1 USamuyeli 25
1 Ngalesosikhathi uSamuyeli wafa, kwathi u-Israyeli wonke wabuthana wamlilela; njalo bamngcwaba emzini wakhe eRama. Lapho-ke uDavida wehlela eNkangala yasePharani.
And Samuel died, and all Israel was gathered together, and they mourned for him, and buried him in his house in Ramatha. And David rose and went down into the wilderness of Pharan.
2 Umuntu othile waseMawoni, owayelempahla khonale eKhameli, wayenothe kakhulu. Wayelenkulungwane yembuzi lezinkulungwane ezintathu zezimvu ayezigunda eKhameli.
Now there was a certain man in the wilderness of Maon, and his possessions were in Carmel, and the man was very great: and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and it happened that he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3 Ibizo lakhe lalinguNabhali lebizo lomkakhe lingu-Abhigeli. Wayengumfazi okhaliphileyo njalo emuhle, kodwa umkakhe, umʼKhalebi, wayelenhliziyo embi kwabanye abantu.
Now the name of the man was Nabal: and the name of his wife was Abigail. And she was a prudent and very comely woman, but her husband was churlish, and very bad and ill natured: and he was of the house of Caleb.
4 UDavida esenkangala wezwa ukuthi uNabhali wayegunda izimvu.
And when David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep,
5 Ngakho wathuma amajaha alitshumi wathi kuwo, “Hambani kuNabhali eKhameli limbingelele ngebizo lami.
He sent ten young men, and said to them: Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and salute him in my name with peace.
6 Lithi kuye, ‘Impilo ende kuwe! Impilo enhle kanye labendlu yakho! Impilo enhle kukho konke okungokwakho!
And you shall say: Peace be to my brethren, and to thee, and peace to thy house, and peace to all that thou hast.
7 Khathesi ngizwa kuthiwa yisikhathi sokugunda izimvu. Lapho abelusi bakho babelathi, kasibaphathanga kubi, njalo isikhathi sonke beseKhameli akukho lutho olwacatshayo.
I heard that thy shepherds that were with us in the desert were shearing: we never molested them, neither was there ought missing to them of the flock at any time, all the while they were with us in Carmel.
8 Buza izinceku zakho zizakutshela. Ngakho ake ube lomusa ezinsizweni zami, njengoba size ngesikhathi somkhosi. Ake unike izinceku zakho lendodana yakho uDavida loba kuyini ongabatholela khona.’”
Ask thy servants, and they will tell thee. Now therefore let thy servants find favour in thy eyes: for we are come in a good day, whatsoever thy hand shall find give to thy servants, and to thy son David.
9 Kwathi abantu bakaDavida sebefikile, bamnika uNabhali umbiko lo ngebizo likaDavida. Emva kwalokho balinda.
And when David’s servants came, they spoke to Nabal all these words in David’s name: and then held their peace.
10 UNabhali waphendula izinceku zikaDavida wathi, “Ungubani uDavida lowo? Ingubani indodana kaJese leyo na? Ngalezizinsuku izinceku ezinengi ziyawabalekela amakhosi azo.
But Nabal answering the servants of David, said: Who is David? and what is the son of Isai? servants are multiplied now a days who flee from their masters.
11 Kungani kumele ngithathe isinkwa sami lamanzi, lenyama engiyihlabele abagundi bami, nginike abantu abavela lapho engingazi khona na?”
Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and the flesh of my cattle, which I have killed for my shearers, and give to men whom I know not whence they are?
12 Abantu bakaDavida baphenduka babuyela emuva. Sebefikile babika amazwi wonke.
So the servants of David went back their way, and returning came and told him all the words that he said.
13 UDavida wasesithi ebantwini bakhe, “Hlomani ngezinkemba zenu!” Ngakho bahloma ngezinkemba zabo, loDavida wahloma ngeyakhe. Abantu ababengaba ngamakhulu amane bahamba loDavida, kwathi abangamakhulu amabili basala lempahla.
Then David said to his young men: Let every man gird on his sword. And they girded on every man his sword. And David also girded on his sword: and there followed David about four hundred men: and two hundred remained with the baggage.
14 Omunye wezinceku watshela umkaNabhali u-Abhigeli wathi, “UDavida wathuma izithunywa esenkangala ukuzabingelela inkosi yethu, kodwa yona yazithethisa.
But one of the servants told Abigail the wife of Nabal, saying: Behold David sent messengers out of the wilderness, to salute our master: and he rejected them.
15 Ikanti abantu laba thina basiphatha kuhle. Kabazange basiphathe kubi, njalo isikhathi sonke sisegangeni phansi kwabo akulalutho olwacatshayo.
These men were very good to us, and gave us no trouble: neither did we ever lose any thing all the time that we conversed with them in the desert.
