1 Amakhosi 20
1 UBenihadadi inkosi yeSiriya wasebutha ibutho lakhe lonke, elamakhosi angamatshumi amathathu lambili, lamabhiza lezinqola. Wenyuka wayavimbezela iSamariya, walwa layo.
Now Ben-hadad, king of Aram, got all his army together, and thirty-two kings with him, and horses and carriages of war; he went up and made war on Samaria, shutting it in.
2 Wathuma izithunywa kuAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli, emzini, wathi kuye: Utsho njalo uBenihadadi:
And he sent representatives into the town to Ahab, king of Israel;
3 Isiliva sakho legolide lakho ngokwami, labafazi bakho labantwana bakho abahle ngabami.
And they said to him, Ben-hadad says, Your silver and your gold are mine; and your wives and children are mine.
4 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasiphendula yathi: Njengokwelizwi lakho, nkosi yami, nkosi, ngingowakho, lakho konke engilakho.
And the king of Israel sent him an answer saying, As you say, my lord king, I am yours with all I have.
5 Izithunywa zasezibuyela zathi: Utsho njalo uBenihadadi uthi: Lanxa ngithumele kuwe ngisithi: Isiliva sakho legolide lakho labafazi bakho labantwana bakho, kunike mina;
Then the representatives came back again, and said, These are the words of Ben-hadad: I sent to you saying, Give up to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children;
6 kube kanti phose ngalesisikhathi kusasa ngizathuma kuwe izinceku zami, zizaguduza indlu yakho lezindlu zezinceku zakho; kuzakuthi-ke, yonke into ethandekayo emehlweni akho, zizayifaka esandleni sazo ziyithathe.
But I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, to make a search through your house and the houses of your people, and everything which is pleasing in your eyes they will take away in their hands.
7 Ngakho inkosi yakoIsrayeli yabiza bonke abadala belizwe yathi: Ake linanzelele libone ukuthi lo udinga ububi, ngoba uthumele kimi ngabafazi bami langabantwana bami langesiliva sami langegolide lami, njalo kangimalelanga.
Then the king of Israel sent for all the responsible men of the land, and said, Now will you take note and see the evil purpose of this man: he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, and I did not keep them back.
8 Bonke abadala labo bonke abantu basebesithi kuyo: Ungalaleli, njalo ungavumi.
And all the responsible men and the people said to him, Do not give attention to him or do what he says.
9 Wasesithi kuzo izithunywa zikaBenihadadi: Tshelani inkosi yami, inkosi ukuthi: Konke eyakuthumela encekwini yayo kuqala ngizakwenza; kodwa linto kangilamandla okuyenza. Izithunywa zasezihamba, zayibuyisela ilizwi.
So he said to the representatives of Ben-hadad, Say to my lord the king, All the orders you sent the first time I will do; but this thing I may not do. And the representatives went back with this answer.
10 UBenihadadi wasethumela kuye wathi: Kabenze njalo onkulunkulu kimi, bengezelele njalo, uba ubhuqu lweSamariya lungenela izandla ezigcweleyo zabo bonke abantu abangilandelayo.
Then Ben-hadad sent to him, saying, May the gods' punishment be on me if there is enough of the dust of Samaria for all the people at my feet to take some in their hands.
11 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasiphendula yathi: Mtsheleni: Lowo obhinca izikhali kangaziqakisi njengozikhululayo.
And the king of Israel said in answer, Say to him, The time for loud talk is not when a man is putting on his arms, but when he is taking them off.
12 Kwasekusithi esizwa lelilizwi esanatha, yena lamakhosi emadumbeni, wathi ezincekwini zakhe: Zimiseni! Zasezizimisa ukumelana lomuzi.
Now when this answer was given to Ben-hadad, he was drinking with the kings in the tents, and he said to his men, Take up your positions. So they put themselves in position for attacking the town.
13 Khangela-ke, umprofethi othile wasondela kuAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli, wathi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Uyalibona lelixuku lonke elikhulu yini? Khangela, ngizalinikela esandleni sakho lamuhla, njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina ngiyiNkosi.
Then a prophet came up to Ahab, king of Israel, and said, The Lord says, Have you seen all this great army? See, I will give it into your hands today, and you will see that I am the Lord.
14 UAhabi wasesithi: Ngobani? Wasesithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngamajaha abaphathi bezabelo. Wasesithi: Ngubani ozaqalisa impi? Wasesithi: Wena.
And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, The Lord says, By the servants of the chiefs who are over the divisions of the land. Then he said, By whom is the fighting to be started? And he made answer, By you.
15 Wasebala amajaha abaphathi bezabelo, ayengamakhulu amabili lamatshumi amathathu lambili; lemva kwawo wabala bonke abantu, bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli, izinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa.
Then he got together the servants of all the chiefs who were over the divisions of the land, two hundred and thirty-two of them; and after them, he got together all the people, all the children of Israel, seven thousand.
