2 Amakhosi 6
1 Amadodana abaprofethi asesithi kuElisha: Khangela-ke, indawo esihlala kiyo lawe iminyene kakhulu kithi.
The sons of the prophets told Elisha, “Look, the place we meet with you is too small for us.
2 Akusiyekele sihambe siye eJordani, sithathe khona, ngulowo lalowo isigodo esisodwa, sizenzele khona indawo yokuhlala kiyo. Wasesithi: Hambani.
Let's go to the Jordan and each of us can carry one log back. We can build a new place there for us to meet.” “Go ahead,” said Elisha.
3 Omunye wasesithi: Akuvume, uhambe lenceku zakho. Wasesithi: Mina ngizahamba.
One of them asked, “Please come with your servants.” “I'll come,” he replied.
4 Wasehamba labo; sebefikile eJordani bagamula izihlahla.
So he went with them. When they got to the Jordan, they started cutting down trees.
5 Kodwa omunye esagamula ugodo, insimbi yawela emanzini. Wasememeza esithi: Maye, nkosi yami! Ngoba belebolekiwe.
But as one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no! My master, it was one that was borrowed!” he shouted.
6 Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wasesithi: Iwele ngaphi? Wasemtshengisa indawo. Wasegamula uswazi, waluphosela khona, wenza insimbi yandenda.
“Where did it fall?” the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron axhead float.
7 Wasesithi: Zenyulele yona. Waseselula isandla sakhe, wayithatha.
“Pick it up,” Elisha told the man. So he reached out his hand and picked it up.
8 Kwathi inkosi yeSiriya isilwa loIsrayeli yacebisana lenceku zayo isithi: Ekuthanathaneni izakuba yinkamba yami.
The Aramean king was at war with Israel. After consulting with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in this particular place.”
9 Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wasethumela enkosini yakoIsrayeli esithi: Qaphela ungedluli kulindawo, ngoba amaSiriya ehlele khona.
Then the man of God sent a warning to the king of Israel: “Watch out if you go near this place, because the Arameans are going to be there.”
10 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasithumela kuleyondawo umuntu kaNkulunkulu ayitshela yona wayixwayisa ngayo. Yasizilondoloza khona, kungekanye, njalo kungekabili.
So the king of Israel sent a warning to the place the man of God had indicated. Elisha repeatedly warned the king, so that he was on the alert in those places.
11 Inhliziyo yenkosi yeSiriya yasikhathazeka kakhulu ngenxa yalinto. Yasibiza inceku zayo yathi kuzo: Kaliyikungitshela yini ukuthi ngubani kithi ongowenkosi yakoIsrayeli?
This made the Aramean king really mad. He summoned his officers, demanding an answer: “Tell me, which of us is on the side of 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.
“It's none of us, my lord the king,” one of his officers replied. “It's Elisha, the prophet who lives in Israel—he tells the king of Israel even what you say in your bedroom.”
13 Yasisithi: Hambani liyebona lapho akhona, ukuze ngithume ngimthathe. Wasetshelwa kwathiwa: Khangela, useDothani.
So the king gave the order, “Go and find out where he is so I can send soldiers to capture him.” He was told, “Elisha is in Dothan.”
14 Yasithuma khona amabhiza lezinqola lebutho elinzima; basebefika ebusuku, bawuzingelezela umuzi.
So he sent horses, chariots, and a large army. They came at night and surrounded the town.
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?
Early in the morning when the servant of the man of God got up, he went out and saw that an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my master, what are we going to do?” he asked Elisha.
16 Wasesithi: Ungesabi, ngoba labo abalathi banengi okwedlula labo abalabo.
Elisha replied, “Don't be afraid, for there are many more who are with us than there are 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.
Elisha prayed, saying, “Lord, please open his eyes so he can see.” The Lord opened the servant's eyes, and when he looked he saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 Sebehlele kuye, uElisha wakhuleka eNkosini wathi: Akutshaye lababantu ngobuphofu. Yasibatshaya ngobuphofu njengokwelizwi likaElisha.
