1 USamuyeli 25
1 USamuweli wasesifa; loIsrayeli wonke wahlangana, bamlilela, bamngcwabela endlini yakhe eRama. UDavida wasesukuma wehlela enkangala yeParani.
[Soon after that], Samuel died, and all the Israeli people gathered and mourned for him. They buried his body outside his home in Ramah. Then David and his men moved to the Maon Desert.
2 Kwakukhona-ke indoda eMahoni, lomsebenzi wayo wawuseKharmeli; lindoda-ke yayiyisikhulu esikhulu, yayilezimvu eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu lembuzi eziyinkulungwane, yayigunda izimvu zayo eKharmeli.
In Maon [town] there was a man who owned land in Carmel, [a nearby village]. He was very rich; he owned 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats.
3 Njalo ibizo laleyondoda lalinguNabali, lebizo lomkayo lalinguAbigayili. Njalo owesifazana wayelokuqedisisa okuhle, elesimo esihle, kodwa indoda yayilukhuni ilezenzo ezimbi; yayingeyakoKalebi.
His name was Nabal; he was a descendant of Caleb. His wife Abigail was a wise and beautiful woman, but Nabal was very cruel and treated people very unkindly [IDM].
4 UDavida wasesizwa esenkangala ukuthi uNabali ugunda izimvu zakhe.
One day while David [and his men] were in the desert, someone told him that Nabal was cutting the wool from his sheep.
5 UDavida wasethuma amajaha alitshumi, uDavida wathi emajaheni: Yenyukelani eKharmeli, liye kuNabali, limbuze impilo ebizweni lami,
So David told ten of his men, “Go to Nabal at Carmel and greet him for me.
6 lizakutsho njalo: Impilakahle kayibe kuwe, ukuthula kakube kuwe, lokuthula kakube sendlini yakho, lokuthula kakube kukho konke olakho!
Then tell to him this message from me, ‘I wish/desire that things will go well for you and your family and for everything that you possess.
7 Sengizwile-ke ukuthi ulabagundi; abelusi olabo-ke babelathi, kasibalimazanga, futhi kabaswelanga lutho zonke izinsuku beseKharmeli.
‘heard people say that you are cutting the wool from your sheep. Previously, when your shepherds were among us, we did not harm them. All the time that your shepherds were among us at Camel, we did not steal any sheep from them.
8 Buza amajaha akho, azakutshela. Ngakho amajaha kawathole umusa emehlweni akho, ngoba sifike ngosuku oluhle. Akunike inceku zakho lendodana yakho uDavida lokho isandla sakho esizakuthola.
You can ask your servants if this is true, and they will tell you [that it is true]. We have come here at a time when you are celebrating, so I ask you to please be kind to us and give these men whatever extra food you have, for me, David, and my men to eat.’”
9 Kwathi amajaha kaDavida esefikile, akhuluma kuNabali ngokwalawomazwi wonke ebizweni likaDavida, aselinda.
When David’s men arrived where Nabal was, they gave David’s message to him, and they waited [for him to reply]. But Nabal spoke harshly to them.
10 UNabali waseziphendula izinceku zikaDavida, wathi: Ngubani uDavida? Njalo ngubani indodana kaJese? Lamuhla zinengi inceku ezibalekayo, ileyo laleyo enkosini yayo.
He said to them, “Who [does] this man, this son of Jesse, [think that he] is? [DOU, RHQ] There are many slaves who are running away from their masters at the present time, [and it seems to me that he is just one of them].
11 Pho, ngithathe isinkwa sami, lamanzi ami, lenyama yami engiyihlabele abagundi bami, ngikuphe abantu engingazi ukuthi bavela ngaphi?
I give bread and water to the men who are cutting the wool from my sheep, and I give them meat from animals that I have slaughtered. Why should I take some of those things and give them to a group of outlaws [RHQ]? (Who knows where they have come from?/I do not even know where they have come from.)” [RHQ]
12 Amajaha kaDavida asephendukela endleleni yawo, abuyela, eza, ambikela njengawo wonke lamazwi.
Then David’s men returned and told him what Nabal had said.
