< 2 Amakhosi 1 >

1 UMowabi wasevukela uIsrayeli emva kokufa kukaAhabi.
After King Ahab died, [the country of] Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 UAhaziya wasesiwa eminxibeni yewindi ekamelweni lakhe eliphezulu eliseSamariya, wagula. Wathuma izithunywa, wathi kuzo: Hambani liyebuza kuBhali-Zebhubi unkulunkulu weEkhironi ukuthi ngizasila yini emkhuhlaneni lo.
One day, Ahaziah, [the new king of Israel, ] fell through the wooden slats/boards around the edge of the flat roof [of his palace] in Samaria. He was badly injured, so he summoned some messengers and told them, “Go to Ekron [city in Philistia], and ask their god Baalzebub whether I will (recover/become well).”
3 Kodwa ingilosi yeNkosi yathi kuElija umTishibi: Sukuma, wenyuke ukuhlangabeza izithunywa zenkosi yeSamariya, uthi kizo: Kungenxa yokuthi kakulaNkulunkulu yini koIsrayeli ukuthi lihambe liyebuza kuBhali-Zebhubi unkulunkulu weEkhironi?
But an angel from Yahweh said to Elijah, the prophet from Tishbe [town], “The king of Samaria [is sending] some messengers [to Ekron]. Go and meet them and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to Ekron to ask Baalzebub, the god of those people, [whether you will recover]?
4 Ngakho-ke itsho njalo iNkosi: Umbheda owenyukele kuwo kawuyikwehla kuwo, ngoba uzakufa lokufa. UElija wasehamba.
Yahweh says [that you should tell King Ahaziah] that he will not recover from his being injured; he will surely die.’”
5 Lapho izithunywa sezibuyele kuyo, wathi kuzo: Kungani selibuyile?
[So Elijah went to meet] the messengers [and told that to them, and they] returned to the king [instead of going to Ekron]. The king asked them, “Why did you return [so soon]?”
6 Zasezisithi kuyo: Umuntu wenyukile ukusihlangabeza, wathi kithi: Hambani libuyele enkosini elithumileyo, lithi kuyo: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Kungenxa yokuthi kakulaNkulunkulu koIsrayeli yini ukuthi uthumele ukubuza kuBhali-Zebhubi unkulunkulu weEkhironi? Ngakho umbheda owenyukele kuwo kawuyikwehla kuwo, ngoba sibili uzakufa.
They replied, “A man came to meet us, and said to us, ‘Return to the king who sent you and tell him that Yahweh says, “(Is it because there no God in Israel that you are sending [messengers] to Ekron to consult Baalzebub, their god?/You seem to think there is no God in Israel, with the result that you are sending [messengers] to Ekron to ask Baalzebub, their god, [whether you will recover].) [RHQ] [Go tell the king that] he will not recover from being injured; instead, he will surely die.”’”
7 Yasisithi kuzo: Besinjani isimo salowomuntu owenyukele ukulihlangabeza, wakhuluma kini lamazwi?
The king said to them, “The man who came to meet you and told that to you, what did he look like?”
8 Basebesithi kuyo: Ubeyindoda eloboya, ebophe ngozwezwe lwesikhumba ekhalweni lwayo. Yasisithi: NguElija umTishibi.
They replied, “He was a hairy man and he had a [wide] leather belt around his waist.” The king exclaimed, “That was Elijah!”
9 Inkosi yasithuma kuye induna yabangamatshumi amahlanu labangamatshumi amahlanu bayo. Yasisenyukela kuye; khangela-ke, wayehlezi engqongeni yentaba; yathi kuye: Muntu kaNkulunkulu, inkosi ithe: Yehla.
Then the king sent an officer with 50 soldiers to seize Elijah. They found Elijah sitting on the top of a hill. The officer called out to him, “Prophet, the king commands that you come down here!”
