2 USamuyeli 23

1 La ngamazwi okucina kaDavida: “Umbono kaDavida indodana kaJese, umbono womuntu owaphakanyiswa ngoPhezukonke, umuntu owagcotshwa nguNkulunkulu kaJakhobe, umhlabeleli wezingoma ka-Israyeli:

And these [are] the last words of David. Faithful [is] David the son of Jessae, and faithful the man whom the Lord raised up to be the anointed of the God of Jacob, and beautiful [are] the psalms of Israel.

2 Umoya kaThixo wakhuluma ngami, ilizwi lakhe lalisolimini lwami.

The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and his word [was] upon my tongue.

3 UNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli wakhuluma, iDwala lika-Israyeli lathi kimi: ‘Lapho umuntu ebusa abantu ngokulunga, lapho ebusa ngokwesaba uNkulunkulu,

The God of Israel says, A watchman out of Israel spoke to me a parable: I said amongst men, How will you strengthen the fear of the anointed?

4 unjengokukhanya kwekuseni ekuphumeni kwelanga ekuseni okungelamayezi, njengokukhanya emva kokuna kwezulu okumilisa utshani emhlabathini.’

And in the morning light of God, let the sun arise in the morning, from the light of which the Lord passed on, and as it were from the rain of the tender grass upon the earth.

5 Indlu yami kayifanelanga kuNkulunkulu na? Kanje kenzanga lami isivumelwano esingapheliyo esalungiswayo saqiniswa izigaba zonke na? Kambe kazukuphumelelisa ukusindiswa kwami angiphe konke engikufisayo na?

For my house [is] not so with the Mighty One: for he has made an everlasting covenant with me, ready, guarded at every time; for all my salvation and all my desire [is], that the wicked should not flourish.

6 Kodwa abantu ababi bonke bazaphoselwa eceleni njengameva, angabuthwayo ngesandla.

All these [are] as a thorn thrust forth, for they shall not be taken with the hand,

7 Loba ngubani othinta ameva usebenzisa insimbi loba uluthi lomkhonto; ayatshiswa ngomlilo khonapho akhona.”

and a man shall not labour amongst them; and [one shall have] that which is fully armed with iron, and the staff of a spear, an he shall burn them with fire, and they shall be burnt in their shame.

8 La ngamabizo amaqhawe kaDavida: UJoshebi-Bhasishebethi umThakemoni wayeyinduna yabaThathu, waphakamisela abantu abangamakhulu ayisificaminwembili umkhonto wakhe, ababulalayo ekuhlaseleni kunye.

These [are] the names of the mighty men of David: Jebosthe the Chananite is a captain of the third [part]: Adinon the Asonite, he drew his sword against eight hundred soldiers at once.

9 Yena elandelwa ngu-Eliyazari indodana kaDodo umʼAhohi. Njengomunye wamaqhawe amathathu, wayeloDavida lapho bechothoza amaFilistiya ayebuthanele impi ePhasi Damimi. Lapho-ke abantu bako-Israyeli bahlehlela emuva,

And after him Eleanan the son of his uncle, son of Dudi who was amongst the three mighty men with David; and when he defied the Philistines they were gathered there to war, and the men of Israel went up.

10 kodwa yena wajama wawacakazela phansi amaFilistiya isandla sakhe saze sadinwa sanamathela enkembeni. Ngalelolanga uThixo waletha ukunqoba okukhulu. Amabutho abuyela ku-Eleyazari ukuyahlubula abafileyo kuphela nje.

He arose an struck the Philistines, until his hand was weary, and his hand clave to the sword: and the Lord wrought a great salvation in that day, and the people rested behind him only to strip [the slain].

11 Phansi kwakhe kwakuloShama indodana ka-Ageye umHarari. Kwathi amaFilistiya eseqoqene endaweni eyayilezindumba ezinengi, amabutho ako-Israyeli awabalekela.

And after him Samaia the son of Asa the Arachite: and the Philistines were gathered to Theria; and there was there a portion of ground full of lentiles; and the people fled before the Philistines.

12 Kodwa uShama wajama phakathi kwensimu. Wayivikela wawacakazela phansi amaFilistiya, uThixo waletha ukunqoba okukhulu.

And he stood firm in the midst of the portion, and rescued it, and struck the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great deliverance.

13 Ngesikhathi sokuvuna, abathathu ezinduneni ezingamatshumi amathathu baya kuDavida ebhalwini lwase-Adulami, lapho ibutho lamaFilistiya lalimise eSigodini saseRefayi.

And three out of the thirty went down, and came to Cason to David, to the cave of Odollam; and [there was] an army of the Philistines, and they encamped in the valley of Raphain.

14 Ngalesosikhathi uDavida wayesenqabeni, iviyo lamabutho amaFilistiya laliseBhethilehema.

And David [was] then in the strong hold, and the garrison of the Philistines [was] then in Bethleem.

15 UDavida womela amanzi wasesithi, “Oh, sengathi kungaba lomuntu ongangikhela amanzi okunatha emthonjeni oseduze lesango laseBhethilehema!”

And David longed, and said, Who will give me water to drink out of the well that is in Bethleem by the gate? now the band of the Philistines [was] then in Bethleem.

16 Ngakho amaqhawe amathathu adabula phakathi kwamaviyo amaFilistiya, akha amanzi emthonjeni eduze lesango laseBhethilehema ahamba lawo kuDavida. Kodwa wala ukuwanatha, esikhundleni salokho wawathela phambi kukaThixo.

