2 USamuyeli 11
1 Kwathi entwasa, ngesikhathi amakhosi ayesiyakulwa ngaso impi, uDavida wathuma uJowabi elabantu benkosi lebutho lonke lako-Israyeli. Baqothula ama-Amoni basebevimbezela iRabha. Kodwa uDavida wasala eJerusalema.
In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.
2 Ngelinye ilanga kusihlwa uDavida wavuka embhedeni wakhe wahambahamba phezu kophahla lwesigodlo. Esephahleni wabona owesifazane egeza. Owesifazane lowo wayemuhle kakhulu,
One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.
3 uDavida wasethuma umuntu ukuyabuza ngaye. Umuntu lowo wathi, “Kanti lo kasuBhathishebha, indodakazi ka-Eliyami umka-Uriya umHithi na?”
So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
4 UDavida wathuma izithunywa ukuyamthatha. Weza kuye, wembatha laye. (Owesifazane lo wayezihlambulule ekungcoleni kwakhe.) Emva kwalokho wabuyela ekhaya.
Then David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. (Now she had just purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned home.
5 Owesifazane lowo wathatha isisu, wasethumela ilizwi kuDavida, esithi, “Sengilesisu.”
And the woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
6 Ngakho uDavida wathumela ilizwi leli kuJowabi elithi: “Ngilethela u-Uriya umHithi.” UJowabi wamthumela kuDavida.
At this, David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David.
7 U-Uriya esefikile kuye, uDavida wambuza ukuthi uJowabi wayenjani, amabutho ayenjani kanye lokuthi impi yayiqhubeka njani.
When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing with the war.
8 UDavida wasesithi ku-Uriya, “Yehlela endlini yakho ugeze inyawo zakho.” Ngakho u-Uriya wasuka esigodlweni, walandelwa yisipho esavela enkosini esasala sithunyelwa kuye.
Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him.
9 Kodwa u-Uriya walala entubeni yesigodlo lezinceku zonke zenkosi yakhe akaze aya endlini yakhe.
But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.
10 Kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ukuthi, “U-Uriya kayanga ekhaya,” wambuza wathi, “Angithi usanda kufika nje uvela khatshana? Kungani ungayanga ekhaya?”
And David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey?” David asked Uriah. “Why didn’t you go home?”
11 U-Uriya wathi kuDavida, “Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo lo-Israyeli loJuda kuhlezi emathenteni, inkosi yami uJowabi kanye labantu benkosi yami bamise egangeni. Pho ngingaya kanjani endlini ukuyakudla, lokunatha ngilale lomkami futhi na? Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uphila, mina angiyikwenza into enjalo!”
Uriah answered, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camped in the open field. How can I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing!”
12 UDavida wasesithi kuye, “Hlala lapha elinye ilanga futhi, kusasa ngizakubuyisela emuva.” Ngakho u-Uriya wahlala eJerusalema lolosuku kanye lolwalandelayo.
“Stay here one more day,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13 Esecelwe nguDavida, wadla wanatha laye, uDavida wasemdakisa. Kodwa kusihlwa u-Uriya waphuma wayalala ecansini lakhe phakathi kwezinceku zenkosi yakhe; akayanga ekhaya.
Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and he got Uriah drunk. And in the evening Uriah went out to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.
14 Ekuseni uDavida walobela uJowabi incwadi wayiphathisa u-Uriya.
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.
15 Kuyo wayelobe ukuthi, “U-Uriya mbeke kuviyo eliphambili lapho impi evutha khona kakhulu. Lapho-ke khumukani kuye ukuze acakazelwe phansi afe.”
In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”
16 Ngakho kwathi uJowabi idolobho eselivimbezele, wabeka u-Uriya lapho ayesazi khona ukuthi yikho okwakulabavikeli abalamandla kakhulu.
So as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he saw the strongest enemy soldiers.
17 Kwathi abantu bakulelodolobho sebephumile ukuba balwe loJowabi, abanye babantu ebuthweni likaDavida bafa; u-Uriya umHithi laye futhi wafa.
And when the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of David’s servants fell, and Uriah the Hittite also died.
18 UJowabi wathumela uDavida umbiko opheleleyo ngempi.
Joab sent to David a full account of the battle
19 Walaya isithunywa wathi: “Lapho usuqedile ukwethulela inkosi umbiko wempi,
and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king all the details of the battle,
20 ulaka lwenkosi lungavutha, ibe isibuza isithi, ‘Kungani lisondele eduzane kangaka ledolobho ukuba lilwe? Kalazanga yini ukuthi kade bengatshoka imitshoko besemdulini?
if the king’s anger flares, he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Did you not realize they would shoot from atop the wall?
21 Ngubani obulele u-Abhimelekhi indodana kaJerubhi-Bheshethi na? Owesifazane obephezu komduli kamjikijelanga ngembokodo, wayafela eThebhezi na? Kungani lisondele eduzane kangaka lomduli?’ Ingakubuza lokhu, uthi kuyo, ‘Lenceku yakho u-Uriya umHithi ifile.’”
Who was the one to strike Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If so, then you are to say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.’”
22 Isithunywa sasuka sahamba, kwathi sesifikile samtshela uDavida konke uJowabi ayesithume ukuba siyekutsho.
So the messenger set out and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to say.
23 Isithunywa sathi kuDavida, “Abantu basikhulele, baphuma bazasihlasela etshatshalazini, kodwa sibadudulele emuva entubeni yedolobho.
The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.
24 Lapho-ke abemitshoko batshoke izinceku zakho besemdulini, kwathi abanye abantu benkosi bafa. Lenceku yakho, u-Uriya umHithi ifile.”
Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s servants were killed. And your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.”
25 UDavida watshela isithunywa wathi, “Yitsho lokhu kuJowabi: ‘Ungakhathazwa yilokhu; inkemba idla omunye njengoba isidla omunye. Qinisa ukuhlasela idolobho, ulichithe.’ Yitsho lokhu ukuba umise isibindi uJowabi.”
Then David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Do not let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him with these words.”
26 Kwathi umka-Uriya esezwile ukuthi umkakhe usefile, wamlilela.
When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.
27 Kwathi isikhathi sokulila sesiphelile, uDavida wamletha endlini yakhe, wasesiba ngumkakhe wamzalela indodana. Kodwa into eyenziwa nguDavida yathukuthelisa uThixo.
And when the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.
