1 Amakhosi 21
1 Kwasekusithi emva kwalezizinto uNabothi umJizereyeli wayelesivini esasiseJizereyeli phansi kwesigodlo sikaAhabi inkosi yeSamariya.
Now some time later, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, near 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.
Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, so I can have it as a vegetable garden, because it is near my house. In exchange, I will give you a better vineyard, or, if you prefer, I will pay you its value in money.”
3 Kodwa uNabothi wathi kuAhabi: Kakube khatshana lami ngeNkosi ukuthi ngikunike ilifa labobaba.
Naboth replied to Ahab, “May Yahweh forbid that I should give the inheritance of my ancestors to you.”
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 into his palace resentful and angry because of the answer Naboth the Jezreelite gave him when he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay down on his bed, turned away his face, and refused to eat any food.
5 UJezebeli umkakhe wasesiza kuye wathi kuye: Kungani umoya wakho usineme ukuze ungadli ukudla?
Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your heart so sad, so that you eat no food?”
6 Wasesithi kuye: Ngoba ngikhulume loNabothi umJizereyeli ngithe kuye: Nginike isivini sakho ngemali, loba uba uthanda ngizakunika isivini esikhundleni saso; wasesithi: Kangiyikukunika isivini sami.
He replied to her, “I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Give me your vineyard for money, or if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard to be yours.' Then he answered me, '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.
So Jezebel his wife replied to him, “Do you not still rule the kingdom of Israel? Get up and eat; let your heart be happy. I will obtain for you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 Wasebhala izincwadi ngebizo likaAhabi, wazidinda ngophawu lwakhe, wazithumela izincwadi ebadaleni lakuzikhulu, ababesemzini wakhe, behlala loNabothi.
So Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and to the wealthy who sat with him in meetings, and who lived near Naboth.
9 Wasebhala ezincwadini esithi: Memezelani izilo lokudla, limhlalise uNabothi ngaphezulu kwabantu;
She wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth above the people.
10 beselihlalisa amadoda amabili, amadodana kaBheliyali, maqondana laye ukuthi afakaze emelene laye esithi: Uthuke uNkulunkulu lenkosi. Beselimkhuphela phandle limkhande ngamatshe aze afe.
Also place two dishonest men with him and let them testify against him, saying, 'You 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 men of his city, the elders and the wealthy who lived in Naboth's city, did as Jezebel had described to them, as was written in the letters that she had sent to them.
12 Amemezela izilo lokudla, ahlalisa uNabothi phezulu kwabantu.
They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth above 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.
The two dishonest men came in and sat before Naboth; they testified against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed both God and the king.” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death.
14 Basebethumela kuJezebeli besithi: UNabothi usekhandwe ngamatshe wafa.
Then the elders sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is 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.
So when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, because Naboth is not 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 rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite and take possession of it.
17 Kwasekufika ilizwi leNkosi kuElija umTishibi lisithi:
Then the word of Yahweh 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 meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. He is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession 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.
You must speak to him and say that Yahweh says, 'Have you killed and also taken possession?' Then you will tell him that Yahweh says, 'In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick your blood, yes, your blood.'”
20 UAhabi wasesithi kuElija: Ungificile yini, sitha sami? Wasesithi: Ngikutholile, ngoba uzithengisile ukwenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi.
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” Elijah answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of Yahweh.
21 Khangela, ngizakwehlisela ububi, ngiqothule inzalo yakho, ngiqume asuke kuAhabi ochamela emdulini, lovalelweyo lokhululekileyo koIsrayeli.
Yahweh says this to you: 'See, I will bring disaster on you and will completely consume and cut off from you every male child and slave and free man in 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 family like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the family of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have led Israel to sin.'
23 LangoJezebeli laye iNkosi yakhuluma isithi: Izinja zizamudla uJezebeli emthangaleni weJizereyeli.
Yahweh has also spoken concerning Jezebel, saying, 'The dogs will eat Jezebel beside the wall of Jezreel.'
24 OkaAhabi ofela phakathi komuzi zizamudla izinja, lofela egangeni zizamudla inyoni zamazulu.
Anyone who belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, the dogs will eat; and the birds of the sky will eat anyone who dies in the field.”
25 Kodwa kakubanga khona onjengoAhabi owazithengisa ukwenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, uJezebeli umkakhe amkhuthazayo.
There was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, whom Jezebel his wife incited to sin.
26 Wenza amanyala kakhulu ngokulandela izithombe, njengakho konke amaAmori akwenzayo, iNkosi eyawaxotsha elifeni phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
Ahab did disgusting deeds for the idols he followed, just as all that the Amorites had done, those whom Yahweh had removed before the people of Israel.
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 and put sackcloth on his body and fasted, and lay in sackcloth and became very sad.
28 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuElija umTishibi lisithi:
Then the word of Yahweh 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.
“Do you see how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the coming disaster in his days; it is in his son's day that I will bring disaster on his family.”
