2 USamuyeli 15
1 Kwasekusithi emva kwalokhu uAbisalomu wazilungisela izinqola lamabhiza, labantu abangamatshumi amahlanu begijima phambi kwakhe.
Sometime later, Absalom got himself a chariot with horses, and fifty men as bodyguards to run ahead of him.
2 UAbisalomu wayesevuka ekuseni kakhulu eme eceleni kwendlela yesango; kwakusithi wonke umuntu olecala lomthetho eliya enkosini ukwahlulelwa, uAbisalomu ambize athi: Ungowawuphi umuzi? Lapho esithi: Inceku yakho ingowesinye sezizwe zakoIsrayeli;
He used to get up early and stand by the main road that led to the city gate. When people brought a case to the king for his decision, Absalom would call out and ask them, “What town are you from?” If they replied, “Your servant is from this particular tribe of Israel,”
3 uAbisalomu abesesithi kuye: Bona, indaba zakho zinhle zilungile, kodwa kakho owenkosi ukuthi akuzwe.
Absalom would tell them, “Look, you're in the right and you've got a good case. It's such a shame there's no one from the king to hear you.”
4 UAbisalomu abesesithi: Kungathi ngabe ngibekwe umahluleli elizweni, ukuthi wonke umuntu olecala lomthetho lodaba angeza kimi, njalo bengizamlungisela.
Then he would say, “If only there was someone to appoint me as judge for the country. Then everyone could come to me with their case or complaint, and I would give them justice.”
5 Kwakusithi lapho kusondela umuntu ukumkhothamela, elule isandla sakhe, ambambe, amange.
When anyone came to bow down before him, Absalom would stop them by reaching out his hand, taking hold of him, and kissing him.
6 UAbisalomu wasesenza ngalindlela kuIsrayeli wonke, bona abeza enkosini ukwahlulelwa; ngalokho uAbisalomu wathumba inhliziyo yamadoda akoIsrayeli.
This is how Absalom treated all the Israelites who came to the king for his judgment. So he captured the loyalty of the men of Israel.
7 Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kweminyaka engamatshumi amane uAbisalomu wathi enkosini: Ake ngiyekhokha isithembiso sami engasithembisa eNkosini eHebroni.
Four years later Absalom asked the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a promise I made to the Lord.
8 Ngoba inceku yakho yathembisa isithembiso ngisahlala eGeshuri eSiriya ngisithi: Uba iNkosi ingibuyisela lokungibuyisela eJerusalema, ngizayikhonza iNkosi.
For I, your servant, made this promise while living at Geshur in Aram, saying: ‘If the Lord does bring me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.’”
9 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Hamba ngokuthula. Wasesukuma waya eHebroni.
“Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom went to Hebron.
10 Kodwa uAbisalomu wathuma izinhloli ezizweni zonke zakoIsrayeli esithi: Lapho lisizwa ukukhala kophondo, lizakuthi: UAbisalomu uyinkosi eHebroni!
Then Absalom sent his accomplices among all the tribes of Israel, saying, “When you hear the sound of the ram's horn, you shout, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’”
11 Kwasekuhamba loAbisalomu amadoda angamakhulu amabili esuka eJerusalema, anxusiweyo, ahamba ebuqothweni bawo, njalo engazi lutho.
Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom. They had been invited and went in all innocence, because they didn't know anything about what was planned.
12 UAbisalomu wasethumela wabiza uAhithofeli weGilo, umeluleki kaDavida, esuka emzini wakhe, eGilo, esahlaba imihlatshelo. Njalo ugobe lwaqina, labantu bahamba banda kuAbisalomu.
While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's advisor, asking him to come from Giloh, the town where he lived. The conspiracy grew stronger, and Absalom's followers went on increasing.
13 Kwasekufika isithunywa kuDavida, sisithi: Inhliziyo yabantu bakoIsrayeli ilandela uAbisalomu.
A messenger came to tell David, “Absalom has the loyalty of the men of Israel.”
14 Wasesithi uDavida ezincekwini zakhe zonke ezazilaye eJerusalema: Sukumani, sibaleke, ngoba kasilakuphepha ebusweni bukaAbisalomu. Phangisani ukuhamba, hlezi aphangise asifice, asehlisele okubi, atshaye umuzi ngobukhali benkemba.
David said to all the officials with him in Jerusalem, “Quick! Let's go! Otherwise we won't be able to get away from Absalom! We must leave immediately, or he will soon catch up with us, attack us, and kill the people here in the city.”
15 Izinceku zenkosi zasezisithi enkosini: Njengakho konke inkosi, inkosi yami, ekukhethayo, khangela, nanzi inceku zakho.
“Whatever Your Majesty decides, we'll do what you want,” the king's servants replied.
16 Yasiphuma inkosi, layo yonke indlu yayo iyilandela. Inkosi yasitshiya abafazi abalitshumi, abafazi abancane, ukuze balinde indlu.
The king set off with his whole household following him, but he left behind ten concubines to look after the palace.
17 Yasiphuma inkosi, labo bonke abantu beyilandela; bema endlini ekhatshana.
The king left with all his soldiers following him. He stopped at the last house,
18 Lazo zonke inceku zayo zedlula eceleni kwayo, njalo wonke amaKerethi lawo wonke amaPelethi lawo wonke amaGiti, amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha, eza amlandela evela eGati, edlula phambi kwenkosi.
and all his men marched past him, including all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had come with him from Gath.
