2 USamuyeli 12
1 INkosi yasithuma uNathani kuDavida. Wasefika kuye wathi kuye: Kwakukhona amadoda amabili emzini owodwa; enye inothile, lenye ingumyanga.
Yahweh [told the prophet Nathan what David had done, and he] sent Nathan to tell [this story to] David: “[I heard about] two men [who] were living in a certain city. One was rich and the other was poor.
2 Enothileyo yayilezimvu lenkomo ezinengi kakhulu.
The rich man owned a lot of cattle and sheep.
3 Kodwa engumyanga yayingelalutho ngaphandle kwewundlu elincinyane elilodwa elisikazi eyayilithengile, yalondla; lakhula layo, njalo labantwana bayo ndawonye. Ladla okocezu lwayo, lanatha okwenkezo yayo; lalala esifubeni sayo, lalinjengendodakazi kiyo.
But the poor man had only one little female lamb, which he had bought. He raised the lamb, and it grew up with his children. He would give the lamb some of his own food and let it drink from his cup. He let the lamb sleep in his arms. The lamb was like a daughter to him.
4 Kwasekufika isihambi endodeni enothileyo; yasiyekela ukuthatha ezimvini zayo lenkomeni zayo ukulungisela isihambi esasifike kiyo, kodwa yathatha iwundlu elisikazi lendoda engumyanga, yalilungisela umuntu owayefike kiyo.
[One day] a visitor came to [visit] the rich man. The rich man did not want to take one of his own animals [and kill it] to prepare a meal for the visitor. So instead, he stole the poor man’s lamb [and killed it] and prepared a meal for his visitor.”
5 Ulaka lukaDavida lwaseluvuthela lowomuntu kakhulu, wathi kuNathani: Kuphila kukaJehova, isibili umuntu owenze lokho uyindodana yokufa.
[When] David [heard that, he] was very angry about [what] the rich man [had done]. He said to Nathan, “I solemnly declare that the man who did that should be executed!
6 Njalo uzalibuyisela iwundlu elisikazi liphindwe kane, ngenxa yokuthi enze le into langenxa yokuthi engabanga lozwelo.
But before he is executed, he should pay back to the poor man four lambs for doing this, and for not having pity [on the poor man].”
7 UNathani wasesithi kuDavida: Nguwe lowomuntu! Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Ngakugcoba waba yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli, ngakukhulula esandleni sikaSawuli.
Nathan said to David, “You are the man [I have been talking about]! And this is what Yahweh, the God we Israelis [worship], says to you: ‘I appointed you to be king of Israel, after having rescued you from Saul.
8 Ngakunika indlu yenkosi yakho labafazi benkosi yakho esifubeni sakho, ngakunika indlu kaIsrayeli lekaJuda; uba-ke bekukuncinyane, bengingakwengezelela okunje lokunje.
I gave you his palace and his wives. I caused you to become the king to rule Israel and Judah. If [you had told me that] you were not content with what I gave you, I would have given you twice as much!
9 Udeleleleni ilizwi leNkosi ukuthi wenze okubi emehlweni ayo? U-Uriya umHethi umtshayile ngenkemba, lomkakhe wamthatha waba ngumkakho, laye umbulele ngenkemba yabantwana bakoAmoni.
So why have you despised my commandment [about not committing adultery]? You have done what I consider to be very evil! You have arranged for Uriah to be killed in a battle by the Ammon people-group’s soldiers, and you have taken his wife to be your wife!
10 Ngakho-ke inkemba kayiyikusuka endlini yakho kuze kube nininini, ngenxa yokuthi ungidelele, wathatha umkaUriya umHethi ukuthi abe ngumkakho.
You have despised me, and have taken Uriah’s wife to be your wife. So for many generations some of your descendants will die violently. [MTY, PRS]
11 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizakuvusela okubi kuvela endlini yakho, ngithathe omkakho phambi kwamehlo akho, ngibanike umakhelwane wakho, alale labomkakho phambi kwalelilanga.
I solemnly declare to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring trouble to you. I will take your wives and give them to him, and he will have sexual relations with them in the daytime, where everyone can see it, and you will know all about it.
12 Ngoba wena wakwenza ensitha, kodwa mina ngizakwenza le into phambi kukaIsrayeli wonke laphambi kwelanga.
What you did, you did secretly, but what I will cause to happen, everyone in Israel will be able to see it [or know about it]. [IDM]’”
13 UDavida wasesithi kuNathani: Ngonile eNkosini. UNathani wasesithi kuDavida: LeNkosi isusile isono sakho; kawuyikufa.
David replied, “I have sinned against Yahweh.” Nathan said to David, “Yahweh has forgiven you for your sin: You will not die [because of this sin].
14 Loba kunjalo, ngoba wenze izitha zeNkosi zidelele lokudelela ngalindaba, laye umntwana ozalelwe wena uzakufa lokufa.
But, you have shown contempt for Yahweh by doing this. So, your baby will die.”
15 UNathani wasesiya endlini yakhe. INkosi yasimtshaya umntwana umkaUriya amzalela uDavida, wagula kakhulu.
Then Nathan went home. Then Yahweh caused the baby t o become very sick, the one that Uriah’s wife had given birth to.
16 Ngakho uDavida wamncengela umntwana kuNkulunkulu; uDavida wasezila izilo lokudla, wangena, walala emhlabathini ubusuku bonke.
So David prayed to God that the child [would not die]. He (fasted/abstained from food), and he went into [the room where he slept] and lay all night on the floor.
17 Abadala bendlu yakhe basebesukuma baya kuye ukumvusa emhlabathini; kodwa kafunanga, futhi kadlanga ukudla labo.
[The next morning] his advisors stood around him and urged him to get up. But he would not get up, and he would not eat any food with them.