16 Emini lebusuku babengumduli osihonqolozelayo isikhathi sonke siselusela izimvu zethu phansi kwabo.
They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
17 Kucabange ubone ongakwenza ngoba ingozi iyalenga ngaphezu kwenkosi yethu labendlu yayo bonke. Ingumuntu omubi kangaka okungelamuntu ongakhuluma layo.”
Wherefore consider, and think what thou hast to do: for evil is determined against thy husband, and against thy house, and he is a son of Belial, so that no man can speak to him.
18 U-Abhigeli kasachithanga sikhathi. Wathatha izinkwa ezingamakhulu amabili, izikhumba ezimbili zewayini, izimvu ezinhlanu ezihlinziweyo, amagokoko amahlanu amabele akhanzingiweyo, amakhekhe alikhulu amagrebisi awonyisiweyo, lamakhulu amabili amakhekhe omkhiwa okhanyiweyo, wakuthwalisa obabhemi.
Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves, and two vessels of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of dry figs, and laid them upon asses:
19 Wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe, “Hambani phambili; ngizalilandela.” Kodwa umkakhe uNabhali kamtshelanga.
And she said to her servants: Go before me: behold I will follow after you: but she told not her husband Nabal.
20 Wathi esiza egade ubabhemi wakhe phakathi kodonga lwentaba, wabona uDavida labantu bakhe besehla beqonde kuye, wasebahlangabeza.
And when she had gotten upon an ass, and was coming down to the foot of the mountain, David and his men came down over against her, and she met them.
21 UDavida wayesanda kuthi, “Kakusizanga lutho konke ukugcina kwami impahla yomuntu lo enkangala ukuze kungabi lalutho lwakhe olulahlekayo. Ungibhadale okuhle ngokubi.
And David said: Truly in vain have I kept all that belonged to this man in the wilderness, and nothing was lost of all that pertained unto him: and he hath returned me evil for good.
22 Sengathi uNkulunkulu angaphatha uDavida kabuhlungu nxa ekuseni ngitshiya indoda eyodwa iphila kubo bonke abangabakhe!”
May God do so and so, and add more to the foes of David, if I leave of all that belong to him till the morning, any that pisseth against the wall.
23 U-Abhigeli esebone uDavida, wehla ngokuphangisa kubabhemi wakhe wakhothamela phansi phambi kukaDavida ubuso bakhe buthe mbo emhlabathini.
And when Abigail saw David she made haste and lighted off the ass, and fell before David, on her face, and adored upon the ground.
24 Wawela ezinyaweni zakhe wathi, “Nkosi yami, insolo kayibe phezu kwami ngedwa. Ake uyivumele incekukazi yakho ikhulume lawe; zwana lokho incekukazi yakho efuna ukukutsho.
And she fell at his feet, and said: Upon me let this iniquity be, my lord: let thy handmaid speak, I beseech thee, in thy ears: and hear the words of thy servant.
25 Sengathi inkosi yami ingayekela ukumnaka umuntu omubi lowana uNabhali. Ufuze ibizo lakhe, ibizo lakhe lithi Sithutha, njalo ubuwula buhamba laye. Kodwa-ke mina, incekukazi yakho, angizibonanga insizwa inkosi yami ezithumileyo.
Let not my lord the king, I pray, regard this naughty man Nabal: for according to his name, he is a fool, and folly is with him: but I thy handmaid did not see thy servants, my lord, whom thou sentest.
26 Khathesi njengoba uThixo ekugcinile, nkosi yami, ekuchithekeni kwegazi lasekuphindiseleni ngezandla zakho, ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho ekhona lanjengoba lawe uphila, sengathi izitha zakho labo bonke abafuna ukwenza okubi kuwe nkosi yami bangaba njengoNabhali.
Now therefore, my lord, the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, who hath withholden thee from coming to blood, and hath saved thy hand to thee: and now let thy enemies be as Nabal, and all they that seek evil to my lord.
27 Njalo isipho lesi, incekukazi yakho esilethe enkosini yami, kasiphiwe insizwa ezikulandelayo.
Wherefore receive this blessing, which thy handmaid hath brought to thee, my lord: and give it to the young men that follow thee, my lord.
28 Ake uthethelele ukona kwencekukazi yakho, ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu impela uzakwenzela inkosi yami inzalo yamakhosi engapheliyo, ngoba ilwela izimpi zikaThixo. Akungabi lokona okutholwa kuwe kukho konke ukuphila kwakho.
Forgive the iniquity of thy handmaid: for the Lord will surely make for my lord a faithful house, because thou, my lord, fightest the battles of the Lord: let not evil therefore be found in thee all the days of thy life.
29 Lanxa omunye exotshana lawe ukuba akubulale, ukuphila kwenkosi yami, uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho uzakubophela kuqine elixheni labaphilayo. Kodwa ukuphila kwezitha zakho uzakuphosela khatshana kungathi kuphuma esikhwameni sesavutha.
For if a man at any time shall rise, and persecute thee, and seek thy life, the soul of my lord shall be kept, as in the bundle of the living, with the Lord thy God: but the souls of thy enemies shall be whirled, as with the violence and whirling of a sling.
