2 Samuel 14
1 And Joab son of Zeruial knoweth that the heart of the king [is] on Absalom,
UJowabi indodana kaZeruya wakwazi ukuthi inhliziyo yenkosi yayimkhumbula u-Abhisalomu.
2 and Joab sendeth to Tekoah, and taketh thence a wise woman, and saith unto her, 'Feign thyself a mourner, I pray thee, and put on, I pray thee, garments of mourning, and anoint not thyself with oil, and thou hast been as a woman these many days mourning for the dead,
Ngakho uJowabi wathuma umuntu eThekhowa wayabuya khona lowesifazane ohlakaniphileyo. Wathi kuye, “Yenza angathi uyalila. Gqoka izigqoko zokulila. Ungagcobi amagcobo okubukeka. Yenza njengowesifazane oseqede insuku ezinengi elilela ofileyo.
3 and thou hast gone unto the king, and spoken unto him, according to this word;' and Joab putteth the words into her mouth.
Uye enkosini ukhulume amazwi la kuyo.” UJowabi wasemfunza lawomazwi.
4 And the woman of Tekoah speaketh unto the king, and falleth on her face to the earth, and doth obeisance, and saith, 'Save, O king.'
Kwathi owesifazane owavela eThekhowa esefikile enkosini wathi mbo phansi ngobuso eyihlonipha, wasesithi, “Ake ungisize, awu nkosi!”
5 And the king saith to her, 'What — to thee?' and she saith, 'Truly a widow woman [am] I, and my husband dieth,
Inkosi yambuza yathi, “Kuyini okukuhluphayo?” Yena wathi, “Ngingumfelokazi impela, umkami wafa.
6 and thy maid-servant hath two sons; and they strive both of them in a field, and there is no deliverer between them, and the one smiteth the other, and putteth him to death;
Mina ncekukazi yakho ngangilamadodana amabili. Alwa egangeni njalo akulamuntu owayelapho ukuba awalamule. Enye yatshaya enye yayibulala.
7 and lo, the whole family hath risen against thy maid-servant, and say, Give up him who smiteth his brother, and we put him to death for the life of his brother whom he hath slain, and we destroy also the heir; and they have quenched my coal which is left — so as not to set to my husband a name and remnant on the face of the ground.'
Manje-ke bonke abosendo sebevukele incekukazi yakho, bathi, ‘Sinike lowo owabulala umfowabo ukuze simbulale ngenxa yempilo yomfowabo ambulalayo; lapho-ke sizasusa lendlalifa futhi.’ Bazacitsha ilahle lami elivuthayo eliyilo lodwa engilalo eliseleyo, umkami asale engaselabizo loba inzalo ebusweni bomhlaba.”
8 And the king saith unto the woman, 'Go to thine house, and I give charge concerning thee.'
Inkosi yasisithi kowesifazane lowo, “Buyela ekhaya, ngizakhupha umlayo ngimele wena.”
9 And the woman of Tekoah saith unto the king, 'On me, my lord, O king, [is] the iniquity, and on the house of my father; and the king and his throne [are] innocent.'
Kodwa owesifazane waseThekhowa wathi kuyo, “Mhlekazi wami, nkosi, umlandu kawube kimi lakwabendlu kababa, kuthi inkosi lesihlalo sayo sobukhosi kungabi lacala.”
10 And the king saith, 'He who speaketh [aught] unto thee, and thou hast brought him unto me, then he doth not add any more to come against thee.'
Inkosi yaphendula yathi, “Nxa loba ngubani esitsho loba yini kuwe, mlethe kimi, njalo kasoze akuhluphe futhi.”
11 And she saith, 'Let, I pray thee, the king remember by Jehovah thy God, that the redeemer of blood add not to destroy, and they destroy not my son;' and he saith, 'Jehovah liveth; if there doth fall of the hair of thy son to the earth.'
Wasesithi, “Inkosi kayincenge uThixo uNkulunkulu wayo ukuba avimbele umphindiseli wegazi ekwengezeleleni incithakalo, ukuze indodana yami ingabhujiswa.” Inkosi yathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, akukho lalunye unwele lwekhanda lendodana yakho oluzawela phansi.”
12 And the woman saith, 'Let, I pray thee, thy maid-servant speak unto my lord the king a word;' and he saith, 'Speak.'
Lapho-ke owesifazane wasesithi, “Vumela incekukazi yakho ikhulume ilizwi enkosini yami.” Yathi, “Khuluma.”
