1 Amakhosi 2

1 Insuku zikaDavida zokuthi afe zasezisondela, waselaya uSolomoni indodana yakhe esithi:

When David [knew that he] was about to die, he gave these final instructions to his son Solomon:

2 Sengihamba indlela yomhlaba wonke. Ngakho qina, ube yindoda,

“I am about to die [EUP], like everyone else on earth does. Be courageous and conduct yourself as an adult should.

3 ugcine imfanelo yeNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, ukuhamba ngezindlela zayo, ukugcina izimiso zayo, imithetho yayo, lezahlulelo zayo, lobufakazi bayo, njengokubhaliweyo emlayweni kaMozisi, ukuze uphumelele kukho konke okwenzayo, laloba ngaphi lapho ophendukela khona,

Do what Yahweh our God tells you to do. Conduct yourself as he wants you to do. Obey all of his laws and commands and precepts and instructions that are written in the laws that Moses [gave us]. Do this in order that you will prosper in all that you do and wherever you go.

4 ukuze iNkosi iqinise ilizwi layo eyalikhuluma mayelana lami isithi: Uba amadodana akho eqaphelisa indlela yawo, ukuhamba ngobuqotho phambi kwami ngenhliziyo yonke yawo langomphefumulo wonke wawo, (isithi) kakuyikusweleka kuwe indoda esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaIsrayeli.

If you continually do that, Yahweh will do what he promised me: He said, ‘If your descendants do what I tell them to do, and faithfully obey my commands with all their inner beings, they will always be [LIT] the ones who will rule [MTY] Israel.’

5 Futhi-ke wena uyakwazi ukuthi uJowabi indodana kaZeruya wenzani kimi, ukuthi wenzani kuzinduna ezimbili zamabutho akoIsrayeli, kuAbhineri indodana kaNeri, lakuAmasa indodana kaJetheri, owababulala wachitha igazi lempi ekuthuleni, wafaka igazi lempi ebhantini lakhe elalisekhalweni lwakhe lemanyathelweni asenyaweni zakhe.

“There is something else [that I want you to do]. You know what Joab did to me. He killed my two army commanders, Abner and Amasa. He murdered them violently [MTY] during a time of peace, pretending that it was a time of war. Those two men (were innocent/had not done what was wrong). But Joab [killed them and] their blood to stain his belt and his sandals.

6 Ngakho yenza njengenhlakanipho yakho, ungayekeli ikhanda lakhe elilezimvu lehlele engcwabeni ngokuthula. (Sheol h7585)

Because you are wise, do to him what you think is best [for you to do], but do not allow him to become old [MTY] and then die [IDM] peacefully. (Sheol h7585)

7 Kodwa kumadodana kaBarizilayi umGileyadi wenze umusa, njalo kawabe phakathi kwabadla etafuleni lakho, ngoba ngokunjalo asondela kimi ekubalekeleni kwami ubuso bukaAbisalomu umfowenu.

“But be kind to the sons of Barzillai, the man from [the] Gilead [region], and be sure that they always have enough food to eat [MTY]. Do that because Barzillai helped me when I was running away from your older brother Absalom.

8 Futhi khangela, kukhona kuwe uShimeyi indodana kaGera umBhenjamini weBahurimi, owangithuka ngesethuko esibuhlungu mhla ngisiya eMahanayimi; kodwa wehla ukungihlangabeza eJordani, ngasengifunga kuye ngeNkosi ngathi: Kangiyikukubulala ngenkemba.

Also, [you remember] Gera’s son Shimei from Bahurim [town] in the area where the descendants of Benjamin live. [You know what he did to me]. He cursed me terribly on the day I [left Jerusalem and] went to Mahanaim [town]. But when he later came down to see me at the Jordan [River], I solemnly promised, while Yahweh listened [MTY], that I would not cause him to be executed.

9 Ngakho-ke ungamyekeli abe ngongelacala, ngoba ungumuntu ohlakaniphileyo, ngoba uyakwazi ozakwenza kuye, njalo uzakwehlisela ikhanda lakhe eliyimpunga lilegazi engcwabeni. (Sheol h7585)

But now you must [LIT] surely punish him. You are a wise man, so you will know what you should do to him. He is an old man [MTY], but be sure that he [loses/sheds] a lot of blood when you kill him [MTY].” (Sheol h7585)

10 UDavida waselala laboyise, wangcwatshelwa emzini kaDavida.

Then David died [EUP] and was buried in [that part of Jerusalem which was called] ‘The City of David’.

