1 Amakhosi 22
1 Bahlala-ke iminyaka emithathu kungekho impi phakathi kweSiriya loIsrayeli.
For almost three years there was no war between Syria and Israel.
2 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wesithathu uJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda wehlela enkosini yakoIsrayeli.
Then King Jehoshaphat, who ruled Judah, went to [visit] King Ahab, who ruled Israel.
3 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi encekwini zayo: Liyazi yini ukuthi iRamothi-Gileyadi ingeyethu? Kodwa sithule, singayithathi esandleni senkosi yeSiriya.
[While they were talking, ] Ahab said to his officials, “Do you realize that the Syrians are still occupying our city of Ramoth in [the] Gilead [region]? And we are doing nothing to retake that city!”
4 Yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Uzahamba lami empini eRamothi-Gileyadi yini? UJehoshafathi wasesithi enkosini yakoIsrayeli: Nginjengawe, njengabantu bami banjalo abantu bakho, njengamabhiza ami anjalo amabhiza akho.
Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, “Will your [army] join my [army] to fight against the people of Ramoth [and retake that city]?” Jehoshaphat replied, “[Certainly] I [will do whatever] you [want], and you may command my troops. You may take my horses into battle, also.”
5 UJehoshafathi wasesithi enkosini yakoIsrayeli: Akubuze lamuhla ilizwi leNkosi.
Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”
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 Ahab summoned about 400 of his prophets together, and he asked them, “Should my [army] go to fight the people in Ramoth and retake that city, or not?” They answered, “Yes, go [and attack them], because God will enable your [army] to defeat them.”
7 UJehoshafathi wasesithi: Kakusekho yini lapha umprofethi weNkosi esingambuza?
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom 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.
The King of Israel replied, “There is one man we can talk to. We can ask him if he can find out what Yahweh wants. His name is Micaiah; he is the son of Imlah. But I hate him, because when he (prophesies/tells what God says to him) he never says [that] anything good [will happen] to me. He always predicts [that] bad things [will happen to me].” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”
9 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasibiza induna yathi: Landa masinyane uMikhaya indodana kaImla.
So the king of Israel told one of his officers to summon Micaiah immediately.
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.
The king of Israel and the king of Judah were wearing their (royal robes/robes that showed that they were kings). They were sitting on thrones at the place where people threshed grain, near the gate of Samaria [city]. All of Ahab’s prophets were standing in front of the kings, (prophesying/predicting what was going to happen).
11 UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenahana wasezenzela izimpondo zensimbi, wathi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngalezi uzahlaba amaSiriya uze uwaqede.
One of them, whose name was Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made from iron [something that resembled] horns of a bull. Then he proclaimed [to Ahab], “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns like these your [army] will keep attacking the Syrians [like a bull attacks another animal] [MET], until you completely destroy them!’”
12 Labo bonke abaprofethi baprofetha njalo, besithi: Yenyukela eRamothi-Gileyadi, uphumelele; ngoba uJehova uzayinikela esandleni senkosi.
All the [other] prophets [of Ahab] agreed. They said, “Yes! If you go up to attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them!”
13 Isithunywa esasiyebiza uMikhaya sakhuluma laye sathi: Khangela-ke, amazwi abaprofethi ngamlomo munye mahle enkosini; ake ilizwi lakho lifanane lelizwi lomunye wabo, ukhulume okuhle.
Meanwhile, the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are predicting that the king’s army will defeat the Syrians. So be sure that you agree with them and say (what will be favorable/that the king’s army will be successful).”
14 Kodwa uMikhaya wathi: Kuphila kukaJehova, lokho iNkosi ekutshoyo kimi lokho ngizakukhuluma.
But Micaiah replied, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell him only what Yahweh tells me to say.”
15 Esefikile enkosini, inkosi yathi kuye: Mikhaya, siye eRamothi-Gileyadi empini kumbe siyekele? Wasesithi kuyo: Yenyuka, uphumelele; ngoba uJehova uzayinikela esandleni senkosi.
When Micaiah came to Ahab, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to fight against [the people of] Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”
16 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Ngizakufungisa kuze kube kangaki ukuthi ungangitsheli lutho ngaphandle kweqiniso ebizweni leNkosi?
But King Ahab [realized that Micaiah was (lying/being sarcastic), so he] said to Micaiah, “I have told you [RHQ] many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh [has revealed to you]!”
17 Wasesithi: Ngabona uIsrayeli wonke ehlakazekile phezu kwezintaba njengezimvu ezingelamelusi; uJehova wathi: Laba kabalankosi, kababuyele, ngulowo lalowo endlini yakhe ngokuthula.
So Micaiah said to him, “[The truth is that] in a vision I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.’”
18 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Kangikutshelanga yini ukuthi kayikuprofetha okuhle ngami kodwa okubi?
Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you [RHQ] that he never predicts [that] anything good [will happen to me]! He [always] predicts [that] bad things [will happen to me].”
19 Wasesithi: Ngakho zwana ilizwi leNkosi: Ngibone iNkosi ihlezi esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi, lamabutho wonke amazulu emi phansi kwayo ngakwesokunene sayo langakwesokhohlo sayo.
But Micaiah continued, saying, “Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! [In a vision] I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven surrounding him, on his right side and on his left side.
20 INkosi yasisithi: Ngubani ozahuga uAhabi ukuthi enyuke ayewela eRamothi-Gileyadi? Omunye-ke watsho njalo, lomunye watsho njalo.
And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?’ Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else.
21 Kwasekuphuma umoya, wema phambi kweNkosi wathi: Mina ngizamhuga.
Finally one [evil] spirit came to Yahweh and said, ‘I can do it!’
22 INkosi yasisithi kuye: Ngani? Wasesithi: Ngizaphuma ngibe ngumoya wamanga emlonyeni wabo bonke abaprofethi bakhe. Yasisithi: Uzamhuga, njalo uzaphumelela; phuma wenze njalo.
Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’ The spirit replied, ‘I will go and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to tell lies.’ Yahweh said, ‘You will be successful; go and do it!’
23 Ngakho-ke, khangela, iNkosi ifake umoya wamanga emlonyeni walababaprofethi bakho bonke, njalo iNkosi ikhulume okubi ngawe.
So now [I tell you that] Yahweh has caused all of your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”
24 UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenahana wasesondela, watshaya uMikhaya esihlathini, wathi: UMoya weNkosi wedlula ngani esuka kimi ukuyakhuluma lawe?
Then Zedekiah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, “Do you think that Yahweh’s Spirit left me in order to speak to you?” [RHQ]
25 UMikhaya wasesithi: Khangela, uzakubona mhlalokho lapho uzangena ekamelweni elingaphakathi ukuyacatsha.
Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself [which of us Yahweh’s Spirit has truly spoken to] on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide [from the Syrian troops]!”
26 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi: Thatha uMikhaya, mbuyisele kuAmoni umbusi womuzi lakuJowashi indodana yenkosi,
King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
27 uthi: Itsho njalo inkosi: Fakani lo entolongweni, limdlise isinkwa sohlupho lamanzi ohlupho ngize ngibuye ngokuthula.
Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely from the battle!”
28 UMikhaya wasesithi: Uba uphenduka isibili ngokuthula, iNkosi kayikhulumanga ngami. Wasesithi: Zwanini, bantu, lina lonke.
Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, [it will be clear that] it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!” Then he said [to all those who were standing there], “Do not forget what I have said [to King Ahab]!”
29 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda basebesenyukela eRamothi-Gileyadi.
So the King of Israel and the King of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].
30 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Ngizazifihla isimo, ngingene empini, kodwa wena gqoka izembatho zakho. Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasizifihla isimo, yangena empini.
King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will put on different clothes, [in order that no one will recognize that I am the king]. But you should wear your (royal robe/robe that shows that you are a king).” So Ahab disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.
31 Inkosi yeSiriya yayilaye induna zezinqola ezingamatshumi amathathu lambili ayelazo, esithi: Lingalwi lomncinyane loba lomkhulu, kodwa lenkosi yakoIsrayeli kuphela.
The King of Syria told this to his thirty-two men who were driving the chariots: “Attack only the king of Israel!”
32 Kwasekusithi induna zezinqola zibona uJehoshafathi zona zathi: Isibili yiyo inkosi yakoIsrayeli. Zaseziphambuka ukulwa zimelene layo; uJehoshafathi waseklabalala.
So when the men who were driving the Syrian chariots saw Jehoshaphat [wearing (his royal robes/clothes that showed he was the king)], they pursued him. They shouted, “There is the king of Israel!” But when Jehoshaphat cried out,
33 Kwasekusithi induna zezinqola zibona ukuthi kwakungeyisiyo inkosi yakoIsrayeli, zaphenduka ekuyilandeleni.
they realized that he was not the king of Israel. So they stopped pursuing 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.
But one [Syrian] soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing that it was Ahab. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, “Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been severely wounded!”
35 Impi yasikhula mhlalokho; njalo inkosi yayisekelwe enqoleni yayo iqondene lamaSiriya, yafa ntambama; igazi lenxeba lagelezela ngaphansi kwenqola.
The battle continued all the day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian troops. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of the chariot. And late in the afternoon he died.
36 Ekutshoneni kwelanga kwadabula isimemezelo ebuthweni sisithi: Wonke kaye emzini wakibo, laye wonke elizweni lakibo.
Just as the sun was going down, someone among the Israeli troops shouted, “[The battle is ended!] Everyone should return home!”
