2 Amakhosi 6
1 Amadodana abaprofethi asesithi kuElisha: Khangela-ke, indawo esihlala kiyo lawe iminyene kakhulu kithi.
And the sons of the prophets said to Eliseus: Behold the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
2 Akusiyekele sihambe siye eJordani, sithathe khona, ngulowo lalowo isigodo esisodwa, sizenzele khona indawo yokuhlala kiyo. Wasesithi: Hambani.
Let us go as far as the Jordan and take out of the wood every man a piece of timber, that we may build us there a place to dwell in. And he said: Go.
3 Omunye wasesithi: Akuvume, uhambe lenceku zakho. Wasesithi: Mina ngizahamba.
And one of them said: But come thou also with thy servants. He answered: I will come.
4 Wasehamba labo; sebefikile eJordani bagamula izihlahla.
So he went with them. And when they were come to the Jordan they cut down wood.
5 Kodwa omunye esagamula ugodo, insimbi yawela emanzini. Wasememeza esithi: Maye, nkosi yami! Ngoba belebolekiwe.
And it happened, as one was felling some timber, that the head of the axe fell into the water: and he cried out, and said: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, for this same was borrowed.
6 Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wasesithi: Iwele ngaphi? Wasemtshengisa indawo. Wasegamula uswazi, waluphosela khona, wenza insimbi yandenda.
And the man of God said: Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place. Then he cut off a piece of wood, and cast it in thither: and the iron swam.
7 Wasesithi: Zenyulele yona. Waseselula isandla sakhe, wayithatha.
And he said: Take it up. And he put out his hand and took it.
8 Kwathi inkosi yeSiriya isilwa loIsrayeli yacebisana lenceku zayo isithi: Ekuthanathaneni izakuba yinkamba yami.
And the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying: In such and such a place let us lay ambushes.
9 Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wasethumela enkosini yakoIsrayeli esithi: Qaphela ungedluli kulindawo, ngoba amaSiriya ehlele khona.
And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying: Beware that thou pass not to such a place: for the Syrians are there in ambush.
10 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasithumela kuleyondawo umuntu kaNkulunkulu ayitshela yona wayixwayisa ngayo. Yasizilondoloza khona, kungekanye, njalo kungekabili.
And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God had told him, and prevented him, and looked well to himself there not once nor twice.
11 Inhliziyo yenkosi yeSiriya yasikhathazeka kakhulu ngenxa yalinto. Yasibiza inceku zayo yathi kuzo: Kaliyikungitshela yini ukuthi ngubani kithi ongowenkosi yakoIsrayeli?
And the heart of the king of Syria was troubled for this thing. And calling together his servants, he said: Why do you not tell me who it is that betrays me to the king of Israel?
12 Omunye wenceku zakhe wasesithi: Hatshi, nkosi yami, nkosi; kodwa uElisha umprofethi okoIsrayeli uyayitshela inkosi yakoIsrayeli amazwi owakhuluma phakathi kwekamelo lakho lokulala.
And one of his servants said: No one, my lord O king: but Eliseus the prophet, that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel all the words, that thou speakest in thy privy chamber.
13 Yasisithi: Hambani liyebona lapho akhona, ukuze ngithume ngimthathe. Wasetshelwa kwathiwa: Khangela, useDothani.
And he said to them: Go, and see where he is: that I may send, and take him. And they told him, saying: Behold he is in Dothan.
14 Yasithuma khona amabhiza lezinqola lebutho elinzima; basebefika ebusuku, bawuzingelezela umuzi.
Therefore he sent thither horses and chariots, and the strength of an army: and they came by night, and beset the city.
15 Kwathi inceku yomuntu kaNkulunkulu isivukile ngovivi yaphuma, khangela-ke, ibutho lizingelezele umuzi kanye lamabhiza lezinqola. Inceku yakhe yasisithi kuye: Maye, nkosi yami! Sizakwenza njani?
And the servant of the man of God rising early, went out, and saw an army round about the city, and horses and chariots: and he told him, saying: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, what shall we do?
16 Wasesithi: Ungesabi, ngoba labo abalathi banengi okwedlula labo abalabo.
But he answered: Fear not: for there are more with us than with them.
17 UElisha wasekhuleka wathi: Nkosi, akuvule amehlo ayo ukuze ibone. INkosi yasiwavula amehlo alelojaha, laselibona, khangela-ke, intaba igcwele amabhiza lenqola zomlilo zihanqe uElisha.
And Eliseus prayed, and said: Lord, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw: and behold the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire round about Eliseus.
18 Sebehlele kuye, uElisha wakhuleka eNkosini wathi: Akutshaye lababantu ngobuphofu. Yasibatshaya ngobuphofu njengokwelizwi likaElisha.
And the enemies came down to him, but Eliseus prayed to the Lord, saying: Strike, I beseech thee, this people with blindness. And the Lord struck them with blindness, according to the word of Eliseus.
