1 Amakhosi 20
1 UBenihadadi inkosi yeSiriya wasebutha ibutho lakhe lonke, elamakhosi angamatshumi amathathu lambili, lamabhiza lezinqola. Wenyuka wayavimbezela iSamariya, walwa layo.
Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, gathered all his army, and he persuaded 32 other kings to join him with their armies and horses and chariots. They marched to Samaria [city, the capital of Israel], and surrounded it, and [prepared to] attack it.
2 Wathuma izithunywa kuAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli, emzini, wathi kuye: Utsho njalo uBenihadadi:
Ben-Hadad sent messengers into the city to King Ahab, to say this to him: “This is what King Ben-Hadad says:
3 Isiliva sakho legolide lakho ngokwami, labafazi bakho labantwana bakho abahle ngabami.
‘[You must give to] me all your silver and gold, your (good-looking/most beautiful) wives/women and strongest children.’”
4 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasiphendula yathi: Njengokwelizwi lakho, nkosi yami, nkosi, ngingowakho, lakho konke engilakho.
The king of Israel replied to them, “Tell this to King Ben-Hadad: ‘I agree to do what you requested. You can have me and everything that I own.’”
5 Izithunywa zasezibuyela zathi: Utsho njalo uBenihadadi uthi: Lanxa ngithumele kuwe ngisithi: Isiliva sakho legolide lakho labafazi bakho labantwana bakho, kunike mina;
[The messengers told that to] Ben-Hadad, and he [sent them back with] another message: “I sent a message to you saying that you must give me all your silver and gold and 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 [in addition to that], about this time tomorrow, I will send some of my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials, and to bring to me everything that pleases them.”
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.
King Ahab summoned all the leaders of Israel, and said to them, “You can see/realize for yourselves that this man is trying to cause much trouble. He sent me a message insisting that I must give him my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, and I agreed to do that.”
8 Bonke abadala labo bonke abantu basebesithi kuyo: Ungalaleli, njalo ungavumi.
The leaders and all the other people said to him, “Do not pay any attention to him! Do not do what he is requesting!”
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 Ahab said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell the king that I agree to give him the things that he first requested, but I do not agree to allow his officials to take anything that they want from my palace and from the houses of my officials.” So the messengers [reported that to King Ben-Hadad, and they] returned with another message from Ben-Hadad.
10 UBenihadadi wasethumela kuye wathi: Kabenze njalo onkulunkulu kimi, bengezelele njalo, uba ubhuqu lweSamariya lungenela izandla ezigcweleyo zabo bonke abantu abangilandelayo.
In that message he said, “[We will destroy] your city [completely, with the result that] there will not be enough dust and rubble left for each of my soldiers to have one handful! I hope/wish that the gods will strike me dead if we do not do that!”
11 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasiphendula yathi: Mtsheleni: Lowo obhinca izikhali kangaziqakisi njengozikhululayo.
King Ahab replied [to the messengers], “Tell King Ben-Hadad that a soldier who is putting on his armor [preparing to fight a battle] [MTY] should not boast at that time; he [should wait until] after he wins the battle.”
12 Kwasekusithi esizwa lelilizwi esanatha, yena lamakhosi emadumbeni, wathi ezincekwini zakhe: Zimiseni! Zasezizimisa ukumelana lomuzi.
Ben-Hadad heard that message while he and the other rulers were drinking [wine] in their temporary shelters. He told his men to prepare to attack [MTY] the city. So his men did that.
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.
At that moment, a prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘[Do not be at all afraid of] [RHQ] the large enemy army that you see! I will enable your army to defeat them today, and you will know that it is I, Yahweh, [who have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”
14 UAhabi wasesithi: Ngobani? Wasesithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngamajaha abaphathi bezabelo. Wasesithi: Ngubani ozaqalisa impi? Wasesithi: Wena.
Ahab asked, “What group [of our army] will defeat them?” The prophet replied, “The young soldiers who are commanded by the district governors will do it.” The king asked, “Who should lead the attack?” The prophet replied, “You should!”
15 Wasebala amajaha abaphathi bezabelo, ayengamakhulu amabili lamatshumi amathathu lambili; lemva kwawo wabala bonke abantu, bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli, izinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa.
So Ahab gathered the young soldiers who were commanded by the district governors. There were 232 of those men. Then he also summoned all the Israeli army. There were [only] 7,000 soldiers.
16 Basebephuma emini, uBenihadadi esenathe wadakwa emadumbeni, yena lamakhosi, amakhosi angamatshumi amathathu lambili ayemsiza.
They started to attack at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the other rulers were getting drunk in their temporary shelters.