30 Lapho uThixo eseyenzele inkosi yami zonke izinto ezinhle azithembisayo mayelana layo, njalo eseyibekile ukuba ngumkhokheli wako-Israyeli,
And when the Lord shall have done to thee, my lord, all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have made thee prince over Israel,
31 inkosi yami kayiyikuba lesazela somthwalo ohloniphisayo sokuchithwa kwegazi esingaswelekiyo loba esokuphindisela. Njalo lapho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu eselethele inkosi yami ukuphumelela, uyikhumbule incekukazi yakho.”
This shall not be an occasion of grief to thee, and a scruple of heart to my lord, that thou hast shed innocent blood, or hast revenged thyself: and when the Lord shall have done well by my lord, thou shalt remember thy handmaid.
32 UDavida wasesithi ku-Abhigeli, “Kadunyiswe uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, okuthumileyo lamhla ukuzabonana lami.
And David said to Abigail: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me, and blessed be thy speech:
33 Sengathi ungabusiswa ngenxa yokwahlulela kwakho okuhle lokuvimbela kwakho ekuchitheni igazi lamhla kanye lasekuphindiseleni kwami ngezandla zami.
And blessed be thou, who hast kept me today, from coming to blood, and revenging me with my own hand.
34 Ngoba, ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ekhona, yena ongivimbele ekwenzeni okubi kuwe, aluba kawufikanga masinyane ukuzabonana lami, akukho lamunye owesilisa ongokaNabhali obezasala ephila ekudabukeni kokusa.”
Otherwise as the Lord liveth the God of Israel, who hath withholden me from doing thee any evil: if thou hadst not quickly come to meet me, there had not been left to Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
35 Emva kwalokho uDavida wamukela esandleni sika-Abhigeli lokho ayemlethele khona wasesithi, “Buyela ekhaya ngokuthula. Ngiwazwile amazwi akho ngasivuma isicelo sakho.”
And David received at her hand all that she had brought him, and said to her: Go in peace into thy house, behold I have heard thy voice, and have honoured thy face.
36 U-Abhigeli esebuyele kuNabhali, wayesendlini eledili elinjengelenkosi. Wayejabula njalo edakwe kakhulu. Ngakho u-Abhigeli kamtshelanga lutho kwaze kwasa.
And Abigail came to Nabal: and behold he had a feast in his house, like the feast of a king, and Nabal’s heart was merry: for he was very drunk: and she told him nothing less or more until morning.
37 Kwathi ekuseni, uNabhali engasadakwanga, umkakhe wamtshela zonke lezizinto, watshaywa luvalo woma qha.
But early in the morning when Nabal had digested his wine, his wife told him these words, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
38 Emva kwensuku ezazingaba litshumi, uThixo wamtshaya uNabhali wafa.
And after ten days had passed, the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.
39 Kwathi uDavida esizwa ukuthi uNabhali wayefile, wathi, “Kabongwe uThixo, yena osekele injongo yami yokumelana loNabhali ngenxa yokungeyisa. Uvimbele inceku yakhe ekwenzeni okubi njalo wehlisela uNabhali izenzo zakhe ezimbi phezu kwelakhe ikhanda.” Emva kwalokho uDavida wathumela ilizwi ku-Abhigeli emcela ukuba abe ngumkakhe.
And when David had heard that Nabal was dead, he said: Blessed be the Lord, who hath judged the cause of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil, and the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his head. Then David sent and treated with Abigail, that he might take her to himself for a wife.
40 Izinceku zakhe zaya eKhameli zathi ku-Abhigeli, “UDavida usithume kuwe ukuba sizekuthatha ukuze ube ngumkakhe.”
And David’s servants came to Abigail to Carmel, and spoke to her, saying: David hath sent us to thee, to take thee to himself for a wife.
41 U-Abhigeli wathi mbo phansi ngobuso, wathi, “Nansi incekukazi yakho, ilungele ukukusebenzela lokugezisa inyawo zezinceku zenkosi yami.”
And she arose and bowed herself down with her face to the earth, and said: Behold, let thy servant be a handmaid, to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
42 U-Abhigeli waphanga wagada ubabhemi, ephelekezelwa yizisebenzikazi zakhe ezinhlanu, wahamba lezithunywa zikaDavida wasesiba ngumkakhe.
And Abigail arose, and made haste, and got upon an ass, and five damsels went with her, her waiting maids, and she followed the messengers of David, and became his wife.
43 UDavida wayethethe njalo u-Ahinowama waseJezerili, bobabili-ke baba ngomkakhe.
Moreover David took also Achinoam of Jezrahel: and they were both of them his wives.
44 Kodwa uSawuli, indodakazi yakhe uMikhali, umkaDavida, wayeseyinike uPhalithiyeli indodana kaLayishi, owayengowaseGalimi.
But Saul gave Michol his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti, the son of Lais, who was of Gallium.
