1 Imilando 21
1 USathane wasemelana labako-Israyeli njalo wafuqela uDavida ukuba abale abantu bako-Israyeli.
Then Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.
2 Ngakho uDavida wathi kuJowabi kanye labalawuli bamabutho, “Hambani liyebala u-Israyeli kusukela eBherishebha kusiya koDani. Beseliphenduka lizongitshela ukuze ngazi ukuthi bangaki khonale.”
So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan and bring me a report, so that I may know their number.”
3 Kodwa uJowabi waphendula wathi, “Sengathi uThixo angandisa amabutho akhe ngokuphindwe okwedlula ikhulu. Mhlekazi wami nkosi, kambe kabasibantu benkosi yami bonke laba? Inkosi yami ifunelani ukukwenza lokhu? Kungani ithanda ukwehlisela icala phezu kwabako-Israyeli?”
But Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply His troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all servants of my lord? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”
4 Loba kwakunjalo, uJowabi wakhulelwa yilizwi lenkosi, ngakho uJowabi walibhoda lonke elako-Israyeli wasebuyela eJerusalema.
Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and traveled throughout Israel, and then he returned to Jerusalem.
5 UJowabi wafika wabikela uDavida inani lamadoda ayengalwa empini: Kulolonke elako-Israyeli kwakulamadoda ayisigidi lezinkulungwane ezilikhulu ayelakho ukuthi angayiphatha inkemba, kubalwa labazinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane alamatshumi ayisikhombisa koJuda.
And Joab reported to David the total number of the troops. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, including 470,000 in Judah.
6 Kodwa ekubaleni kwakhe uJowabi kazange ahlanganise abaLevi labakaBhenjamini, ngoba umlayo wenkosi wawumnenga.
But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count, because the king’s command was detestable to him.
7 Kanti njalo lowomlayo wawuyisono phambi kukaNkulunkulu, lakanye wamjezisa u-Israyeli.
This command was also evil in the sight of God; so He struck Israel.
8 Ngakho uDavida wasesithi kuNkulunkulu, “Ngonile kakhulu phambi kwakho ngokwenza lokhu. Ngakho, ngiyakuncenga, susa umlandu lo encekwini yakho. Ngenze ubuwula obukhulu kakhulu.”
Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”
9 UThixo wakhuluma loGadi, umboni kaDavida, wathi:
And the LORD instructed Gad, David’s seer,
10 “Hamba uyetshela uDavida ukuthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Ngikunika ukuthi ukhethe phakathi kokuthathu. Khetha okukodwa okumele ngikwehlisele khona mina.’”
“Go and tell David that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am offering you three options. Choose one of them, and I will carry it out against you.’”
11 Ngakho uGadi waya kuDavida wathi kuye, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: ‘Zikhethele wena okufunayo:
So Gad went and said to David, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You must choose
12 iminyaka emithathu yendlala, loba izinyanga ezintathu zokududulwa uxotshwa yizitha zakho, ngenkemba zazo zikukhulela, loba insuku ezintathu zokumelana lenkemba kaThixo, kuyikuthi kuyabe kuyisifo elizweni, ingilosi kaThixo iletha incithakalo kulolonke elako-Israyeli.’ Ngakho, khathesi khetha ukuthi ngifike ngithini kulo ongithumileyo.”
between three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies and overtaken by their swords, or three days of the sword of the LORD—days of plague upon the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.”
13 UDavida wathi kuGadi, “Ngisosizini olukhulu kakhulu; kungangcono ngizinikele ezandleni zikaThixo, ngoba umusa wakhe mkhulu kakhulu; kodwa unganginikeli ezandleni zabantu.”
David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”
14 Ngakho uThixo wathumela isifo ko-Israyeli, kwafa amadoda azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa ko-Israyeli.
So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.
15 Njalo uNkulunkulu wasethumela ingilosi ukuba iyechitha iJerusalema. Kodwa ingilosi ithe isakwenza lokho, uThixo wazisola ngencithakalo eyayizakwenzakala wahle wakhuza ingilosi eyayizabhubhisa abantu wathi, “Kwanele! Susa isandla sakho.” Ingilosi kaThixo ngalesosikhathi yayisimi esizeni sika-Onani umJebusi.