11 Njalo insuku uDavida abusa ngazo phezu kukaIsrayeli zaziyiminyaka engamatshumi amane; eHebroni wabusa iminyaka eyisikhombisa, leJerusalema wabusa iminyaka engamatshumi amathathu lantathu.

David had been the king of Israel for 40 years: He ruled for seven years in Hebron and for 33 years in Jerusalem.

12 USolomoni wasehlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida uyise, lombuso wakhe waqiniswa kakhulu.

Solomon became the ruler/king [MTY] to take the place of his father David and took control of all of the kingdom.

13 UAdonija indodana kaHagithi wasesiza kuBathisheba unina kaSolomoni; wasesithi: Ukuza kwakho kuyikuthula yini? Wasesithi: Ukuthula.

[One day] Adonijah came to Solomon’s mother Bathsheba. She said to him, “Have you come because you want things to go well?” He replied, “Yes.”

14 Wathi: Ngilelizwi kuwe. Wasesithi: Khuluma.

But then he said, “I have something to ask you to do.” She said, “Tell me [what you want me to do].”

15 Wasesithi: Wena uyakwazi ukuthi umbuso wawungowami, lokuthi uIsrayeli wonke babebeke ubuso babo kimi ukuthi ngizabusa; kodwa umbuso waphendulwa, waba ngowomfowethu, ngoba waba ngowakhe uvela eNkosini.

He said, “You know that all the Israeli people expected me to be their king [because I am David’s oldest surviving son]. But that did not happen. Instead, my [younger] brother became king, because that is what Yahweh wanted.

16 Khathesi-ke, ngicela isicelo esisodwa kuwe, ungafulathelisi ubuso bami. Wasesithi kuye: Khuluma.

Now I have one thing that I ask you to do. Please do not refuse to do it.” She replied, “Tell me [what you want me to do].”

17 Wasesithi: Ake ukhulume loSolomoni inkosi (ngoba kayikufulathelisa ubuso bakho) ukuthi anginike uAbishagi umShunami abe ngumkami.

He said, “Please ask King Solomon to give to me Abishag, the woman from Shunem [town], to be my wife. [I am sure that] he will not refuse.”

18 UBathisheba wasesithi: Kulungile; mina ngizakukhulumela enkosini.

Bathsheba replied, “Okay, I will speak to the king for you.”

19 Ngakho uBathisheba wasesiya enkosini uSolomoni ukukhulumela uAdonija kuyo. Inkosi yasisukuma ukumhlangabeza, yakhothama kuye, yahlala esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi, yathi kubekelwe unina wenkosi isihlalo sobukhosi; wasehlala ngakwesokunene sayo.

So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to tell him what Adonijah wanted. The king got up [from his throne] and went to greet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne again and asked someone to bring a chair for her. So she sat down at the king’s right side.

20 Wasesithi: Ngicela isicelo esisodwa esincinyane kuwe, ungafulathelisi ubuso bami. Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Cela, mama, ngoba kangiyikufulathelisa ubuso bakho.

Then she said, “I have one small thing which I want you to do; please do not say that you will not do it.” The king replied, “Mother, what do you want? I will not refuse you.”

21 Wasesithi: UAbishagi umShunami kanikwe uAdonija umfowenu abe ngumkakhe.

She said, “Allow Abishag to be given to your [older] brother Adonijah to be his wife.”

22 Inkosi uSolomoni yasiphendula yathi kunina: Usumcelelelani uAdonija uAbishagi umShunami? Umcelele lombuso, ngoba ungumfowethu omdala kulami, yebo yena loAbhiyatha umpristi loJowabi indodana kaZeruya.

The king replied [angrily], “What? Are you requesting me to give Abishag to Adonijah? [Does he want me] to allow him to rule the kingdom, too? Because he is my older brother, [does he think that he should be the king]? Does he think that Abiathar should be the priest [instead of Zadok], and that Joab [should be the army commander instead of Benaiah] because they supported him [when he tried to become the king]?”

23 Inkosi uSolomoni yasifunga ngeNkosi isithi: Kenze njalo uNkulunkulu kimi lokunjalo engezelele, uba uAdonija engakhulumanga lelilizwi emelene lempilo yakhe.

