1 Amakhosi 22
1 Bahlala-ke iminyaka emithathu kungekho impi phakathi kweSiriya loIsrayeli.
For three years Aram and Israel were not at war.
2 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wesithathu uJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda wehlela enkosini yakoIsrayeli.
But in the third year Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went to visit the king of Israel.
3 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi encekwini zayo: Liyazi yini ukuthi iRamothi-Gileyadi ingeyethu? Kodwa sithule, singayithathi esandleni senkosi yeSiriya.
The king of Israel had said to his officers, “Aren't you aware that Ramoth-gilead really belongs to us and yet we haven't done anything to take it back from the king of Aram?”
4 Yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Uzahamba lami empini eRamothi-Gileyadi yini? UJehoshafathi wasesithi enkosini yakoIsrayeli: Nginjengawe, njengabantu bami banjalo abantu bakho, njengamabhiza ami anjalo amabhiza akho.
So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you join me in an attack to recapture Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “You and I are as one, my men and your men are as one, and my horses and your horses are as one.”
5 UJehoshafathi wasesithi enkosini yakoIsrayeli: Akubuze lamuhla ilizwi leNkosi.
Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “But first though, please find out what the Lord says.”
6 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasibuthanisa abaprofethi abangaba ngamadoda angamakhulu amane, yathi kubo: Ngihambe yini ukuyamelana leRamothi-Gileyadi empini kumbe ngiyekele? Basebesithi: Yenyuka, ngoba iNkosi izayinikela esandleni senkosi.
So the king of Israel brought out the prophets—four hundred of them—and he asked them, “Should I go up and attack Ramoth-gilead, or should I not?” “Yes, go ahead,” they replied, “for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”
7 UJehoshafathi wasesithi: Kakusekho yini lapha umprofethi weNkosi esingambuza?
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn't there another prophet of the Lord here that we can ask?”
8 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Kusekhona indoda eyodwa, uMikhaya indodana kaImla, esingabuza ngaye eNkosini, kodwa mina ngiyamzonda, ngoba kaprofethi okuhle ngami, kodwa okubi. UJehoshafathi wasesithi: Inkosi ingatsho njalo.
“Yes, there's another man who could consult the Lord,” the king of Israel replied, “but I don't like him because he never prophesies anything good for me—it's always bad! His name is Micaiah, son of Imlah.” “You shouldn't talk like that,” said Jehoshaphat.
9 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasibiza induna yathi: Landa masinyane uMikhaya indodana kaImla.
The king of Israel called over one of his officials and told him, “Bring me Micaiah, son of Imlah, right away.”
10 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda babehlezi, ngulowo lalowo esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, begqoke izembatho zabo, besebaleni lokubhulela ekungeneni kwesango leSamariya, njalo bonke abaprofethi babeprofetha phambi kwabo.
Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor beside the gate of Samaria, with all of the prophets prophesying in front of them.
11 UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenahana wasezenzela izimpondo zensimbi, wathi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngalezi uzahlaba amaSiriya uze uwaqede.
One of them, Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, had made himself iron horns. He announced, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these horns you will gore the Arameans until they're dead!”
12 Labo bonke abaprofethi baprofetha njalo, besithi: Yenyukela eRamothi-Gileyadi, uphumelele; ngoba uJehova uzayinikela esandleni senkosi.
All the prophets were prophesying the same thing, saying, “Go ahead, attack Ramoth-gilead; you will be successful, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”
13 Isithunywa esasiyebiza uMikhaya sakhuluma laye sathi: Khangela-ke, amazwi abaprofethi ngamlomo munye mahle enkosini; ake ilizwi lakho lifanane lelizwi lomunye wabo, ukhulume okuhle.
The messenger who went to call Micaiah told him, “Look, all the prophets are unanimous in prophesying positively to the king. So please make sure to speak positively like them.”
14 Kodwa uMikhaya wathi: Kuphila kukaJehova, lokho iNkosi ekutshoyo kimi lokho ngizakukhuluma.
But Micaiah replied, “As the Lord lives, I can only say what my God tells me.”
15 Esefikile enkosini, inkosi yathi kuye: Mikhaya, siye eRamothi-Gileyadi empini kumbe siyekele? Wasesithi kuyo: Yenyuka, uphumelele; ngoba uJehova uzayinikela esandleni senkosi.
When he came before the king, the king asked him, “Should we go up and attack Ramoth-gilead, or should we not?” “Yes, go ahead and be victorious,” Micaiah replied, “for the Lord will give it into the king's hand.”
16 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Ngizakufungisa kuze kube kangaki ukuthi ungangitsheli lutho ngaphandle kweqiniso ebizweni leNkosi?
But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me only the truth in the name of the Lord?”
17 Wasesithi: Ngabona uIsrayeli wonke ehlakazekile phezu kwezintaba njengezimvu ezingelamelusi; uJehova wathi: Laba kabalankosi, kababuyele, ngulowo lalowo endlini yakhe ngokuthula.
So Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These people have no master; let each of them go home in peace.’”
18 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Kangikutshelanga yini ukuthi kayikuprofetha okuhle ngami kodwa okubi?
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn't I tell you he never prophesies anything good for me, only bad?”
19 Wasesithi: Ngakho zwana ilizwi leNkosi: Ngibone iNkosi ihlezi esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi, lamabutho wonke amazulu emi phansi kwayo ngakwesokunene sayo langakwesokhohlo sayo.
Micaiah went on to say, “So listen to what the Lord says. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, surrounded by the whole army of heaven standing to his right and to his left.
20 INkosi yasisithi: Ngubani ozahuga uAhabi ukuthi enyuke ayewela eRamothi-Gileyadi? Omunye-ke watsho njalo, lomunye watsho njalo.
The Lord asked, ‘Who will trick Ahab, king of Israel, into attacking Ramoth-gilead so he will be killed there?’ One said this, another said that, and another said something else.
21 Kwasekuphuma umoya, wema phambi kweNkosi wathi: Mina ngizamhuga.
Finally a spirit came and approached the Lord and said, ‘I will trick him.’
22 INkosi yasisithi kuye: Ngani? Wasesithi: Ngizaphuma ngibe ngumoya wamanga emlonyeni wabo bonke abaprofethi bakhe. Yasisithi: Uzamhuga, njalo uzaphumelela; phuma wenze njalo.
‘How are you going to do that?’ the Lord asked. ‘I will go and be a lying spirit and make all his prophets tell lies,’ the spirit replied. ‘That will work,’ the Lord responded. ‘Go and do it.’
23 Ngakho-ke, khangela, iNkosi ifake umoya wamanga emlonyeni walababaprofethi bakho bonke, njalo iNkosi ikhulume okubi ngawe.
As you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced your death sentence.”
24 UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenahana wasesondela, watshaya uMikhaya esihlathini, wathi: UMoya weNkosi wedlula ngani esuka kimi ukuyakhuluma lawe?
Then Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, went and slapped Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go when he left me to speak to you?”
25 UMikhaya wasesithi: Khangela, uzakubona mhlalokho lapho uzangena ekamelweni elingaphakathi ukuyacatsha.
“You'll soon find out when you try and find some secret place to hide!” Micaiah replied.
26 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi: Thatha uMikhaya, mbuyisele kuAmoni umbusi womuzi lakuJowashi indodana yenkosi,
The king of Israel ordered, “Place Micaiah under arrest and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to my son Joash.
27 uthi: Itsho njalo inkosi: Fakani lo entolongweni, limdlise isinkwa sohlupho lamanzi ohlupho ngize ngibuye ngokuthula.
Tell them these are the king's instructions: ‘Put this man in jail. Give him only bread and water until my safe return.’”
28 UMikhaya wasesithi: Uba uphenduka isibili ngokuthula, iNkosi kayikhulumanga ngami. Wasesithi: Zwanini, bantu, lina lonke.
“If you do in fact return safely then the Lord has not spoken through me,” Micaiah declared. “Pay attention everyone to all I've said!”
29 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda basebesenyukela eRamothi-Gileyadi.
The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went to attack Ramoth-gilead.
30 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Ngizazifihla isimo, ngingene empini, kodwa wena gqoka izembatho zakho. Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasizifihla isimo, yangena empini.
The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “When I go into battle I will be in disguise, but you should wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
31 Inkosi yeSiriya yayilaye induna zezinqola ezingamatshumi amathathu lambili ayelazo, esithi: Lingalwi lomncinyane loba lomkhulu, kodwa lenkosi yakoIsrayeli kuphela.
The king of Aram had already given these orders to his chariot commanders: “Head straight for the king of Israel alone. Don't fight with anyone else, whoever they are.”
32 Kwasekusithi induna zezinqola zibona uJehoshafathi zona zathi: Isibili yiyo inkosi yakoIsrayeli. Zaseziphambuka ukulwa zimelene layo; uJehoshafathi waseklabalala.
So when the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “This must be the king of Israel!” So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat called out for help,
33 Kwasekusithi induna zezinqola zibona ukuthi kwakungeyisiyo inkosi yakoIsrayeli, zaphenduka ekuyilandeleni.
the chariot commanders saw it wasn't the king of Israel and stopped chasing him.
34 Umuntu othile wasedonsa idandili lakhe engananzeleli, wahlaba inkosi yakoIsrayeli phakathi kwenhlangano lebhatshi lensimbi; yasisithi kumtshayeli wenqola yayo: Phendula isandla sakho, ungikhuphe phakathi kwebutho, ngoba ngilimele kakhulu.