13 UDavida wasesithi ebantwini bakhe: Bhincani, ngulowo lalowo inkemba yakhe! Babhinca, ngulowo lalowo inkemba yakhe, loDavida laye wabhinca inkemba yakhe; kwasekusenyuka emva kukaDavida phose amadoda angamakhulu amane, kodwa angamakhulu amabili ahlala empahleni.
When David heard that, he told his men, “[We are going to kill Nabal; ] fasten your swords!” So he fastened on his sword and about 400 men fastened on their swords and went with David. There were 200 of his men who stayed with their supplies.
14 Kodwa elinye ijaha lamajaha lamtshela uAbigayili umkaNabali lathi: Khangela, uDavida uthume izithunywa zivela enkangala ukubingelela inkosi yethu, kodwa yazithethisa.
One of Nabal’s servants [found out what David and his men were planning to do, so he] went to Nabal’s wife Abigail and said to her, “David sent some messengers from the desert to greet our master Nabal, but Nabal only yelled at them.
15 Kanti labobantu basiphatha kuhle kakhulu, kasilimalanga, kasiswelanga lutho zonke izinsuku sihambisana labo, sisemmangweni.
All the time that we were in the fields close to them, those men of David were very kind to us. They did not harm us. They did not steal anything from us.
16 Babengumduli kithi ebusuku kanye lemini, zonke izinsuku silabo seluse izimvu.
They protected us during the daytime and during the night. They were like a wall [MET] around us to protect us while we were taking care of our sheep.
17 Khathesi-ke, yazi ubone ukuthi uzakwenzani; ngoba ububi buqunyelwe inkosi yethu lendlu yayo yonke; ngoba uyindodana kaBheliyali okungangokuthi kakho ongakhuluma laye.
So now you should think about it and decide what you can do. [If you do not do something, ] terrible things will happen to our master and to all his family. Nabal is an extremely wicked man, with the result that [he will not heed anyone when] that person tries to tell him anything [that he should do].”
18 UAbigayili wasephangisa wathatha izinkwa ezingamakhulu amabili, lembodlela ezimbili zewayini, lezimvu ezinhlanu ezilungisiweyo, lamaseya amane amabele akhanzingiweyo, lamahlukuzo alikhulu ezithelo zevini ezonyisiweyo, lezinkwa ezingamakhulu amabili zomkhiwa, wakuthwalisa obabhemi.
[When] Abigail [heard that, she] very quickly gathered 200 loaves [of bread], and also got two leather bags full of wine, the meat from five sheep, a bushel of roasted grain, 100 packs of raisins, and 200 packs of dried figs. She put all those things on donkeys.
19 Wasesithi emajaheni akhe: Dlulani phambi kwami; khangelani, ngiyalilandela. Kodwa kamtshelanga umkakhe uNabali.
Then she told her servants, “Go ahead of me. I will follow you.” But she did not tell her husband [what she was going to do].
20 Kwasekusithi esagade ubabhemi esehlela endaweni esithekileyo yentaba, khangela-ke, uDavida labantu bakhe behla behlangabezana laye; wasehlangana labo.
David and his men [had left the place where they were staying and were on the road to Nabal’s property. They] were coming down a hill when they met Abigail.
21 Njalo uDavida wayethe: Isibili ngigcine ngeze konke lo ayelakho enkangala, kakwaze kwasweleka lutho kukho konke ayelakho. Usengibuyisele okubi ngokuhle.
David had been saying to his men, “It was useless for us to protect that man and all his possessions here in this desert. We did not steal anything that belonged to him, but he has done evil to me in return for our good [things we did for him].
22 UNkulunkulu akenze njalo ezitheni zikaDavida, engezelele ngokunjalo, uba ngitshiya loyedwa kubo bonke alabo kuze kube sekuseni abachamela emdulini.
I hope/desire that God will strike me and kill me [IDM] if he or even one of his men [IDM] is still alive tomorrow morning!”
23 Lapho uAbigayili ebona uDavida, waphangisa wehla kubabhemi, wathi mbo ngobuso bakhe phansi phambi kukaDavida, wakhothamela emhlabathini.
