1 Amakhosi 21
1 Kwathi ngemva kwesikhathi esithile kwaba lesenzo esithile ngesivini sikaNabhothi umJezerili. Isivini leso sasiseJezerili, phansi kwesigodlo sika-Ahabi inkosi yaseSamariya.
After these things, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab 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.”
Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near my house; and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.”
3 Kodwa uNabhothi wathi, “UThixo kangavumi ukuba ngikunike ilifa labobaba.”
Naboth said to Ahab, “May the LORD forbid me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers 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.
Ahab came into his house sullen and angry because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He laid himself down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
5 Umkakhe uJezebheli wangena endlini wambuza wathi, “Kungani usineme kangaka? Kungani usala ukudla?”
But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sad that you eat 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.’”
He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ He answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
7 UJezebheli umka-Ahabi wathi, “Lokhu yikho okwenzayo njengenkosi yako-Israyeli na? Vuka udle! Uchelese. Mina ngizakuzuzela isivini sikaNabhothi umJezerili.”
Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 UJezebheli wasebhala izincwadi ngebizo lika-Ahabi, wazidinda ngophawu luka-Ahabi, wazithumela ebadaleni lakuzo izikhulu ezazihlala loNabhothi emzini wakibo.
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who were in his city, who lived with Naboth.
9 Ezincwadini lezo waloba ukuthi: “Memezelani usuku lokuzila libe selibeka uNabhothi esihlalweni esiqakathekileyo phakathi kwabantu.
She wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
10 Libe selihlalisa izigangi ezimbili maqondana laye lithi kazifakaze ngokuthi uthuke uNkulunkulu kanye lenkosi. Libe selimkhuphela phandle liyemkhanda ngamatshe limbulale.”
Set two men, wicked fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then carry him out, and stone him to death.”
11 Ngakho abadala lezikhulu ababehlala emzini kaNabhothi benza lokho ababekuthunywe nguJezebheli ngezincwadi ayebalobele zona.
The men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letters which she had written and sent to them.
12 Bamemezela isikhathi sokuzila bahlalisa uNabhothi esihlalweni esiphakemeyo phambi kwabantu.
They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among 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.
The two men, the wicked fellows, came in and sat before him. The wicked fellows testified against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death with stones.
14 Basebethumela ilizwi kuJezebheli besithi, “UNabhothi ukhandwe ngamatshe njalo usefile.”
Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been 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.”
When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
16 U-Ahabi uthe esizwa ukuthi uNabhothi kasekho, wavuka wayathatha lesosivini sikaNabhothi waseJezerili.
When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
17 Ilizwi likaThixo leza ku-Elija umThishibi lisithi:
The LORD’s word came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 “Yehla uyehlangabeza u-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli obusa eSamariya. Usesivinini sikaNabhothi, uye khona ukuze azithathele lesosivini.
“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwells in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down 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!’”
You shall speak to him, saying, ‘The LORD says, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ You shall speak to him, saying, ‘The LORD says, “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood, even yours.”’”
20 U-Ahabi wathi ku-Elija, “Wo usungitholile, wena sitha sami!” U-Elija wamphendula wathi, “Yebo sengikutholile ngoba uzinikele ukwenza isono emehlweni kaThixo.
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the LORD’s sight.
21 ‘Ngizokwehlisela ukubhujiswa. Ngizabhubhisa izizukulwane zakho ngisuse sonke isilisa sokucina ku-Ahabi ko-Israyeli loba yisigqili loba ngokhululekileyo.
Behold, I will bring evil on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel.
22 Indlu yakho ngizayenza lokhu engakwenza ekaJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi lekaBhasha indodana ka-Ahija, ngoba ungithukuthelisile wabangela ukuthi u-Israyeli enze isono.’
I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger, and have made Israel to sin.”
23 Ngalokho uThixo uthi ngoJezebheli: ‘Izinja zizamdabudabula uJezebheli zimdlele emidulini yaseJezerili.’
The LORD also spoke of Jezebel, saying, “The dogs will eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.
24 Izinja zizakudla bonke abangabaka-Ahabi abafela edolobheni, izinyoni zezulu zizakudla labo abazafela emaphandleni.”
The dogs will eat he who dies of Ahab in the city; and the birds of the sky will eat he who dies in the field.”
25 (Akuzange kube lendoda eyayifanana lo-Ahabi yena owazinikela ukuthi adale isono phambi kukaThixo, ekhuthazwa ngumkakhe uJezebheli.
But there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
26 Waziphatha butshapha kakhulu elandela izithombe, njengama-Amori wona ayesuswe nguThixo phambi kuka-Israyeli.)
He did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
27 U-Ahabi wathi esizwa lawomazwi, wadabula izigqoko zakhe, wembatha amasaka wazila. Walala embethe amasaka wahamba edanile.
When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his body, fasted, lay in sackcloth, and went about despondently.
28 Ngemva kwalokho ilizwi likaThixo lathi ku-Elija umThishibi:
The LORD’s word came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29 “Ukubonile na ukuthi u-Ahabi usezithobe kanganani phambi kwami? Ngenxa yokuzithoba kwakhe, angiyikumehlisela lobobubi esaphila, kodwa ngizakwehlisela endlini yakhe ensukwini zendodana yakhe.”
“See how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but I will bring the evil on his house in his son’s day.”
