2 USamuyeli 14

1 UJowabi indodana kaZeruya wakwazi ukuthi inhliziyo yenkosi yayimkhumbula u-Abhisalomu.

Now it was clear to Joab, the son of Zeruiah, that the king's heart was turning to Absalom.

2 Ngakho uJowabi wathuma umuntu eThekhowa wayabuya khona lowesifazane ohlakaniphileyo. Wathi kuye, “Yenza angathi uyalila. Gqoka izigqoko zokulila. Ungagcobi amagcobo okubukeka. Yenza njengowesifazane oseqede insuku ezinengi elilela ofileyo.

And Joab sent to Tekoa and got from there a wise woman, and said to her, Now make yourself seem like one given up to grief, and put on the clothing of sorrow, not using any sweet oil for your body, but looking like one who for a long time has been weeping for the dead:

3 Uye enkosini ukhulume amazwi la kuyo.” UJowabi wasemfunza lawomazwi.

And come to the king and say these words to him. So Joab gave her words to say.

4 Kwathi owesifazane owavela eThekhowa esefikile enkosini wathi mbo phansi ngobuso eyihlonipha, wasesithi, “Ake ungisize, awu nkosi!”

And the woman of Tekoa came to the king, and falling on her face, gave him honour and said, Give me help, O king.

5 Inkosi yambuza yathi, “Kuyini okukuhluphayo?” Yena wathi, “Ngingumfelokazi impela, umkami wafa.

And the king said to her, What is your trouble? And her answer was, Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

6 Mina ncekukazi yakho ngangilamadodana amabili. Alwa egangeni njalo akulamuntu owayelapho ukuba awalamule. Enye yatshaya enye yayibulala.

And I had two sons, and the two of them had a fight in the field, and there was no one to come between them, and one with a blow put the other to death.

7 Manje-ke bonke abosendo sebevukele incekukazi yakho, bathi, ‘Sinike lowo owabulala umfowabo ukuze simbulale ngenxa yempilo yomfowabo ambulalayo; lapho-ke sizasusa lendlalifa futhi.’ Bazacitsha ilahle lami elivuthayo eliyilo lodwa engilalo eliseleyo, umkami asale engaselabizo loba inzalo ebusweni bomhlaba.”

And now all the family is turned against me, your servant, saying, Give up him who was the cause of his brother's death, so that we may put him to death in payment for the life of his brother, whose life he took; and we will put an end to the one who will get the heritage: so they will put out my last burning coal, and my husband will have no name or offspring on the face of the earth.

8 Inkosi yasisithi kowesifazane lowo, “Buyela ekhaya, ngizakhupha umlayo ngimele wena.”

And the king said to the woman, Go to your house and I will give orders about this.

9 Kodwa owesifazane waseThekhowa wathi kuyo, “Mhlekazi wami, nkosi, umlandu kawube kimi lakwabendlu kababa, kuthi inkosi lesihlalo sayo sobukhosi kungabi lacala.”

And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, My lord, O king, may the sin be on me and on my family, and may the king and the seat of his kingdom be clear of sin!

10 Inkosi yaphendula yathi, “Nxa loba ngubani esitsho loba yini kuwe, mlethe kimi, njalo kasoze akuhluphe futhi.”

And the king said, If anyone says anything to you, make him come to me, and he will do you no more damage.

11 Wasesithi, “Inkosi kayincenge uThixo uNkulunkulu wayo ukuba avimbele umphindiseli wegazi ekwengezeleleni incithakalo, ukuze indodana yami ingabhujiswa.” Inkosi yathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, akukho lalunye unwele lwekhanda lendodana yakho oluzawela phansi.”

Then she said, Let the king keep in mind the Lord your God, so that he who gives punishment for blood may be kept back from further destruction and that no one may send death on my son. And he said, By the living Lord, not a hair of your son's head will come to the earth.

12 Lapho-ke owesifazane wasesithi, “Vumela incekukazi yakho ikhulume ilizwi enkosini yami.” Yathi, “Khuluma.”

Then the woman said, Will the king let his servant say one word more? And he said, Say on.