When Abigail saw David, she quickly got down from her donkey and bowed before him, with her face touching the ground.
24 Wawela enyaweni zakhe wathi: Lobububi kabube phezu kwami mina, nkosi yami; incekukazi yakho ake ikhulume endlebeni zakho, uzwe amazwi encekukazi yakho.
Then she prostrated herself at David’s feet and said to him, “Sir, I deserve to be punished [for what my husband has done]. Please listen to what I say to you.
25 Inkosi yami ake inganaki lowomuntu kaBheliyali, uNabali; ngoba njengebizo lakhe unjalo; uNabali libizo lakhe, lobuthutha bukuye. Kodwa mina, incekukazi yakho, kangiwabonanga amajaha enkosi yami owawathumayo.
Please do not pay attention to [IDM] what this worthless man Nabal has said. His name means ‘fool’, and he surely is a foolish man. But I, who am [willing to be] your servant, did not see the messengers whom you sent to him.
26 Ngakho-ke, nkosi yami, kuphila kukaJehova, lokuphila komphefumulo wakho, njengoba iNkosi ikunqandile ukungena ngokuchitha igazi, lokuziphindisela ngesandla sakho, ngalokho-ke kazibe njengoNabali izitha zakho lalabo abadinga ububi enkosini yami.
Yahweh has prevented you from getting revenge on anyone and killing anyone. I hope/desire that as surely as Yahweh lives and as surely as you live, your enemies will be [cursed] like Nabal will be.
27 Manje-ke, lesisibusiso incekukazi yakho esilethe enkosini yami kasinikwe amajaha ahamba esiya le lale emanyathelweni enkosi yami.
I have brought a gift for you and for the men who are with you.
28 Akuthethelele isiphambeko sencekukazi yakho; ngoba iNkosi izakwenzela lokwenzela inkosi yami indlu eqinileyo, ngoba inkosi yami ilwa izimpi zeNkosi, lobubi kabutholwanga kuwe kusukela ensukwini zakho.
Please forgive me if I have done anything wrong to you. Yahweh will surely [reward you by] allowing many of your descendants to become kings of Israel, because you are fighting the battles that Yahweh [wants you to fight]. And [I know that] throughout all your life you have not done anything wrong.
29 Loba kusukuma umuntu ukukuxotsha lokudinga impilo yakho, kodwa umphefumulo wenkosi yami uzabotshelwa emqulwini wabaphilayo leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho; kodwa umphefumulo wezitha zakho izawujikijela kungathi uphume phakathi kwesavutha.
Even when those who are trying to kill you pursue you, you are safe, because Yahweh your God takes care of you. You will be [protected as though you were] [MET] a bundle that he has safely tied up. But your enemies will [disappear as fast as stones] that are hurled from a sling.
30 Kwasekusithi, lapho iNkosi isikwenzile enkosini yami njengakho konke okuhle ekukhulume ngawe, isikumisile waba ngumbusi phezu kukaIsrayeli,
Yahweh has promised to do good things for you, and he will do what he has promised. And he will cause you to become the ruler of the Israeli people.
31 kakungabi yisikhubekiso kuwe lokukhubekiswa kwenhliziyo enkosini yami, ngokuthi uchithe igazi ngeze, lokuthi inkosi yami iziphindisele. Lapho iNkosi isiyenzele okuhle inkosi yami, khumbula incekukazi yakho.
When that happens, [you will be glad that you did not kill any] people in Nabal’s household. You will not think that you deserve to be punished for having taken revenge yourself and killed innocent people. And when Yahweh enables you to successfully [become the king], please do not forget [to be kind to] me.”
32 UDavida wasesithi kuAbigayili: Kayibusiswe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ekuthumileyo lamuhla ukungihlangabeza.
David replied to Abigail, “I praise Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], because he sent you to [talk with] me.
33 Futhi kakubusiswe ukuqedisisa kwakho, ubusiswe lawe onginqandileyo lamuhla ukuze ngingangeni ekuchitheni igazi lokuziphindisela ngesandla sami.
I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you for being very wise. You have prevented me from taking revenge myself and killing many people [MTY] today.