13 And the woman saith, 'And why hast thou thought thus concerning the people of God? yea, the king is speaking this thing as a guilty one, in that the king hath not brought back his outcast;
Owesifazane wasesithi, “Pho kungani ucebe into enje ngabantu bakaNkulunkulu na? Nxa inkosi isitsho lokhu kayizidlisi ngecala na, ngoba inkosi kayiyibuyisanga indodana yayo eyaxotshwayo.
14 for we do surely die, and [are] as water which is running down to the earth, which is not gathered, and God doth not accept a person, and hath devised devices in that the outcast is not outcast by Him.
Njengamanzi achithekele phansi, angeke abuthwe, kanjalo kumele sife. Kodwa uNkulunkulu kakususi ukuphila, esikhundleni salokho yena uceba izindlela zokuthi umuntu oxotshiweyo angehlukaniswa laye kokuphela.
15 'And now that I have come to speak unto the king my lord this word, [it is] because the people made me afraid, and thy maid-servant saith, Let me speak, I pray thee, unto the king; it may be the king doth do the word of his handmaid,
Ngilande ukuzakutsho lokhu kumhlekazi wami inkosi, ngoba abantu sebengethusile. Incekukazi yakho icabange yathi, ‘Ngizakhuluma lenkosi, engxenye izakwenza lokho okucelwa yincekukazi yayo.
16 for the king doth hearken to deliver his handmaid out of the paw of the man [seeking] to destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God,
Engxenye inkosi izavuma ukuhlenga incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu ozama ukungisusa mina lendodana yami elifeni esaliphiwa nguNkulunkulu.’
17 and thy maid-servant saith, Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be for ease; for as a messenger of God so [is] my lord the king, to understand the good and the evil; and Jehovah thy God is with thee.'
Khathesi incekukazi yakho ithi, ‘Sengathi izwi lomhlekazi wami, uThixo lingangilethela ukuphumula, ngoba umhlekazi wami, inkosi unjengengilosi kaNkulunkulu ekuphawuleni okuhle lokubi. Sengathi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho angaba lawe.’”
18 And the king answereth and saith unto the woman, 'Do not, I pray thee, hide from me the thing that I am asking thee;' and the woman saith, 'Let, I pray thee, my lord the king speak.'
Inkosi yasisithi kowesifazane lowo, “Ungangifihleli impendulo kulokhu engizakubuza khona.” Owesifazane wathi “Mhlekazi wami, inkosi kayikhulume.”
19 And the king saith, 'Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this?' And the woman answereth and saith, 'Thy soul liveth, my lord, O king, none [doth turn] to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab he commanded me, and he put in the mouth of thy maid-servant all these words;
Inkosi yasibuza yathi, “Isandla sikaJowabi kasilawe yini kukho konke lokhu na?” Owesifazane waphendula wathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uphila, mhlekazi wami, inkosi, kakho ongaphambukela kwesokudla kumbe kwesenxele kwaloba yini umhlekazi wami, inkosi ekutshoyo. Ye, yinceku yakho uJowabi engilaye ukuba ngenze lokhu onguye njalo ofunze amazwi wonke la emlonyeni wencekukazi yakho.
20 in order to bring round the appearance of the thing hath thy servant Joab done this thing, and my lord [is] wise, according to the wisdom of a messenger of God, to know all that [is] in the land.'
Inceku yakho uJowabi yenze lokhu ukuba iguqule umumo okhona khathesi. Inkosi yami ilenhlakanipho efana leyengilosi kaNkulunkulu yazi konke okwenzakalayo elizweni.”
21 And the king saith unto Joab, 'Lo, I pray thee, thou hast done this thing; and go, bring back the young man Absalom.'
Inkosi yasisithi kuJowabi, “Kulungile, ngizakwenza lokho. Hamba uyebuya lalo ijaha u-Abhisalomu.”
22 And Joab falleth on his face to the earth, and doth obeisance, and blesseth the king, and Joab saith, 'To-day hath thy servant known that I have found grace in thine eyes, my lord, O king, in that the king hath done the word of his servant.'