13 Owesifazane wasesithi, “Pho kungani ucebe into enje ngabantu bakaNkulunkulu na? Nxa inkosi isitsho lokhu kayizidlisi ngecala na, ngoba inkosi kayiyibuyisanga indodana yayo eyaxotshwayo.

And the woman said, Why have you had such a thought about the people of God? (for in saying these very words the king has put himself in the wrong because he has not taken back the one whom he sent far away.)

14 Njengamanzi achithekele phansi, angeke abuthwe, kanjalo kumele sife. Kodwa uNkulunkulu kakususi ukuphila, esikhundleni salokho yena uceba izindlela zokuthi umuntu oxotshiweyo angehlukaniswa laye kokuphela.

For death comes to us all, and we are like water drained out on the earth, which it is not possible to take up again; and God will not take away the life of the man whose purpose is that he who has been sent away may not be completely cut off from him.

15 Ngilande ukuzakutsho lokhu kumhlekazi wami inkosi, ngoba abantu sebengethusile. Incekukazi yakho icabange yathi, ‘Ngizakhuluma lenkosi, engxenye izakwenza lokho okucelwa yincekukazi yayo.

And now it is my fear of the people which has made me come to say these words to my lord the king: and your servant said, I will put my cause before the king, and it may be that he will give effect to my request.

16 Engxenye inkosi izavuma ukuhlenga incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu ozama ukungisusa mina lendodana yami elifeni esaliphiwa nguNkulunkulu.’

For the king will give ear, and take his servant out of the power of the man whose purpose is the destruction of me and my son together from the heritage of God.

17 Khathesi incekukazi yakho ithi, ‘Sengathi izwi lomhlekazi wami, uThixo lingangilethela ukuphumula, ngoba umhlekazi wami, inkosi unjengengilosi kaNkulunkulu ekuphawuleni okuhle lokubi. Sengathi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho angaba lawe.’”

Then your servant said, May the word of my lord the king give me peace! for my lord the king is as the angel of God in his hearing of good and bad: and may the Lord your God be with you!

18 Inkosi yasisithi kowesifazane lowo, “Ungangifihleli impendulo kulokhu engizakubuza khona.” Owesifazane wathi “Mhlekazi wami, inkosi kayikhulume.”

Then the king said to the woman, Now give me an answer to the question I am going to put to you; keep nothing back. And the woman said, Let my lord the king say on.

19 Inkosi yasibuza yathi, “Isandla sikaJowabi kasilawe yini kukho konke lokhu na?” Owesifazane waphendula wathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uphila, mhlekazi wami, inkosi, kakho ongaphambukela kwesokudla kumbe kwesenxele kwaloba yini umhlekazi wami, inkosi ekutshoyo. Ye, yinceku yakho uJowabi engilaye ukuba ngenze lokhu onguye njalo ofunze amazwi wonke la emlonyeni wencekukazi yakho.

And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman in answer said, By the life of your soul, my lord the king, it is not possible for anyone to go to the right hand or to the left from anything said by the king: your servant Joab gave me orders, and put all these words in my mouth:

20 Inceku yakho uJowabi yenze lokhu ukuba iguqule umumo okhona khathesi. Inkosi yami ilenhlakanipho efana leyengilosi kaNkulunkulu yazi konke okwenzakalayo elizweni.”

This he did, hoping that the face of this business might be changed: and my lord is wise, with the wisdom of the angel of God, having knowledge of everything on earth.

21 Inkosi yasisithi kuJowabi, “Kulungile, ngizakwenza lokho. Hamba uyebuya lalo ijaha u-Abhisalomu.”

And the king said to Joab, See now, I will do this thing: go then and Come back with the young man Absalom.

22 UJowabi wathi mbo phansi ngobuso eyihlonipha, waseyibonga inkosi. UJowabi wasesithi, “Lamhla inceku yakho isikwazi ukuthi isithole umusa emehlweni akho, mhlekazi wami, nkosi, ngoba inkosi isivumile isicelo senceku yayo.”