Then God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented from the calamity, and He said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 UDavida wakhangela phezulu wabona ingilosi kaThixo imi phakathi kwezulu lomhlaba, iphethe inkemba esandleni sayo phezu kweJerusalema. Ngakho uDavida labadala, begqoke amasaka, bawa phansi ngobuso.
When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
17 UDavida wathi kuNkulunkulu, “Angithi yimi engithe akubalwe amadoda okulwa na? Yimi engonileyo ngadala isono. Laba abasilutho yizimvu ezilandelayo. Benzeni? Oh Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, isandla sakho asiwele phezu kwami labendlu yami, kodwa akuthi isifo singasali ebantwini bakho.”
And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people.”
18 Ngakho ingilosi kaThixo yathuma uGadi ukuthi ayetshela uDavida ukuthi ayekwakha i-alithari likaThixo esizeni sika-Onani umJebusi.
Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 Lakanye uDavida walalela ilizwi elakhitshwa nguGadi ngebizo likaThixo.
So David went up at the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD.
20 U-Onani esabhula ingqoloyi, wanyemukula wabona ingilosi; amadodana akhe amane ayelaye acatsha.
Now Ornan was threshing wheat when he turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves.
21 Kwasekufika uDavida, kuthe u-Onani embona, watshiya ukubhula wayakhothamela uDavida elokhu ebuso bukhothamele phansi.
David came to Ornan, and when Ornan looked out and saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed facedown before David.
22 UDavida wathi kuye, “Ake ungivumele ngibone isiza sakho sokubhulela amabele ukuze ngakhe i-alithari likaThixo, ukuze isifo esisebantwini simiswe. Ngithengisela sona ngentengo yaso egcweleyo.”
Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to the LORD. Sell it to me for the full price, so that the plague upon the people may be halted.”
23 U-Onani wathi kuDavida, “Sithathe! Inkosi yami kayenze lokho ebona kuyithokozisa. Khangela, mina ngizaletha inkabi zomnikelo wokutshiswa, lemibhulo yokubhula izakuba zinkuni, ingqoloyi izakuba ngumnikelo wamabele. Konke lokhu ngiyakunika.”
Ornan said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever seems good. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering—I will give it all.”
24 Kodwa inkosi uDavida yathi ku-Onani, “Hayi, ngifuna ukuthenga ngentengo egcweleyo. Angiyikuthatha okuya kuThixo okungokwakho, angiyikunikela umnikelo wokutshiswa engingawuthenganga.”
“No,” replied King David, “I insist on paying the full price, for I will not take for the LORD what belongs to you, nor will I offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
25 Ngakho uDavida wanika u-Onani amashekeli egolide angamakhulu ayisithupha ethenga leyondawo.
So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold for the site.
26 UDavida wakhela uThixo i-alithari kuleyondawo wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobudlelwano. Wakhuleka kuThixo, uThixo wamphendula ngomlilo uvela ezulwini phezu kwe-alithari lomnikelo wokutshiswa.
And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called upon the LORD, who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
27 Ngakho uThixo wakhuluma lengilosi, yona yasibuyisela inkemba yayo esikhwameni sayo.
Then the LORD spoke to the angel, who put his sword back into its sheath.
28 Ngalesosikhathi, uDavida esebonile ukuthi uThixo wayemphendule esizeni sika-Onani umJebusi, wanikela iminikelo kuleyondawo.
At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.
29 Ithabanikeli likaThixo, elalakhiwe nguMosi enkangala, kanye le-alithari leminikelo yokutshiswa ngalesosikhathi kwakusendaweni ephakemeyo eGibhiyoni.
For the tabernacle of the LORD that Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering were presently at the high place in Gibeon,
30 Kodwa uDavida wehluleka ukuya khona ukuze abuze kuNkulunkulu ngoba wayesesaba inkemba yengilosi kaThixo.
but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