UJowabi wathi mbo phansi ngobuso eyihlonipha, waseyibonga inkosi. UJowabi wasesithi, “Lamhla inceku yakho isikwazi ukuthi isithole umusa emehlweni akho, mhlekazi wami, nkosi, ngoba inkosi isivumile isicelo senceku yayo.”
23 And Joab riseth and goeth to Geshur, and bringeth in Absalom to Jerusalem,
Emva kwalokho uJowabi waya eGeshuri wayabuya lo-Abhisalomu eJerusalema.
24 and the king saith, 'Let him turn round unto his house, and my face he doth not see.' And Absalom turneth round unto his house, and the face of the king he hath not seen.
Kodwa inkosi yathi, “Kaye endlini yakhe, akumelanga abone ubuso bami.” Ngakho u-Abhisalomu waya endlini yakhe akaze abubona ubuso benkosi.
25 And like Absalom there was no man [so] fair in all Israel, to praise greatly; from the sole of his foot even unto his crown there was no blemish in him;
Kulolonke elako-Israyeli kakho umuntu owayebatshazwa kakhulu ngobuhle bakhe njengo-Abhisalomu. Kusukela ekhanda lakhe kusiya ephangweni lonyawo lwakhe kwakungekho sici kuye.
26 and in his polling his head — and it hath been at the end of year by year that he polleth [it], for it [is] heavy on him, and he hath polled it — he hath even weighed out the hair of his head — two hundred shekels by the king's weight.
Kwakusithi lapho egele inwele zekhanda lakhe wayejwayele ukuzigela inwele zakhe kanye ngomnyaka nxa zasezimsinda kakhulu, wayezilinganisa esikalini, isisindo sazo sasingamakhulu amabili amashekeli ngesilinganiso sesikhosini.
27 And there are born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter, and her name [is] Tamar; she was a woman of a fair appearance.
U-Abhisalomu wazala amadodana amathathu lendodakazi eyodwa. Ibizo lendodakazi lalinguThamari, owayengumfazi omuhle.
28 And Absalom dwelleth in Jerusalem two years of days, and the face of the king he hath not seen;
U-Abhisalomu wahlala iminyaka emibili eJerusalema engabuboni ubuso benkosi.
29 and Absalom sendeth unto Joab, to send him unto the king, and he hath not been willing to come unto him; and he sendeth again a second time, and he hath not been willing to come.
Yikho u-Abhisalomu wabiza uJowabi wamthuma enkosini, kodwa uJowabi wala ukuya kuye. Wathumela okwesibili, kodwa wala ukuza.
30 And he saith unto his servants, 'See, the portion of Joab [is] by the side of mine, and he hath barley there; go, and burn it with fire;' and the servants of Absalom burn the portion with fire.
Wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe, “Khangelani, insimu kaJowabi iphansi kweyami, njalo kulebhali kiyo. Hambani liyeyithungela ngomlilo.” Ngakho izinceku zika-Abhisalomu zayithungela insimu ngomlilo.
31 And Joab riseth and cometh unto Absalom in the house, and saith unto him, 'Why have thy servants burned the portion that I have with fire?'
Lapho-ke uJowabi waya endlini ka-Abhisalomu wathi kuye, “Kungani izinceku zakho zithungele insimu yami ngomlilo?”
32 And Absalom saith unto Joab, 'Lo, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, and I send thee unto the king to say, Why have I come in from Geshur? — good for me while I [am] there — and now, let me see the king's face, and if there is in me iniquity then thou hast put me to death.'
U-Abhisalomu wathi kuJowabi, “Khangela, ngithumele ilizwi kuwe ngathi, ‘Woza lapha ukuze ngikuthume enkosini ukuyabuza ukuthi, “Pho ngisukeleni eGeshuri? Kade kuzakuba ngcono kimi aluba ngilokhu ngikhonale!”’ Khathesi nje, mina ngifuna ukubona ubuso benkosi, nxa ngilecala laloba yini kangibulale.”
33 And Joab cometh unto the king, and declareth [it] to him, and he calleth unto Absalom, and he cometh unto the king, and boweth himself to him, on his face, to the earth, before the king, and the king giveth a kiss to Absalom.
Ngakho uJowabi waya enkosini wayitshela lokhu. Inkosi yambiza u-Abhisalomu, wafika wangena wasesithi mbo phansi ngobuso phambi kwenkosi. Inkosi yamanga u-Abhisalomu.