And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well that was in Bethleem in the gate: and they took it, and brought it to David, and he would not drink it, but poured it out before the Lord.

17 Wathi, “Akungenzeki, Oh Thixo, ukuba ngenze lokhu. Akusigazi labantu abahambe befake ukuphila kwabo engozini na?” UDavida kawanathanga. Lezi zaziyizenzo zobuqhawe zalawomabutho womathathu.

And he said, O Lord, forbid that I should do this, that I should drink of the blood of the men who went at [the risk of] their lives: and he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

18 U-Abhishayi umfowabo kaJowabi indodana kaZeruya wayeyinduna yabaThathu labo. Waphakamisela umkhonto wakhe phezu kwabangamakhulu amathathu, ababulalayo, ngakho waba lodumo njengabaThathu.

And Abessa the brother of Joab the son of Saruia, he [was] chief amongst the three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred whom he killed; and he had a name amongst three.

19 Kahlonitshwanga kakhulu kulabaThathu na? Waba ngumlawuli wabo, loba engazange abe phakathi kwabo.

Of those three [he was] most honourable, and he became a chief over them, but he reached not to the [first] three.

20 UBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada wayeliqhawe elilesibindi laseKhabhizeli, elenza izenzo zobuqhawe obukhulu. Wabulala amaqhawe amaMowabi amabili ayezintshantshu ekulweni. Wake wangena emgodini wabulala isilwane mhla kulongqwaqwane.

And Banaeas the son of Jodae, he was abundant in [mighty] deeds, from Cabeseel, and he struck the two sons of Ariel of Moab: and he went down and struck a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.

21 Njalo wabulala umGibhithe owayemkhulu kakhulu. Lanxa umGibhithe lowo wayephethe umkhonto, uBhenaya wamhlasela ngenduku. Wawuhluthuna umkhonto esandleni somGibhithe wambulala ngomkhonto wakhe.

He struck an Egyptian, a wonderful man, and in the hand of the Egyptian [was] a spear as the side of a ladder; and he went down to him with a staff, and snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.

22 Lezi zaziyizenzo zobuqhawe zikaBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada; laye futhi wayedume njengamaqhawe amathathu.

These things did Banaeas the son of Jodae, and he had a name amongst the three mighty men.

23 Wayehlonitshwa kakhulu ukwedlula bonke abangamaTshumi Amathathu, kodwa wayengabalwa kanye labaThathu. UDavida wambeka ukuba abe ngumphathi wabalindi bakhe.

He was honourable amongst the [second] three, but he reached not to the [first] three: and David made him his reporter. And these [are] the names of King David's mighty men.

24 Phakathi kwabangamatshumi amathathu labo kwakuyilaba: U-Asaheli umfowabo kaJowabi, u-Elihanani indodana kaDodo waseBhethilehema,

Asael Joab's brother; he [was] amongst the thirty. Eleanan son of Dudi his uncle in Bethleem.

25 uShama umHarodi, u-Elika umHarodi,

Saema the Rudaean.

26 uHelezi umPhalithi, u-Ira indodana ka-Ikheshi waseThekhowa,

Selles the Kelothite: Iras the son of Isca the Thecoite.

27 u-Abhiyezeri wase-Anathothi, uSibhekhayi umHushathi,

Abiezer the Anothite, of the sons of the Anothite.

28 uZalimoni umʼAhohi, uMaharayi umNethofa,

Ellon the Aoite; Noere the Netophatite.

29 uHeledi indodana kaBhana umNethofa, u-Ithayi indodana kaRibhayi owaseGibhiya koBhenjamini,

Esthai the son of Riba of Gabaeth, son of Benjamin the Ephrathite; Asmoth the Bardiamite; Emasu the Salabonite:

30 uBhenaya umPhirathoni, uHidayi wasezindongeni zaseGashi,

Adroi of the brooks.

31 u-Abhi-Alibhoni umʼAribhathi, u-Azimavethi umBharihumi,

Gadabiel son of the Arabothaeite.

32 u-Eliyaba umShalibhoni, amadodana kaJasheni, uJonathani

the sons of Asan, Jonathan;

33 indodana kaShama umHarari, u-Ahiyamu indodana kaSharari umHarari,

Samnan the Arodite; Amnan the son of Arai the Saraurite.

34 u-Elifelethi indodana ka-Ahasibhayi umʼMahakhathi, u-Eliyami indodana ka-Ahithofeli umGiloni,

Aliphaleth the son of Asbites, the son of the Machachachite; Eliab the son of Achitophel the Gelonite.

35 uHeziro umKhameli, uPharayi umʼAribhi,

Asarai the Carmelite the son of Uraeoerchi.

36 u-Igali indodana kaNathani waseZobha, indodana kaHagiri,

Gaal the son of Nathana. The son of much valour, [the son] of Galaaddi. Elie the Ammanite.

37 uZelekhi umʼAmoni, uNaharayi umBherothi, owayethwala izikhali zikaJowabi, indodana kaZeruya,

Gelore the Bethorite, armour-bearer to Joab, son of Saruia.

38 u-Ira umʼIthira, uGarebhi umʼIthiri

Iras the Ethirite. Gerab the Ethenite.

39 kanye lo-Uriya umHithi. Bebonke babengamatshumi amathathu lesikhombisa.

Urias the Chettite: thirty-seven in all.