1 Amakhosi 21
1 Kwasekusithi emva kwalezizinto uNabothi umJizereyeli wayelesivini esasiseJizereyeli phansi kwesigodlo sikaAhabi inkosi yeSamariya.
After these things, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was 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.
Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near my house; and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.”
3 Kodwa uNabothi wathi kuAhabi: Kakube khatshana lami ngeNkosi ukuthi ngikunike ilifa labobaba.
Naboth said to Ahab, “May the LORD forbid me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers 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.
Ahab came into his house sullen and angry because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He laid himself down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
5 UJezebeli umkakhe wasesiza kuye wathi kuye: Kungani umoya wakho usineme ukuze ungadli ukudla?
But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sad that you eat no bread?”
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 said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ He answered, ‘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.
Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 Wasebhala izincwadi ngebizo likaAhabi, wazidinda ngophawu lwakhe, wazithumela izincwadi ebadaleni lakuzikhulu, ababesemzini wakhe, behlala loNabothi.
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who were in his city, who lived with Naboth.
9 Wasebhala ezincwadini esithi: Memezelani izilo lokudla, limhlalise uNabothi ngaphezulu kwabantu;
She wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high 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.
Set two men, wicked fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then carry him out, and stone him to death.”
11 Lamadoda alumuzi wakhe, abadala lezikhulu ababehlala emzini wakhe, benza njengokuthumela kukaJezebeli kuwo, njengokubhalwe ezincwadini ayewathumele zona.
The men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letters which she had written and sent to them.
12 Amemezela izilo lokudla, ahlalisa uNabothi phezulu kwabantu.
They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high 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.
The two men, the wicked fellows, came in and sat before him. The wicked fellows testified against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death with stones.
14 Basebethumela kuJezebeli besithi: UNabothi usekhandwe ngamatshe wafa.
Then they sent 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.
When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for 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, Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
17 Kwasekufika ilizwi leNkosi kuElija umTishibi lisithi:
The LORD’s word came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 Sukuma wehle ukuhlangabeza uAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli, oseSamariya; khangela, usesivinini sikaNabothi, ehlele khona ukuze asithathe sibe ngesakhe.
“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwells in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down 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 shall speak to him, saying, ‘The LORD says, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ You shall speak to him, saying, ‘The LORD says, “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood, even yours.”’”
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?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the LORD’s sight.
21 Khangela, ngizakwehlisela ububi, ngiqothule inzalo yakho, ngiqume asuke kuAhabi ochamela emdulini, lovalelweyo lokhululekileyo koIsrayeli.
Behold, I will bring evil on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large 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 house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger, and have made Israel to sin.”
23 LangoJezebeli laye iNkosi yakhuluma isithi: Izinja zizamudla uJezebeli emthangaleni weJizereyeli.
The LORD also spoke of Jezebel, saying, “The dogs will eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.
24 OkaAhabi ofela phakathi komuzi zizamudla izinja, lofela egangeni zizamudla inyoni zamazulu.
The dogs will eat he who dies of Ahab in the city; and the birds of the sky will eat he who dies in the field.”
25 Kodwa kakubanga khona onjengoAhabi owazithengisa ukwenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, uJezebeli umkakhe amkhuthazayo.
But there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
26 Wenza amanyala kakhulu ngokulandela izithombe, njengakho konke amaAmori akwenzayo, iNkosi eyawaxotsha elifeni phambi kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
He did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
27 Kwasekusithi uAhabi esizwa lamazwi wadabula izigqoko zakhe, wafaka isaka phezu komzimba wakhe, wazila ukudla, walala ngesaka, wahamba buthakathaka.
When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his body, fasted, lay in sackcloth, and went about despondently.
28 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuElija umTishibi lisithi:
The LORD’s word 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.
“See how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but I will bring the evil on his house in his son’s day.”
