizwile ukuthi amakhosi endlu yakoIsrayeli angamakhosi alesihawu; ake sifake amasaka enkalweni zethu, lamagoda emakhanda ethu, siphumele enkosini yakoIsrayeli; mhlawumbe izagcina umphefumulo wakho uphile.
32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben–hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.
Basebethandela amasaka enkalweni zabo, lamagoda emakhanda abo, bafika enkosini yakoIsrayeli, bathi: Inceku yakho uBenihadadi ithi: Ake ungiyekele ngiphile. Yasisithi: Usaphila yini? Ungumfowethu.
33 Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Ben–hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben–hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.
Lamadoda aqaphela ngokukhuthala aphangisa ukukuhluthuna kuyo, athi: Umfowenu uBenihadadi. Yasisithi: Hambani liyemthatha. UBenihadadi wasephumela kuyo, yamkhweza enqoleni.
34 And Ben–hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.
Wasesithi kuyo: Imizi ubaba ayithatha kuyihlo ngizayibuyisela; futhi ungazenzela izitalada eDamaseko njengokwenza kukababa eSamariya. Khona uAhabi wathi: Mina ngizakuyekela uhambe ngalesisivumelwano. Yasisenza laye isivumelwano yamyekela ehamba.
35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of Yhwh, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.
Umuntu othile wamadodana abaprofethi wasesithi kumakhelwane wakhe ngelizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu: Ake ungitshaye. Kodwa lowomuntu wala ukumtshaya.
36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of Yhwh, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
Wasesithi kuye: Ngenxa yokuthi ungalilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi, khangela, ekusukeni kwakho kimi isilwane sizakutshaya. Wasesuka kuye, lesilwane samfica, sambulala.
37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.
Wasethola omunye umuntu wathi: Ake ungitshaye. Lalowomuntu wamtshaya lokumtshaya emlimaza.
38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
Ngakho umprofethi wasuka, wamelela inkosi endleleni, ezifihle isimo ngelembu emehlweni.
39 And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
Kwasekusithi inkosi idlula, yena wamemeza enkosini wathi: Inceku yakho yaphuma phakathi kwempi; khangela-ke, umuntu waphambuka, waletha umuntu kimi, wathi: Londoloza lumuntu; uba elahleka lokulahleka, khona impilo yakho izakuba sesikhundleni sempilo yakhe, kumbe uhlawule ngethalenta lesiliva.
40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.
Kwasekusithi inceku yakho isaphathekile lapha lalaphaya, yena wayengekho. Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuye: Sinjalo isahlulelo sakho, ususiqumile wena.
41 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.
Wasephangisa walisusa ilembu emehlweni akhe. Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasimazi ukuthi ungowabaprofethi.
42 And he said unto him, Thus saith Yhwh, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.
Wasesithi kuyo: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngoba umyekele ukuthi aphume esandleni umuntu engimmisele ukumtshabalalisa, ngakho impilo yakho izakuba sesikhundleni sempilo yakhe, labantu bakho esikhundleni sabantu bakhe.
43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.
Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisiya endlini yayo inyukumele, ithukuthele, yafika eSamariya.