1 Imilando 21
1 USathane wasemelana labako-Israyeli njalo wafuqela uDavida ukuba abale abantu bako-Israyeli.
Now Satan rose up against Israel, and he incited David so that he would number Israel.
2 Ngakho uDavida wathi kuJowabi kanye labalawuli bamabutho, “Hambani liyebala u-Israyeli kusukela eBherishebha kusiya koDani. Beseliphenduka lizongitshela ukuze ngazi ukuthi bangaki khonale.”
And David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people: “Go, and number Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan. And bring me the number, so that I may know it.”
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?”
And Joab responded: “May the Lord increase his people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all your servants? Why would my lord seek this thing, which may be imputed as a sin to Israel?”
4 Loba kwakunjalo, uJowabi wakhulelwa yilizwi lenkosi, ngakho uJowabi walibhoda lonke elako-Israyeli wasebuyela eJerusalema.
But the word of the king prevailed instead. And Joab went away, and he traveled around, through all of Israel. And 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 he gave to David the number of those whom he had surveyed. And the entire number of Israel was found to be one million and one hundred thousand men who could draw the sword; but from Judah, there were four hundred and seventy thousand men of war.
6 Kodwa ekubaleni kwakhe uJowabi kazange ahlanganise abaLevi labakaBhenjamini, ngoba umlayo wenkosi wawumnenga.
But Levi and Benjamin he did not number. For Joab executed the orders of the king unwillingly.
7 Kanti njalo lowomlayo wawuyisono phambi kukaNkulunkulu, lakanye wamjezisa u-Israyeli.
Then God was displeased with what had been ordered, and 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.”
And David said to God: “I have sinned exceedingly in doing this. I beg you take away the iniquity of your servant. For I have acted unwisely.”
9 UThixo wakhuluma loGadi, umboni kaDavida, wathi:
And the Lord spoke to Gad, the seer of David, saying:
10 “Hamba uyetshela uDavida ukuthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Ngikunika ukuthi ukhethe phakathi kokuthathu. Khetha okukodwa okumele ngikwehlisele khona mina.’”
“Go, and speak to David, and tell him: Thus says the Lord: I give to you the option of three things. Choose the one that you will want, and I will do it to you.”
11 Ngakho uGadi waya kuDavida wathi kuye, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: ‘Zikhethele wena okufunayo:
And when Gad had gone to David, he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Choose what you will want:
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.”
Either three years of famine, or three months for you to flee from your enemies, unable to escape from their sword, or three days for the sword of the Lord and a pestilence to turn within the land, with the Angel of the Lord killing in every part of Israel. Now therefore, see what I should respond 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.”
And David said to Gad: “There are difficulties pressing upon me from every side. But it is better for me to fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are many, than into the hands of men.”
14 Ngakho uThixo wathumela isifo ko-Israyeli, kwafa amadoda azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa ko-Israyeli.
Therefore, the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel. And there fell from Israel seventy thousand men.
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.
Also, he sent an Angel to Jerusalem, so that he might strike it. And while he was striking, the Lord saw and took pity over the magnitude of the harm. And he commanded the Angel who was striking: “It is enough. Now let your hand cease.” And the Angel of the Lord was standing beside 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.
And David, lifting up his eyes, saw the Angel of the Lord, standing between heaven and earth with a drawn sword in his hand, turned toward Jerusalem. And both he and those greater by birth, being clothed in haircloth, fell prone upon the ground.
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: “Am I not the one who ordered that the people be numbered? It is I who sinned; it is I who did evil. This flock, what does it deserve? O Lord my God, I beg you to let your hand be turned against me and against the house of my father. But let not your people be struck down.”
18 Ngakho ingilosi kaThixo yathuma uGadi ukuthi ayetshela uDavida ukuthi ayekwakha i-alithari likaThixo esizeni sika-Onani umJebusi.
Then the Angel of the Lord instructed Gad to tell David that he should ascend and build an altar to the Lord God on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 Lakanye uDavida walalela ilizwi elakhitshwa nguGadi ngebizo likaThixo.
Therefore, David ascended, in accord with the word of Gad, which he had spoken to him in the name of the Lord.
20 U-Onani esabhula ingqoloyi, wanyemukula wabona ingilosi; amadodana akhe amane ayelaye acatsha.
Now when Ornan had looked up and seen the Angel, he and his four sons hid themselves. For at that time, he was threshing wheat upon the floor.
21 Kwasekufika uDavida, kuthe u-Onani embona, watshiya ukubhula wayakhothamela uDavida elokhu ebuso bukhothamele phansi.
Then, as David was approaching Ornan, Ornan saw him, and he went out from the threshing floor to meet him. And he reverenced him prone on the ground.
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.”
And David said to him: “Give this place of your threshing floor to me, so that I may build an altar to the Lord upon it. And you shall accept from me as much money as it is worth, so that the plague may cease from the people.”
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.”
But Ornan said to David: “Take it, and may my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Moreover, I give the oxen also as a holocaust, and the plow for wood, and the wheat for a sacrifice. I will offer all freely.”
24 Kodwa inkosi uDavida yathi ku-Onani, “Hayi, ngifuna ukuthenga ngentengo egcweleyo. Angiyikuthatha okuya kuThixo okungokwakho, angiyikunikela umnikelo wokutshiswa engingawuthenganga.”
And king David said to him: “By no means shall it be so. Instead, I will give money to you, as much as it is worth. For I must not take it from you, and thereby offer to the Lord holocausts that cost nothing.”
25 Ngakho uDavida wanika u-Onani amashekeli egolide angamakhulu ayisithupha ethenga leyondawo.
Therefore, David gave Ornan, for the place, the very just weight of six hundred shekels of gold.
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 he built an altar to the Lord there. And he offered holocausts and peace offerings, and he called upon the Lord. And he heeded him by sending fire from heaven upon the altar of the holocaust.
27 Ngakho uThixo wakhuluma lengilosi, yona yasibuyisela inkemba yayo esikhwameni sayo.
And the Lord instructed the Angel, and he turned his sword back into its sheath.
28 Ngalesosikhathi, uDavida esebonile ukuthi uThixo wayemphendule esizeni sika-Onani umJebusi, wanikela iminikelo kuleyondawo.
Then, seeing that the Lord had heeded him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, David immediately immolated victims there.
29 Ithabanikeli likaThixo, elalakhiwe nguMosi enkangala, kanye le-alithari leminikelo yokutshiswa ngalesosikhathi kwakusendaweni ephakemeyo eGibhiyoni.
But the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the desert, and the altar of holocausts, were at that time on the high place of Gibeon.
30 Kodwa uDavida wehluleka ukuya khona ukuze abuze kuNkulunkulu ngoba wayesesaba inkemba yengilosi kaThixo.
And David was unable to go to the altar, so that he might pray to God there. For he had been struck with an exceedingly great fear, seeing the sword of the Angel of the Lord.