As the army descended on him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
19 UElisha wasesithi kibo: Kayisiyo le indlela, futhi kayisiwo lo umuzi; ngilandelani, ngizalisa kulowomuntu elimdingayo. Kodwa wabasa eSamariya.
Then Elisha went and told them, “This isn't the right road, and this isn't the right town. Follow me, and I'll take you to the man you're looking for.” He led them to Samaria.
20 Kwasekusithi sebengene eSamariya, uElisha wathi: Nkosi, vula amehlo alaba ukuze babone. INkosi yasivula amehlo abo, basebebona; khangela-ke, babephakathi kweSamariya.
After they had entered Samaria, Elisha prayed, “Lord, open the eyes of these men that they can see.” The Lord opened their eyes, and they looked around and saw that they were in Samaria.
21 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuElisha ibabona: Baba, ngibatshaye, ngibatshaye yini?
When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? 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.
“No, don't you kill them!” he replied. “Would you kill prisoners you captured with your own sword or bow? Give them some food and water so that they may eat and drink, and then let them go back to their master.”
23 Yasibalungisela idili elikhulu; sebedlile banatha, yabayekela bahamba, baya enkosini yabo. Ngakho amaviyo amaSiriya kawabesaphinda ukubuya elizweni lakoIsrayeli.
So the king had a great feast prepared for them, and once they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them back to their master. The Aramean raiders did not enter the land of Israel again.
24 Kwasekusithi emva kwalokho uBenihadadi inkosi yeSiriya wabutha ibutho lakhe lonke, wenyuka wavimbezela iSamariya.
Sometime after this Ben-hadad king of Aram called up all his army and went to lay siege to 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.
So there was a major famine in Samaria. In fact the siege lasted so long that a donkey's head cost eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove's dung cost five shekels of silver.
26 Kwasekusithi inkosi yakoIsrayeli idlula phezu komduli, owesifazana wamemeza kiyo esithi: Siza, nkosi yami, nkosi!
As the king of Israel was walking by on the city wall, a woman called out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
27 Yasisithi: Uba iNkosi ingakusizi, ngikusize ngokuvela ngaphi? Ebaleni lokubhulela kumbe esikhamelweni sewayini yini?
“If the Lord doesn't help you, why would you think I can help you?” the king replied. “I don't have grain from the threshing floor, or wine from the winepress.”
28 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Ulani? Wasesithi: Lo owesifazana uthe: Letha indodana yakho ukuze siyidle lamuhla; kusasa-ke sizakudla indodana yami.
But then he asked her, “What's the problem?” “This woman told me, ‘Give up your son and we'll eat him today, and tomorrow we'll eat my son,’” she answered.
29 Sasesiyipheka indodana yami, sayidla. Ngasengisithi kuye ngosuku olulandelayo: Letha indodana yakho ukuze siyidle. Kodwa wayifihla indodana yakhe.
“So we cooked my son and we ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we can eat him,’ but she's hidden 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 what the woman said he ripped his clothes. As he walked by on the wall, the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.
31 Yasisithi: UNkulunkulu kenze njalo kimi langokunjalo engezelele, uba ikhanda likaElisha indodana kaShafati lizahlala kuye lamuhla.
“May God punish me very severely if the head of Elisha, son of Shaphat, remains on his shoulders today!” he declared.
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?
Elisha was sitting in his house with the elders. The king had sent a messenger on ahead, but before he got there, Elisha told the elders, “Can you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? So, as soon as the messenger arrives, close the door and hold it shut against him. Isn't that the sound of his master's footsteps following him?”
33 Kwathi esakhuluma labo, khangela-ke, inkosi yehlela kuye, yathi: Khangela, lobububi buvela eNkosini. Ngingabe ngisayilindelelani iNkosi?
While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger arrived. The king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”
