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 in 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.
He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, but not like his father and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.
3 Kodwa wagxila ezonweni zikaJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi, lezo ayebangele u-Israyeli ukuthi azenze; kazange azifulathele.
Nevertheless he held to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin. He didn’t depart from them.
4 UMesha inkosi yaseMowabi wayefuya izimvu, wayefanele ukubhadala inkosi yako-Israyeli izimvu ezizinkulungwane ezilikhulu kanye loboya benqama ezizinkulungwane ezilikhulu.
Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder; and he supplied the king of Israel with one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams.
5 Kodwa ngemva kokufa kuka-Ahabi, inkosi yamaMowabi yahlamukela inkosi yako-Israyeli.
But when Ahab was dead, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 Ngalesosikhathi inkosi uJoramu yasuka eSamariya yabutha abako-Israyeli bonke.
King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time, and mustered 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.”
He went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me against Moab to battle?” He said, “I will go up. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
8 Wasebuza ukuthi, “Sizahlasela sivelela ngaphi na?” UJoramu wathi “Sizavelela eNkangala yase-Edomi.”
Then he said, “Which way shall we go up?” Jehoram answered, “The way of 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 with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched for seven days along a circuitous route. There was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them.
10 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yababaza yathi, “Kutheni kanti? UThixo angasibiza singamakhosi amathathu ukuze azosinikela ezandleni zamaMowabi na?”
The king of Israel said, “Alas! For the LORD has 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, “Isn’t there a prophet of the LORD here, that we may enquire of the LORD by him?” One of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah, is here.”
12 UJehoshafathi wathi, “Ilizwi likaThixo likuye.” Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli kanye loJehoshafathi lenkosi yase-Edomi baya kuye.
Jehoshaphat said, “The LORD’s word 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.”
Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother.” The king of Israel said to him, “No, for the LORD has 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.
Elisha said, “As the LORD of Armies lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I respect the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look towards you, nor see you.
15 Kodwa-ke ngibizela umtshayi wechacho.” Umtshayi wechacho esatshaya ichacho, amandla kaThixo ehlela ku-Elisha,
But now bring me a musician.” When the musician played, the LORD’s hand came on him.
16 wasesithi, “Ilizwi likaThixo lithi: Lungisani imigelo eminengi kulesisigodi.
He said, “The LORD says, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’
17 Ngoba ilizwi likaThixo lithi: Aliyikubona yezi loba izulu, kodwa lesisigodi sizagcwala ngamanzi, kuthi lina lenkomo zenu kanye lezinyamazana zonke lithole ukunatha.
For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind, neither will you see rain, yet that valley will be filled with water, and you will drink, both you and your livestock and your other animals.
18 Le yinto elula kuThixo, njalo uzanikela amaMowabi esandleni sakho.
This is an easy thing in the LORD’s sight. He will also deliver the Moabites 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.”
You shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all springs 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.
In the morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came 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.
Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armour, young and old, and stood on the border.
22 Bathi bevuka emadabukakusa bathola ilanga linkanyazela phezu kwamanzi. Ekuboneni kwamaMowabi ngale, amanzi ayekhanya ebomvu kungani ligazi. AmaMowabi asesithi,
They rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone on the water, and the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood.
23 “Ligazi leliyana! Kutsho ukuthi amakhosi lawayana alwile abulalana wodwa. Asiyeni butha impango, maMowabi!”
They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!”
24 Kodwa amaMowabi athe efika enkambeni yama-Israyeli, ama-Israyeli awavukela awahlasela, amaMowabi aze abaleka. Ngakho ama-Israyeli ahlasela ilizwe lelo abhubhisa amaMowabi.
When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and struck the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they went forward into the land attacking the Moabites.
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.
They beat down the cities; and on every good piece of land each man cast his stone, and filled it. They also stopped all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees, until in Kir Hareseth all they left was its stones; however the men armed with slings went around it and attacked 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.
When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too severe for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew a sword, to break through to 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 oldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall. There was great wrath against Israel; and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.
