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.
2 Ekupheleni kweminyaka wasesehlela kuAhabi eSamariya. UAhabi wamhlabela izimvu lenkabi ngobunengi, labantu ababelaye, wamncenga ukuthi enyukele eRamothi-Gileyadi.
After some years, he went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved 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.
Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”
4 UJehoshafathi wasesithi enkosini yakoIsrayeli: Akubuze lamuhla ilizwi leNkosi.
Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please enquire first for the LORD’s word.”
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 to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” 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, “Isn’t there here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we may enquire 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.
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may enquire of the LORD; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let 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, “Get Micaiah the son of Imla quickly.”
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 each sat on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place 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.
Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron and said, “The LORD says, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’”
11 Labo bonke abaprofethi baprofetha njalo, besithi: Yenyukela eRamothi-Gileyadi uphumelele, ngoba iNkosi izayinikela esandleni senkosi.
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.
The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good.”
13 Kodwa uMikhaya wathi: Kuphila kukaJehova, ngeqiniso lokho uNkulunkulu wami akutshoyo, lokho ngizakukhuluma.
Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, I will say what my God says.”
14 Esefikile enkosini, inkosi yathi kuye: Mikhaya, siye eRamothi-Gileyadi empini kumbe ngiyekele yini? Wasesithi: Yenyukani, liphumelele, ngoba bazanikelwa esandleni senu.
When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” He said, “Go up, and prosper. They shall be delivered into your hand.”
15 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Ngizakufungisa kuze kube yizikhathi ezingaki ukuze ungakhulumi kimi ngaphandle kweqiniso ebizweni leNkosi?
The king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the LORD’s name?”
16 Wasesithi: Ngabona uIsrayeli wonke echithekile phezu kwezintaba njengezimvu ezingelamelusi; iNkosi yasisithi: Laba kabalamakhosi, kababuyele ngulowo endlini yakhe ngokuthula.
He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. The LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’”
17 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuJehoshafathi: Kangikutshelanga yini: Kayikuprofetha okuhle ngami kodwa okubi kuphela?
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you 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.
Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the LORD’s word: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the army 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.
The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way.
20 Kwasekuphuma umoya, wema phambi kweNkosi wathi: Mina ngizamhuga. INkosi yasisithi kuwo: Ngani?
A spirit came out, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “The LORD said to him, ‘How?’
21 Wasusithi: Ngizaphuma ngibe ngumoya wamanga emlonyeni wabo bonke abaprofethi bakhe. Yasisithi: Uzamhuga, njalo uzakuba lamandla; phuma wenze njalo.
“He said, ‘I will go, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ “He said, ‘You will entice him, and will prevail also. Go and do so.’
22 Ngakho-ke, khangela, iNkosi ifake umoya wamanga emlonyeni walababaprofethi bakho, njalo iNkosi ikhulume okubi ngawe.
“Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; and the LORD has spoken evil concerning you.”
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 struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the LORD’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?”
24 UMikhaya wasesithi: Khangela, uzabona ngalolosuku mhla uzangena ekamelweni phakathi kwekamelo ukuthi ucatshe.
Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day, when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.”
25 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi: Thathani uMikhaya, limbuyisele kuAmoni umbusi womuzi lakuJowashi indodana yenkosi,
The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to 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, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.”’”
27 UMikhaya wasesithi: Uba ubuya lokubuya ngokuthula, iNkosi izabe ingakhulumanga ngami. Wathi: Lalelani, bantu lonke.
Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, you people, all of you!”
28 Ngakho inkosi yakoIsrayeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda benyukela eRamothi-Gileyadi.
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king 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.
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your 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 Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Don’t fight with small nor great, except 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.
When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they turned around 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.
When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, 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.
A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armour. Therefore he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am severely wounded.”
34 Impi yasikhula mhlalokho; inkosi yayisekelwe enqoleni iqondene lamaSiriya kwaze kwaba ntambama; yafa ngesikhathi sokutshona kwelanga.
The battle increased that day. However, the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and at about sunset, he died.