Then Solomon solemnly promised, requesting Yahweh to listen, “I wish God would strike me and kill me if I do not cause Adonijah to be executed for requesting this!

24 Ngakho-ke, kuphila kukaJehova ongimisileyo wangibeka esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida ubaba, wangenzela indlu njengokukhuluma kwakhe, isibili lamuhla uAdonija uzabulawa.

Yahweh has appointed me to be the king and placed me here to rule [MTY] as my father David did. He has promised that my descendants [MTY] will be the kings of Israel. So just as surely as Yahweh lives, I solemnly promise that Adonijah will be executed today!”

25 Inkosi uSolomoni yasithuma ngesandla sikaBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, owamsukelayo, wasesifa.

So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah to [go and] kill Adonijah, and Benaiah did that.

26 LakuAbhiyatha umpristi inkosi yathi: Yana eAnathothi emasimini akho, ngoba ungumuntu wokufa; kodwa lamuhla kangiyikukubulala ngoba wawuthwala umtshokotsho weNkosi uJehova phambi kukaDavida ubaba, langoba wahlupheka kukho konke ubaba ahlupheka ngakho.

Then Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “Go to Anathoth [town], to your land there. You deserve to be killed, but I will not execute you now, because you were the one who [supervised the men who] carried Yahweh’s Sacred Chest for David my father, and you endured all the troubles that my father endured.”

27 Ngakho uSolomoni wamxotsha uAbhiyatha ekubeni ngumpristi weNkosi, ukugcwalisa ilizwi leNkosi eyalikhuluma mayelana lendlu kaEli eShilo.

So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being the priest of Yahweh. By doing that he caused to happen what Yahweh had said [many years previously] at Shiloh, [that some day he would get rid] of the descendants [MTY] of Eli.

28 Kwathi umbiko ufika kuJowabi, ngoba uJowabi wayephenduke walandela uAdonija lanxa wayengaphendukanga walandela uAbisalomu, uJowabi wabalekela ethenteni leNkosi, wabamba impondo zelathi.

Joab had not supported Absalom [when he tried to become the king], but he had supported Adonijah. So when Joab heard what had happened, he ran to the Sacred Tent, and he grasped the projections on the corners of the altar, [because he knew that no one would kill him there].

29 Kwasekubikelwa inkosi uSolomoni ukuthi uJowabi usebalekele ethenteni leNkosi, khangela-ke, useceleni kwelathi. USolomoni wasethuma uBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada esithi: Hamba umsukele.

When someone told Solomon that Joab had run to the Sacred Tent and was standing alongside the altar, Solomon told Benaiah, “Go and execute Joab.”

30 Ngakho uBhenaya waya ethenteni leNkosi, wathi kuye: Itsho njalo inkosi: Phuma! Kodwa wathi: Hatshi, kodwa ngizafela lapha. UBhenaya wasebuyisela ilizwi enkosini, esithi: Utsho njalo uJowabi, ungiphendule njalo.

So Benaiah went to the Sacred Tent and said to Joab, “The king commands you to come out!” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah went back to the king and reported [what he had said to Joab, and] what Joab had replied.

31 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Yenza njengokutsho kwakhe, umsukele, umngcwabe; ukuze ususe kimi lendlini kababa igazi elingelacala uJowabi alichithayo.

The king replied to him, “Do what he has requested. Kill him and bury his body. If you do that, my descendants [MTY] and I will no longer be punished for what Joab did when he killed [MTY] two men who (were innocent/had not done anything that is wrong).

32 Njalo iNkosi izabuyisela igazi lakhe ekhanda lakhe, owasukela amadoda amabili ayelungile engcono kulaye, wawabulala ngenkemba, ubaba uDavida engazi: UAbhineri indodana kaNeri induna yebutho lakoIsrayeli, loAmasa indodana kaJetheri induna yebutho lakoJuda.

But Yahweh will punish [MTY] Joab for attacking and killing Abner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa, the commander of the army of Judah, two men who were more righteous and better [DOU] men than he is. My father David did not even know that Joab [was planning to murder them].

33 Ngakho igazi labo lizabuyela ekhanda likaJowabi lekhanda lenzalo yakhe kuze kube nininini; kodwa kuDavida lenzalweni yakhe, lendlini yakhe, lembusweni wakhe, kuzakuba lokuthula kuze kube nininini okuvela eNkosini.