17 Amajaha abaphathi bezabelo asephuma kuqala. UBenihadadi wasethuma, basebemtshela besithi: Kuphume amadoda eSamariya.
The young soldiers advanced first. Some scouts who had been sent out by Ben-Hadad reported to him, “There are men coming out of Samaria [city]”!
18 Wasesithi: Loba ephumele ukuthula, abambeni ephila; loba-ke ephumele impi, abambeni ephila.
He said, “It does not matter whether they are coming to fight against us or to ask for peace. Capture them, but do not kill them
19 Lala aphuma emzini, amajaha abaphathi bezabelo, lebutho elawalandelayo.
The young Israeli soldiers went out of the city to attack [the Syrian army], and the other soldiers in the Israeli army followed them.
20 Babulala, ngulowo lalowo umuntu wakhe. AmaSamariya asebaleka, uIsrayeli wasexotshana lawo, kodwa uBenihadadi inkosi yeSiriya waphunyuka ngebhiza kanye labagadi bamabhiza.
Each [Israeli soldier] killed a [Syrian] soldier. The rest of the Syrian army then ran away, and the Israeli soldiers pursued them. But King Ben-Hadad escaped riding his horse, along with some other men riding horses.
21 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasiphuma, yatshaya amabhiza lenqola, yatshaya phakathi kwamaSiriya ngokubulala okukhulu.
Then the king of Israel went out [of the city], and he and his soldiers captured [all] the [other Syrian] horses and chariots, and also killed a large number of Syrian soldiers.
22 Lowomprofethi wasesondela enkosini yakoIsrayeli wathi kuyo: Hamba, uziqinise, unanzelele njalo ubone okwenzayo; ngoba ekuthwaseni komnyaka inkosi yeSiriya izakwenyuka imelane lawe.
Then that same prophet went to King Ahab and said to him, “Go back and prepare your soldiers, and think carefully about what will be necessary for you to do, because the king of Syria with attack with his army again in the springtime of next year.”
23 Lezinceku zenkosi yeSiriya zathi kuyo: Onkulunkulu babo bangonkulunkulu bezintaba, yikho belamandla kulathi; kube kanti asilwe labo emagcekeni, sibili sizabehlula.
[After the Syrian army was defeated, ] Ben-Hadad’s officials said to him, “The gods that the Israelis [worship] are gods [who live] in the hills. [Samaria is built on a hill, and] that is why their soldiers were able to defeat us. But if we fight against them in the plains/lowlands, we certainly will be able to defeat them.
24 Ngakho yenza linto: Susa amakhosi, ngulowo lalowo endaweni yakhe, ubeke izinduna esikhundleni sawo;
So, this is what you should do: You must remove the 32 kings [who are leading your troops] and replace them with army commanders.
25 njalo wena zibalele ibutho njengebutho eliwileyo kuwe, lebhiza njengebhiza, lenqola njengenqola; njalo sizakulwa labo emagcekeni, isibili sizabehlula. Yasilalela ilizwi labo, yenza njalo.
Then gather an army like the army that was defeated. Gather an army that has as many horses and chariots as the first army had. Then we will fight the Israelis in the plains/lowlands, and we will surely defeat them.” Ben-Hadad agreed with them, and he did what they suggested.
26 Kwasekusithi ekuthwaseni komnyaka uBenihadadi wabala amaSiriya, wenyukela eAfeki ekulweni loIsrayeli.
In the spring of the following year, he gathered his soldiers and marched [with them] to Aphek [city east of Galilee Lake], to fight against the Israeli army.
27 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli babalwa-ke, banikwa imiphako, basebephuma ukumelana lawo; abantwana bakoIsrayeli bamisa inkamba phambi kwawo njengemihlanjana yembuzi emibili, kodwa amaSiriya agcwala ilizwe.
The Israeli army was also gathered together, and they were equipped with the things that they needed [for the battle]. Then they marched out and formed two groups facing the Syrian army. Their army was very small; they resembled two small flocks of goats, whereas the Syrian army [was very large and] spread all over the countryside.
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.
A prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘The Syrians say that I am a god who lives in the hills, and that I am not a god who lives in the valleys. So I will [show that they are wrong by] enabling your men to defeat this huge army [IDM] [in the valley], and you will know that I, Yahweh, [have done it].’”
29 Basebemisa inkamba, enye iqondene lenye, insuku eziyisikhombisa. Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesikhombisa impi yadibana; abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebetshaya ngosuku lunye amaSiriya azinkulungwane ezilikhulu ahamba ngenyawo.
The two armies stayed in their tents for seven days, in groups that faced each other. Then, on the seventh day, they started fighting. The Israeli army killed 100,000 Syrian soldiers.
