2 Imilando 18
1 Ngakho uJehoshafathi wayenothe kakhulu njalo ehlonipheka, waba lobunini lo-Ahabi ngokwendiselana.
Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; he allied himself with Ahab by having one of his family marry his daughter.
2 Ngemva kweminyaka ethile wayakwethekelela u-Ahabi eSamariya. U-Ahabi wamhlabela izimvu ezinengi lenkomo yena kanye labantu ayelabo njalo wamkhuthaza ukuba ahlasele iRamothi Giliyadi.
After some years, he went down to Ahab in Samaria. Ahab killed many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him. Ahab also persuaded him to attack Ramoth Gilead with him.
3 U-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli yabuza uJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda wathi: “Uzahamba lami na ukuyahlasela iRamothi Giliyadi?” UJehoshafathi waphendula wathi, “Mina nginjengawe, abantu bami banjengabantu bakho; sizakuba lawe empini.”
Ahab, king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat answered him, “I am like you, and my people are like your people. We will be with you in the war.”
4 Kodwa uJehoshafathi waphinda wathi enkosini yako-Israyeli, “Akubuze kuThixo kuqala.”
Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please first seek the word of Yahweh for your answer.”
5 Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yasibuthanisa abaphrofethi, amadoda angamakhulu amane, yababuza yathi, “Siphume impi siyehlasela iRamothi Giliyadi, loba ngizithibe na?” Bayiphendula bathi, “Hamba, ngoba uNkulunkulu uzayinikela esandleni senkosi.”
Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Should we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or should I not?” They said, “Attack, for God will give it into the hand of the king.”
6 Kodwa uJehoshafathi wabuza wathi, “Kambe kakusela mphrofethi kaThixo lapha esingabuza kuye na?”
But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here still another prophet of Yahweh with whom we might seek advice?”
7 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi, “Ukhona oyedwa esingabuza uThixo ngaye kodwa ngiyamzonda ngoba kakaze aphrofethe okuhle ngami, uhlala ekhuluma okubi. Ibizo lakhe nguMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.” UJehoshafathi wathi, “Inkosi kayimelanga itsho njalo.”
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man by whom we may seek the advice of Yahweh, Micaiah son of Imlah, but I hate him because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” But Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say that.”
8 Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yabiza esinye sezikhulu zayo yathi kuso, “Ngibizela uMikhaya indodana ka-Imla khathesi.”
Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”
9 Bembethe izembatho zabo zobukhosi, inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda babehlezi ezihlalweni zabo zobukhosi esizeni sokubhulela amabele esangweni laseSamariya labo bonke abaphrofethi bephrofetha phambi kwabo.
Now Ahab the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on a throne, clothed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10 UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana wayekhande impondo zensimbi, wasesithi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uthi: ‘Ngempondo lezi uzagwaza ama-Aramu uwabhubhise.’”
Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made himself horns of iron and said, “Yahweh says this: With these you will push the Arameans until they are consumed.”
11 Bonke abaphrofethi babevele bephrofetha okufananayo besithi, “Hlasela iRamothi Giliyadi unqobe, ngoba uThixo uyinikile esandleni senkosi.”
All the prophets prophesied the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead and win, for Yahweh has given it into the hand of the king.”
12 Isithunywa esasithunywe ukuyabiza uMikhaya sathi kuye, “Khangela, abanye abaphrofethi bafakaza bengela kuthandabuza ukuthi inkosi izanqoba. Lawe vumelana labo, ukhulume okuyithokozisayo.”
The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the words of the prophets with one mouth are favorable to the king. Let your words agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
13 Kodwa uMikhaya wathi, “Ngeqiniso njengoba uThixo ekhona, engingamtshela khona yilokhu okutshiwo nguThixo.”
Micaiah replied, “As Yahweh lives, it is what God says that I will say.”
14 Uthe efika, inkosi yambuza yathi, “Mikhaya, siye empini eRamothi Giliyadi, loba ngizithibe na?” Yena waphendula wathi: “Hlasela unqobe, ngoba bazanikelwa ezandleni zakho.”
When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth Gilead for battle, or not?” Micaiah answered him, “Attack and be victorious! For it will be a great victory.”
15 Inkosi yathi kuye, “Kumele ngikufungise kangaki ukuze ungangikhohlisi kodwa ungitshele iqiniso ebizweni likaThixo?”
Then the king said to him, “How many times must I require you to swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?”
16 Ngakho uMikhaya waphendula wathi, “Ngabona abako-Israyeli bonke behlakazekile emaqaqeni njengezimvu ezingelamelusi, uThixo wathi, ‘Lababantu kabalamkhokheli. Kabazibuyelele emakhaya ngokuthula.’”
So Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep who have no shepherd, and Yahweh said, 'These have no shepherd. Let every man return to his house in peace.'”
17 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi, “Kangikutshelanga yini ukuthi uvele kaphrofethi lutho oluhle ngami kodwa okubi kuphela na?”
