2 Amakhosi 5
1 UNamani wayengumlawuli webutho lenkosi yase-Aramu. Wayelodumo ehlonipheka emehlweni enkosi yakhe, ngoba ngaye uThixo wanika ele-Aramu ukunqoba. Wayelibutho elilesibindi, kodwa wayelobulephero.
Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria; he was also a mighty man of valour, but he was a leper.
2 Amaxuku amabutho ase-Aramu ayephumile athumba intombazana yako-Israyeli, yaba yisichaka somkaNamani.
The Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little girl, and she waited on Naaman’s wife.
3 Yathi kunkosikazi yayo, “Ngabe inkosi yami ike ibonane lomphrofethi oseSamariya! Ubezayelapha ubulephero bayo.”
She said to her mistress, “I wish that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy.”
4 UNamani wayatshela inkosi yakhe ngalokhu okwakutshiwo yintombazana yako-Israyeli.
Someone went in and told his lord, saying, “The girl who is from the land of Israel said this.”
5 Inkosi yase-Aramu yathi, “Ye kufanele uhambe, ngizabhalela inkosi yako-Israyeli incwadi.” Ngakho uNamani wasuka ephethe amathalenta esiliva alitshumi, amashekeli egolide azinkulungwane eziyisithupha kanye lamaxha ezigqoko alitshumi.
The king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
6 Incwadi ahamba layo enkosini yako-Israyeli yayisithi: “Ngalincwadi ngikuthumela inceku yami uNamani ukuba uzomelapha ubulephero bakhe.”
He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “Now when this letter has come to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.”
7 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi iqeda ukufunda incwadi leyo, yadabula izembatho zayo yathi, “NginguNkulunkulu mina na? Ngilamandla okubulala lamandla okuphilisa na? Kungani lumuntu ethumele umuntu esithi ngimelaphe ubulephero? Angithi liyabona ukuthi udinga ukuxabana lami!”
When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But please consider and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.”
8 U-Elisha umuntu kaNkulunkulu esezwe ukuthi inkosi yako-Israyeli yayisidabule izembatho zayo, wayithumela ilizwi esithi, “Kungani usudabule izembatho zakho na? Letha indoda leyo kimi ukuze yazi ukuthi kulomphrofethi ko-Israyeli.”
It was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 Ngakho uNamani wahamba lamabhiza akhe kanye lezinqola zokulwa wayakuma emnyango wendlu ka-Elisha.
So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 U-Elisha wathuma isithunywa ukuthi siyotshela uNamani sithi: “Hamba, uyegeza kasikhombisa emfuleni uJodani, inyama yakho izahluma njalo lawe uhlambuluke.”
Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be clean.”
11 Kodwa uNamani wasuka ethukuthele wasesithi: “Mina benginakana ukuthi ngempela uzaphuma eze kimi ame abize ibizo likaThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe, aphakamise isandla phezu kwezilonda angelaphe ubulephero.
But Naaman was angry, and went away and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper.’
12 Imifula yaseDamaseko, i-Abhana leFariphari kayingcono yini kulawo wonke amanzi ako-Israyeli na? Bengingeke ngageza kiyo ngihlambuluke na?” Ngakho wafulathela wahamba ethukuthele.
Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 Izinceku zikaNamani zamlanda zathi kuye, “Baba, alubana umphrofethi ubekutshele ukuthi wenze into enkulu ube ungayikuyenza na? Pho, kwehlula ngaphi nxa esithi, ‘Geza uhlambuluke’!”
His servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had asked you do some great thing, wouldn’t you have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”
14 Yikho ukusuka kwakhe esiya khonale efika egeza kasikhombisa, njengokulaywa kwakhe ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu, inyama yakhe yahluma njalo yahlambuluka kungathi ngeyomfana omncinyane.
Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 Ngakho uNamani kanye lezinceku zakhe babuyela kumphrofethi uNkulunkulu. Wafika wema phambi kwakhe wathi, “Ngiyakwazi ukuthi akulankulunkulu emhlabeni wonke ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. Ngoxolo ngicela wamukele lesisipho senceku yakho.”
He returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, “See now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”
16 Umphrofethi wathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengokuba uThixo engimkhonzayo ephila, angiyikwamukela lutho.” Kwathi lanxa uNamani emncenga wala.
But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” He urged him to take it; but he refused.
17 UNamani wasesithi, “Nxa ungasoze ukwamukele ngiyacela, mina nceku yakho, ukuba ngithole umhlabathi walapha ongalingana ukuthwalwa zimbongolo ezimbili, ngoba mina nceku angisayikunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo lakuwuphi unkulunkulu kodwa kuThixo.
Naaman said, “If not, then, please let two mules’ load of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will from now on offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD.
18 Kodwa inceku yakho icela ukuba uThixo ayixolele kulokhu kuphela: Nxa inkosi yami ingena ethempelini likaRimoni ukuze iyemkhothamela ibambelele engalweni yami lami ngikhothame kanye layo, nxa ngikhothama ethempelini likaRimoni, ngiyacela ukuba uThixo angixolele kulokho.”
In this thing may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon. When I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, may the LORD pardon your servant in this thing.”
19 U-Elisha wathi, “Hamba ngokuthula.” UNamani uthe esehambe okomango othile,
He said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a little way.
20 uGehazi, isisebenzi sika-Elisha inceku kaNkulunkulu, wazitshela ukuthi, “Inkosi yami imyekele uNamani wase-Aramu, wahamba ingasamukelanga isipho sakhe. Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ephila ngizamgijimela ngiyezuza ulutho kuye.”
But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought. As the LORD lives, I will run after him, and take something from him.”
21 Ngakho uGehazi wahaluzela wamxhuma uNamani. Kwathi uNamani embona esiza egijima, wehla enqoleni yakhe wamhlangabeza, wambuza wathi, “Kulungile konke na?”
So Gehazi followed after Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?”
22 UGehazi wathi, “Yebo, konke kulungile. Inkosi yami ingithumile ukuba ngithi, ‘Sekufike amajaha amabili exuku labaphrofethi bevela elizweni lezintaba elako-Efrayimi, icela ukuba uwanike ithalenta lesiliva elilodwa lezigqoko ezimbili.’”
He said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, even now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’”
23 UNamani wathi, “Ngokujabula, ngithi thatha amathalenta amabili.” Wamkhuthaza uGehazi ukuba awamukele, wasebophela amathalenta esiliva amabili emigodleni emibili, lamaxha amabili ezigqoko. Wawaqhubela izisebenzi ezimbili, zawathwala zahamba kuqala phambi kukaGehazi.
Naaman said, “Be pleased to take two talents.” He urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants; and they carried them before him.
24 Esefikile eqaqeni uGehazi, wathatha impahla kulezozisebenzi wayazibeka endlini. Wathi kababuyele, lakanye basuka.
When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and stored them in the house. Then he let the men go, and they departed.
25 Wasengena wafika wema phambi kwenkosi yakhe u-Elisha. U-Elisha wambuza wathi, “Ube ungaphi Gehazi?” UGehazi waphendula wathi, “Inceku yakho ayizange iye ndawo.”
But he went in, and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you come from, Gehazi?” He said, “Your servant went nowhere.”
26 Kodwa u-Elisha wathi kuye, “Umoya wami ubungekanye lawe na lapho lowomuntu ephenduka enqoleni ekuhlangabeza? Yisikhathi sokwamukela imali lesi na, kumbe esokwamukela izigqoko, lezivande zama-oliva, lamavini lemihlambi yezimvu, leyenkomo, kumbe eyezinceku zesilisa lesifazane?
He said to him, “Didn’t my heart go with you when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and cattle, and male servants and female servants?
27 Ubulephero bukaNamani buzanamathela kuwe lasenzalweni yakho kuze kube laphakade.” UGehazi wasuka phambi kuka-Elisha eselobulephero esemhlophe njengongqwaqwane.
Therefore the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever.” He went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.
