2 Amakhosi 7

1 UElisha wasesithi: Zwanini ilizwi leNkosi; itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngalesisikhathi kusasa iseya lempuphu ecolekileyo lizathengiswa ngeshekeli, lamaseya amabili ebhali ngeshekeli, esangweni leSamariya.

And Eliseus said: Hear ye the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a bushel of fine hour shall be sold for a stater, and two bushels of barley for a stater, in the gate of Samaria.

2 Induna inkosi eyayeyeme esandleni sayo yasiphendula umuntu kaNkulunkulu, yathi: Khangela, uba iNkosi ibingenza amawindi emazulwini, kungenzeka linto yini? Wasesithi: Khangela, uzakubona ngamehlo akho, kodwa kawuyikudla okwakho.

Then one of the lords, upon whose hand the king leaned, answering the man of God, said: If the Lord should make flood-gates in heaven, can that possibly be which thou sayest? And he said: Thou shalt see it with thy eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

3 Njalo kwakulamadoda amane ayengamalephero ekungeneni kwesango, athi omunye komunye: Sihlaleleni lapha size sife?

Now there were four lepers, at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another: What mean we to stay here till we die?

4 Uba sisithi: Sizangena emzini, lendlala isemzini, sizafela khona. Njalo uba sihlala lapha, sizakufa futhi. Ngakho-ke, wozani, siyewela enkambeni yamaSiriya; uba esiyekela siphile, sizaphila; uba-ke esibulala, sizakufa nje.

If we will enter into the city, we shall die with the famine: and if we will remain here, we must also die: come, therefore, and let us run over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare us, we shall live: but if they kill us, we shall but die.

5 Asesukuma kusahwalala ukuya enkambeni yamaSiriya; esefike ekucineni kwenkamba yamaSiriya, khangela-ke, kwakungelamuntu khona.

So they arose in the evening, to go to the Syrian camp, And when they were come to the first part of the camp of the Syrians, they found no man there.

6 Ngoba iNkosi yenza ibutho lamaSiriya lizwe umsindo wezinqola, umsindo wamabhiza, umsindo webutho elikhulu; athi omunye komunye: Khangela, inkosi yakoIsrayeli isisiqhatshele amakhosi amaHethi lamakhosi amaGibhithe ukuzamelana lathi.

For the Lord had made them hear, in the camp of Syria, the noise of chariots, and of horses, and of a very great army, and they said one to another: Behold the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hethites, and of the Egyptians, and they are come upon us.

7 Asesukuma abaleka kusahwalala, atshiya amathente awo lamabhiza awo labobabhemi bawo, inkamba njengoba injalo, abaleka ngenxa yempilo yawo.

Wherefore they arose, and fled away in the dark, and left their tents, and their horses and asses in the camp, and fled, desiring to save their lives.

8 Amalephero la esefike ekucineni kwenkamba, angena kwelinye ithente, adla anatha, athatha lapho isiliva legolide lezigqoko, ayakufihla; abuyela angena kwelinye ithente, athatha lapho, ayakufihla.

So when these lepers were come to the beginning of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank: and they took from thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went, and hid it: and they came again, and went into another tent, and carried from thence in like manner, and hid it.

9 Asesithi omunye komunye: Kasenzi kuhle. Lolusuku lusuku lwemibiko emihle, kodwa sizithulele thina. Uba silinda kuze kube yikukhanya kwekuseni, isijeziso sizasifica. Khathesi-ke, wozani siyebikela indlu yenkosi.

Then they said one to another: We do not well: for this is a day of good tidings. If we hold our peace, and do not tell it till the morning, we shall be charged with a crime: come, let us go and tell it in the king’s court.

10 Asesiza, amemeza kumlindi wesango womuzi, abatshela esithi: Sifike enkambeni yamaSiriya, khangela-ke, bekungelamuntu khona kumbe ilizwi lomuntu, kodwa amabhiza ebotshelwe labobabhemi bebotshelwe, lamathente enjengoba enjalo.

