2 Amakhosi 6
1 Amadodana abaprofethi asesithi kuElisha: Khangela-ke, indawo esihlala kiyo lawe iminyene kakhulu kithi.
The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “The place where we live with you is too small for us all.
2 Akusiyekele sihambe siye eJordani, sithathe khona, ngulowo lalowo isigodo esisodwa, sizenzele khona indawo yokuhlala kiyo. Wasesithi: Hambani.
Please let us go to the Jordan, and let every man cut down a tree there, and let us build us a place there where we may live.” Elisha answered, “You may go ahead.”
3 Omunye wasesithi: Akuvume, uhambe lenceku zakho. Wasesithi: Mina ngizahamba.
One of them said, “Please go with your servants.” Elisha answered, “I will go.”
4 Wasehamba labo; sebefikile eJordani bagamula izihlahla.
So he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down trees.
5 Kodwa omunye esagamula ugodo, insimbi yawela emanzini. Wasememeza esithi: Maye, nkosi yami! Ngoba belebolekiwe.
But as one was chopping, the ax head fell into the water; he cried out and said, “Oh no, my master, it was borrowed!”
6 Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wasesithi: Iwele ngaphi? Wasemtshengisa indawo. Wasegamula uswazi, waluphosela khona, wenza insimbi yandenda.
So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” The man showed Elisha the place. He then cut off a stick, threw it in the water, and made the iron float.
7 Wasesithi: Zenyulele yona. Waseselula isandla sakhe, wayithatha.
Elisha said, “Pick it up.” So the man reached out his hand and grabbed it.
8 Kwathi inkosi yeSiriya isilwa loIsrayeli yacebisana lenceku zayo isithi: Ekuthanathaneni izakuba yinkamba yami.
Now the king of Aram was waging war against Israel. He consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”
9 Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wasethumela enkosini yakoIsrayeli esithi: Qaphela ungedluli kulindawo, ngoba amaSiriya ehlele khona.
So the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Be careful not to pass that place, for the Arameans are going down there.”
10 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasithumela kuleyondawo umuntu kaNkulunkulu ayitshela yona wayixwayisa ngayo. Yasizilondoloza khona, kungekanye, njalo kungekabili.
The king of Israel sent a message to the place about which the man of God had spoken and warned him. More than once or twice, when the king went there, he was on his guard.
11 Inhliziyo yenkosi yeSiriya yasikhathazeka kakhulu ngenxa yalinto. Yasibiza inceku zayo yathi kuzo: Kaliyikungitshela yini ukuthi ngubani kithi ongowenkosi yakoIsrayeli?
The king of Aram was enraged about these warnings, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not tell me who among us is for 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.
So one of his servants said, “No, my master, king, for Elisha the prophet in Israel tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your own bedroom!”
13 Yasisithi: Hambani liyebona lapho akhona, ukuze ngithume ngimthathe. Wasetshelwa kwathiwa: Khangela, useDothani.
The king replied, “Go and see where Elisha is so I may send men and capture him.” It was told him, “See, he is in Dothan.”
14 Yasithuma khona amabhiza lezinqola lebutho elinzima; basebefika ebusuku, bawuzingelezela umuzi.
So the king sent to Dothan horses, chariots, and a large army. They came by night and surrounded 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?
When the servant of the man of God had risen early and gone outside, behold, a large army with horses and chariots surrounded the city. His servant said to him, “Oh, my master! What will we do?”
16 Wasesithi: Ungesabi, ngoba labo abalathi banengi okwedlula labo abalabo.
Elisha answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who 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 and said, “Yahweh, I beg that you will open his eyes that he may see.” Then Yahweh opened the servant's eyes, and he saw. Behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha!
18 Sebehlele kuye, uElisha wakhuleka eNkosini wathi: Akutshaye lababantu ngobuphofu. Yasibatshaya ngobuphofu njengokwelizwi likaElisha.
When the Arameans came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh and said, “Strike these people blind, I ask you.” So Yahweh made them blind, just as Elisha had asked.
19 UElisha wasesithi kibo: Kayisiyo le indlela, futhi kayisiwo lo umuzi; ngilandelani, ngizalisa kulowomuntu elimdingayo. Kodwa wabasa eSamariya.
Then Elisha told the Arameans, “This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you are looking for.” Then 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.
It came about that when they had come into Samaria, Elisha said, “Yahweh, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Yahweh opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the middle of the city of Samaria.
21 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi kuElisha ibabona: Baba, ngibatshaye, ngibatshaye yini?
The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, “My father, should I kill them? Should 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.
Elisha answered, “You must not kill them. Would you kill those whom you had taken captive with your sword and bow? Put 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.
So the king prepared much food for them, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went back to their master. Those bands of Aramean soldiers did not return for a long time into the land of Israel.
24 Kwasekusithi emva kwalokho uBenihadadi inkosi yeSiriya wabutha ibutho lakhe lonke, wenyuka wavimbezela iSamariya.
Later after this Ben Hadad king of Aram gathered all his army and attacked Samaria and besieged it.
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 great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it until a donkey's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
26 Kwasekusithi inkosi yakoIsrayeli idlula phezu komduli, owesifazana wamemeza kiyo esithi: Siza, nkosi yami, nkosi!
As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, “Help, my master, king.”
27 Yasisithi: Uba iNkosi ingakusizi, ngikusize ngokuvela ngaphi? Ebaleni lokubhulela kumbe esikhamelweni sewayini yini?
He said, “If Yahweh does not help you, how can I help you? Is there anything coming from the threshing floor or winepress?”
28 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Ulani? Wasesithi: Lo owesifazana uthe: Letha indodana yakho ukuze siyidle lamuhla; kusasa-ke sizakudla indodana yami.
The king continued, “What is troubling you?” She answered, “This woman said to me, 'Give your son so 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 your son that we may eat him, but she has hidden her son.”
30 Kwasekusithi inkosi isizwa amazwi alowo owesifazana yadabula izigqoko zayo. Yedlula phezu komduli; abantu basebebona, khangela-ke, kwakulesaka emzimbeni wayo, ngaphakathi.
So when the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes (now he was passing by on the wall), and the people looked and saw that he had sackcloth underneath, against his skin.
31 Yasisithi: UNkulunkulu kenze njalo kimi langokunjalo engezelele, uba ikhanda likaElisha indodana kaShafati lizahlala kuye lamuhla.
Then he said, “May God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on him today.”
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 Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a man from before him, but when the messenger came to Elisha, he said to the elders, “See how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?”
33 Kwathi esakhuluma labo, khangela-ke, inkosi yehlela kuye, yathi: Khangela, lobububi buvela eNkosini. Ngingabe ngisayilindelelani iNkosi?
While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. The king had said, “Behold, this trouble comes from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?”
