< UJeremiya 41 >
1 Ngenyanga yesikhombisa u-Ishumayeli indodana kaNethaniya, indodana ka-Elishama, owayeyinzalo yesikhosini, njalo owayengomunye wezikhulu zenkosi, waya kuGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikhami eMizipha
Ishmael was a member of the king’s family. He had been one of King Zedekiah’s important officials. In October of that year, he went to Mizpah with ten other men to [talk with] Gedaliah. While they were eating together,
2 lamadodana kaNethaniya lamadoda alitshumi ayelaye basukuma bamgwaza ngenkemba uGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikhami, indodana kaShafani, bambulala lowo owayebekwe yinkosi yaseBhabhiloni ukuba ngumbusi welizwe.
Ishmael and the other ten men jumped up, and with their swords they killed Gedaliah—the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed to be their governor!
3 U-Ishumayeli wabulala lamaJuda wonke ayeloGedaliya eMizipha kanye lamabutho amaKhaladiya ayelapho.
Ishmael [and the other men] also killed all the Jews and the soldiers from Babylonia who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah.
4 Ngosuku olwalandela ukubulawa kukaGedaliya, kungakabi lamuntu owayesesazi ngakho,
The next day, before anyone had found out that Gedaliah had been murdered,
5 kwafika amadoda angamatshumi ayisificaminwembili evela eShekhemu, leShilo leSamariya ayephuce indevu zawo izigqoko zawo zidabukile njalo ezisike imizimba, elethe iminikelo yamabele lempepha endlini kaThixo.
eighty men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria [cities] came to worship at the temple of Yahweh [in Mizpah]. They had shaved off their beards and torn their clothes and cut themselves [to show that they were mourning]. And they had brought grain offerings and incense [to burn on the altar].
6 U-Ishumayeli indodana kaNethaniya wasuka eMizipha ukuyawahlangabeza; wahamba ekhala. Ekuhlanganeni kwakhe labo wathi, “Wozani kuGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikhami.”
Ishmael went out of the city to meet them, crying as he went. When he reached them, he said, “Come [and see what has happened to] Gedaliah!”
7 Kwathi sebengene phakathi kwedolobho u-Ishumayeli indodana kaNethaniya kanye lamadoda ayelaye, bawabulala bawaphosela emgodini.
But as soon as they had all entered the town, Ishmael and his men killed [most of] them and threw their corpses into a well.
8 Kodwa alitshumi awo athi ku-Ishumayeli, “Ungasibulali! Silengqoloyi lebhali, lamafutha loluju, esikufihle egangeni.” Ngakho wawayekela kaze awabulala lamanye.
There were [only] ten of them whom they (spared/did not kill). They were not killed because they promised to Ishmael that [if he allowed them to remain alive, they would bring him] lots of wheat and barley and olive oil and honey that they had hidden.
9 Umgodi ayephosele kuwo zonke izidumbu zamadoda ayewabulele kanye loGedaliya ngowawenziwe yinkosi u-Asa kuyingxenye yokuzivikela kwakhe kuBhasha inkosi yako-Israyeli. U-Ishumayeli indodana kaNethaniya wawugcwalisa ngezidumbu.
The well where Ishmael’s men had thrown the corpses of the men whom they had murdered was the deep well that King Asa’s [men] had dug [in order that they would have water in the city] if the army of King Baasha of Israel would surround the city. Ishmael’s men filled that well with corpses.
10 U-Ishumayeli wabenza baba yizigqili bonke abantu ababeseMizipha kubalisa amadodakazi enkosi kanye labanye bonke ababetshiywe khona nguNebhuzaradani umlawuli wabalindi besikhosini, owayebeke uGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikhami ukuba ngumbusi wabo. U-Ishumayeli indodana kaNethaniya wabathumba, wasuka ukuba achaphele kuma-Amoni.
Then Ishmael [and his men] captured the king’s daughters and some of the other people who had been left in Mizpah by Nebuzaradan in order that Gedaliah would take care of them. Ishmael and his men took those people and started back toward the Ammon area.
11 Kwathi uJohanani indodana kaKhareya kanye lezikhulu zonke zebutho ezazilaye sebezwe konke okubi okwakwenziwe ngu-Ishumayeli indodana kaNethaniya,
But Johanan and all the other leaders of the Israeli soldiers who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia heard about what Ishmael [and his men] had done.
12 bathatha bonke abantu babo bayakulwa lo-Ishumayeli indodana kaNethaniya. Bamfica phansi kwechibi elikhulu eGibhiyoni.
So they [immediately] went with all their men to stop them. They caught up with them at the large pool near Gibeon [city].
13 Kwathi abantu bonke ababelo-Ishumayeli bebona uJohanani indodana kaKhareya lezikhulu zebutho ezazilaye, bathaba.
When all the people whom Ishmael and his men had captured saw Johanan and the soldiers who were with him, they [shouted] joyfully.
14 Bonke abantu u-Ishumayeli ayebathumbe eMizipha baphenduka baya kuJohanani indodana kaKhareya.
So all those who had been captured in Mizpah escaped, and they started to help Johanan.
15 Kodwa u-Ishumayeli indodana kaNethaniya labantu bakhe abayisificaminwembili baphunyuka kuJohanani babalekela kuma-Amoni.
But Ishmael and eight of his men escaped and fled to the Ammon area.
16 Emva kwalokho uJohanani indodana kaKhareya, lezikhulu zonke zebutho ezazilaye, wathatha bonke abasilayo ababevele eMizipha ayebahlenge ku-Ishumayeli indodana kaNethaniya emva kokubulala kwakhe uGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikhami. Kwakungamabutho, labesifazane, labantwana kanye lezikhulu zasemthethwandaba ayezithethe eGibhiyoni.
Then Johanan and the men who were with him [gathered together] all the people whom they had rescued at Gibeon. They included soldiers and women and children and some of the king’s palace officials. They were all people whom Ishmael [and his men] had captured after they had killed Gedaliah.
17 Baqhubeka bahamba, bayakuma eGeruthi Khimihami eduze leBhethilehema, besiya eGibhithe
They took them all to Geruth-Kimham [village] near Bethlehem. And they all prepared to go to Egypt.
18 ukuba babalekele amaKhaladiya. Babewesaba ngoba u-Ishumayeli indodana kaNethaniya wayebulele uGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikhami owayebekwe yinkosi yaseBhabhiloni ukuba abe ngumbusi welizwe.
They were worried about what the soldiers of Babylonia [would do to them when they found out] that Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, who had been appointed by the King of Babylonia to be their governor.