2 USamuyeli 14
1 UJowabi indodana kaZeruya wasenanzelela ukuthi inhliziyo yenkosi ikuAbisalomu.
Joab realized that the king yearned [IDM] to see Absalom.
2 UJowabi wasethumela eThekhowa ukuthi alande khona owesifazana ohlakaniphileyo, wathi kuye: Ake uzitshaye olilayo, ake ugqoke izigqoko zokulila, ungazigcobi ngamafutha, kodwa ube njengowesifazana oselilele ofileyo insuku ezinengi.
So Joab sent someone to Tekoa [town] to bring back a woman who was very clever. [When she arrived, ] Joab said to her, “Pretend that you are grieving because someone has died. Put on clothes that show that you are mourning. Do not put any lotion/ointment on your body. Act as if you are a woman who has been mourning for a long time.
3 Ungene enkosini, ukhulume kuyo ngalindlela. UJowabi wasefaka amazwi emlonyeni wakhe.
And go to the king, and tell him what I tell you to say.” Then Joab told her what to say [MTY] [to the king].
4 Lapho owesifazana umThekhowa ekhuluma enkosini, wathi mbo ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini, wakhothama, wathi: Siza, nkosi!
So the woman from Tekoa went to the king. She prostrated herself in front of him and then bowed down to him, and said, “Your Majesty, help me!”
5 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Ulani? Yena wasesithi: Sibili, ngingumfazi ongumfelokazi, lendoda yami yafa.
The king replied, “What is your problem?” She replied, “Please, sir, I am a widow. My husband died [some time ago].
6 Njalo incekukazi yakho yayilamadodana amabili, alwa womabili egangeni; kwakungelamlamuli phakathi kwawo; enye yasitshaya enye, yayibulala.
I had two sons. But one day they quarreled with each other out in the fields. There was no one to separate them, and one of them struck the other one and killed him.
7 Khangela-ke, usendo lonke seluvukele incekukazi yakho, bathi: Nikela lowo owatshaya umfowabo wambulala, ukuthi simbulale ngenxa yempilo yomfowabo ambulalayo, sichithe lendlalifa. Ngalokho bacitshe ilahle lami eliseleyo, ukuze bangatshiyeli indoda yami ibizo lensali ebusweni bomhlaba.
Now, all my family oppose me. They are insisting that I allow them to kill my son who is still alive [MTY], in order that they may get revenge for his killing his brother. But if they do that, I will not have any son to inherit [my husband’s possessions]. That would be like [MET] extinguishing the last coals of a fire, and my husband would not have a son to preserve our family’s name. [DOU]”
8 Inkosi yasisithi kowesifazana: Yana endlini yakho; mina-ke ngizalaya ngawe.
Then the king said to the woman, “Go back home; I will take care of this matter for you.”
9 Owesifazana umThekhowa wasesithi enkosini: Nkosi yami, nkosi, icala kalibe phezu kwami laphezu kwendlu kababa; kodwa inkosi lesihlalo sayo sobukhosi kube msulwa.
The woman from Tekoa replied to the king, “Your Majesty, if you are criticized [for helping me], my family and I will accept the blame. You and the royal family will (be innocent/not have done what is wrong).”
10 Inkosi yasisithi: Okhuluma ulutho kuwe, umlethe kimi, njalo kayikuphinda akuthinte futhi.
The king said to her, “If anyone says anything [to threaten you/cause you trouble] you, bring that person to me, and [I will make sure that] he will never cause you trouble again.”
11 Wasesithi: Inkosi ake ikhumbule iNkosi uNkulunkulu wayo ukuthi umphindiseli wegazi angabe esachitha, hlezi bachithe indodana yami. Yasisithi: Kuphila kukaJehova, kakuyikuwela emhlabathini olulodwa unwele lwendodana yakho.
Then the woman said, “Your Majesty, please pray that Yahweh your God will not allow my relative, who [wants to get] revenge on my son for killing [MTY] his brother, to be able to do that.” David replied, “As surely as Yahweh lives, your son will not be harmed at all. [IDM]”
12 Owesifazana wasesithi: Incekukazi yakho ake ikhulume ilizwi enkosini yami inkosi. Yasisithi: Khuluma.
Then the woman said, “Your Majesty, please allow me to say one more thing to you.” He replied, “Speak!”
