< 1 Amakhosi 21 >
1 Kwathi ngemva kwesikhathi esithile kwaba lesenzo esithile ngesivini sikaNabhothi umJezerili. Isivini leso sasiseJezerili, phansi kwesigodlo sika-Ahabi inkosi yaseSamariya.
And after these things, Naboth the Jezrahelite, who was in Jezrahel, had at that time a vineyard near the palace of Achab king of Samaria.
2 U-Ahabi wathi kuNabhothi, “Kahle mina ngilime imibhida yami esivinini sakho, njengoba siphansi kwesigodlo sami. Mina ngizakunika isivini esingcono, loba nxa uthanda, ngizakunika intengo ofisa ukusithengisa ngayo.”
And Achab spoke to Naboth, saying: Give me thy vineyard, that I may make me a garden of herbs, because it is nigh, and adjoining to my house, and I will give thee for it a better vineyard: or if thou think it more convenient for thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
3 Kodwa uNabhothi wathi, “UThixo kangavumi ukuba ngikunike ilifa labobaba.”
Naboth answered him: The Lord be merciful to me, and not let me give thee the inheritance of my fathers.
4 Ngalokho u-Ahabi wabuyela ekhaya enyukubele njalo ethukuthele ngoba uNabhothi umJezerili wayethe, “Angizukukunika ilifa labobaba.” U-Ahabi walala embhedeni enyukubele wala lokudla.
And Achab came into his house angry and fretting, because of the word that Naboth the Jezrahelite had spoken to him, saying: I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And casting himself upon his bed, he turned away his face to the wall, and would eat no bread.
5 Umkakhe uJezebheli wangena endlini wambuza wathi, “Kungani usineme kangaka? Kungani usala ukudla?”
And Jezabel his wife went in to him, and said to him: What is the matter that thy soul is so grieved? and why eatest thou no bread?
6 Yena wamphendula wathi, “Kungenxa yokuthi ngithe kuNabhothi umJezerili, ‘Ngithengisela isivini sakho; loba nxa ufuna, ngikunike esinye isivini esikhundleni salesi.’ Kodwa ungiphendule wathi ‘Angizukukunika isivini sami.’”
And he answered her: I spoke to Naboth the Jezrahelite, and said to him: Give me thy vineyard, and take money for it: or if it please thee, I will give thee a better vineyard for it. And he said: I will not give thee my vineyard.
7 UJezebheli umka-Ahabi wathi, “Lokhu yikho okwenzayo njengenkosi yako-Israyeli na? Vuka udle! Uchelese. Mina ngizakuzuzela isivini sikaNabhothi umJezerili.”
Then Jezabel his wife said to him: Thou art of great authority indeed, and governest well the kingdom of Israel. Arise, and eat bread, and be of good cheer, I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrahelite.
8 UJezebheli wasebhala izincwadi ngebizo lika-Ahabi, wazidinda ngophawu luka-Ahabi, wazithumela ebadaleni lakuzo izikhulu ezazihlala loNabhothi emzini wakibo.
So she wrote letter’s in Achab’s name, and sealed them with his ring, and sent them to the ancients, and the chief men that were in his city, and that dwelt with Naboth.
9 Ezincwadini lezo waloba ukuthi: “Memezelani usuku lokuzila libe selibeka uNabhothi esihlalweni esiqakathekileyo phakathi kwabantu.
And this was the tenor of the letters: Proclaim a fast, and make Naboth sit among the chief of the people,
10 Libe selihlalisa izigangi ezimbili maqondana laye lithi kazifakaze ngokuthi uthuke uNkulunkulu kanye lenkosi. Libe selimkhuphela phandle liyemkhanda ngamatshe limbulale.”
And suborn two men, sons of Belial against him, and let them bear false witness: that he hath blasphemed God and the king: and then carry him out, and stone him, and so let him die.
11 Ngakho abadala lezikhulu ababehlala emzini kaNabhothi benza lokho ababekuthunywe nguJezebheli ngezincwadi ayebalobele zona.
And the men of his city, the ancients and nobles, that dwelt with him in the city, did as Jezabel had commanded them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them:
12 Bamemezela isikhathi sokuzila bahlalisa uNabhothi esihlalweni esiphakemeyo phambi kwabantu.
They proclaimed a fast, and made Naboth sit among the chief of the people.
13 Kwasuka izigangi ezimbili zahlala phambi kwakhe zakhangelana laye zaqalisa ukwethesa uNabhothi amacala, zisithi, “UNabhothi uthuke uNkulunkulu kanye lenkosi.” Ngakho bamkhuphela ngaphandle komuzi bamkhanda ngamatshe bambulala.
And bringing two men, sons of the devil, they made them sit against him: and they, like men of the devil, bore witness against him before the people, saying: Naboth hath blasphemed God and the king: wherefore they brought him forth without the city, and stoned him to death.