Then Joab, falling down on his face on the earth, gave the king honour and blessing; and Joab said, Today it is clear to your servant that I have grace in your eyes, my lord king, because the king has given effect to the request of his servant.

23 Emva kwalokho uJowabi waya eGeshuri wayabuya lo-Abhisalomu eJerusalema.

So Joab got up and went to Geshur and came back again to Jerusalem with Absalom.

24 Kodwa inkosi yathi, “Kaye endlini yakhe, akumelanga abone ubuso bami.” Ngakho u-Abhisalomu waya endlini yakhe akaze abubona ubuso benkosi.

And the king said, Let him go to his house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom went back to his house and did not see the face of the king.

25 Kulolonke elako-Israyeli kakho umuntu owayebatshazwa kakhulu ngobuhle bakhe njengo-Abhisalomu. Kusukela ekhanda lakhe kusiya ephangweni lonyawo lwakhe kwakungekho sici kuye.

Now in all Israel there was no one so greatly to be praised for his beautiful form as Absalom: from his feet to the crown of his head he was completely beautiful.

26 Kwakusithi lapho egele inwele zekhanda lakhe wayejwayele ukuzigela inwele zakhe kanye ngomnyaka nxa zasezimsinda kakhulu, wayezilinganisa esikalini, isisindo sazo sasingamakhulu amabili amashekeli ngesilinganiso sesikhosini.

And when he had his hair cut, (which he did at the end of every year, because of the weight of his hair; ) the weight of the hair was two hundred shekels by the king's weight.

27 U-Abhisalomu wazala amadodana amathathu lendodakazi eyodwa. Ibizo lendodakazi lalinguThamari, owayengumfazi omuhle.

And Absalom was the father of three sons and of one daughter named Tamar, who was very beautiful.

28 U-Abhisalomu wahlala iminyaka emibili eJerusalema engabuboni ubuso benkosi.

For two full years Absalom was living in Jerusalem without ever seeing the face of the king.

29 Yikho u-Abhisalomu wabiza uJowabi wamthuma enkosini, kodwa uJowabi wala ukuya kuye. Wathumela okwesibili, kodwa wala ukuza.

Then Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

30 Wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe, “Khangelani, insimu kaJowabi iphansi kweyami, njalo kulebhali kiyo. Hambani liyeyithungela ngomlilo.” Ngakho izinceku zika-Abhisalomu zayithungela insimu ngomlilo.

So he said to his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley in it; go and put it on fire. And Absalom's servants put the field on fire.

31 Lapho-ke uJowabi waya endlini ka-Abhisalomu wathi kuye, “Kungani izinceku zakho zithungele insimu yami ngomlilo?”

Then Joab came to Absalom in his house and said to him, Why have your servants put my field on fire?

32 U-Abhisalomu wathi kuJowabi, “Khangela, ngithumele ilizwi kuwe ngathi, ‘Woza lapha ukuze ngikuthume enkosini ukuyabuza ukuthi, “Pho ngisukeleni eGeshuri? Kade kuzakuba ngcono kimi aluba ngilokhu ngikhonale!”’ Khathesi nje, mina ngifuna ukubona ubuso benkosi, nxa ngilecala laloba yini kangibulale.”

And Absalom's answer was, See, I sent to you saying, Come here, so that I may send you to the king to say, Why have I come back from Geshur? it would be better for me to be there still: let me now see the king's face, and if there is any sin in me, let him put me to death.

33 Ngakho uJowabi waya enkosini wayitshela lokhu. Inkosi yambiza u-Abhisalomu, wafika wangena wasesithi mbo phansi ngobuso phambi kwenkosi. Inkosi yamanga u-Abhisalomu.

So Joab went to the king and said these words to him: and when the king had sent for him, Absalom came, and went down on his face on the earth before the king: and the king gave him a kiss.