13 Owesifazana wasesithi: Pho, unakaneleni okunje ngabantu bakaNkulunkulu? Ngokukhuluma lindaba inkosi injengolecala, ngokuthi inkosi kayibuyisanga oxotshiweyo wayo.
The woman said, “Why have you done this bad thing to God’s people? You have not allowed your son Absalom to return home. By saying what you have just said, you have certainly declared [RHQ] that what you have done is wrong.
14 Ngoba kumele sife, sinjengamanzi achithekele emhlabathini angabuthwanga; kodwa uNkulunkulu kayikususa impilo, kodwa uzacabanga amacebo ukuthi angalahli kuye oxotshiweyo.
We all die; we are like [SIM] water that cannot be picked up after it is spilled on the ground. But God does not just cause us to die; he creates ways to bring us back when we become separated from him.
15 Ngakho-ke, njengoba ngizile ukukhuluma linto enkosini, inkosi yami, kungoba abantu bangesabisile; incekukazi yakho yasisithi: Khathesi ngizakhuluma lenkosi; mhlawumbe inkosi izakwenza ilizwi lencekukazi yayo.
“Now, Your Majesty, I have come to you because others have threatened me. So I said to myself, ‘I will go and talk to the king, and perhaps he will do what I request him to do.
16 Ngoba inkosi izakuzwa, ukukhulula incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu ofuna ukuchitha mina kanye lendodana yami elifeni likaNkulunkulu.
Perhaps he will listen to me, and save me from the man who is trying to kill my son. If my son is killed, it would result in us disappearing from the land that God gave to us.’
17 Incekukazi yakho yasisithi: Akuthi ilizwi lenkosi yami, inkosi, libe ngelokuthula, ngoba njengengilosi kaNkulunkulu, injalo inkosi yami, inkosi, ukuzwa okubi lokuhle. Ngakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho kayibe lawe.
“And I thought, ‘What the king says will comfort/encourage me, because the king is like [SIM] an angel of God. He knows what is good and what is evil.’ I pray/desire that Yahweh our God will (be with/direct) you.”
18 Inkosi yasiphendula yathi kowesifazana: Ake ungangifihleli indaba engizayibuza kuwe. Owesifazana wasesithi: Ake ikhulume inkosi yami, inkosi.
Then the king said to the woman, “I will now ask you a question. Answer it, and tell me the truth. [LIT]” The woman replied, “Your majesty, ask your question.”
19 Inkosi yasisithi: Isandla sikaJowabi silawe yini kukho konke lokhu? Owesifazana wasephendula wathi: Kuphila komphefumulo wakho, nkosi yami, nkosi, isibili kakho ongaya ngakwesokunene langakwesokhohlo asuke lakuyiphi into inkosi yami, inkosi, eyikhulumileyo; ngoba inceku yakho uJowabi, yona yangilaya, yiyo eyafunza incekukazi yakho wonke lamazwi.
The king said, “Was Joab the one who told you to do this?” She replied, “Yes, Your Majesty, as surely as you live, I cannot avoid telling you what is true. Yes, indeed, it was Joab who told me to come here, and who told me what to say.
20 Inceku yakho uJowabi iyenzile linto ukuthi iphendule ukuma kwendaba. Njalo inkosi yami ihlakaniphile njengenhlakanipho yengilosi kaNkulunkulu, ukwazi konke okusemhlabeni.
He did it in order to cause you to think differently about this matter. Your Majesty, you are as wise as God’s angels, and [it seems that] you know everything [that happens] on the earth, [so you know why Joab sent me here].”
21 Inkosi yasisithi kuJowabi: Khangela khathesi, ngenzile lindaba; ngakho hamba ubuyise umfana uAbisalomu.
Then the king [summoned] Joab [and] said to him, “Listen! I have decided to do [what you want]. So go and get that young man Absalom and bring him back [to Jerusalem].”
22 UJowabi wasesithi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini, wakhothama, wayibusisa inkosi; uJowabi wasesithi: Lamuhla inceku yakho iyazi ukuthi ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, nkosi, ngokuthi inkosi yenzile indaba yenceku yayo.
Joab prostrated himself on the ground, and then he bowed down before the king, and [asked God to] bless him. Then Joab said, “Your Majesty, today I know that you are pleased with me, because you have agreed to do what I requested.”