14 Basebethumela ilizwi kuJezebheli besithi, “UNabhothi ukhandwe ngamatshe njalo usefile.”
And they sent to Jezabel, saying: Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
15 Masinyazana uJezebheli esezwe ukuthi uNabhothi ukhandwe ngamatshe wabulawa, wathi ku-Ahabi, “Vuka uyethatha isivini sikaNabhothi umJezerili sona lesiyana alileyo ukukuthengisela sona. Uvele kasekho, usefile.”
And it came to pass when Jezabel heard that Naboth was stoned, and dead, that she said to Achab: Arise and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrahelite, who would not agree with thee, and give it thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
16 U-Ahabi uthe esizwa ukuthi uNabhothi kasekho, wavuka wayathatha lesosivini sikaNabhothi waseJezerili.
And when Achab heard this, to wit, that Naboth was dead, he arose, and went down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezrahelite, to take possession of it.
17 Ilizwi likaThixo leza ku-Elija umThishibi lisithi:
And the word of the Lord came to Elias the Thesbite, saying:
18 “Yehla uyehlangabeza u-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli obusa eSamariya. Usesivinini sikaNabhothi, uye khona ukuze azithathele lesosivini.
Arise, and go down to meet Achab king of Israel, who is in Samaria: behold he is going down to the vineyard of Naboth, to take possession of it:
19 Ufike uthi kuye, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Awubulalanga umuntu wathumba impahla yakhe na?’ Ubususithi kuyo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo; Khonapho lapho izinja ezikhothele khona igazi likaNabhothi, kukhonapho kanye lapho izinja ezizakhothela khona elakho, yebo, elakho kanye!’”
And thou shalt speak to him, saying: Thus saith the Lord: Thou hast slain, moreover also thou hast taken possession. And after these words thou shalt add: Thus saith the Lord: In this place, wherein the dogs have licked the blood of Naboth, they shall lick thy blood also.
20 U-Ahabi wathi ku-Elija, “Wo usungitholile, wena sitha sami!” U-Elija wamphendula wathi, “Yebo sengikutholile ngoba uzinikele ukwenza isono emehlweni kaThixo.
And Achab said to Elias: Hast thou found me thy enemy? He said: I have found thee, because thou art sold, to do evil in the sight of the Lord.
21 ‘Ngizokwehlisela ukubhujiswa. Ngizabhubhisa izizukulwane zakho ngisuse sonke isilisa sokucina ku-Ahabi ko-Israyeli loba yisigqili loba ngokhululekileyo.
Behold I will bring evil upon thee, and I will cut down thy posterity, and I will kill of Achab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up, and the last in Israel.
22 Indlu yakho ngizayenza lokhu engakwenza ekaJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi lekaBhasha indodana ka-Ahija, ngoba ungithukuthelisile wabangela ukuthi u-Israyeli enze isono.’
And I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and like the house of Baasa the son of Ahias: for what thou hast done, to provoke me to anger, and for making Israel to sin.
23 Ngalokho uThixo uthi ngoJezebheli: ‘Izinja zizamdabudabula uJezebheli zimdlele emidulini yaseJezerili.’
And of Jezabel also the Lord spoke, saying: The dogs shall eat Jezabel in the field of Jezrahel.
24 Izinja zizakudla bonke abangabaka-Ahabi abafela edolobheni, izinyoni zezulu zizakudla labo abazafela emaphandleni.”
If Achab die in the city, the dogs shall eat him: but if he die in the field, the birds of the air shall eat him.
25 (Akuzange kube lendoda eyayifanana lo-Ahabi yena owazinikela ukuthi adale isono phambi kukaThixo, ekhuthazwa ngumkakhe uJezebheli.
Now there was not such another as Achab, who was sold to do evil in the sight of the Lord: for his wife Jezabel set him on,
26 Waziphatha butshapha kakhulu elandela izithombe, njengama-Amori wona ayesuswe nguThixo phambi kuka-Israyeli.)
And he became abominable, insomuch that he followed the idols which the Amorrhites had made, whom the Lord destroyed before the face of the children of Israel.
27 U-Ahabi wathi esizwa lawomazwi, wadabula izigqoko zakhe, wembatha amasaka wazila. Walala embethe amasaka wahamba edanile.
And when Achab had heard these words, he rent his garments, and put haircloth upon his flesh, and fasted and slept in sackcloth, and walked with his head cast down.
28 Ngemva kwalokho ilizwi likaThixo lathi ku-Elija umThishibi:
And the word of the Lord came to Elias the Thesbite, saying:
29 “Ukubonile na ukuthi u-Ahabi usezithobe kanganani phambi kwami? Ngenxa yokuzithoba kwakhe, angiyikumehlisela lobobubi esaphila, kodwa ngizakwehlisela endlini yakhe ensukwini zendodana yakhe.”
Hast thou not seen Achab humbled before me? therefore, because he hath humbled himself for my sake, I will not bring the evil in his days, but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.