2 USamuyeli 4

1 Kwathi u-Ishi-Bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli esezwile ukuthi u-Abhineri wayefile eHebhroni, wahedezela, lo-Israyeli wonke wathithibala.

AND when Saul’s son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

2 Indodana kaSawuli yayilabantu ababili ababezinduna zamaqembu okuhlasela. Omunye wayethiwa nguBhana omunye enguRekhabi; babengamadodana kaRimoni umBherothi owesizwana sakoBhenjamini, iBherothi ithathwa njengengxenye yakoBhenjamini,

And Saul’s son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin:

3 ngoba abantu baseBherothi babalekela eGithayimi njalo sebahlala khona njengezizwe kuze kube lamhla.

And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)

4 (UJonathani indodana kaSawuli wayelendodana eyayiqhula inyawo zombili. Yayileminyaka emihlanu ubudala bayo ekufikeni kombiko ngoSawuli loJonathani uvela eJezerili. Umlizane wayo wayiphakamisa wabaleka, kodwa wathi ephanga ukusuka yawela phansi yagogeka. Ibizo layo lalinguMefibhoshethi.)

And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

5 Ngalesosikhathi uRekhabi loBhana, amadodana kaRimoni umBherothi, basuka baya endlini ka-Ishi-Bhoshethi, bafika khona emini enkulu ilanga livutha yena ephumula okwemini.

And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.

6 Baya phakathi kakhulu kwendlu kungathi bayathatha amabele, basebemgwaza esiswini. Emva kwalokho uRekhabi loBhana bathi nyelele bahamba.

And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

7 Babengene endlini yena elele embhedeni ekamelweni lakhe lokulala. Emva kokuba sebemgwaze bambulala, baquma ikhanda lakhe. Balithatha, bahamba ubusuku bonke ngendlela yase-Arabha.

For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.

8 Ikhanda lika-Ishi-Bhoshethi balisa kuDavida eHebhroni bathi enkosini, “Nanti ikhanda lika-Ishi-Bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli, isitha sakho, esazama ukukubulala. Ngalolusuku uThixo umphindiselele umhlekazi wami inkosi kuSawuli lenzalo yakhe.”

And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.

9 UDavida waphendula uRekhabi lomfowabo uBhana, amadodana kaRimoni umBherothi wathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ukhona, yena ongihlenge kuzozonke inhlupheko,

And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the Lord liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

10 kwathi umuntu engitshela ukuthi, ‘USawuli usefile,’ ecabanga ukuthi wayeletha umbiko omuhle ngamxhakalaza ngambulala eZikhilagi. Lowo waba ngumvuzo engamupha wona ngenxa yalowombiko!

When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:

11 Pho kudlula ngokungakanani nxa abantu ababi bebulele umuntu omsulwa endlini engeyakhe njalo embhedeni ongowakhe, ngingalithonisi yini khathesi igazi lakhe ezandleni zenu ngilisuse emhlabeni na!”

How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?

12 Ngakho uDavida walaya abantu bakhe, bababulala. Baquma izandla zabo lezinyawo, balengisa izidumbu phansi kwechibi eHebhroni. Kodwa bathatha ikhanda lika-Ishi-Bhoshethi bayalingcwaba ethuneni lika-Abhineri eHebhroni.

And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.