2 Amakhosi 3
1 UJoramu indodana ka-Ahabi waba yinkosi yako-Israyeli eSamariya ngomnyaka wetshumi lasificaminwembili wokubusa kukaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda, yena wabusa okweminyaka elitshumi lambili.
NOW Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.
2 Wona emehlweni kaThixo, kodwa kwakungafanani lokukayise lonina ababekwenzile. Walahla ilitshe likaBhali elalizila elalibazwe nguyise.
And he wrought evil in the sight of the Lord; but not like his father, and like his mother: for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.
3 Kodwa wagxila ezonweni zikaJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi, lezo ayebangele u-Israyeli ukuthi azenze; kazange azifulathele.
Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.
4 UMesha inkosi yaseMowabi wayefuya izimvu, wayefanele ukubhadala inkosi yako-Israyeli izimvu ezizinkulungwane ezilikhulu kanye loboya benqama ezizinkulungwane ezilikhulu.
And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
5 Kodwa ngemva kokufa kuka-Ahabi, inkosi yamaMowabi yahlamukela inkosi yako-Israyeli.
But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 Ngalesosikhathi inkosi uJoramu yasuka eSamariya yabutha abako-Israyeli bonke.
And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and numbered all Israel.
7 Wathumela lelilizwi kuJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda wathi: “Inkosi yamaMowabi isingihlamukele. Singahambisana siyehlasela amaMowabi na?” UJehoshafathi waphendula esithi, “Ngizahamba lawe. Mina nginguwe, abantu bami banjengabantu bakho, amabhiza ami anjengamabhiza akho.”
And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me: wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle? And he said, I will go up: I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.
8 Wasebuza ukuthi, “Sizahlasela sivelela ngaphi na?” UJoramu wathi “Sizavelela eNkangala yase-Edomi.”
And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom.
9 Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yaphuma lenkosi yakoJuda kanye lenkosi yase-Edomi. Ngemva kohambo bezulazula okwensuku eziyisikhombisa amanzi amabutho kanye lawezinyamazana zempi aphela.
So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
10 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yababaza yathi, “Kutheni kanti? UThixo angasibiza singamakhosi amathathu ukuze azosinikela ezandleni zamaMowabi na?”
And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!
11 Kodwa uJehoshafathi wabuza wathi, “Akulamphrofethi kaThixo yini, esingabuza ngaye kuThixo na?” Esinye sezikhulu zenkosi yako-Israyeli sathi, “Ukhona u-Elisha indodana kaShafathi. Wayeyinceku ka-Elija.”
But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.
12 UJehoshafathi wathi, “Ilizwi likaThixo likuye.” Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli kanye loJehoshafathi lenkosi yase-Edomi baya kuye.
And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 U-Elisha wathi enkosini yako-Israyeli, “Mina lawe singenelana njani? Hamba kubaphrofethi bakayihlo lakubaphrofethi bakanyoko.” Inkosi yako-Israyeli yaphendula yathi, “Hayi, kungenxa yokuthi uThixo wasibiza sobathathu singamakhosi sinje ukuze asinikele kumaMowabi.”
And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
14 U-Elisha wathi, “Njengoba uThixo uSomandla engimkhonzayo ephila, kungasikuhlonipha kwami ukuthi kuloJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda, ngibe ngingayikukukhangela loba ukukubona ukuthi ukhona kodwa lokhu.
And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.
15 Kodwa-ke ngibizela umtshayi wechacho.” Umtshayi wechacho esatshaya ichacho, amandla kaThixo ehlela ku-Elisha,
But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.
16 wasesithi, “Ilizwi likaThixo lithi: Lungisani imigelo eminengi kulesisigodi.
And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.
17 Ngoba ilizwi likaThixo lithi: Aliyikubona yezi loba izulu, kodwa lesisigodi sizagcwala ngamanzi, kuthi lina lenkomo zenu kanye lezinyamazana zonke lithole ukunatha.
For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.
18 Le yinto elula kuThixo, njalo uzanikela amaMowabi esandleni sakho.
And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.
19 Uzanqoba kuzozonke izinqaba zedolobho lakuyo yonke imizi eqakathekileyo. Uzawisa zonke izihlahla ezinhle, ugqibele yonke imithombo yamanzi, wonakalise wonke amasimu amahle ngamatshe.”
And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.
20 Ngosuku olulandelayo ekuseni, ngesikhathi sokunikela imihlatshelo, lakanye babona, nanko amanzi egeleza evelela e-Edomi! Ngakho ilizwe lagcwala amanzi.
And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.
21 AmaMowabi wonke ayesezwile ukuthi amakhosi ayezohlasela; ngalokho amadoda wonke, abadala lamajaha, ababengenelisa ukuphatha izikhali balawulwa ukuba bayevikela umngcele.
And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armour, and upward, and stood in the border.
22 Bathi bevuka emadabukakusa bathola ilanga linkanyazela phezu kwamanzi. Ekuboneni kwamaMowabi ngale, amanzi ayekhanya ebomvu kungani ligazi. AmaMowabi asesithi,
And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood:
23 “Ligazi leliyana! Kutsho ukuthi amakhosi lawayana alwile abulalana wodwa. Asiyeni butha impango, maMowabi!”
And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
24 Kodwa amaMowabi athe efika enkambeni yama-Israyeli, ama-Israyeli awavukela awahlasela, amaMowabi aze abaleka. Ngakho ama-Israyeli ahlasela ilizwe lelo abhubhisa amaMowabi.
And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.
25 Atshabalalisa imizi kwathi indoda nganye yaphosela ilitshe kuwo wonke amasimu amahle aze agcwala ngamatshe. Bagqibela yonke imithombo yamanzi njalo bagamula zonke izihlahla ezinhle. Kwasala iKhiri-Haresethi eyasala amatshe ayo elokhu enjalo, kodwa amadoda ayehlome ngezavutha ayihonqolozela njalo ayihlasela.
And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kir-haraseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it.
26 Inkosi yamaMowabi ithe ibona ukuthi isikhulelwa ekulweni, yathatha amadoda angamakhulu ayisikhombisa alwa ngenkemba yazama ukuthi idabule phakathi ngamandla iyephutshela enkosini yase-Edomi, kodwa yehluleka.
And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not.
27 Inkosi yaseMowabi yasithatha ingqabutho yayo eyiyo indodana eyayizasala ibusa yayinikela njengomnikelo wokutshiswa phezu kwemiduli yedolobho. Kwakukukhulu ukuthukuthelela abako-Israyeli baze bahlehla babuyela kwelakibo.
Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
