2 Amakhosi 3
1 UJehoramu indodana kaAhabi waba-ke yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli eSamariya ngomnyaka wetshumi lesificaminwembili kaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda; wabusa iminyaka elitshumi lambili.
In the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Jehoram son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twelve years.
2 Wasesenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, kodwa kungenjengoyise lanjengonina, ngoba wasusa insika kaBhali eyisithombe uyise ayeyenzile.
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He removed the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made.
3 Loba kunjalo wanamathela ezonweni zikaJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati owenza uIsrayeli one, kasukanga kukho.
Nevertheless, he clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.
4 Njalo uMesha inkosi yakoMowabi wayengumfuyi wezimvu, wayethela enkosini yakoIsrayeli amawundlu azinkulungwane ezilikhulu, lezinqama ezizinkulungwane ezilikhulu, loboya bezimvu.
Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he would render to the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams.
5 Kodwa kwathi uAhabi esefile, inkosi yakoMowabi yavukela inkosi yakoIsrayeli.
But after the death of Ahab, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 Inkosi uJehoramu yasiphuma ngalesosikhathi eSamariya, yabala uIsrayeli wonke.
So at that time King Jehoram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel.
7 Yasihamba yathumela kuJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda isithi: Inkosi yakoMowabi isingivukele; uzahamba lami yini siye koMowabi empini? Wasesithi: Ngizakwenyuka. Nginjengawe, njengabantu bami banjalo abantu bakho, njengamabhiza ami anjalo amabhiza akho.
And he sent a message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” “I will go,” replied Jehoshaphat. “I am like you, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses.”
8 Yasisithi: Sizakwenyuka ngayiphi indlela? Wasesithi: Ngendlela yenkangala yeEdoma.
Then he asked, “Which way shall we go up?” “By way of the Desert of Edom,” replied Joram.
9 Yasihamba inkosi yakoIsrayeli, lenkosi yakoJuda, lenkosi yeEdoma; sebebhode uhambo lwensuku eziyisikhombisa, kwakungelamanzi ebutho lawezifuyo ezibalandelayo.
So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set out, and after they had traveled a roundabout route for seven days, they had no water for their army or for their animals.
10 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi: Maye, ngoba uJehova ubize la amakhosi amathathu ukuwanikela esandleni sikaMowabi!
“Alas,” said the king of Israel, “for the LORD has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab!”
11 Kodwa uJehoshafathi wathi: Kakulamprofethi weNkosi lapha yini esingabuza ngaye iNkosi? Enye yenceku zenkosi yakoIsrayeli yasiphendula yathi: Kukhona lapha uElisha indodana kaShafati owathela amanzi ezandleni zikaElija.
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here? Let us inquire of the LORD through him.” And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”
12 UJehoshafathi wasesithi: Ilizwi leNkosi likuye. Ngakho inkosi yakoIsrayeli loJehoshafathi lenkosi yeEdoma behlela kuye.
Jehoshaphat affirmed, “The word of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13 UElisha wasesithi enkosini yakoIsrayeli: Ngilani lawe? Hamba kubaprofethi bakayihlo lakubaprofethi bakanyoko. Kodwa inkosi yakoIsrayeli yathi kuye: Hatshi, ngoba iNkosi ibize lamakhosi amathathu ukuwanikela esandleni sikaMowabi.
Elisha, however, said to the king of Israel, “What have we to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and of your mother!” “No,” replied the king of Israel, “for it is the LORD who has summoned these three kings to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”
14 UElisha wasesithi: Kuphila kukaJehova wamabandla engimi phambi kwakhe, sibili, uba bengingaphakamisi ubukhona bukaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda, bengingayikukukhangela njalo ngingakuboni.
Then Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not for my regard for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or acknowledge you.
15 Ngakho-ke ngilethelani umtshayi wechacho. Kwathi umtshayi wechacho eselitshaya, isandla seNkosi saba phezu kwakhe.
But now, bring me a harpist.” And while the harpist played, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha
16 Wasesithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Yenzani lesisihotsha sibe yimigelogelo.
and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’
17 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Kaliyikubona umoya njalo kaliyikubona izulu, kodwa lesisihotsha sizagcwaliswa ngamanzi, ukuze linathe lina, lenkomo zenu lezifuyo zenu.
For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’
18 Kodwa lokhu kulula emehlweni eNkosi: Izanikela lamaMowabi esandleni senu.
This is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD, and He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.
19 Njalo lizatshaya wonke umuzi obiyelweyo, lawo wonke umuzi okhethekileyo, ligamule sonke isihlahla esihle, ligqibele yonke imithombo yamanzi, lone yonke insimu enhle ngamatshe.
And you shall attack every fortified city and every city of importance. You shall cut down every good tree, stop up every spring, and ruin every good field with stones.”
20 Kwasekusithi ekuseni ekunikelweni komnikelo wokudla, khangela-ke, kwafika amanzi evelela endleleni yeEdoma, ilizwe laseligcwaliswa ngamanzi.
The next morning, at the time of the morning sacrifice, water suddenly flowed from the direction of Edom and filled the land.
21 Wonke amaMowabi esezwile ukuthi amakhosi enyukile ukulwa emelene lawo, abizelwa ndawonye, kusukela kuye wonke obhinca izikhali kusiya phezulu, asesima emngceleni.
Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come up to fight against them. So all who could bear arms, young and old, were summoned and stationed at the border.
22 Asevuka ekuseni kakhulu; ilanga selikhanya phezu kwamanzi, amaMowabi abona amanzi emaqondana lawo ebomvu njengegazi.
When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water, and it looked as red as blood to the Moabites across the way.
23 Asesithi: Ligazi leli; amakhosi achithiwe lokuchithwa, asetshayene. Ngakho-ke, empangweni, Mowabi!
“This is blood!” they exclaimed. “The kings have clashed swords and slaughtered one another. Now to the plunder, Moab!”
24 Kwathi efika enkambeni yakoIsrayeli, amaIsrayeli asukuma atshaya amaMowabi, aze abaleka esuka phambi kwawo; kodwa angena elizweni atshaya amaMowabi.
But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and attacked them, and they fled before them. So the Israelites invaded their land and struck down the Moabites.
25 Asediliza imizi; ngulowo wasephosa ilitshe lakhe kuyo yonke insimu enhle, ayigcwalisa, agqibela yonke imithombo yamanzi, agamula zonke izihlahla ezinhle, kwaze kwasala amatshe ayo eKiri-Haresethi kuphela; kodwa abaphosa ngezavutha bayigombolozela, bayitshaya.
They destroyed the cities, and each man threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up every spring and cut down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth was left with stones in place, but men with slings surrounded it and attacked it as well.
26 Inkosi yakoMowabi isibonile ukuthi impi ilukhuni kakhulu kuyo, yathatha abantu abangamakhulu ayisikhombisa abahwatsha inkemba kanye layo, ukuze ifohlele enkosini yeEdoma, kodwa behluleka.
When the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not prevail.
27 Yasithatha indodana yayo elizibulo eyayizakuba yinkosi esikhundleni sayo, yayinikela yaba ngumnikelo wokutshiswa phezu komduli. Kwasekusiba lolaka olukhulu olumelene loIsrayeli; basebesuka kuyo babuyela elizweni lakibo.
So he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the city wall. And there was great fury against the Israelites, so they withdrew and returned to their own land.
