2 USamuyeli 17
1 U-Ahithofeli wathi ku-Abhisalomu, “Kahle ngikhethe abantu abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili ngiphume lamhla ebusuku ngilandela uDavida.
Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night.
2 Ngingamhlasela esadiniwe engelamandla. Ngingamtshayisa ngovalo, bonke abantu abalaye bazabaleka. Ngingabulala inkosi kuphela
And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid. And all the people who are with him shall flee. And I will only smite the king,
3 abantu bonke ngibabuyisele kuwe. Ukufa komuntu omdingayo kuzakutsho ukuphenduka kwabo bonke; bonke abantu kabayikwenziwa lutho.”
and I will bring back all the people to thee. The man whom thou seek is as if all returned, so all the people shall be in peace.
4 Icebo leli lakhanya lilihle ku-Abhisalomu lakubo bonke abadala bako-Israyeli.
And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.
5 Kodwa u-Abhisalomu wathi, “Bizani loHushayi umʼArikhi, ukuze sizwe angakutsho.”
Then Absalom said, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he says.
6 UHushayi esezile kuye, u-Abhisalomu wathi, “U-Ahithofeli usesinike iseluleko lesi. Sikwenze yini lokhu akutshoyo? Nxa kungenjalo, sinike owakho umcabango.”
And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, Ahithophel has spoken after this manner. Shall we do after his saying? If not, speak thou.
7 UHushayi waphendula u-Abhisalomu wathi, “Iseluleko osiphiwe ngu-Ahithofeli kasilunganga ngalesi isikhathi.
And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.
8 Uyamazi uyihlo labantu bakhe, bangamaqhawe, njalo bathukuthela okwebhele leganga lithathelwe imidlwane yalo. Langaphandle kwalokho, uyihlo liqhawe eliyaziyo impi, kabuchithi ubusuku elamabutho.
Hushai said moreover, Thou know thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field. And thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
9 Lakhathesi nje, ucatshile ebhalwini loba enye indawo. Nxa yena engahlasela amabutho akho kuqala, loba ngubani ozakuzwa ngakho uzakuthi, ‘Kube lokuqothulwa phakathi kwamabutho alandela u-Abhisalomu.’
Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place. And it will come to pass, when some of them are fallen at the first, that whoever hears it will say, There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.
10 Lapho-ke lebutho elilesibindi kulawo wonke, elinhliziyo yalo ifana lenhliziyo yesilwane, lizahedezela ngokwesaba ngoba u-Israyeli wonke uyakwazi ukuthi uyihlo liqhawe kanye lokuthi labo abalaye balesibindi.
And even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt, for all Israel knows that thy father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.
11 Ngakho ngiyakucebisa: Akuthi abako-Israyeli bonke, kusukela koDani kusiya eBherishebha, ngobunengi obunjengetshebetshebe ekhunjini lolwandle, babuthane kuwe, kuthi wena ngokwakho ubakhokhele empini.
But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together to thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that thou go to battle in thine own person.
12 Lapho-ke sizamhlasela loba kungaphi lapho angaficwa khona, njalo sizakwehlela phezu kwakhe njengamazolo ewela emhlabathini. Loba yena kumbe loba bani wabantu bakhe kakho ozasala ephila.
So we shall come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and of all the men who are with him we will not leave so much as one.
13 Angabalekela edolobheni u-Israyeli wonke uzakuza lezintambo edolobheni, silihudulele phansi esigodini kuze kungabe kusatholakala lesihletshana salo.”
Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river until there be not one small stone found there.
14 U-Abhisalomu labantu bonke bako-Israyeli bathi, “Iseluleko sikaHushayi umʼArikhi singcono kulesika-Ahithofeli.” Ngoba uThixo wayeqonde ukufubisa iseluleko esilungileyo sika-Ahithofeli ukuze alethele u-Abhisalomu incithakalo.
And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For Jehovah had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Jehovah might bring evil upon Absalom.
15 UHushayi watshela uZadokhi lo-Abhiyathari, abaphristi, wathi, “U-Ahithofeli usecebise u-Abhisalomu labadala bako-Israyeli ukuba benze ukuthi lokuthi, kodwa mina sengibacebise ukuthi benze okunje lokunje.
Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and thus have I counseled.
16 Khathesi-ke thumelani lizwi ngokuphangisa litshele uDavida ukuthi, ‘Ngalobubusuku ungalali emazibukweni asenkangala; chaphela ngaphetsheya kungekho kuphutha, hlezi inkosi labantu bonke abalayo baminzwe.’”
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Do not lodge this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him.
17 UJonathani lo-Ahimazi babehlala e-Eni Rogeli. Intombazana eyinceku yayizahamba iyebatshela, labo bezahamba bayetshela inkosi uDavida, ngoba babengeke bazifake engozini yokubonakala bengena edolobheni.
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En-rogel. And a maid-servant used to go and tell them, and they went and told king David, for they might not be seen to come into the city.
18 Kodwa ijaha elithile lababona laselitshela u-Abhisalomu. Ngakho bobabili basuka masinyane baya endlini yomuntu othile eBhahurimi. Wayelomthombo egumeni lakhe, bangena kuwo.
But a lad saw them, and told Absalom. And they went away quickly, both of them, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim who had a well in his court, and they went down there.
19 Umkakhe wathatha okokwembesa wakwendlala phezu komlomo womthombo wasehaza amabele phezu kwakho. Kakho owayesazi ulutho ngakho.
And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground grain on it. And nothing was known.
20 Abantu baka-Abhisalomu sebefike kowesifazane lowo endlini, bambuza bathi, “U-Ahimazi loJonathani bangaphi?” Owesifazane wabaphendula wathi, “Bachaphele ngaphetsheya kwesifudlana.” Abantu labo badinga kodwa kabatholanga muntu, ngakho babuyela eJerusalema.
And Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, and they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
21 Abantu labo sebehambile, ababili labo baphuma emthonjeni basebesiyatshela inkosi uDavida. Bathi kuyo, “Suka uchaphe umfula masinyane; u-Ahithofeli usecebise ukuthi lokuthi okubi ngawe.”
And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David. And they said to David, Arise ye, and pass quickly over the water, for thus Ahithophel has counseled against you.
22 Ngakho uDavida labantu bonke ababelaye basuka bachapha iJodani. Kwathi kusisa, engasekho owayesele engakachaphi iJodani.
Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they passed over the Jordan. By the morning light there lacked not one of them who was not gone over the Jordan.
23 Kwathi u-Ahithofeli ebona ukuthi iseluleko sakhe sasingalandelwanga, wabophela isihlalo kubabhemi wakhe wasuka waya endlini yakhe emzini wakibo. Walungisa indlu yakhe, wasezibophela. Ngakho wafa wangcwatshwa ethuneni likayise.
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, and arose, and got home to his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself. And he died, and was buried in the sepulcher of his father.
24 UDavida waya eMahanayimi, kwathi u-Abhisalomu wachapha iJodani labantu bonke bako-Israyeli.
Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
25 U-Abhisalomu wayesebeke u-Amasa ukuba ngumlawuli webutho esikhundleni sikaJowabi. U-Amasa wayeyindodana yomuntu owayethiwa nguJetha, umʼIsrayeli owayethethe u-Abhigeli indodakazi kaNahashi udadewabo kaZeruya unakaJowabi.
And Absalom set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.
26 Abako-Israyeli lo-Abhisalomu bamisa elizweni laseGiliyadi.
And Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.
27 Kwathi uDavida esefikile eMahanayimi, uShobhi indodana kaNahashi waseRabha yama-Amoni, loMakhiri indodana ka-Amiyeli waseLo-Debhari, loBhazilayi umGiliyadi waseRogelimi
And it came to pass, when David came to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
28 bamlethela okokwendlala lemiganu lempahla ezenziwe ngebumba. Bamlethela lamabele kanye lebhali, ifulawa lamabele akhanzingiweyo, indumba lamalentili,
brought beds, and basins, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and roasted grain, and beans, and lentils, and roasted pulse,
29 uluju lamasi, izimvu, letshizi evela echagweni lwamankomokazi ukuba uDavida labantu bakhe badle. Ngoba bathi, “Abantu sebelambile njalo badiniwe futhi bomile enkangala.”
and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David, and for the people who were with him, to eat. For they said, The people are hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.
