1 Amakhosi 21
1 Kwasekusithi emva kwalezizinto uNabothi umJizereyeli wayelesivini esasiseJizereyeli phansi kwesigodlo sikaAhabi inkosi yeSamariya.
Sometime later this happened: There was a man named Naboth from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel close to King Ahab's palace in 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.
Ahab went to Naboth and said, “Give me your vineyard so I can turn it into a vegetable garden, because it's close to my palace. In return I'll give you a better vineyard, or if you want I'll pay you for it in cash.”
3 Kodwa uNabothi wathi kuAhabi: Kakube khatshana lami ngeNkosi ukuthi ngikunike ilifa labobaba.
But Naboth replied, “The Lord curse me if I should give you my forefathers' inheritance.”
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.
Ahab went home sulking and infuriated because Naboth from Jezreel had said, “I will not give you my forefathers' inheritance.” He went to bed, wouldn't look at anyone, and refused to eat.
5 UJezebeli umkakhe wasesiza kuye wathi kuye: Kungani umoya wakho usineme ukuze ungadli ukudla?
His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so upset about? That you don't want 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 replied, “It's because I talked with Naboth from Jezreel and I asked him, ‘Give me your vineyard for cash, or if you want, I'll give you another vineyard instead.’ But he said, ‘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.
“Aren't you the king of Israel?” his wife Jezebel replied. “Get up, have something to eat, and cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel.”
8 Wasebhala izincwadi ngebizo likaAhabi, wazidinda ngophawu lwakhe, wazithumela izincwadi ebadaleni lakuzikhulu, ababesemzini wakhe, behlala loNabothi.
So she wrote some letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and leaders in the town where Naboth lived.
9 Wasebhala ezincwadini esithi: Memezelani izilo lokudla, limhlalise uNabothi ngaphezulu kwabantu;
In the letters she wrote to tell them, “Announce a religious fast, and give Naboth a seat of honor.
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 bad men opposite him and have them accuse him, saying, ‘You have cursed 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 leaders who lived in Naboth's town did as Jezebel had said in the letters she had written and sent to them.
12 Amemezela izilo lokudla, ahlalisa uNabothi phezulu kwabantu.
They announced a religious fast, and gave Naboth a seat of honor.
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.
Two bad men came and sat opposite him, and accused him in front of the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the town and stoned him to death.
14 Basebethumela kuJezebeli besithi: UNabothi usekhandwe ngamatshe wafa.
Then they sent a message to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned. He's dead.”
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.
As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and he was dead, Jezebel told Ahab, “Get up, go and claim ownership of the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel, which he refused to sell you, for Naboth is no longer alive, but dead.”
16 Kwasekusithi uAhabi esezwile ukuthi uNabothi ufile, uAhabi wasukuma ukwehlela esivinini sikaNabothi umJizereyeli, ukusithatha sibe ngesakhe.
When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went to claim ownership of Naboth's vineyard.
17 Kwasekufika ilizwi leNkosi kuElija umTishibi lisithi:
Then the Lord sent a message to Elijah the Tishbite:
18 Sukuma wehle ukuhlangabeza uAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli, oseSamariya; khangela, usesivinini sikaNabothi, ehlele khona ukuze asithathe sibe ngesakhe.
“Go and meet Ahab, king of Israel, in Samaria. He is right now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to claim ownership of it.
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: This is what the Lord says: Have you murdered a man and robbed him? Then tell him: This is what the Lord says: In the very spot where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your own blood.”
20 UAhabi wasesithi kuElija: Ungificile yini, sitha sami? Wasesithi: Ngikutholile, ngoba uzithengisile ukwenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi.
“So have you come to find me, my enemy?” Ahab asked Elijah. “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the Lord sight,” Elijah replied.
21 Khangela, ngizakwehlisela ububi, ngiqothule inzalo yakho, ngiqume asuke kuAhabi ochamela emdulini, lovalelweyo lokhululekileyo koIsrayeli.
He says, “Watch out! I'm going to bring disaster on you and destroy your descendants. I will kill from every male of Ahab's line, both slave and free, in the whole of Israel.
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 angered me and made Israel sin.
23 LangoJezebeli laye iNkosi yakhuluma isithi: Izinja zizamudla uJezebeli emthangaleni weJizereyeli.
And as far as Jezebel is concerned, the Lord says, ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
24 OkaAhabi ofela phakathi komuzi zizamudla izinja, lofela egangeni zizamudla inyoni zamazulu.
Those of Ahab's family who die in the town will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the countryside will be eaten by birds.”
25 Kodwa kakubanga khona onjengoAhabi owazithengisa ukwenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, uJezebeli umkakhe amkhuthazayo.
(No one else was so bad as Ahab, who sold himself to do what is evil in the Lord's sight, because his wife Jezebel encouraged him.
26 Wenza amanyala kakhulu ngokulandela izithombe, njengakho konke amaAmori akwenzayo, iNkosi eyawaxotsha elifeni phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
He did the most despicable things, worshiping idols like the Amorites the Lord had driven out before Israel.)
27 Kwasekusithi uAhabi esizwa lamazwi wadabula izigqoko zakhe, wafaka isaka phezu komzimba wakhe, wazila ukudla, walala ngesaka, wahamba buthakathaka.
As soon as Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He even went to bed in sackcloth, and walked around repentantly.
28 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuElija umTishibi lisithi:
Then the Lord sent a message to Elijah the Tishbite:
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 disaster during his lifetime, but I will bring down disaster on his family in the lifetime of his son.”