10 UElija wasephendula wathi enduneni yabangamatshumi amahlanu: Uba-ke ngingumuntu kaNkulunkulu, kakwehle umlilo ovela emazulwini uqothule wena labangamatshumi amahlanu bakho. Wasusehla umlilo uvela emazulwini, wayiqothula yona labangamatshumi amahlanu bayo.
But Elijah replied, “I am a prophet; so, I command that fire come down from the sky and burn up you and your 50 soldiers!” Immediately, fire came down from the sky and completely burned up the officer and his 50 [soldiers].
11 Yasibuya ithuma kuye enye induna yabangamatshumi amahlanu labangamatshumi amahlanu bayo. Yasiphendula yathi kuye: Muntu kaNkulunkulu, itsho njalo inkosi: Yehla masinyane.
[When the king found out about that, ] he sent another officer with 50 more soldiers. They went [to where Elijah was], and the officer called out to him, “Prophet, the king commands that you come down immediately!”
12 UElija wasephendula wathi kubo: Uba ngingumuntu kaNkulunkulu, kakwehle umlilo ovela emazulwini uqothule wena labangamatshumi amahlanu bakho. Wasusehla umlilo kaNkulunkulu uvela emazulwini, wayiqothula yona labangamatshumi amahlanu bayo.
But Elijah replied, “I am a prophet; [to prove that, ] I command that fire come down from the sky and kill you and your soldiers!” Then a fire from God came down from the sky and killed the officer and his soldiers.
13 Yasithuma futhi induna yabangamatshumi amahlanu besithathu labangamatshumi amahlanu bayo. Leyonduna yesithathu yabangamatshumi amahlanu yasisenyuka yeza yawa ngamadolo ayo phambi kukaElija, yamncenga yathi kuye: Muntu kaNkulunkulu, ake ibe ligugu impilo yami lempilo yalezi inceku zakho ezingamatshumi amahlanu emehlweni akho.
[When the king heard about that] he sent another officer with 50 more soldiers. [They went to where Elijah was], and the officer prostrated himself in front of Elijah, and said to him, “Prophet, I plead with you, be kind to me and my 50 soldiers, and (do not kill us/allow us to remain alive)!
14 Khangela, wehla umlilo uvela emazulwini, waqothula induna ezimbili zabangamatshumi amahlanu zokuqala labangamatshumi amahlanu azo; ngakho-ke kayibe ligugu impilo yami emehlweni akho.
[We know that] two times fire came down from the sky and killed officers and the 50 soldiers who were with them. So now, please be kind to me!”
15 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasisithi kuElija: Yehla laye, ungamesabi. Wasesukuma, wehla laye waya enkosini;
Then the angel from Yahweh said to Elijah, “Go down [and go] with him. Do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah went with them to the king.
16 wathi kuyo: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngenxa yokuthi uthume izithunywa ukuyabuza kuBhali-Zebhubi, unkulunkulu weEkhironi, kungenxa yokuthi kakulaNkulunkulu koIsrayeli yini, ukubuza ilizwi lakhe? Ngakho-ke umbheda owenyukele kuwo kawuyikwehla kuwo, ngoba uzakufa lokufa.
[When Elijah arrived, ] he said to the king, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You sent messengers to go to Ekron to ask Baalzebub, their god, [whether you would recover]. You acted as though [RHQ] there is no God in Israel to consult. So you will not recover from being injured; instead, you are going to die!’”
17 Wasesifa njengokwelizwi leNkosi uElija ayelikhulumile. UJehoramu wasesiba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe, ngomnyaka wesibili kaJoramu indodana kaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda, ngoba wayengelandodana.
So Ahaziah died, which is what Yahweh told Elijah would happen. Ahaziah’s [younger] brother Joram became the new king, when Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, had been ruling Judah for almost two years. Ahaziah’s brother became the king because Ahaziah had no son [to become the king].
18 Ezinye-ke zezindaba zikaAhaziya, azenzayo, kazibhalwanga yini egwalweni lwemilando yamakhosi akoIsrayeli?
[If you want to know about] all the other things that Ahaziah did, they are [RHQ] written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.

< 2 Amakhosi 1 >