2 Imilando 18

1 Njalo uJehoshafathi wayelenotho lodumo ngobunengi; wahlangana ngobuhlobo loAhabi.

Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.

2 Ekupheleni kweminyaka wasesehlela kuAhabi eSamariya. UAhabi wamhlabela izimvu lenkabi ngobunengi, labantu ababelaye, wamncenga ukuthi enyukele eRamothi-Gileyadi.

And after a lapse of years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.

3 UAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli wasesithi kuJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda: Uzahamba lami eRamothi-Gileyadi yini? Wasesithi kuye: Njengami unjalo wena, labantu bami banjengabantu bakho. Sizakuba lawe empini.

And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah: 'Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead?' And he answered him: 'I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.'

4 UJehoshafathi wasesithi enkosini yakoIsrayeli: Akubuze lamuhla ilizwi leNkosi.

And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel: 'Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD today.'

5 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasibuthanisa abaprofethi, amadoda angamakhulu amane, yathi kubo: Sihambe yini eRamothi-Gileyadi empini kumbe ngiyekele? Basebesithi: Yenyuka, ngoba uNkulunkulu uzayinikela esandleni senkosi.

Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said unto them: 'Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?' And they said: 'Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.'

6 Kodwa uJehoshafathi wathi: Kasekho yini lapha umprofethi weNkosi ukuthi sibuze kuye?

But Jehoshaphat said: 'Is there not here besides a prophet of the LORD, that we might inquire of him?'

7 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Kusekhona indoda eyodwa esingabuza ngayo eNkosini, kodwa mina ngiyamzonda ngoba kaprofethi lutho oluhle ngami, kodwa okubi zonke izinsuku zakhe; lo nguMikhaya indodana kaImla. UJehoshafathi wasesithi: Inkosi ingatsho njalo.

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat: 'There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him; for he never prophesieth good concerning me, but always evil; the same is Micaiah the son of Imla.' And Jehoshaphat said: 'Let not the king say so.'

8 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasibiza umthenwa othile yathi: Landa masinyane uMikhaya indodana kaImla.

Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said: 'Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.'

9 Njalo inkosi yakoIsrayeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda babehlezi ngulowo lalowo esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, begqoke izembatho, behlezi ebaleni engenelweni lesango leSamariya, bonke abaprofethi beprofetha-ke phambi kwabo.

Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they sat in a threshing-floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

10 UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenahana wasezenzela impondo zensimbi, wathi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngalezi uzahlaba amaSiriya uze uwaqede.

And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said: 'Thus saith the LORD: With these shalt thou gore the Arameans, until they be consumed.'

11 Labo bonke abaprofethi baprofetha njalo, besithi: Yenyukela eRamothi-Gileyadi uphumelele, ngoba iNkosi izayinikela esandleni senkosi.

And all the prophets prophesied so, saying: 'Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.'

12 Isithunywa esasiyebiza uMikhaya sakhuluma kuye sisithi: Khangela, amazwi abaprofethi ngamlomo munye mahle enkosini; ngakho ilizwi lakho ake lifanane lelomunye wabo, ukhulume okuhle.

And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying: 'Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.'

13 Kodwa uMikhaya wathi: Kuphila kukaJehova, ngeqiniso lokho uNkulunkulu wami akutshoyo, lokho ngizakukhuluma.

And Micaiah said: 'As the LORD liveth, what my God saith, that will I speak.'

14 Esefikile enkosini, inkosi yathi kuye: Mikhaya, siye eRamothi-Gileyadi empini kumbe ngiyekele yini? Wasesithi: Yenyukani, liphumelele, ngoba bazanikelwa esandleni senu.

And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him: 'Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?' And he said: 'Go ye up, and prosper; and they shall be delivered into your hand.'

15 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Ngizakufungisa kuze kube yizikhathi ezingaki ukuze ungakhulumi kimi ngaphandle kweqiniso ebizweni leNkosi?

And the king said to him: 'How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD.'

16 Wasesithi: Ngabona uIsrayeli wonke echithekile phezu kwezintaba njengezimvu ezingelamelusi; iNkosi yasisithi: Laba kabalamakhosi, kababuyele ngulowo endlini yakhe ngokuthula.

And he said: 'I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd; and the LORD said: These have no master, let them return every man to his house in peace.'