16 Basebephuma emini, uBenihadadi esenathe wadakwa emadumbeni, yena lamakhosi, amakhosi angamatshumi amathathu lambili ayemsiza.
And in the middle of the day they went out. But Ben-hadad was drinking in the tents with the thirty-two kings who were helping him.
17 Amajaha abaphathi bezabelo asephuma kuqala. UBenihadadi wasethuma, basebemtshela besithi: Kuphume amadoda eSamariya.
And the servants of the chiefs who were over the divisions of the land went forward first; and when Ben-hadad sent out, they gave him the news, saying, Men have come out from Samaria.
18 Wasesithi: Loba ephumele ukuthula, abambeni ephila; loba-ke ephumele impi, abambeni ephila.
And he said, If they have come out for peace, take them living, and if they have come out for war, take them living.
19 Lala aphuma emzini, amajaha abaphathi bezabelo, lebutho elawalandelayo.
So the servants of the chiefs of the divisions of the land went out of the town, with the army coming after them.
20 Babulala, ngulowo lalowo umuntu wakhe. AmaSamariya asebaleka, uIsrayeli wasexotshana lawo, kodwa uBenihadadi inkosi yeSiriya waphunyuka ngebhiza kanye labagadi bamabhiza.
And every one of them put his man to death, and the Aramaeans went in flight with Israel after them; and Ben-hadad, king of Aram, got away safely on a horse with his horsemen.
21 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasiphuma, yatshaya amabhiza lenqola, yatshaya phakathi kwamaSiriya ngokubulala okukhulu.
And the king of Israel went out and took the horses and the war-carriages, and made great destruction among the Aramaeans.
22 Lowomprofethi wasesondela enkosini yakoIsrayeli wathi kuyo: Hamba, uziqinise, unanzelele njalo ubone okwenzayo; ngoba ekuthwaseni komnyaka inkosi yeSiriya izakwenyuka imelane lawe.
Then the prophet came up to the king of Israel, and said to him, Now make yourself strong, and take care what you do, or a year from now the king of Aram will come up against you again.
23 Lezinceku zenkosi yeSiriya zathi kuyo: Onkulunkulu babo bangonkulunkulu bezintaba, yikho belamandla kulathi; kube kanti asilwe labo emagcekeni, sibili sizabehlula.
Then the king of Aram's servants said to him, Their god is a god of the hills; that is why they were stronger than we: but if we make an attack on them in the lowlands, we will certainly be stronger than they.
24 Ngakho yenza linto: Susa amakhosi, ngulowo lalowo endaweni yakhe, ubeke izinduna esikhundleni sawo;
This is what you have to do: take away the kings from their positions, and put captains in their places;
25 njalo wena zibalele ibutho njengebutho eliwileyo kuwe, lebhiza njengebhiza, lenqola njengenqola; njalo sizakulwa labo emagcekeni, isibili sizabehlula. Yasilalela ilizwi labo, yenza njalo.
And get together another army like the one which came to destruction, horse for horse, and carriage for carriage; and let us make war on them in the lowlands, and certainly we will be stronger than they. And he gave ear to what they said, and did so.
26 Kwasekusithi ekuthwaseni komnyaka uBenihadadi wabala amaSiriya, wenyukela eAfeki ekulweni loIsrayeli.
So, a year later, Ben-hadad got the Aramaeans together and went up to Aphek to make war on Israel.
27 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli babalwa-ke, banikwa imiphako, basebephuma ukumelana lawo; abantwana bakoIsrayeli bamisa inkamba phambi kwawo njengemihlanjana yembuzi emibili, kodwa amaSiriya agcwala ilizwe.
And the children of Israel got themselves together, and food was made ready and they went against them; the tents of the children of Israel were like two little flocks of goats before them, but all the country was full of the Aramaeans.
28 Kwasekusondela umuntu kaNkulunkulu, wakhuluma enkosini yakoIsrayeli wathi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngenxa yokuthi amaSiriya athe: INkosi inguNkulunkulu wezintaba, kodwa kayisuye uNkulunkulu wezihotsha, ngakho ngizanikela esandleni sakho lelixuku lonke elikhulu, njalo lizakwazi ukuthi mina ngiyiNkosi.
And a man of God came up and said to the king of Israel, The Lord says, Because the Aramaeans have said, The Lord is a god of the hills and not of the valleys; I will give all this great army into your hands, and you will see that I am the Lord.
29 Basebemisa inkamba, enye iqondene lenye, insuku eziyisikhombisa. Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesikhombisa impi yadibana; abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebetshaya ngosuku lunye amaSiriya azinkulungwane ezilikhulu ahamba ngenyawo.
Now the two armies kept their positions facing one another for seven days. And on the seventh day the fight was started; and the children of Israel put to the sword a hundred thousand Aramaean footmen in one day.
30 Labaseleyo babalekela eAfeki emzini; lomduli wawela phezu kwamadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa ayesele. UBenihadadi laye wabaleka, wangena emzini ekamelweni elingaphakathi.
