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.
And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time of the going forth of kings, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon, and laid siege to Rabbah, —but, David, was remaining in Jerusalem.
2 Ngelinye ilanga kusihlwa uDavida wavuka embhedeni wakhe wahambahamba phezu kophahla lwesigodlo. Esephahleni wabona owesifazane egeza. Owesifazane lowo wayemuhle kakhulu,
And it came to pass that, at eventide, David arose from his couch, and walked to and fro on the roof of the king’s house, when, from the roof, he saw a woman bathing herself, —the woman being exceeding beautiful to look upon.
3 uDavida wasethuma umuntu ukuyabuza ngaye. Umuntu lowo wathi, “Kanti lo kasuBhathishebha, indodakazi ka-Eliyami umka-Uriya umHithi na?”
And David sent and enquired after the woman, —and one said—Is not, this, Bath-sheba, daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite?
4 UDavida wathuma izithunywa ukuyamthatha. Weza kuye, wembatha laye. (Owesifazane lo wayezihlambulule ekungcoleni kwakhe.) Emva kwalokho wabuyela ekhaya.
And David sent messengers, and fetched her, and she came in unto him, and he lay with her, she having purified herself from her uncleanness, —and she returned unto her own house.
5 Owesifazane lowo wathatha isisu, wasethumela ilizwi kuDavida, esithi, “Sengilesisu.”
And the woman, having conceived, sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
6 Ngakho uDavida wathumela ilizwi leli kuJowabi elithi: “Ngilethela u-Uriya umHithi.” UJowabi wamthumela kuDavida.
Then sent David unto Joab, Send unto me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent Uriah unto David.
7 U-Uriya esefikile kuye, uDavida wambuza ukuthi uJowabi wayenjani, amabutho ayenjani kanye lokuthi impi yayiqhubeka njani.
And, when Uriah had come in unto him, David asked—how Joab prospered, and how the people prospered, and how the war prospered.
8 UDavida wasesithi ku-Uriya, “Yehlela endlini yakho ugeze inyawo zakho.” Ngakho u-Uriya wasuka esigodlweni, walandelwa yisipho esavela enkosini esasala sithunyelwa kuye.
Then said David unto Uriah, Go down unto thy house, and bathe thy feet. And, when Uriah went out of the house of the king, there followed him, a present from the king.
9 Kodwa u-Uriya walala entubeni yesigodlo lezinceku zonke zenkosi yakhe akaze aya endlini yakhe.
But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house, with all the servants of his lord, —and went not down unto his own house.
10 Kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ukuthi, “U-Uriya kayanga ekhaya,” wambuza wathi, “Angithi usanda kufika nje uvela khatshana? Kungani ungayanga ekhaya?”
And it was told David, saying, Uriah went not down, unto his own house. So David said unto Uriah—Was it not, from a journey, thou didst come? why, then, hast thou not been down unto thine own house?
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!”
And Uriah said unto David—The ark, and Israel and Judah, are dwelling in huts and, my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, on the face of the field, are encamped, Was, I, then, to enter my own house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By thy life, yea by the life of thy soul, I could not do this thing.
12 UDavida wasesithi kuye, “Hlala lapha elinye ilanga futhi, kusasa ngizakubuyisela emuva.” Ngakho u-Uriya wahlala eJerusalema lolosuku kanye lolwalandelayo.
Then said David unto Uriah—Abide here to-day also, and, to-morrow, will I let thee go. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
13 Esecelwe nguDavida, wadla wanatha laye, uDavida wasemdakisa. Kodwa kusihlwa u-Uriya waphuma wayalala ecansini lakhe phakathi kwezinceku zenkosi yakhe; akayanga ekhaya.
And David called him, and he did eat before him, and drank, and he made him drunk, —and he went forth in the evening to lie down on his bed, with the servants of his lord, but, unto his own house, went he not down.
14 Ekuseni uDavida walobela uJowabi incwadi wayiphathisa u-Uriya.
And so it was, in the morning, that David wrote a letter unto Joab, —and sent it by the hand of Uriah;
15 Kuyo wayelobe ukuthi, “U-Uriya mbeke kuviyo eliphambili lapho impi evutha khona kakhulu. Lapho-ke khumukani kuye ukuze acakazelwe phansi afe.”
and he wrote in the letter, saying, —Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he be smitten and die.
16 Ngakho kwathi uJowabi idolobho eselivimbezele, wabeka u-Uriya lapho ayesazi khona ukuthi yikho okwakulabavikeli abalamandla kakhulu.
So it came to pass, when Joab was laying siege to the city, that he put Uriah in the place where he knew that the men of valour, were.
17 Kwathi abantu bakulelodolobho sebephumile ukuba balwe loJowabi, abanye babantu ebuthweni likaDavida bafa; u-Uriya umHithi laye futhi wafa.
And forth sallied the men of the city, and fought with Joab, and there fell some of the people, of the servants of David, —then died also, Uriah the Hittite.
18 UJowabi wathumela uDavida umbiko opheleleyo ngempi.
So Joab sent and told David all the news of the battle;
19 Walaya isithunywa wathi: “Lapho usuqedile ukwethulela inkosi umbiko wempi,
and he charged the messenger saying, —When thou hast ended all the news of the battle, in speaking unto the king,
20 ulaka lwenkosi lungavutha, ibe isibuza isithi, ‘Kungani lisondele eduzane kangaka ledolobho ukuba lilwe? Kalazanga yini ukuthi kade bengatshoka imitshoko besemdulini?
then shall it be, if the king’s anger arise, and he say unto thee, Why came ye near unto the city, to fight? Knew ye not, that they would shoot from off 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 smote Abimelech son of Jerubbaal? Did not, a woman, cast on him an upper millstone from off the wall, that he died, in Thebez? Wherefore came ye near unto the wall? Then shalt thou say—Moreover, thy servant, Uriah the Hittite, died.
22 Isithunywa sasuka sahamba, kwathi sesifikile samtshela uDavida konke uJowabi ayesithume ukuba siyekutsho.
And the messenger went his way, —and came in, and told David, all that Joab had sent him [to tell].
23 Isithunywa sathi kuDavida, “Abantu basikhulele, baphuma bazasihlasela etshatshalazini, kodwa sibadudulele emuva entubeni yedolobho.
And the messenger said unto David, The men were too strong for us, and sallied forth against us, in the field, —so we were drawn against them as far as the opening of the gate.
24 Lapho-ke abemitshoko batshoke izinceku zakho besemdulini, kwathi abanye abantu benkosi bafa. Lenceku yakho, u-Uriya umHithi ifile.”
Then did the archers shoot upon thy servants, from off the wall, and there died some of the servants of the king, —moreover also, thy servant, Uriah the Hittite, died.
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 said David unto the messenger—Thus, shalt thou say unto Joab, —Let not this thing be grievous in thine eyes, for, now this one, and then that one, doth the sword devour, —make hot thy battle against the city, and overthrow it; Thus embolden thou him.
26 Kwathi umka-Uriya esezwile ukuthi umkakhe usefile, wamlilela.
And, when Uriah’s wife heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made loud lamentation over her lord.
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 had passed, David sent and received her into his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing which David had done was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh.