17 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Kangikutshelanga yini: Kayikuprofetha okuhle ngami kodwa okubi kuphela?

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: 'Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?'

18 Wasesithi: Ngakho zwanini ilizwi leNkosi. Ngabona iNkosi ihlezi esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi, lexuku lonke lamazulu limi ngakwesokunene sayo langakwesokhohlo sayo.

And he said: 'Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and on His left.

19 INkosi yasisithi: Ngubani ozahuga uAhabi inkosi yakoIsrayeli ukuze enyuke awe eRamothi-Gileyadi? Omunye wasekhuluma esitsho ngokunjalo, lomunye esitsho ngokunjalo.

And the LORD said: who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.

20 Kwasekuphuma umoya, wema phambi kweNkosi wathi: Mina ngizamhuga. INkosi yasisithi kuwo: Ngani?

And there came forth the spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said: I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him: Wherewith?

21 Wasusithi: Ngizaphuma ngibe ngumoya wamanga emlonyeni wabo bonke abaprofethi bakhe. Yasisithi: Uzamhuga, njalo uzakuba lamandla; phuma wenze njalo.

And he said: I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And He said: Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also; go forth, and do so.

22 Ngakho-ke, khangela, iNkosi ifake umoya wamanga emlonyeni walababaprofethi bakho, njalo iNkosi ikhulume okubi ngawe.

Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets; and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.'

23 UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenahana wasesondela, watshaya uMikhaya esihlathini, wathi: UMoya weNkosi wedlula ngandlela bani esuka kimi ukuthi akhulume lawe?

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the check, and said: 'Which way went the spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?'

24 UMikhaya wasesithi: Khangela, uzabona ngalolosuku mhla uzangena ekamelweni phakathi kwekamelo ukuthi ucatshe.

And Micaiah said: 'Behold, thou shalt see on that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.'

25 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi: Thathani uMikhaya, limbuyisele kuAmoni umbusi womuzi lakuJowashi indodana yenkosi,

And the king of Israel said: 'Take ye Micaiah; and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;

26 lithi: Itsho njalo inkosi: Fakani lo entolongweni, limdlise isinkwa senhlupho lamanzi enhlupho ngize ngibuye ngokuthula.

and say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with scant bread and with scant water, until I return in peace.'

27 UMikhaya wasesithi: Uba ubuya lokubuya ngokuthula, iNkosi izabe ingakhulumanga ngami. Wathi: Lalelani, bantu lonke.

And Micaiah said: 'If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me.' And he said: 'Hear, ye peoples, all of you.'

28 Ngakho inkosi yakoIsrayeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda benyukela eRamothi-Gileyadi.

So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the kind of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.

29 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Ngizazifihla isimo, ngingene empini, kodwa wena gqoka izembatho zakho. Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasizifihla isimo, basebengena empini.

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat: 'I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but put thou on thy robes.' So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle.

30 Inkosi yeSiriya yayilayile-ke izinduna zenqola eyayilazo isithi: Lingalwi lomncane loba omkhulu, kodwa lenkosi yakoIsrayeli kuphela.

Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying: 'Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.'

31 Kwasekusithi induna zezinqola zibona uJehoshafathi zona zathi: Yena uyinkosi yakoIsrayeli. Ngakho zamhanqela ukulwa. Kodwa uJehoshafathi wahlaba umkhosi; iNkosi yasimsiza. UNkulunkulu wazihuga zasuka kuye.

And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said: 'It is the king of Israel.' Therefore they turned about to fight against him; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

32 Ngoba kwathi lapho induna zezinqola zibona ukuthi kwakungayisiyo inkosi yakoIsrayeli, zaphenduka ekuyilandeleni.

And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

33 Umuntu othile wasedonsa idandili engananzelele, wahlaba inkosi yakoIsrayeli phakathi kwenhlangano lebhatshi lensimbi; yasisithi kumtshayeli wenqola: Phendula isandla sakho, ungikhuphe ebuthweni, ngoba ngilimele.

And a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the lower armour and the breastplate; wherefore he said to the driver of the chariot: 'Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am sore wounded.'

34 Impi yasikhula mhlalokho; inkosi yayisekelwe enqoleni iqondene lamaSiriya kwaze kwaba ntambama; yafa ngesikhathi sokutshona kwelanga.

And the battle increased that day; howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Arameans until the even; and about the time of the going down of the sun he died.