1 Amakhosi 21
1 Kwasekusithi emva kwalezizinto uNabothi umJizereyeli wayelesivini esasiseJizereyeli phansi kwesigodlo sikaAhabi inkosi yeSamariya.
Some time later, Naboth the Jezreelite happened to own a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2 UAhabi wasekhuluma loNabothi esithi: Ngipha isivini sakho ukuze sibe kimi yisivande semibhida, ngoba siseduze phansi kwendlu yami; ngizakunika isivini esingcono kulaso esikhundleni saso; uba kukuhle emehlweni akho, ngizakunika imali ngentengo yaso.
So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place—or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.”
3 Kodwa uNabothi wathi kuAhabi: Kakube khatshana lami ngeNkosi ukuthi ngikunike ilifa labobaba.
But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
4 UAhabi wasengena endlini yakhe enyukumele ethukuthele ngenxa yelizwi uNabothi umJizereyeli ayelikhulume kuye, ngoba wayethe: Kangiyikukunika ilifa labobaba. Wasecambalala embhedeni wakhe, waphendula ubuso bakhe, kadlanga ukudla.
So Ahab went to his palace, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat.
5 UJezebeli umkakhe wasesiza kuye wathi kuye: Kungani umoya wakho usineme ukuze ungadli ukudla?
Soon his wife Jezebel came in and asked, “Why are you so sullen that you refuse to eat?”
6 Wasesithi kuye: Ngoba ngikhulume loNabothi umJizereyeli ngithe kuye: Nginike isivini sakho ngemali, loba uba uthanda ngizakunika isivini esikhundleni saso; wasesithi: Kangiyikukunika isivini sami.
Ahab answered, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ And he replied, ‘I will not give you my vineyard!’”
7 UJezebeli umkakhe wasesithi kuye: Khathesi nguwe obusa umbuso wakoIsrayeli? Vuka udle isinkwa, lenhliziyo yakho ithokoze; ngizakunika mina isivini sikaNabothi umJizereyeli.
But his wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you not reign over Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful, for I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 Wasebhala izincwadi ngebizo likaAhabi, wazidinda ngophawu lwakhe, wazithumela izincwadi ebadaleni lakuzikhulu, ababesemzini wakhe, behlala loNabothi.
Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.
9 Wasebhala ezincwadini esithi: Memezelani izilo lokudla, limhlalise uNabothi ngaphezulu kwabantu;
In the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people.
10 beselihlalisa amadoda amabili, amadodana kaBheliyali, maqondana laye ukuthi afakaze emelene laye esithi: Uthuke uNkulunkulu lenkosi. Beselimkhuphela phandle limkhande ngamatshe aze afe.
But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
11 Lamadoda alumuzi wakhe, abadala lezikhulu ababehlala emzini wakhe, benza njengokuthumela kukaJezebeli kuwo, njengokubhalwe ezincwadini ayewathumele zona.
So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had written to them.
12 Amemezela izilo lokudla, ahlalisa uNabothi phezulu kwabantu.
They proclaimed a fast and gave Naboth a seat of honor among the people.
13 Asengena amadoda amabili, amadodana kaBheliyali, ahlala maqondana laye; lamadoda kaBheliyali afakaza emelene laye, emelene loNabothi, phambi kwabantu, esithi: UNabothi uthuke uNkulunkulu lenkosi. Basebemkhuphela ngaphandle komuzi, bamkhanda ngamatshe waze wafa.
And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.
14 Basebethumela kuJezebeli besithi: UNabothi usekhandwe ngamatshe wafa.
Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”
15 Kwasekusithi uJezebeli esezwile ukuthi uNabothi usekhandwe ngamatshe wafa, uJezebeli wathi kuAhabi: Vuka uthathe isivini sikaNabothi umJizereyeli sibe ngesakho, ala ukukunika sona ngemali, ngoba uNabothi kaphili, kodwa ufile.
When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, who refused to give it to you for silver. For Naboth is no longer alive, but dead.”
16 Kwasekusithi uAhabi esezwile ukuthi uNabothi ufile, uAhabi wasukuma ukwehlela esivinini sikaNabothi umJizereyeli, ukusithatha sibe ngesakhe.
And when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
17 Kwasekufika ilizwi leNkosi kuElija umTishibi lisithi:
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 Sukuma wehle ukuhlangabeza uAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli, oseSamariya; khangela, usesivinini sikaNabothi, ehlele khona ukuze asithathe sibe ngesakhe.
“Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. See, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, of which he has gone to take possession.
19 Uzakhuluma kuye uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ubulele futhi wathatha yini kwaba ngokwakho? Njalo uzakhuluma kuye uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Endaweni lapho izinja ezikhothe khona igazi likaNabothi, izinja zizakhotha igazi lakho, ngitsho elakho.
Tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’ Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”
20 UAhabi wasesithi kuElija: Ungificile yini, sitha sami? Wasesithi: Ngikutholile, ngoba uzithengisile ukwenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi.
When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.
21 Khangela, ngizakwehlisela ububi, ngiqothule inzalo yakho, ngiqume asuke kuAhabi ochamela emdulini, lovalelweyo lokhululekileyo koIsrayeli.
This is what the LORD says: ‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free.
22 Njalo ngizakwenza indlu yakho ibe njengendlu kaJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati lanjengendlu kaBahasha indodana kaAhiya, ngenxa yesicunulo ongicunule ngaso, wenza uIsrayeli one.
I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.’
23 LangoJezebeli laye iNkosi yakhuluma isithi: Izinja zizamudla uJezebeli emthangaleni weJizereyeli.
And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel: ‘The dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
24 OkaAhabi ofela phakathi komuzi zizamudla izinja, lofela egangeni zizamudla inyoni zamazulu.
Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by dogs, and anyone who dies in the field will be eaten by the birds of the air.”
25 Kodwa kakubanga khona onjengoAhabi owazithengisa ukwenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, uJezebeli umkakhe amkhuthazayo.
(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.
26 Wenza amanyala kakhulu ngokulandela izithombe, njengakho konke amaAmori akwenzayo, iNkosi eyawaxotsha elifeni phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
He committed the most detestable acts by going after idols, just like the Amorites whom the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.)
27 Kwasekusithi uAhabi esizwa lamazwi wadabula izigqoko zakhe, wafaka isaka phezu komzimba wakhe, wazila ukudla, walala ngesaka, wahamba buthakathaka.
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.
28 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuElija umTishibi lisithi:
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:
29 Ubonile yini ukuthi uAhabi uzithobe phambi kwami? Ngenxa yokuthi ezithobile phambi kwami kangiyikuletha ububi ensukwini zakhe; ensukwini zendodana yakhe ngizaletha lobububi endlini yakhe.
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”