19 UElisha wasesithi kibo: Kayisiyo le indlela, futhi kayisiwo lo umuzi; ngilandelani, ngizalisa kulowomuntu elimdingayo. Kodwa wabasa eSamariya.
And Eliseus said to them: This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will shew you the man whom you seek. So he led them into Samaria.
20 Kwasekusithi sebengene eSamariya, uElisha wathi: Nkosi, vula amehlo alaba ukuze babone. INkosi yasivula amehlo abo, basebebona; khangela-ke, babephakathi kweSamariya.
And when they were come into Samaria, Eliseus said: Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw themselves to be in the midst of Samaria.
21 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuElisha ibabona: Baba, ngibatshaye, ngibatshaye yini?
And the king of Israel said to Eliseus, when he saw them: My father, shall I kill them?
22 Wasesithi: Ungatshayi. Ungatshaya yini labo obathumbe ngenkemba yakho langedandili lakho? Beka isinkwa lamanzi phambi kwabo ukuze badle banathe, baye enkosini yabo.
And he said: Thou shalt not kill them: for thou didst not take them with thy sword, or thy bow, that thou mayst kill them: but set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
23 Yasibalungisela idili elikhulu; sebedlile banatha, yabayekela bahamba, baya enkosini yabo. Ngakho amaviyo amaSiriya kawabesaphinda ukubuya elizweni lakoIsrayeli.
And a great provision of meats was set before them, and they ate and drank, and he let them go, and they went away to their master, and the robbers of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
24 Kwasekusithi emva kwalokho uBenihadadi inkosi yeSiriya wabutha ibutho lakhe lonke, wenyuka wavimbezela iSamariya.
And it came to pass after these things, that Benadad king of Syria gathered together all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25 Kwasekusiba lendlala enkulu eSamariya; khangela-ke, bayivimbela, kwaze kwathi inhloko kababhemi yathengiswa ngenhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi ayisificaminwembili, lengxenye eyodwa kwezine yegajana lobudolilo bejuba ngenhlamvu zesiliva ezinhlanu.
And there was a great famine in Samaria: and so long did the siege continue, till the head of an ass was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cabe of pigeon’s dung, for five pieces of silver.
26 Kwasekusithi inkosi yakoIsrayeli idlula phezu komduli, owesifazana wamemeza kiyo esithi: Siza, nkosi yami, nkosi!
And as the king of Israel was passing by the wall, a certain woman cried out to him, saying: Save me, my lord O king.
27 Yasisithi: Uba iNkosi ingakusizi, ngikusize ngokuvela ngaphi? Ebaleni lokubhulela kumbe esikhamelweni sewayini yini?
And he said: If the Lord doth not save thee, how can I save thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? And the king said to her: What aileth thee? And she answered:
28 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Ulani? Wasesithi: Lo owesifazana uthe: Letha indodana yakho ukuze siyidle lamuhla; kusasa-ke sizakudla indodana yami.
This woman said to me: Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.
29 Sasesiyipheka indodana yami, sayidla. Ngasengisithi kuye ngosuku olulandelayo: Letha indodana yakho ukuze siyidle. Kodwa wayifihla indodana yakhe.
So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day: Give thy son that we may eat him. And she hath hid her son.
30 Kwasekusithi inkosi isizwa amazwi alowo owesifazana yadabula izigqoko zayo. Yedlula phezu komduli; abantu basebebona, khangela-ke, kwakulesaka emzimbeni wayo, ngaphakathi.
When the king heard this, he rent his garments, and passed by upon the wall. And all the people saw the haircloth which he wore within next to his flesh.
31 Yasisithi: UNkulunkulu kenze njalo kimi langokunjalo engezelele, uba ikhanda likaElisha indodana kaShafati lizahlala kuye lamuhla.
And the king said: May God do so and so to me, and may he add more, if the head of Eliseus the son of Saphat shall stand on him this day.
32 Kodwa uElisha wayehlezi endlini yakhe labadala babehlezi laye. Inkosi yasithuma umuntu esuka phambi kwayo; isithunywa singakafiki kuye, yena wathi kubadala: Liyabona yini ukuthi indodana le yombulali ithume ukususa ikhanda lami? Bonani, lapho isithunywa sifika, livale umnyango, lisibandezele emnyango. Kakusizisinde zenkosi yaso yini emva kwaso?
But Eliseus sat in his house, and the ancients sat with him. So he sent a man before: and before that messenger came, he said to the ancients: Do you know that this son of a murderer hath sent to cut off my head? Look then, when the messenger shall come, shut the door, and suffer him not to come in: for behold the sound of his master’s feet is behind him.
33 Kwathi esakhuluma labo, khangela-ke, inkosi yehlela kuye, yathi: Khangela, lobububi buvela eNkosini. Ngingabe ngisayilindelelani iNkosi?
While he was yet speaking to them, the messenger appeared who was coming to him. And he said: Behold, so great an evil is from the Lord: what shall I look for more from the Lord?
