1 Imilando 19
1 Kwasekusithi emva kwalokho uNahashi inkosi yamaAmoni wafa, indodana yakhe yasisiba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
Some time later, Nahash king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son.
2 UDavida wasesithi: Ngizamenzela umusa uHanuni indodana kaNahashi, ngoba uyise wangenzela umusa. UDavida wasethuma izithunywa ukuyamduduza ngoyise. Izinceku zikaDavida zasezifika elizweni labantwana bakoAmoni kuHanuni ukumduduza.
And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,
3 Kodwa iziphathamandla zabantwana bakoAmoni zathi kuHanuni: Kambe uDavida uyamhlonipha uyihlo emehlweni akho, ngoba ethume abaduduzi kuwe? Izinceku zakhe kazizanga kuwe yini ukuphenya lokuchitha lokuhlola ilizwe?
the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?”
4 Ngakho uHanuni wathatha izinceku zikaDavida wazigela waquma izembatho zazo kungxenye kuze kube sezibunu zazo, waziyekela zahamba.
So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away.
5 Basebehamba bamtshela uDavida ngalawomadoda; wasethuma ukuwahlangabeza, ngoba amadoda ayelenhloni kakhulu; inkosi yasisithi: Hlalani eJeriko zize zihlume izindevu zenu, beselibuya.
When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”
6 Abantwana bakoAmoni sebebonile ukuthi sebelevumba kuDavida, uHanuni labantwana bakoAmoni bathumela amathalenta esiliva ayinkulungwane ukuziqhatshela izinqola labagadi bamabhiza eMesopotamiya leSiriya-Mahaka leZoba.
When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.
7 Basebeziqhatshela inqola ezizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu lambili lenkosi yeMahaka labantu bayo; basebesiza bamisa inkamba phambi kweMedeba; abantwana bakoAmoni basebebuthana bevela emizini yabo, beza empini.
So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites came from their cities and marched out for battle.
8 UDavida esezwile wathuma uJowabi lebutho lonke lamaqhawe.
On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men.
9 Abantwana bakoAmoni basebephuma bahlela impi esangweni lomuzi, lamakhosi ayezile ayewodwa egangeni.
The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open country.
10 UJowabi esebonile ukuthi impondo zebutho zimelene laye ngaphambili langemuva, wakhetha kuwo wonke umkhethwa koIsrayeli, wabahlela ukumelana lamaSiriya.
When Joab saw the battle lines before him and behind him, he selected some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans.
11 Labaseleyo babantu wabanikela esandleni sikaAbishayi umfowabo; basebezihlela ukumelana labantwana bakoAmoni.
And he placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.
12 Wasesithi: Uba amaSiriya engikhulela, uzakuba lusizo lwami; kodwa uba abantwana bakoAmoni bekukhulela, ngizakusiza.
“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.
13 Bana lesibindi, siziqinise ngenxa yabantu bakithi langenxa yemizi kaNkulunkulu wethu; leNkosi kayenze okuhle emehlweni ayo.
Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
14 UJowabi labantu ababelaye basebesondela phambi kwamaSiriya ukuya empini; asebaleka phambi kwakhe.
So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him.
15 Abantwana bakoAmoni sebebona ukuthi amaSiriya ayabaleka, babaleka labo phambi kukaAbishayi umfowabo, bangena emzini. UJowabi wasengena eJerusalema.
When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Joab’s brother Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.
16 AmaSiriya esebonile ukuthi atshayiwe phambi kukaIsrayeli athuma izithunywa akhupha amaSiriya ayengaphetsheya komfula. LoShofaki induna yebutho likaHadadezeri wayephambi kwawo.
When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17 Esetsheliwe uDavida, wabuthanisa uIsrayeli wonke, wachapha iJordani, wafika kibo, wahlela ibutho limelene lawo. UDavida esehlele impi ukumelana lamaSiriya, alwa laye.
When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced toward the Arameans, and arrayed for battle against them. When David lined up to engage them in battle, they fought against him.
18 Kodwa amaSiriya abaleka phambi kukaIsrayeli; uDavida wasebulala kumaSiriya abezinqola abazinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa, lamadoda ahamba ngenyawo azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amane, wabulala loShofaki induna yebutho.
But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of their army.
19 Izinceku zikaHadadezeri sezibonile ukuthi zitshayiwe phambi kukaIsrayeli, zenza ukuthula loDavida, zamsebenzela. Ngakho amaSiriya kawafunanga ukusiza abantwana bakoAmoni futhi.
When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.