34 Ngoba ngeqiniso, kuphila kukaJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, onginqandileyo ukuze ngingenzi ububi kuwe, ngoba uba ubungaphangisanga weza ukungihlangabeza, sibili, bekungayikusala loyedwa kuNabali kuze kube sekukhanyeni kwekuseni ochamela emdulini.
Just as surely as Yahweh the God whom we Israelis [worship] is alive, he has prevented me from harming you. If you had not come quickly to talk to me, neither Nabal nor even one of Nabal’s men [IDM] would be still alive tomorrow morning.”
35 UDavida wasesemukela esandleni sakhe lokho amlethele khona. Wasesithi kuye: Yenyukela ngokuthula endlini yakho; bona, ngililalele ilizwi lakho, ngibemukele ubuso bakho.
Then David accepted the gifts that Abigail had brought to him. He said to her, “I hope/desire that things will go well for you. I have heard what you said, and I will do what you have requested.”
36 UAbigayili wasefika kuNabali, khangela-ke, wayeledili endlini yakhe, njengedili lenkosi. Lenhliziyo kaNabali yathokoza phakathi kwakhe, njalo wayedakwe kwedlulisa; ngakho kamtshelanga lutho, oluncinyane loba olukhulu, kwaze kwaba sekukhanyeni kwekuseni.
When Abigail returned to Nabal, he was in his house, having a big celebration like kings have. He was very drunk and feeling very happy. So Abigail did not say anything to him that night [about her meeting with David].
37 Kwasekusithi ekuseni lapho iwayini seliphumile kuNabali, lomkakhe esemtshele lezizinto, inhliziyo yakhe yafa phakathi kwakhe, wasesiba njengelitshe.
The next morning, when he was no longer drunk, she told him everything [that had happened when she talked with David]. [Immediately] (he had a stroke/a blood vessel burst in his brain) and he became paralyzed [MET].
38 Kwasekusithi phose emva kwensuku ezilitshumi iNkosi yamtshaya uNabali, wasesifa.
About ten days later Yahweh struck him [again] and he died.
39 UDavida esezwile ukuthi uNabali usefile wathi: Kayibusiswe iNkosi emele udaba lwehlazo lami esandleni sikaNabali, yavimbela inceku yayo ebubini; iNkosi yabuyisela-ke ububi bukaNabali ekhanda lakhe. UDavida wasethuma, wakhuluma loAbigayili ukuthi amthathe abe ngumkakhe.
After David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise Yahweh! Nabal insulted me, but Yahweh (vindicated me/got revenge for me). He has prevented me from [doing anything] wrong. And he has punished Nabal for the wrong that he did.” Then David sent [messengers] to Abigail, to ask her if she would become his wife.
40 Lapho izinceku zikaDavida zifika kuAbigayili eKharmeli, zakhuluma laye zisithi: UDavida usithumile kuwe ukukuthatha ube ngumkakhe.
His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David sent us to take you to become his wife.”
41 Wasesukuma, wakhothama ngobuso emhlabathini, wathi: Khangela, incekukazi yakho kayibe yisigqili sokugezisa inyawo zenceku zenkosi yami.
Abigail bowed down with her face touching the ground. Then she told [the messengers to tell David], “[I am happy to become your wife]. I will be your servant. And I am willing to wash the feet of your slaves.”
42 UAbigayili wasephangisa esukuma, wagada ubabhemi, lentombi zakhe ezinhlanu ezazimphelekezela, walandela izithunywa zikaDavida, waba ngumkakhe.
Abigail quickly got on her donkey and went with David’s messengers. Five of her maids went with her. [When she arrived where David was, ] she became his wife.
43 UDavida wathatha loAhinowama weJizereyeli, labo bobabili baba ngomkakhe.
David had previously married Ahinoam, a woman from Jezreel [town near Carmel]. So both Abigail and Ahinoam were now David’s wives.
44 Ngoba uSawuli wayenike uMikhali indodakazi yakhe, umkaDavida, kuPaliti indodana kaLayishi owayengoweGalimi.
King Saul’s daughter Michal was also David’s wife, but Saul had given her to Laish’s son Paltiel, who was from Gallim [town].
