1 Amakhosi 21
1 Kwathi ngemva kwesikhathi esithile kwaba lesenzo esithile ngesivini sikaNabhothi umJezerili. Isivini leso sasiseJezerili, phansi kwesigodlo sika-Ahabi inkosi yaseSamariya.
King Ahab had a palace in Jezreel [city]. Near the palace was a vineyard owned by a man from that city whose name was Naboth.
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.”
One day, Ahab [went to] Naboth and said to him, “Your vineyard is close to my palace. I would like to buy it, so that I can plant some vegetables there. In exchange, I will give you a better vineyard [somewhere else], or if you prefer, I will pay you for your vineyard.”
3 Kodwa uNabhothi wathi, “UThixo kangavumi ukuba ngikunike ilifa labobaba.”
But Naboth replied, “That land belonged to my ancestors, [so I want to keep it]. I hope that Yahweh will never allow me to give that land to you!”
4 Ngalokho u-Ahabi wabuyela ekhaya enyukubele njalo ethukuthele ngoba uNabhothi umJezerili wayethe, “Angizukukunika ilifa labobaba.” U-Ahabi walala embhedeni enyukubele wala lokudla.
So Ahab became very sullen and angry because of what Naboth had said. He went home and lay down on his bed. He turned his face toward the wall, and he refused to eat anything.
5 Umkakhe uJezebheli wangena endlini wambuza wathi, “Kungani usineme kangaka? Kungani usala ukudla?”
His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so depressed? Why are you refusing to eat anything?”
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.’”
Ahab replied, “I talked to Naboth, that man from Jezreel. I told him that [I wanted] his vineyard. [I said, ] ‘I will buy it from you, or I will give you another vineyard for it.’ But he refused [to let me have it].”
7 UJezebheli umka-Ahabi wathi, “Lokhu yikho okwenzayo njengenkosi yako-Israyeli na? Vuka udle! Uchelese. Mina ngizakuzuzela isivini sikaNabhothi umJezerili.”
His wife replied, “You are [RHQ] the king of Israel, [so you can get whatever you want] Get up, and eat some food and do not worry [about what Naboth said]. I will get Naboth’s vineyard for you.”
8 UJezebheli wasebhala izincwadi ngebizo lika-Ahabi, wazidinda ngophawu luka-Ahabi, wazithumela ebadaleni lakuzo izikhulu ezazihlala loNabhothi emzini wakibo.
Then Jezebel wrote some letters, and she signed Ahab’s name on them. She used his official seal to seal them. Then she sent them to the older leaders and other important men who lived in Naboth’s town.
9 Ezincwadini lezo waloba ukuthi: “Memezelani usuku lokuzila libe selibeka uNabhothi esihlalweni esiqakathekileyo phakathi kwabantu.
This is what she wrote in the letters: “Proclaim a day when all the people will [gather together and] (fast/abstain from eating food). Give to Naboth an important place to sit among them.
10 Libe selihlalisa izigangi ezimbili maqondana laye lithi kazifakaze ngokuthi uthuke uNkulunkulu kanye lenkosi. Libe selimkhuphela phandle liyemkhanda ngamatshe limbulale.”
Then find two men who always cause trouble. Give them places to sit opposite/facing him. Tell these men to testify that they heard Naboth say things that criticized God and the king. Then take Naboth out of the city and kill him by throwing stones at him.”
11 Ngakho abadala lezikhulu ababehlala emzini kaNabhothi benza lokho ababekuthunywe nguJezebheli ngezincwadi ayebalobele zona.
The leaders [received the letters and] did what Jezebel had written in the letters for them to do.
12 Bamemezela isikhathi sokuzila bahlalisa uNabhothi esihlalweni esiphakemeyo phambi kwabantu.
They declared a day on which the people would all (fast/abstain from food). And they gave Naboth a seat in a place where honored people sat, in front 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.
Two men who always caused trouble sat opposite/facing Naboth. While everyone was listening, they stated that they had heard Naboth say things that criticized God and the king. So the people seized Naboth. They took him outside the city and killed him [by throwing] stones at him.
14 Basebethumela ilizwi kuJezebheli besithi, “UNabhothi ukhandwe ngamatshe njalo usefile.”
Then those leaders sent a message to Jezebel, saying “We have executed Naboth.”
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.”
When Jezebel found out that Naboth had been killed, she told Ahab, “Naboth is dead. Now you can go and take possession of the vineyard that he refused to sell to you.”