Joab and his descendants will be punished [IDM] forever for his murdering Abner and Amasa. But things will forever go well for David’s descendants [MTY] who rule [MTY] as King David did.”

34 UBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada wasesenyuka, wamsukela wambulala; wasengcwatshelwa endlini yakhe enkangala.

So Benaiah went [into the Sacred Tent] and killed Joab. Joab was buried on his property in the desert [part of Judah].

35 Inkosi yasibeka uBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada esikhundleni sakhe phezu kwebutho, loZadoki umpristi inkosi yambeka esikhundleni sikaAbhiyatha.

Then the king appointed Benaiah to be the commander of the army instead of Joab, and he appointed Zadok to be the priest instead of Abiathar.

36 Inkosi yasithuma yabiza uShimeyi, yathi kuye: Zakhele indlu eJerusalema, uhlale khona, ungaphumi lapho uye ngaphi langaphi.

Then the king sent [a messenger] to summon Shimei, and the king said to him, “Build a house for yourself here in Jerusalem. Remain there and do not leave the city to go anywhere.

37 Ngoba kuzakuthi mhla uphumayo, uchaphe isifula iKidroni, yazi lokwazi ukuthi uzakufa lokufa; igazi lakho lizakuba phezu kwekhanda lakho.

Be sure that the day that you leave Jerusalem and go across the Kidron Brook, you will be executed, and it will be (your own fault/what you deserve).”

38 UShimeyi wasesithi enkosini: Lelolizwi lihle; njengokutsho kwenkosi yami, inkosi, inceku yakho izakwenza njalo. UShimeyi wasehlala eJerusalema insuku ezinengi.

Shimei replied, “Your Majesty, what you say is good. I will do what you have said.” So Shimei remained in Jerusalem for several years.

39 Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kweminyaka emithathu inceku ezimbili zikaShimeyi zabalekela kuAkishi indodana kaMahaka inkosi yeGathi. Basebebikela uShimeyi besithi: Khangela, inceku zakho ziseGathi.

But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away. They went to stay with Maacah’s son Achish, the king of Gath [city]. When someone told Shimei that they were in Gath,

40 Wasesukuma uShimeyi, wabophela isihlalo kubabhemi wakhe, waya eGathi kuAkishi ukudinga inceku zakhe; uShimeyi wahamba waletha inceku zakhe zivela eGathi.

he put a saddle on his donkey and [got on it and] went to Gath. He found his slaves staying with King Achish and brought them back home.

41 Kwasekubikelwa uSolomoni ukuthi uShimeyi wayesukile eJerusalema waya eGathi, njalo wabuyela.

But someone told King Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned.

42 Inkosi yasithuma yabiza uShimeyi yathi kuye: Kangikufungisanga yini ngeNkosi, ngafakaza kuwe ngathi: Mhla uphumayo ukuya ngaphi langaphi yazi lokwazi ukuthi uzakufa lokufa? Wasusithi kimi: Lihle ilizwi engilizwileyo.

So the king sent [a soldier] to summon Shimei and said to him, “I told you to solemnly promise, knowing that Yahweh [MTY] was listening, that you must not leave Jerusalem. I told you [RHQ], ‘Be sure that if you ever leave Jerusalem, you will be executed.’ And you replied [RHQ] to me, ‘What you have said is good; I will do what you have said.’

43 Pho, kungani ungasigcinanga isifungo seNkosi lomlayo engakulaya ngawo?

So why did you not do what you solemnly promised to Yahweh? Why did you disobey what I commanded you?”

44 Inkosi yasisithi kuShimeyi: Wena uyazi bonke ububi inhliziyo yakho ebaziyo owabenza kuDavida ubaba; ngakho iNkosi izabuyisela ububi bakho phezu kwekhanda lakho.

The king also said to Shimei, “You know all the evil things that you did to my father David. So Yahweh will now punish you for the evil things that you did.

45 Kodwa inkosi uSolomoni ibusisiwe, lesihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavida sizaqiniswa phambi kweNkosi kuze kube nininini.

But Yahweh will bless me, and he will enable David’s descendants [MTY] to rule forever.”

46 Ngakho inkosi yalaya uBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, owaphuma wamsukela waze wafa. Ngakho umbuso waqiniswa esandleni sikaSolomoni.

Then the king gave an order to Benaiah, and he went and killed Shimei. So Solomon was completely in control of the kingdom.