2 USamuyeli 11

1 Kwasekusithi ekuthwaseni komnyaka ngesikhathi amakhosi aphuma ngaso impi, uDavida wathuma uJowabi lenceku zakhe kanye laye loIsrayeli wonke; basebechitha abantwana bakoAmoni, bavimbezela iRaba. Kodwa uDavida wahlala eJerusalema.

And it came to pass at the return of the year, at the time when kings go forth to war, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they spoiled the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabba: but David remained in Jerusalem.

2 Kwasekusithi ngesikhathi sakusihlwa uDavida wavuka embhedeni wakhe, wahambahamba phezu kophahla lwendlu yenkosi; esephahleni wasebona owesifazana egeza; njalo owesifazana wayemuhle kakhulu, ebukeka.

In the mean time it happened that David arose from his bed after noon, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and he saw from the roof of his house a woman washing herself, over against him: and the woman was very beautiful.

3 UDavida wasethuma wabuza ngalowowesifazana. Kwasekuthiwa: Lo kakusuye uBathisheba yini, indodakazi kaEliyamu, umkaUriya umHethi?

And the king sent, and inquired who the woman was. And it was told him, that she was Bethsabee the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Urias the Hethite.

4 UDavida wasethuma izithunywa wamthatha, owesifazana weza kuye, walala laye (ngoba wayehlanjululiwe ekungcoleni kwakhe), wasebuyela endlini yakhe.

And David sent messengers, and took her, and she came in to him, and he slept with her: and presently she was purified from her uncleanness:

5 Owesifazana wasethatha isisu, wathumela watshela uDavida wathi: Sengilesisu.

And she returned to her house having conceived. And she sent and told David, and said: I have conceived.

6 UDavida wasethumela kuJowabi wathi: Thumela kimi uUriya umHethi. UJowabi wasethumela uUriya kuDavida.

And David sent to Joab, saying: Send me Urias the Hethite. And Joab sent Urias to David.

7 Esefikile kuye uUriya, uDavida wambuza ngempilakahle kaJowabi langempilakahle yabantu langempumelelo yempi.

And Urias came to David. And David asked how Joab did, and the people, and how the war was carried on.

8 UDavida wasesithi kuUriya: Yehlela endlini yakho, ugeze inyawo zakho. U-Uriya wasephuma endlini yenkosi; kwasekulandela emva kwakhe isipho esivela enkosini.

And David said to Urias: Go into thy house, and wash thy feet. And Urias went out from the king’s house, and there went out after him a mess of meat from the king.

9 Kodwa uUriya walala emnyango wendlu yenkosi kanye lenceku zonke zenkosi yakhe, kehlelanga endlini yakhe.

But Urias slept before the gate of the king’s house, with the other servants of his lord, and went not down to his own house.

10 Kwathi sebemtshelile uDavida besithi: U-Uriya kehlelanga endlini yakhe, uDavida wathi kuUriya: Kawuveli ekuhambeni yini? Kungani ungehlelanga endlini yakho?

And it was told David by some that said: Urias went not to his house. And David said to Urias: Didst thou not come from thy journey? why didst thou not go down to thy house?

11 U-Uriya wasesithi kuDavida: Umtshokotsho, loIsrayeli, loJuda kuhlala emathenteni; lenkosi yami uJowabi lenceku zenkosi yami bamisile inkamba endle; mina-ke ngizangena endlini yami yini ukuyakudla lokuyanatha lokuyalala lomkami? Kuphila kwakho lokuphila komphefumulo wakho, kangisoze ngiyenze leyonto.

And Urias said to David: The ark of God and Israel and Juda dwell in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord abide upon the face of the earth: and shall I go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to sleep with my wife? By thy welfare and by the welfare of thy soul I will not do this thing.

12 UDavida wasesithi kuUriya: Hlala lapha lalamuhla, kusasa-ke ngizakuvumela ukuthi uhambe. U-Uriya wasehlala eJerusalema ngalolosuku langosuku olulandelayo.

Then David said to Urias: Tarry here today, and tomorrow I will send thee away. Urias tarried in Jerusalem that day and the next.

13 UDavida wasembiza ukuthi adle anathe phambi kwakhe, wamdakisa; njalo kusihlwa waphuma ukuyalala embhedeni wakhe kanye lenceku zenkosi yakhe, kodwa kehlelanga endlini yakhe.