30 Labaseleyo babalekela eAfeki emzini; lomduli wawela phezu kwamadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa ayesele. UBenihadadi laye wabaleka, wangena emzini ekamelweni elingaphakathi.
The other Syrian soldiers ran away into Aphek City. Then the wall of the city collapsed and killed 27,000 more Syrian soldiers. Ben-Hadad also escaped into the city, and hid in the back room of a house.
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.
His officials went to him and said, “We have heard a report that the Israelis act mercifully. So allow us to go to the king of Israel, wearing coarse sacks around our waists and ropes on our heads/necks [to indicate that we will be his slaves]. Perhaps [if we do that, ] he will allow you to remain alive.”
32 Basebethandela amasaka enkalweni zabo, lamagoda emakhanda abo, bafika enkosini yakoIsrayeli, bathi: Inceku yakho uBenihadadi ithi: Ake ungiyekele ngiphile. Yasisithi: Usaphila yini? Ungumfowethu.
[The king permitted them to do that, ] so they wrapped coarse sacks around their waists and put ropes on their heads/necks, and they went to the king of Israel and said to him, “Ben-Hadad, who greatly respects you, says, ‘Please do not kill me.’” Ahab replied, “Is he still alive? He is like a brother to me!”
33 Lamadoda aqaphela ngokukhuthala aphangisa ukukuhluthuna kuyo, athi: Umfowenu uBenihadadi. Yasisithi: Hambani liyemthatha. UBenihadadi wasephumela kuyo, yamkhweza enqoleni.
Ben-Hadad’s officials were trying to find out if Ahab would act mercifully, and when Ahab said “brother,” they (were optimistic/thought that Ahab would be merciful). So they replied, “Yes, he is like your brother!” Ahab said, “Go and bring him to me.” So they [went and] brought Ben-Hadad to him. [When Ben-Hadad arrived, ] Ahab told him to get in his chariot [and sit with him].
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.
Ben-Hadad said to him, “I will give back to you the towns that my father’s army took from your father. And I will allow you to set up market areas for your merchants in Damascus [my capital], just as my father did in Samaria [your capital].” Ahab replied, “Because you agree to do that, I will not execute you.” So Ahab made an agreement with Ben-Hadad, and allowed him to go home.
35 Umuntu othile wamadodana abaprofethi wasesithi kumakhelwane wakhe ngelizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu: Ake ungitshaye. Kodwa lowomuntu wala ukumtshaya.
Then Yahweh spoke to a member of a group of prophets and said to him, “Ask one of your fellow prophets to strike and wound you.” [So he did what Yahweh told him to do]. [He said to one of his fellow prophets, ‘Strike me and wound me].’ But that man refused to do it.
36 Wasesithi kuye: Ngenxa yokuthi ungalilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi, khangela, ekusukeni kwakho kimi isilwane sizakutshaya. Wasesuka kuye, lesilwane samfica, sambulala.
So the prophet said to him, “Because you refused to obey what Yahweh told you to do, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” And as soon as he left that prophet, a lion suddenly pounced on him and killed him.
37 Wasethola omunye umuntu wathi: Ake ungitshaye. Lalowomuntu wamtshaya lokumtshaya emlimaza.
Then the prophet found another prophet, and said to him, “Strike me!” So that man hit him [very hard] and injured him.
38 Ngakho umprofethi wasuka, wamelela inkosi endleleni, ezifihle isimo ngelembu emehlweni.
Then the prophet put a large bandage/cloth over his face so that no one would recognize him. Then he went and stood alongside the road, waiting for the king to come by.
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.
When the king passed by, the prophet cried out to him, saying “Your majesty, [after I was wounded] while I was fighting in a battle, a soldier brought to me one of our enemies that he had captured, and said to me, ‘Guard this man! If he escapes, you must pay me 3,000 pieces of silver, and if you do not pay that, you will be executed!’
40 Kwasekusithi inceku yakho isaphathekile lapha lalaphaya, yena wayengekho. Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuye: Sinjalo isahlulelo sakho, ususiqumile wena.
But while I was busy doing other things, the man escaped!” The king of Israel said to him, “That is your problem! You yourself have said that you deserve to be punished.”
41 Wasephangisa walisusa ilembu emehlweni akhe. Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasimazi ukuthi ungowabaprofethi.
The prophet immediately took off the bandage, and the king of Israel recognized 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 the prophet said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You have allowed that man [Ben-Hadad] to escape after I commanded you to be sure to execute him! Since you did not do that, you will be killed instead. And your army will be destroyed because you allowed [some of] his army to escape!’”
43 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisiya endlini yayo inyukumele, ithukuthele, yafika eSamariya.
The king went back home to Samaria, very angry and depressed/dejected.