So they came to the gate of the city, and told them, saying: We went to the camp of the Syrians, and we found no man there, but horses, and asses tied, and the tents standing.

11 Wasebiza abalindi bamasango, basebebikela indlu yenkosi phakathi.

Then the guards of the gate went, and told it within the king’s palace.

12 Inkosi yasivuka ebusuku, yathi encekwini zayo: Sengizalitshela ukuthi amaSiriya enzeni kithi. Ayazi ukuthi silambile, ngakho aphumile enkambeni ukuyacatsha egangeni esithi: Nxa bephuma emzini, sizababamba bephila, besesingena emzini.

And he arose in the night and said to his servants: I tell you what the Syrians have done to us: They know that we suffer great famine, and therefore they are gone out of the camp, and lie hid in the fields, saying: When they come out of the city we shall take them alive, and then we may get into the city.

13 Enye yenceku zayo yasiphendula yathi: Ake bathathe amahlanu emabhizeni aseleyo, aseleyo phakathi komuzi, (khangela, afanana lexuku lonke lakoIsrayeli elitshiywe kuwo, khangela, afanana lexuku lonke lakoIsrayeli eliqothuliweyo), kasithume, sibone.

And one of his servants answered: Let us take the five horses that are remaining in the city (because there are no more in the whole multitude of Israel, for the rest are consumed, ) and let us send and see.

14 Basebethatha amabhiza amabili enqola; inkosi yasithuma emva kwebutho lamaSiriya isithi: Hambani, libone.

They brought therefore two horses, and the king sent into the camp of the Syrians, saying: Go, and see.

15 Basebewalandela kwaze kwaba seJordani; khangela-ke, indlela yonke yayigcwele izembatho lempahla amaSiriya ayekulahlile ekuphangiseni kwawo. Izithunywa zasezibuyela, zayibikela inkosi.

And they went after them as far as the Jordan: and behold all the way was full of garments, and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their fright, and the messengers returned and told the king.

16 Abantu basebephuma bayiphanga inkamba yamaSiriya. Ngakho iseya lempuphu ecolekileyo laselithengiswa ngeshekeli, lamaseya amabili ebhali ngeshekeli, njengokwelizwi leNkosi.

And the people going out pillaged the camp of the Syrians: and a bushel of fine flour was sold for a stater, and two bushels of barley for a stater, according to the word of the Lord.

17 Inkosi yasibeka induna eyayeyeme esandleni sayo ukuba ngumlindi phezu kwesango. Abantu bayinyathela esangweni yaze yafa, njengokutsho komuntu kaNkulunkulu owakhuluma ekufikeni kwenkosi kuye.

And the king appointed that lord on whose hand he leaned, to stand at the gate: and the people trod upon him in the entrance of the gate; and he died, as the man of God had said, when the king came down to him.

18 Kwasekusithi njengokutsho komuntu kaNkulunkulu enkosini esithi: Amaseya amabili ebhali ngeshekeli, leseya lempuphu ecolekileyo ngeshekeli phose ngalesisikhathi kusasa azakuba sesangweni leSamariya.

And it came to pass according to the word of the man of God, which he spoke to the king, when he said: Two bushels of barley shall be for a stater, and a bushel of fine flour for a stater, at this very time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria.

19 Induna yasimphendula umuntu kaNkulunkulu yathi: Khangela-ke, uba iNkosi ibingenza amawindi emazulwini, kungenzeka linto yini? Kodwa wathi: Khangela, uzakubona ngamehlo akho, kodwa kawuyikudla okwakho.

When that lord answered the man of God, and said: Although the Lord should make flood-gates in heaven, could this come to pass which thou sayest? And he said to him: Thou shalt see with thy eyes, and shalt not eat thereof.

20 Kwaba njalo-ke kuye, ngoba abantu bamnyathela esangweni waze wafa.

And so it fell out to him as it was foretold, and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died.