2 USamuyeli 16

1 Kwathi uDavida esehambe ibanga elifitshane ngale kwenqongo, wabona uZibha, isikhonzi sikaMefibhoshethi, elindele ukumhlangabeza, elodwendwe lwabobabhemi ababotshelwe izihlalo bethwele izinkwa ezingamakhulu amabili, ikhulu lamakhekhe ezithelo ezonyisiweyo, ikhulu lamakhekhe omkhiwa kanye lomgodla wewayini.

And when David was a little past the top, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and a hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

2 Inkosi yabuza uZibha yathi, “Ukuletheleni lokhu na?” UZibha waphendula wathi, “Obabhemi ngabendlu yenkosi ukuba bagade, izinkwa lezithelo ngokwabantu ukuba badle, iwayini ngelokuqaqabula labo abaphela amandla enkangala.”

And the king said unto Ziba: 'What meanest thou by these?' And Ziba said: 'The asses are for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as are faint in the wilderness may drink.'

3 Inkosi yasibuza yathi, “Indodana yendodana yenkosi yakho ingaphi na?” UZibha wathi kuyo, “Ihlezi eJerusalema, ngoba icabanga ithi, ‘Lamhla indlu ka-Israyeli izangibuyisela umbuso kababamkhulu.’”

And the king said: 'And where is thy master's son?' And Ziba said unto the king: 'Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem; for he said: To-day will the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father.'

4 Inkosi yasisithi kuZibha, “Konke okwakungokuka Mefibhoshethi khathesi sekungokwakho.” UZibha wathi, “Ngikhothama ngokuzithoba. Sengathi ngingathola umusa emehlweni akho mhlekazi wami, nkosi.”

Then said the king to Ziba: 'Behold, thine is all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth.' And Ziba said: 'I prostrate myself; let me find favour in thy sight, my lord, O king.'

5 Kwathi Inkosi uDavida efika eBhahurimi, umuntu wosendo lunye labendlu kaSawuli, waphuma evela lapho. Ibizo lakhe lalinguShimeyi indodana kaGera, njalo waphuma esethuka.

And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and kept on cursing as he came.

6 Wajikijela uDavida lezikhulu zonke zenkosi ngamatshe, lanxa amabutho wonke labalindi abakhethiweyo babengakwesokudla lakwesokhohlo kukaDavida.

And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David; and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

7 Ekuthukeni kwakhe uShimeyi wathi, “Phuma, phuma, wena wegazi, wena sixhwali!

And thus said Shimei when he cursed: 'Begone, begone, thou man of blood, and base fellow;

8 UThixo usephindisele kuwe ngenxa yegazi lonke owalichithayo kwabendlu kaSawuli, wena osubusa esikhundleni sakhe. UThixo umbuso usewunike indodana yakho u-Abhisalomu. Wena usudilikile ngoba ungumuntu wegazi!”

the LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son; and, behold, thou art taken in thine own mischief, because thou art a man of blood.'

9 Lapho-ke u-Abhishayi indodana kaZeruya wathi enkosini, “Kungani inja efileyo le ithuka inkosi yami? Ngivumelani ngiyequma ikhanda layo.”

Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king: 'Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.'

10 Kodwa inkosi yathi, “Kuyini okulihlanganisa lami, lina madodana kaZeruya? Nxa ethuka ngenxa yokuthi uThixo uthe kuye, ‘Mthuke uDavida,’ ngubani ongabuza ukuthi, ‘Lokhu ukwenzelani na?’”

And the king said: 'What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him: Curse David; who then shall say: Wherefore hast thou done so?'

11 UDavida wasesithi ku-Abhishayi lakuzo zonke izikhulu zakhe, “Indodana yami, eyinyama yami, izama ukungibulala. Pho umBhenjamini lo-ke! Myekeleni enjalo; yekelani athuke, ngoba uThixo umtshele ukuba enze njalo.

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants: 'Behold, my son, who came forth of my body, seeketh my life; how much more this Benjamite now? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.

12 Engxenye uThixo uzalubona usizi lwami angibuyisele okuhle ngenxa yokuthukwa engikwenziwayo lamhla.”

It may be that the LORD will look on mine eye, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing of me this day.'

13 Ngakho uDavida labantu bonke waqhubeka elandela umgwaqo uShimeyi yena ehamba eyame intaba maqondana laye, ehamba elokhu ethuka njalo emjikijela ngamatshe emthela langengcekeza.

So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hill-side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

14 Inkosi labantu bayo bafika lapho ababesiya khona sebediniwe. Kulapho abaphumula khona.

And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there.

15 Ngalesosikhathi, u-Abhisalomu labantu bonke bako-Israyeli bafika eJerusalema, lo-Ahithofeli wayelaye.

And Absalom, and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

16 Lapho-ke uHushayi umʼArikhi, umngane kaDavida, waya ku-Abhisalomu wathi kuye, “Impilo ende nkosi! Impilo ende nkosi!”

And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom: 'Long live the king, long live the king.'

17 U-Abhisalomu wabuza uHushayi wathi, “Lolu yilo uthando olutshengisa umngane wakho na? Kungani ungahambanga lomngane wakho na?”

And Absalom said to Hushai: 'Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend?'

18 UHushayi wathi ku-Abhisalomu, “Hayi, lowo okhethwe nguThixo, langabantu laba, labantu bonke bako-Israyeli ngizakuba ngowakhe, njalo ngizahlala laye.

And Hushai said unto Absalom: 'Nay; but whom the LORD, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

19 Phezu kwalokho, ngubani engingamkhonza na? Akumelanga ngikhonze indodana na? Njengoba ngakhonza uyihlo, kanjalo ngizakukhonza.”

And again, whom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.'

20 U-Abhisalomu wasesithi ku-Ahithofeli, “Ake useluleke. Kuyini esingakwenza na?”

Then said Absalom to Ahithophel: 'Give your counsel what we shall do.'

21 U-Ahithofeli waphendula wathi, “Lala labafazi bakayihlo abaseceleni abatshiya belinde isigodlo. Lapho-ke u-Israyeli wonke uzakuzwa ukuthi wena usuzenze waba liphunga elibi emakhaleni kayihlo, njalo izandla zabantu bonke abalawe zizaqiniswa.”

And Ahithophel said unto Absalom: 'Go in unto thy father's concubines, that he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that thou art abhorred of thy father; then will the hands of all that are with thee be strong.'

22 Ngakho u-Abhisalomu bamisela ithente phezu kophahla lwendlu, walala labafazi bakayise beceleni u-Israyeli wonke ekhangele.

So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. —

23 Ngalezonsuku iseluleko sika-Ahithofeli, sasifana lesalowo obuze uNkulunkulu. Lokho kwaba yiyo indlela uDavida lo-Abhisalomu abakhangela ngayo zonke izeluleko zika-Ahithofeli.

Now the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man inquired of the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.