18 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesikhombisa umntwana wafa. Izinceku zikaDavida zasezisesaba ukumtshela ukuthi umntwana ufile; ngoba zathi: Khangela, umntwana esaphila sakhuluma laye, kalalelanga ilizwi lethu; pho, singamtshela njani ukuthi umntwana ufile? Angazilimaza.
One week later the baby died. David’s servants were afraid to tell that to David. They said [to each other], “Hey, while the baby was still alive, we talked to him, but he would not answer us. Now, if we tell him that the baby is dead [RHQ], he may do something to harm himself!”
19 Kodwa uDavida ebona ukuthi inceku zakhe ziyanyenyezelana, uDavida waqedisisa ukuthi umntwana usefile; ngakho uDavida wathi ezincekwini zakhe: Umntwana usefile yini? Zasezisithi: Usefile.
But when David saw that his servants were whispering something to each other, he realized that the baby must be dead. So he asked them, “Is the baby dead?” They replied, “Yes, he is dead.”
20 UDavida wasevuka emhlabathini, wageza, wagcoba, wantshintsha izigqoko zakhe, wangena endlini yeNkosi, wakhonza; wasesiya endlini yakhe, wacela, babeka ukudla phambi kwakhe, wadla.
Then David got up from the floor. He bathed himself, put lotions on his body, and put on other clothes, Then he went into Yahweh’s Sacred Tent and worshiped Yahweh. Then he went home. He asked his servants for some food. They gave him some, and he ate it.
21 Inceku zakhe zasezisithi kuye: Iyini le into oyenzileyo? Ngenxa yomntwana ophilayo uzile ukudla wakhala inyembezi; kodwa lapho umntwana esefile, uvukile wadla isinkwa.
Then his servants said to him, “We do not understand [RHQ] why you have done this! While the baby was still alive, you cried for him and refused to eat anything. But now that the baby has died, [you are not crying any more!] You got up and ate some food!”
22 Wasesithi: Umntwana esaphila, ngizile ukudla, ngakhala inyembezi, ngoba ngathi: Ngubani owaziyo iNkosi ingangihawukela ukuthi umntwana aphile.
David replied, “While the baby was still alive, I fasted and cried. I thought, ‘Who knows? Yahweh may be merciful to me and not allow the baby to die’.
23 Kodwa khathesi usefile, ngizazilelani? Ngilakho ukumbuyisa yini futhi? Ngizakuya kuye, kodwa yena kayikubuyela kimi.
But now the baby is dead. So (there is no reason for me to (fast/abstain from eating food) any more./why should I (fast/abstain from eating food) any more?) [RHQ] (Can I bring him back to me?/I certainly cannot bring him back to me!) [RHQ] [Some day] I will go to where he is, but he will not return to me.”
24 UDavida wasemduduza uBathisheba umkakhe, wangena kuye, walala laye; wazala indodana, wabiza ibizo layo wathi nguSolomoni. UJehova wasemthanda.
Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba. Then he (slept/had sexual relations) with her, and she [became pregnant again and] gave birth to another son. David named that son Solomon. Yahweh loved that little boy.
25 Wasethuma ngesandla sikaNathani umprofethi, wabiza ibizo layo wathi nguJedidiya, ngenxa kaJehova.
He told the prophet Nathan to tell David to name the baby boy Jedediah [which means ‘loved by Yahweh’, ] because Yahweh loved him.
26 UJowabi walwa-ke leRaba eyabantwana bakoAmoni, wathumba umuzi wobukhosi.
(Meanwhile/While all that was happening), Joab’s [soldiers] attacked Rabbah, [the capital city] of the Ammon people-group; and they captured the king’s fortress.
27 UJowabi wasethuma izithunywa kuDavida wathi: Ngilwe leRaba, njalo ngathumba umuzi wamanzi.
Then Joab sent messengers to David, to tell him this: “My troops are attacking Rabbah, and we have captured the city’s water supply.
28 Ngakho-ke buthanisa abantu abaseleyo, umise inkamba maqondana lomuzi, uwuthumbe, hlezi mina ngiwuthumbe umuzi, lebizo lami libizwe phezu kwawo.
Now gather your troops and come and surround the city and capture it. If you do not do that, my troops will capture the city and it will then be named ‘the City of Joab’.”
29 UDavida wasebuthanisa bonke abantu, waya eRaba, walwa layo, wayithumba.
So David gathered all his troops. They went [with David] to Rabbah and attacked it and captured it.
30 Wasethatha umqhele wenkosi ekhanda lakhe, osisindo sawo sasilithalenta legolide lelitshe eliligugu, waba sekhanda likaDavida. Wasekhipha impango yomuzi enengi kakhulu.
Then David took the crown from the head of the king of Rabbah (OR, from the head of [Milcom] the god of Rabbah) and put it on his own head. It [was very heavy; it] weighed (75 pounds/34 kg.), and it had many very valuable stones fastened to it. His soldiers also took many other valuable things from the city.
31 Wakhupha labantu ababephakathi kwawo, wababeka emasaheni, lezikhalini ezicijileyo zensimbi, lemahlokeni ensimbi, wabadlulisa emahondweni ezitina; wenza njalo kuyo yonke imizi yabantwana bakoAmoni. UDavida labo bonke abantu basebebuyela eJerusalema.
Then they brought the people of Rabbah out of the city and forced them to [work for them] using saws and iron picks and axes. David’s troops also forced them to make bricks. David’s soldiers did this in all the towns of the Ammon people-group. Then David and all of his army returned to Jerusalem.