23 Wasesuka uJowabi, waya eGeshuri, wamletha uAbisalomu eJerusalema.
Then Joab got up and went to Geshur, and got Absalom and brought him back to Jerusalem.
24 Inkosi yasisithi: Kaphendukele endlini yakhe, angaboni ubuso bami. Ngakho uAbisalomu waphendukela endlini yakhe, kabonanga ubuso benkosi.
But the king said/commanded that Absalom would not be permitted to live in the palace. He said, “I do not want him to come to see me.” So Absalom lived in his own house, and did not go to [talk to] the king.
25 KoIsrayeli wonke-ke kwakungelamuntu onjengoAbisalomu ukudunyiswa kakhulu ngobuhle; kwakungelasici kuye kusukela kungaphansi yonyawo lwakhe kuze kufike enkanda yakhe.
Absalom was very handsome. He looked perfect, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. In all of Israel there was no one whom people admired more than Absalom.
26 Nxa ephuca ikhanda lakhe - ngoba kwakusithi ekupheleni kwawo wonke umnyaka aliphuce, ngoba zazinzima kuye, ngakho waliphuca - walinganisa inwele zekhanda lakhe, amashekeli angamakhulu amabili ngesilinganiso senkosi.
His hair was very thick, and he cut it only once each year, when it became too heavy for him. Using the standard weights, he would weigh the hair [that he cut off], and it always weighed about five pounds.
27 Kwasekuzalelwa uAbisalomu amadodana amathathu lendodakazi eyodwa, obizo layo lalinguTamari; wayengowesifazana omuhle ebukeka.
Absalom had three sons and one daughter named Tamar. She was a very beautiful woman.
28 UAbisalomu wasehlala eJerusalema iminyaka emibili epheleleyo, kabonanga ubuso benkosi.
[After] Absalom [returned to] Jerusalem, he lived there two years, and during that time he never [was allowed to] see the king.
29 UAbisalomu wasethumela kuJowabi ukuthi amthume enkosini; kodwa kavumanga ukuza kuye. Waphinda wathumela ngokwesibili, kodwa kavumanga ukuza.
So he sent [a messenger] to Joab to ask him to come [and talk to him], but Joab refused to come. So Absalom sent [a message to him] a second time, but he still would not come.
30 Wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe: Bonani, isabelo sikaJowabi siseceleni kwesami, njalo ulebhali lapho; hambani lisithungele ngomlilo. Izinceku zikaAbisalomu zasezithungela isabelo ngomlilo.
Then Absalom said to his servants, “You know that Joab’s field is next to mine, and that he has barley [growing] there. Go and light a fire there [to burn his barley].” So Absalom’s servants [went there and] lit a fire, [and all his barley burned].
31 Wasesuka uJowabi weza kuAbisalomu endlini, wathi kuye: Izinceku zakho zithungeleleni isabelo esingesami ngomlilo?
Joab [knew who had done it, so he] went to Absalom’s house and said to him, “Why have your servants burned [the barley in] my field?”
32 UAbisalomu wasesithi kuJowabi: Khangela, ngithumele kuwe ngisithi: Woza lapha, ukuze ngikuthume enkosini, ukuthi: Ngibuyeleni ngisuka eGeshuri? Bekukuhle kimi ukuthi ngabe ngilokhu ngikhonale. Ngakho-ke kangibone ubuso benkosi; njalo uba kulecala kimi, kayingibulale.
Absalom replied, “Because [you did not come to me when] I sent messages to you [requesting that you come]. I wanted to request that you go to the king to say to him, ‘Absalom (wants to know what good it did/says that is was useless) [RHQ] for him [RHQ] to leave Geshur and come here. [He thinks that] it would have been better for him to have stayed there. [He wants you to] allow him to talk to you. And if you think that he has done something that is wrong, you can [command that] he be executed.’”
33 Ngakho uJowabi weza enkosini, wayitshela; isimbizile uAbisalomu weza enkosini, wayikhothamela ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini, phambi kwenkosi; inkosi yasimanga uAbisalomu.
So Joab went to the king, and told him [what Absalom had said]. Then the king [summoned Absalom], and he came to the king and knelt down in front of him with his face touching the ground. Then the king kissed Absalom [to show that he was pleased to see him].