16 U-Ahabi uthe esizwa ukuthi uNabhothi kasekho, wavuka wayathatha lesosivini sikaNabhothi waseJezerili.
When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went to the vineyard to claim that he now owned it.
17 Ilizwi likaThixo leza ku-Elija umThishibi lisithi:
Then Yahweh spoke to Elijah the prophet. He said,
18 “Yehla uyehlangabeza u-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli obusa eSamariya. Usesivinini sikaNabhothi, uye khona ukuze azithathele lesosivini.
“Go to Samaria and talk to Ahab, the king of Israel. He is in the vineyard of a man named Naboth. He has gone there to claim that he now owns 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!’”
Tell Ahab that this is what I, Yahweh, say to him: ‘You have murdered Naboth and taken his land.’ So I am telling you this: ‘In the same place where [Naboth died and] dogs came and licked up Naboth’s blood, [you will die and] the dogs will lick up your blood, too!’”
20 U-Ahabi wathi ku-Elija, “Wo usungitholile, wena sitha sami!” U-Elija wamphendula wathi, “Yebo sengikutholile ngoba uzinikele ukwenza isono emehlweni kaThixo.
So when Elijah met with Ahab, Ahab said to him, “You, my enemy, have found me!” [RHQ] Elijah answered, “Yes, I have found you. You have never stopped doing the things that Yahweh says are wrong.
21 ‘Ngizokwehlisela ukubhujiswa. Ngizabhubhisa izizukulwane zakho ngisuse sonke isilisa sokucina ku-Ahabi ko-Israyeli loba yisigqili loba ngokhululekileyo.
So this is what Yahweh says to you: ‘I will soon get rid of you. I will kill you, and I will also kill every male in your household, including those who are slaves and those who are not slaves.
22 Indlu yakho ngizayenza lokhu engakwenza ekaJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi lekaBhasha indodana ka-Ahija, ngoba ungithukuthelisile wabangela ukuthi u-Israyeli enze isono.’
Your family will all be killed, just like the family of King Jeroboam and like the family of King Baasha were killed. I will get rid of you because you have caused me to become very angry, and you have also led the Israeli people to sin.’
23 Ngalokho uThixo uthi ngoJezebheli: ‘Izinja zizamdabudabula uJezebheli zimdlele emidulini yaseJezerili.’
Yahweh has also told me that [your wife] Jezebel [will be killed, and] dogs in Jezreel will eat her corpse.
24 Izinja zizakudla bonke abangabaka-Ahabi abafela edolobheni, izinyoni zezulu zizakudla labo abazafela emaphandleni.”
The [dead bodies of the] members of your family who die in this city [will not be buried, they] will be eaten by dogs, and [the corpses of] those who die in the fields will be eaten by vultures.”
25 (Akuzange kube lendoda eyayifanana lo-Ahabi yena owazinikela ukuthi adale isono phambi kukaThixo, ekhuthazwa ngumkakhe uJezebheli.
There was no man no man like Ahab who always did things that Yahweh considered to be evil. His wife Jezebel incited/urged him to do [many of] those things.
26 Waziphatha butshapha kakhulu elandela izithombe, njengama-Amori wona ayesuswe nguThixo phambi kuka-Israyeli.)
The most abominable/detestable thing that Ahab did was to worship idols, just like the Amor people-group had done. And that is why Yahweh took the Amor people’s land from them and gave it to the Israelis.
27 U-Ahabi wathi esizwa lawomazwi, wadabula izigqoko zakhe, wembatha amasaka wazila. Walala embethe amasaka wahamba edanile.
After Elijah finished talking to Ahab, Ahab tore his clothes [to show that he was sorry for all the sins that he had committed]. He put on rough clothes that were made from sacks, and he refused to eat anything. He even wore those rough clothes made from sacks when he slept, to show that he was sorry.
28 Ngemva kwalokho ilizwi likaThixo lathi ku-Elija umThishibi:
Then Yahweh said this to Elijah:
29 “Ukubonile na ukuthi u-Ahabi usezithobe kanganani phambi kwami? Ngenxa yokuzithoba kwakhe, angiyikumehlisela lobobubi esaphila, kodwa ngizakwehlisela endlini yakhe ensukwini zendodana yakhe.”
“I have seen [RHQ] that Ahab is now very sorry for all the evil things that he has done. So the things that I promised to do to his [family] will not happen while he is still alive. I will cause them to happen after his son becomes king. Then those things will happen to his family.” [MTY]
