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 that [are] with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:
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 seekest [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 said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith.
6 UHushayi esezile kuye, u-Abhisalomu wathi, “U-Ahithofeli usesinike iseluleko lesi. Sikwenze yini lokhu akutshoyo? Nxa kungenjalo, sinike owakho umcabango.”
And when Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, Ahithophel hath 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 hath given, [is] not good at this time.
8 Uyamazi uyihlo labantu bakhe, bangamaqhawe, njalo bathukuthela okwebhele leganga lithathelwe imidlwane yalo. Langaphandle kwalokho, uyihlo liqhawe eliyaziyo impi, kabuchithi ubusuku elamabutho.
For, said Hushai, thou knowest 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] overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that 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 he also [that is] valiant, whose heart [is] as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father [is] a mighty man, and [they] 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.
Therefore I counsel that all Israel should be generally gathered to thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that [is] by the sea for multitude; and that thou shouldst go to battle in thy 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 shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that [are] with him there shall not be left so much as one.
13 Angabalekela edolobheni u-Israyeli wonke uzakuza lezintambo edolobheni, silihudulele phansi esigodini kuze kungabe kusatholakala lesihletshana salo.”
Moreover, if he shall have entered into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there is 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 the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD 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 said Hushai 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, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that [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 stayed by En-rogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a maid servant went and told them; and they went and told king David.
18 Kodwa ijaha elithile lababona laselitshela u-Abhisalomu. Ngakho bobabili basuka masinyane baya endlini yomuntu othile eBhahurimi. Wayelomthombo egumeni lakhe, bangena kuwo.
Nevertheless, a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; into which they descended.
19 Umkakhe wathatha okokwembesa wakwendlala phezu komlomo womthombo wasehaza amabele phezu kwakho. Kakho owayesazi ulutho ngakho.
And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn upon it; and the thing was not 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 when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where [is] 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 had departed, that they came out of the well, and went and told king David, and said to David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel 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 that [were] with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that had not gone over 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] ass, and arose, and went home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and 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 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 made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa [was] a man's son, whose name [was] Ithra, an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.
26 Abako-Israyeli lo-Abhisalomu bamisa elizweni laseGiliyadi.
So 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 had come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, 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 flour, and parched [corn], and beans, and lentils, and parched [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 cows, for David, and for the people that [were] with him, to eat: for they said, The people [are] hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.