And David called him to eat and to drink before him, and he made him drunk: and he went out in the evening, and slept on his couch with the servants of his lord, and went not down into his house.

14 Kwasekusithi ekuseni uDavida wabhalela uJowabi incwadi, wayithumela ngesandla sikaUriya.

And when the morning was come, David wrote a letter to Joab: and sent it by the hand of Urias,

15 Wasebhala encwadini esithi: Misani uUriya phambili eqondene lokulwa okutshisayo kakhulu, beselihlehlela nyovane lisuka kuye, ukuze atshaywe afe.

Writing in the letter: Set ye Urias in the front of the battle, where the fight is strongest: and leave ye him, that he may be wounded and die.

16 Kwasekusithi lapho uJowabi esewukhangelisisile umuzi, wamisa uUriya endaweni azi ukuthi kulamaqhawe khona.

Wherefore as Joab was besieging the city, he put Urias in the place where he knew the bravest men were.

17 Amadoda omuzi asephuma alwa loJowabi; kwawa abanye babantu, benceku zikaDavida; wafa laye uUriya umHethi.

And the men coming out of the city, fought against Joab, and there fell some of the people of the servants of David, and Urias the Hethite was killed also.

18 UJowabi wasethuma wambikela uDavida zonke indaba zempi;

Then Joab sent, and told David all things concerning the battle.

19 wasilaya isithunywa esithi: Lapho usuqedile ukuyibikela inkosi zonke izindaba zempi,

And he charged the messenger, saying: When thou hast told all the words of the battle to the king,

20 kuzakuthi-ke uba ulaka lwenkosi luvuka, isithi kuwe: Belisondelelani kangaka emzini ukulwa? Belingazi yini ukuthi bebezaciba besemdulini?

If thou see him to be angry, and he shall say: Why did you approach so near to the wall to fight? knew you not that many darts are thrown from above off the wall?

21 Ngubani owatshaya uAbhimeleki indodana kaJerubeshethi? Angithi owesifazana wamwisela ngocezu lwelitshe lokuchola ephezu komduli, waze wafa eThebezi? Lisondeleleni eduze lomduli? Ubususithi: Inceku yakho uUriya umHethi laye ufile.

Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerobaal? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, and slew him in Thebes? Why did you go near the wall? Thou shalt say: Thy servant Urias the Hethite is also slain.

22 Sasesihamba isithunywa, safika sambikela uDavida konke uJowabi ayesithume khona.

So the messenger departed, and came and told David all that Joab had commanded him.

23 Isithunywa sasesisithi kuDavida: Isibili, abantu basehlula, basiphumela egangeni; kodwa saba phezu kwabo kwaze kwaba semnyango wesango.

And the messenger said to David: The men prevailed against us, and they came out to us into the field: and we vigorously charged and pursued them even to the gate of the city.

24 Abatshoki basebetshoka ezincekwini zakho bephezu komduli; zifile lezinye zenceku zenkosi; lenceku yakho uUriya umHethi ifile layo.

And the archers shot their arrows at thy servants from off the wall above: and some of the king’s servants are slain, and thy servant Urias the Hethite is also dead.

25 UDavida wasesithi kuso isithunywa: Uzakutsho njalo kuJowabi uthi: Le into kayingabimbi emehlweni akho, ngoba inkemba idla omunye njengomunye; qinisa impi yakho imelane lomuzi, uwuchithe; ubusumqinisa.

And David said to the messenger: Thus shalt thou say to Joab: Let not this thing discourage thee: for various is the event of war: and sometimes one, sometimes another is consumed by the sword: encourage thy warriors against The city, and exhort them that thou mayest overthrow it.

26 Lapho umkaUriya esezwile ukuthi uUriya indoda yakhe ufile, wayililela indoda yakhe.

And the wife of Urias heard that Urias her husband was dead, and she mourned for him.

27 Sekwedlulile ukulila, uDavida wathuma, wamletha endlini yakhe; wasesiba ngumkakhe, wamzalela indodana. Kodwa leyonto uDavida ayenzayo yayimbi emehlweni eNkosi.

And the mourning being over, David sent and brought her into his house, and she became his wife, and she bore him a son: and this thing which David had done, was displeasing to the Lord.