However, an enemy archer shot an arrow at random, hitting the king of Israel between the joints of his armor by his breastplate. The king told his charioteer, “Turn around and get me out of the fight, because I've been wounded!”
35 Impi yasikhula mhlalokho; njalo inkosi yayisekelwe enqoleni yayo iqondene lamaSiriya, yafa ntambama; igazi lenxeba lagelezela ngaphansi kwenqola.
The battle lasted all day. The king of Israel was propped up in his chariot to face the Arameans, but in the evening he died. The blood had poured out of his wound onto the floor of the chariot.
36 Ekutshoneni kwelanga kwadabula isimemezelo ebuthweni sisithi: Wonke kaye emzini wakibo, laye wonke elizweni lakibo.
At sunset, a shout went out from the lines: “Retreat! Every man back to his town, every man back to his own country!”
37 Ngakho inkosi yafa, yalethwa eSamariya; basebeyingcwaba inkosi eSamariya.
So the king died. He was taken back to Samaria where they buried him.
38 Omunye wasegezisa inqola echibini leSamariya, lezinja zakhotha igazi layo, lapho amawule ayegeza khona, njengokwelizwi leNkosi eyalikhulumayo.
They washed his chariot at a pool in Samaria where the prostitutes came to bathe, and dogs licked up his blood, just as the Lord had said.
39 Ezinye-ke zezindaba zikaAhabi, lakho konke akwenzayo, lendlu yempondo zendlovu ayakhayo, lemizi yonke ayakhayo, kakubhalwanga yini egwalweni lwemilando yamakhosi akoIsrayeli?
The rest of what happened in Ahab's reign, all that he did, the ivory palace he constructed and all the cities he built are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
40 UAhabi waselala laboyise. UAhaziya indodana yakhe wasesiba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
Ahab died and his son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.
41 UJehoshafathi indodana kaAsa waba-ke yinkosi phezu kukaJuda ngomnyaka wesine kaAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli.
Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, became king of Judah in the fourth year of the reign of Ahab, king of Israel.
42 Njalo uJehoshafathi wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amathathu lanhlanu lapho esiba yinkosi; wabusa eJerusalema iminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu. Lebizo likanina lalinguAzuba indodakazi kaShilehi.
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi.
43 Njalo wahamba ngayo yonke indlela kaAsa uyise, kaphambukanga kuyo, ukwenza okulungileyo emehlweni eNkosi. Loba kunjalo indawo eziphakemeyo kazisuswanga; abantu babelokhu benikela imihlatshelo, betshisa impepha endaweni eziphakemeyo.
He followed all the ways of his father; he did not depart from them, and he did what was right in the Lord's sight. However, the high places were not removed and the people still sacrificed and presented offerings there.
44 UJehoshafathi wasesenza ukuthula lenkosi yakoIsrayeli.
Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.
45 Ezinye-ke zezindaba zikaJehoshafathi, lobuqhawe abenzayo, lokuthi walwa njani, kakubhalwanga yini egwalweni lwemilando yamakhosi akoJuda?
The rest of what happened in Jehoshaphat's reign, his great achievements and the wars he fought are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.
46 Lensali yezinkotshana ezazisele ensukwini zikaAsa uyise wayikhupha elizweni.
He expelled from the land any cult prostitutes who were left from the time of his father Asa.
47 Njalo eEdoma kwakungelankosi, umbambeli wayeyinkosi.
(At that time there was no king in Edom; only a deputy who served as king.)
48 UJehoshafathi wenza imikhumbi yeThashishi ukuya eOfiri ukulanda igolide; kodwa kayiyanga, ngoba imikhumbi yephukela eEziyoni-Geberi.
Jehoshaphat built sea-going ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they went because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
49 Ngalesosikhathi uAhaziya indodana kaAhabi wathi kuJehoshafathi: Inceku zami kazihambe lenceku zakho emikhunjini. Kodwa uJehoshafathi kafunanga.
During that time Ahaziah, son of Ahab, asked Jehoshaphat, “Let my men sail with your men,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
50 UJehoshafathi waselala laboyise, wangcwatshelwa kuboyise emzini kaDavida uyise. UJoramu indodana yakhe wasesiba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his forefathers in the City of David. His son Jehoram succeeded him as king.
51 UAhaziya indodana kaAhabi waba yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli eSamariya ngomnyaka wetshumi lesikhombisa kaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda; wabusa phezu kukaIsrayeli iminyaka emibili.
Ahaziah, son of Ahab, became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years.
52 Wasesenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, wahamba ngendlela kayise, langendlela kanina, langendlela kaJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati owenza uIsrayeli one.
He did what was evil in the Lord's sight and followed the ways of his father and mother, and of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin.
53 Wasekhonza uBhali, wakhothamela kuye, wayithukuthelisa iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, njengakho konke ayekwenzile uyise.
He served Baal and worshiped him, and angered the Lord, the God of Israel, just as his father had.