But the rest went in flight to Aphek, into the town, where a wall came down on the twenty-seven thousand who were still living. And Ben-hadad went in flight into the town, into an inner room.
31 Lezinceku zakhe zathi kuye: Khangela-ke, sizwile ukuthi amakhosi endlu yakoIsrayeli angamakhosi alesihawu; ake sifake amasaka enkalweni zethu, lamagoda emakhanda ethu, siphumele enkosini yakoIsrayeli; mhlawumbe izagcina umphefumulo wakho uphile.
Then his servants said to him, It is said that the kings of Israel are full of mercy: let us then put on haircloth, and cords on our heads, and go to the king of Israel; it may be that he will give you your life.
32 Basebethandela amasaka enkalweni zabo, lamagoda emakhanda abo, bafika enkosini yakoIsrayeli, bathi: Inceku yakho uBenihadadi ithi: Ake ungiyekele ngiphile. Yasisithi: Usaphila yini? Ungumfowethu.
So they put on haircloth, and cords on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, Your servant Ben-hadad says, Let me now keep my life. And he said, Is he still living? he is my brother.
33 Lamadoda aqaphela ngokukhuthala aphangisa ukukuhluthuna kuyo, athi: Umfowenu uBenihadadi. Yasisithi: Hambani liyemthatha. UBenihadadi wasephumela kuyo, yamkhweza enqoleni.
Now the men took it as a sign, and quickly took up his words; and they said, Ben-hadad is your brother. Then he said, Go and get him. So Ben-hadad came out to him and he made him get up into his carriage.
34 Wasesithi kuyo: Imizi ubaba ayithatha kuyihlo ngizayibuyisela; futhi ungazenzela izitalada eDamaseko njengokwenza kukababa eSamariya. Khona uAhabi wathi: Mina ngizakuyekela uhambe ngalesisivumelwano. Yasisenza laye isivumelwano yamyekela ehamba.
And Ben-hadad said to him, The towns my father took from your father I will give back; and you may make streets for yourself in Damascus as my father did in Samaria. And as for me, at the price of this agreement you will let me go. So he made an agreement with him and let him go.
35 Umuntu othile wamadodana abaprofethi wasesithi kumakhelwane wakhe ngelizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu: Ake ungitshaye. Kodwa lowomuntu wala ukumtshaya.
And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbour by the word of the Lord, Give me a wound. But the man would not.
36 Wasesithi kuye: Ngenxa yokuthi ungalilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi, khangela, ekusukeni kwakho kimi isilwane sizakutshaya. Wasesuka kuye, lesilwane samfica, sambulala.
Then he said to him, Because you have not given ear to the voice of the Lord, straight away when you have gone from me a lion will put you to death. And when he had gone, straight away a lion came rushing at him and put him to death.
37 Wasethola omunye umuntu wathi: Ake ungitshaye. Lalowomuntu wamtshaya lokumtshaya emlimaza.
Then he came across another man, and said, Give me a wound. And the man gave him a blow wounding him.
38 Ngakho umprofethi wasuka, wamelela inkosi endleleni, ezifihle isimo ngelembu emehlweni.
So the prophet went away, and pulling his head-band over his eyes to keep his face covered, took his place by the road waiting for the king.
39 Kwasekusithi inkosi idlula, yena wamemeza enkosini wathi: Inceku yakho yaphuma phakathi kwempi; khangela-ke, umuntu waphambuka, waletha umuntu kimi, wathi: Londoloza lumuntu; uba elahleka lokulahleka, khona impilo yakho izakuba sesikhundleni sempilo yakhe, kumbe uhlawule ngethalenta lesiliva.
And when the king went by, crying out to him he said, Your servant went out into the fight; and a man came out to me with another man and said, Keep this man: if by any chance he gets away, your life will be the price of his life, or you will have to give a talent of silver in payment.
40 Kwasekusithi inceku yakho isaphathekile lapha lalaphaya, yena wayengekho. Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuye: Sinjalo isahlulelo sakho, ususiqumile wena.
But while your servant was turning this way and that, he was gone. Then the king of Israel said to him, You are responsible; you have given the decision against yourself.
41 Wasephangisa walisusa ilembu emehlweni akhe. Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasimazi ukuthi ungowabaprofethi.
Then he quickly took the head-band from his eyes; and the king of Israel saw that he was one of the prophets.
42 Wasesithi kuyo: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngoba umyekele ukuthi aphume esandleni umuntu engimmisele ukumtshabalalisa, ngakho impilo yakho izakuba sesikhundleni sempilo yakhe, labantu bakho esikhundleni sabantu bakhe.
And he said to him, These are the words of the Lord: Because you have let go from your hands the man whom I had put to the curse, your life will be taken for his life, and your people for his people.
43 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisiya endlini yayo inyukumele, ithukuthele, yafika eSamariya.
Then the king of Israel went back to his house, bitter and angry, and came to Samaria.
