2 USamuyeli 14
1 UJowabi indodana kaZeruya wakwazi ukuthi inhliziyo yenkosi yayimkhumbula u-Abhisalomu.
And Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward 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 Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said to her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments, I pray, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead;
3 Uye enkosini ukhulume amazwi la kuyo.” UJowabi wasemfunza lawomazwi.
and come to the king, and speak after this manner to him. And Joab put the words into her mouth.
4 Kwathi owesifazane owavela eThekhowa esefikile enkosini wathi mbo phansi ngobuso eyihlonipha, wasesithi, “Ake ungisize, awu nkosi!”
And the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, and she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Save, O king!
5 Inkosi yambuza yathi, “Kuyini okukuhluphayo?” Yena wathi, “Ngingumfelokazi impela, umkami wafa.
And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.
6 Mina ncekukazi yakho ngangilamadodana amabili. Alwa egangeni njalo akulamuntu owayelapho ukuba awalamule. Enye yatshaya enye yayibulala.
And thy bondmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other and slew him.
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 behold, the whole family is risen against thy bondmaid, and they say, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may put him to death, for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also: so they will quench my coal which is left, and will not leave to my husband a name or remnant on the earth.
8 Inkosi yasisithi kowesifazane lowo, “Buyela ekhaya, ngizakhupha umlayo ngimele wena.”
And the king said to the woman, Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
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 Tekoah said to the king, Upon me, my lord, O king, be the iniquity, and upon my father's house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.
10 Inkosi yaphendula yathi, “Nxa loba ngubani esitsho loba yini kuwe, mlethe kimi, njalo kasoze akuhluphe futhi.”
And the king said, Whoever speaks to thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
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, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they cut off my son. And he said, [As] Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
12 Lapho-ke owesifazane wasesithi, “Vumela incekukazi yakho ikhulume ilizwi enkosini yami.” Yathi, “Khuluma.”
And the woman said, Let thy bondmaid, I pray thee, speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Speak.
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 then hast thou thought such a thing against God's people? and the king in saying this thing, is as one guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.
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 we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; and God has not taken away his life, but devises means that the banished one be not expelled 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 that I am come to speak of this thing to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid; and thy bondmaid said, I will now speak to the king; perhaps the king will perform the request of his handmaid.
16 Engxenye inkosi izavuma ukuhlenga incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu ozama ukungisusa mina lendodana yami elifeni esaliphiwa nguNkulunkulu.’
For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance 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.’”
And thy bondmaid said, Let the word of my lord the king now be comfortable; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad; and Jehovah thy God will be with thee.
18 Inkosi yasisithi kowesifazane lowo, “Ungangifihleli impendulo kulokhu engizakubuza khona.” Owesifazane wathi “Mhlekazi wami, inkosi kayikhulume.”
And the king answered and said to the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.
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 the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, [As] thy soul liveth, my lord, O king, there is no turning to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king has spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words into the mouth of thy bondmaid:
20 Inceku yakho uJowabi yenze lokhu ukuba iguqule umumo okhona khathesi. Inkosi yami ilenhlakanipho efana leyengilosi kaNkulunkulu yazi konke okwenzakalayo elizweni.”
in order to turn the appearance of the thing has thy servant Joab done this thing; but my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.
21 Inkosi yasisithi kuJowabi, “Kulungile, ngizakwenza lokho. Hamba uyebuya lalo ijaha u-Abhisalomu.”
And the king said to Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: so go, bring back 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.”
And Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and blessed the king; and Joab said, To-day thy servant knows that I have found favour in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.
23 Emva kwalokho uJowabi waya eGeshuri wayabuya lo-Abhisalomu eJerusalema.
And Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
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 turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. And Absalom withdrew to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
25 Kulolonke elako-Israyeli kakho umuntu owayebatshazwa kakhulu ngobuhle bakhe njengo-Abhisalomu. Kusukela ekhanda lakhe kusiya ephangweni lonyawo lwakhe kwakungekho sici kuye.
But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
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 shaved his head (for it was at every year's end that he shaved it, because it was heavy on him, therefore he shaved it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.
27 U-Abhisalomu wazala amadodana amathathu lendodakazi eyodwa. Ibizo lendodakazi lalinguThamari, owayengumfazi omuhle.
And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a beautiful countenance.
28 U-Abhisalomu wahlala iminyaka emibili eJerusalema engabuboni ubuso benkosi.
So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king's face.
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 the 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.
Then he said to his servants, See, Joab's allotment is near mine and he has barley there: go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the allotment on fire.
31 Lapho-ke uJowabi waya endlini ka-Abhisalomu wathi kuye, “Kungani izinceku zakho zithungele insimu yami ngomlilo?”
Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to [his] house, and said to him, Why have thy servants set my allotment 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 said to Joab, Behold, I sent to thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Why am I come from Geshur? it would have been better for me to be there still. And now let me see the king's face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him slay me.
33 Ngakho uJowabi waya enkosini wayitshela lokhu. Inkosi yambiza u-Abhisalomu, wafika wangena wasesithi mbo phansi ngobuso phambi kwenkosi. Inkosi yamanga u-Abhisalomu.
And Joab came to the king, and told him. And he called Absalom, and he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.
