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.

Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To-morrow about this time [shall] a measure of fine flour [be sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, 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 a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, [if] the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see [it] with thy eyes, but shalt not eat of it.

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

And there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until 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 say, We will enter into the city, then the famine [is] in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall to the army of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

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

And they rose in the twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians: and when they had come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, [there was] 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 the army of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, [even] the noise of a great army: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to 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 in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it [was], and fled for their life.

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

And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid [it]; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence [also], and went 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: this day [is] a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

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 and called to the porter of the city: and they told him, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, [there was] no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they [were].

11 Wasebiza abalindi bamasango, basebebikela indlu yenkosi phakathi.

And he called the porters; and they told [it] to the king's house within.

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 the king arose in the night, and said to his servants, I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we [are] hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp, to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive, and 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 and said, Let [some] take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they [are] as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, [I say], they [are] even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed: ) and let us send and see.

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

They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host 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 to Jordan: and lo, all the way [was] full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. 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 went out, and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was [sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, 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 the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spoke 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 as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to-morrow about this time 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.

And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, [if] the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thy eyes, but shalt not eat of it.

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

And so it happened to him: for the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died.