So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but only disaster?”
18 UMikhaya waqhubeka wathi, “Ngakho zwanini ilizwi likaThixo: Ngabona uThixo ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi lebutho lonke lasezulwini limi ngakwesokudla langakwesokhohlo.
Then Micaiah said, “Therefore all of you should hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven were standing on his right hand and on his left.
19 Njalo uThixo wathi, ‘Ngubani ozakhohlisa u-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli ukuba ahlasele eRamothi Giliyadi njalo ayofela khona na?’ Omunye wabonisa lokhu, omunye laye lokhuyana.
Yahweh said, 'Who will entice Ahab, king of Israel, so that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?' One said this and another that.
20 Ekucineni kwavela umoya, wema phambi kukaThixo wathi: ‘Mina ngizamhuga.’ UThixo wathi kuwo: ‘Ngendlela bani na?’
Then a spirit came forward and it stood before Yahweh and said, 'I will entice him.' Yahweh said to him, 'How?'
21 Wona wathi: ‘Ngizahamba ngiyekuba ngumoya wokuqamba amanga emilonyeni yabo bonke abaphrofethi bakhe.’ UThixo wathi: ‘Uzaphumelela ukumhuga. Hamba-ke uyekwenza lokho.’
The spirit replied, 'I will go out and I will become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' Yahweh replied, 'You will entice him, and you will also be successful. Go now and do so.'
22 Ngakho khathesi uThixo usefake umoya wenkohliso emilonyeni yabaphrofethi bakho bonke laba. UThixo usekumisele ukubhujiswa.”
Now see, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and Yahweh has decreed disaster for you.”
23 Ngakho uZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana waphakama wayawakala uMikhaya ngempama ebusweni, watsho embuza wathi, “Umoya kaThixo wasuka njani kimi ukuyakhuluma kuwe na?”
Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, came up, slapped Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the Spirit of Yahweh take to go from me to speak to you?”
24 UMikhaya waphendula wathi, “Wena ngokwakho uzakubona lokho mhla ubalekela endlini engaphakathi usiyacatsha.”
Micaiah said, “Look, you will know that on that day, when you run into some inner room to hide.”
25 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi, “Bambani uMikhaya, limbuyisele ku-Amoni umbusi wedolobho lakuJowashi indodana yenkosi
The king of Israel said to some servants, “You people seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, my son.
26 lithi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo yinkosi, ithi: Valelani umuntu lo entolongweni, lingamniki lutho ngaphandle kwesinkwa lamanzi ngize ngiphenduke kukuhle.’”
You people will say to him, 'The king says: Put this man in prison and feed him with only a little bread and only a little water, until I return safely.'”
27 UMikhaya waqonqosela wathi: “Nxa ungaphenduka kuhle, uThixo uyabe engakhulumanga ngami.” Waqhubeka wathi, “Lani lonke bantu abambisiseni amazwi ami!”
Then Micaiah said, “If you return safely, then Yahweh has not spoken by me.” Then he added, “Listen to this, all you people.”
28 Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda baya eRamothi Giliyadi.
So Ahab, the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up against Ramoth Gilead.
29 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Mina ngizakuya empini ngizazifihla ngokulahlisa isimo sami, kodwa wena gqoka ezakho ezobukhosi.” Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yazifihla ngokulahlisa isimo sayo yangena empini.
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle.
30 Ngakho inkosi yase-Aramu yayiqonqosele abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa yathi, “Lingalwi lamuntu, loba ngomncinyane loba ngomkhulu, ngaphandle kwenkosi yako-Israyeli.”
Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not attack the unimportant or the important soldiers. Instead, attack only the king of Israel.”
31 Abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa bathi bebona uJehoshafathi bathi, “Yiyonale inkosi yako-Israyeli.” Ngakho bamphendukela ukuba bamhlasele, kodwa uJehoshafathi wahlaba umkhosi, uThixo wamsiza. UNkulunkulu wabenza baya khatshana laye,
It came about that when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat they said, “That is the king of Israel.” They turned around to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped him. God turned them away from him.
32 ngoba abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa bathi sebebonile ukuthi kasiyo inkosi yako-Israyeli, abazange besaxotshana laye.
It came about that when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
33 Kodwa omunye watshoka kungananzelelwe umtshoko waphutsha emkhandlwini wesikhali wagwaza inkosi yako-Israyeli. Inkosi yatshela umtshayeli wenqola yokulwa yathi, “Phendula inqola yakho ungisuse lapha, sengilimele.”
But a certain man drew his bow at random and shot the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. Then Ahab said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded.”
34 Impi yalwiwa ilanga lonke, njalo inkosi yako-Israyeli yeyama enqoleni yayo yokulwa ikhangele ama-Aramu kwaze kwaba ntambama. Kuthe litshona layo yabe isifa.
The battle grew worse that day, and the king of Israel was held up in his chariot facing the Arameans until the evening. About the time that the sun was going down, he died.