37 Ngakho inkosi yafa, yalethwa eSamariya; basebeyingcwaba inkosi eSamariya.
So king Ahab died, and they took his body [in the chariot] to Samaria [city] and buried his body there.
38 Omunye wasegezisa inqola echibini leSamariya, lezinja zakhotha igazi layo, lapho amawule ayegeza khona, njengokwelizwi leNkosi eyalikhulumayo.
They washed his chariot alongside the pool in Samaria, a pool where the prostitutes bathed. And dogs [came and] licked the king’s blood, just like Yahweh had predicted would happen.
39 Ezinye-ke zezindaba zikaAhabi, lakho konke akwenzayo, lendlu yempondo zendlovu ayakhayo, lemizi yonke ayakhayo, kakubhalwanga yini egwalweni lwemilando yamakhosi akoIsrayeli?
The account/record of the other things that happened while Ahab was ruling, and about the palace decorated with much ivory [that they built for him], and the cities that were built for him, was written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.
40 UAhabi waselala laboyise. UAhaziya indodana yakhe wasesiba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
When Ahab died, his body was buried where his ancestors were buried. Then his son Ahaziah became king.
41 UJehoshafathi indodana kaAsa waba-ke yinkosi phezu kukaJuda ngomnyaka wesine kaAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli.
Before King Ahab died, when he had been ruling in Israel for four years, Asa’s son Jehoshaphat started to rule in Judah.
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 years old when he started to rule, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the 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.
Jehoshaphat was a good king, just like his father Asa had been. He did things that pleased Yahweh. But while he was king, he did not remove all the pagan altars [that the people had built] on the hilltops. So the people continued to offer sacrifices [to idols] on those altars and burned incense there.
44 UJehoshafathi wasesenza ukuthula lenkosi yakoIsrayeli.
Jehoshaphat also made [a] peace [agreement] with the king of Israel.
45 Ezinye-ke zezindaba zikaJehoshafathi, lobuqhawe abenzayo, lokuthi walwa njani, kakubhalwanga yini egwalweni lwemilando yamakhosi akoJuda?
All the other things that happened while Jehoshaphat was ruling, and the great things that he did and the victories his [troops] won, are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.
46 Lensali yezinkotshana ezazisele ensukwini zikaAsa uyise wayikhupha elizweni.
Jehoshaphat’s father Asa [had tried to expel] the male prostitutes that stayed at the pagan shrines, but some of them were still there. Jehoshaphat got rid of them.
47 Njalo eEdoma kwakungelankosi, umbambeli wayeyinkosi.
At that time, there was no king in Edom; a ruler who had been appointed by Jehoshaphat ruled there.
48 UJehoshafathi wenza imikhumbi yeThashishi ukuya eOfiri ukulanda igolide; kodwa kayiyanga, ngoba imikhumbi yephukela eEziyoni-Geberi.
Jehoshaphat [ordered some Israeli men to] build a fleet/group of ships to sail [south] to [the] Ophir [region] to get gold. But they were wrecked at Ezion-Geber/Elath, so the ships never sailed.
49 Ngalesosikhathi uAhaziya indodana kaAhabi wathi kuJehoshafathi: Inceku zami kazihambe lenceku zakho emikhunjini. Kodwa uJehoshafathi kafunanga.
Before the ships were wrecked, Ahab’s son Ahaziah suggested to Jehoshaphat, “Allow my sailors to go with your sailors,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
50 UJehoshafathi waselala laboyise, wangcwatshelwa kuboyise emzini kaDavida uyise. UJoramu indodana yakhe wasesiba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
When Jehoshaphat died, his [body] was buried where his ancestors were buried in [Jerusalem, ] the city where King David [had ruled]. Then Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram became king.
51 UAhaziya indodana kaAhabi waba yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli eSamariya ngomnyaka wetshumi lesikhombisa kaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda; wabusa phezu kukaIsrayeli iminyaka emibili.
Before King Jehoshaphat died, when he had been ruling in Judah for 17 years, Ahab’s son Ahaziah began to rule in Israel. Ahaziah ruled in Samaria for two years.
52 Wasesenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, wahamba ngendlela kayise, langendlela kanina, langendlela kaJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati owenza uIsrayeli one.
He did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil, doing the [evil] things that his father and mother had done and the evil things that Jeroboam had done—the king who had led all the Israeli people to sin [by worshiping idols].
53 Wasekhonza uBhali, wakhothamela kuye, wayithukuthelisa iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, njengakho konke ayekwenzile uyise.
Ahaziah bowed in front of Baal’s idol and worshiped it. That caused Yahweh, the God who was the true God of the Israeli people, to become very angry, just as Ahaziah’s father had caused Yahweh to become angry.