19 Inkosi yasisithi kuIthayi umGiti: Lawe uhambelani lathi? Buyela uhlale lenkosi, ngoba ungowezizweni njalo ungumxotshwa endaweni yakho.
The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you coming with us too? Go back and stay with the new king, because you are a foreigner and an exile a long way from home.
20 Ufike izolo; pho, lamuhla ngikuzulazulise ngokuhamba lathi, njengoba ngiya lapho engiya khona? Buyela ubuyisele abafowenu. Umusa leqiniso kakube lawe.
You only just got here, so why should I make you wander around with us now when I don't even know where I am going? Go back and take your men with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.”
21 Kodwa uIthayi wayiphendula inkosi wathi: Kuphila kukaJehova, njalo kuphila kwenkosi yami, inkosi, isibili kuleyondawo lapho inkosi yami, inkosi, ezakuba kiyo, loba kusekufeni loba kusekuphileni, lalapho izakuba khona inceku yakho.
But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as Your Majesty lives, wherever Your Majesty may be, whether dead or alive, that's where your servant will be!”
22 UDavida wasesithi kuIthayi: Hamba, uchaphe. UIthayi umGiti wasechapha kanye labantu bakhe bonke labantwanyana ababelaye.
“Go ahead, march on!” David replied. Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the families that were with him.
23 Ilizwe lonke lakhala inyembezi ngelizwi elikhulu, njalo abantu bonke bachapha. Inkosi yasichapha isifula iKidroni, labantu bonke bachapha, ngasendleleni yenkangala.
All the people in the countryside were crying aloud as everyone with David passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley with the king on the way toward the wilderness.
24 Njalo khangela, uZadoki laye lawo wonke amaLevi elaye, bethwele umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, bawubeka phansi umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu; uAbhiyatha wasesenyuka, abantu bonke baze baphela ukudlula bephuma emzini.
Zadok was there too, and all the Levites were with him, carrying the Ark of God's Agreement. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until everyone had left the city.
25 Inkosi yasisithi kuZadoki: Buyisela umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu emzini. Uba ngizathola umusa emehlweni eNkosi, izangibuyisa ingitshengise wona kanye lendawo yayo yokuhlala.
Then the king told Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I find the Lord approves of me, he will bring me back and let me see both the Ark and his Tent again.
26 Kodwa uba isitsho njalo, ithi: Kangithokozi ngawe; khangela ngilapha, kayenze kimi njengokuhle emehlweni ayo.
But if he says, ‘I'm not happy with you,’ then here I stand. Let him do to me whatever he thinks best.”
27 Inkosi yasisithi kuZadoki umpristi: Ungumboni yini? Buyela emzini ngokuthula, loAhimahazi indodana yakho loJonathani indodana kaAbhiyatha, amadodana enu womabili elani.
The king also told Zadok the priest, “You understand the situation, don't you? Go back to the city safely with your son Ahimaaz, and also Jonathan, son of Abiathar. You and Abiathar take both of your sons back with you.
28 Bona, ngizalinda emazibukweni enkangala, kuze kufike ilizwi elivela kini lokungibikela.
I'll wait at the fords of the wilderness until I hear from you.”
29 Ngakho uZadoki loAbhiyatha bawubuyisela umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, bahlala khona.
Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to Jerusalem and remained there.
30 UDavida wasesenyuka ngomqanso wemihlwathi, esenyuka ekhala inyembezi, embomboze ikhanda lakhe, wahamba engelamanyathela; labo bonke abantu ababelaye bambomboza, ngulowo lalowo ikhanda lakhe, benyuka, besenyuka bekhala inyembezi.
David went on his way up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he did so. He had his head covered, and walked barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads, weeping as they went along.
31 Kwasekubikwa kuDavida kwathiwa: UAhithofeli uphakathi kwabakugobe loAbisalomu. UDavida wasesithi: Nkosi, ake enze icebo likaAhithofeli libe yibuthutha.
David was told, “Ahithophel is one of the people conspiring with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, please make Ahithophel's advice worthless.”
32 Kwasekusithi uDavida esefike engqongeni lapho ayekhonza khona uNkulunkulu, khangela, uHushayi umArki wamhlangabeza, isembatho sakhe sidatshuliwe, lenhlabathi isekhanda lakhe.
When David arrived at the top of the Mount of Olives, where people worshiped God, there to meet him was Hushai the Archite, with his robe torn and with dust on his head.
33 UDavida wasesithi kuye: Uba usedlula lami, uzakuba ngumthwalo kimi.
David told him, “If you come with me, you'll only be a burden to me,
34 Kodwa uba ubuyela emzini uthi kuAbisalomu: Ngizakuba yinceku yakho, nkosi; kade ngiyinceku kayihlo, kodwa khathesi sengizakuba yinceku yakho; khona uzangichithela icebo likaAhithofeli.
but if you go back to the city and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, Your Majesty! Formerly I worked for your father, but now I'll work for you,’ then you can block Ahithophel's advice for me.
35 Njalo kabakho yini kanye lawe lapho oZadoki loAbhiyatha abapristi? Ngakho kuzakuthi yonke indaba oyizwayo endlini yenkosi, uyitshele oZadoki loAbhiyatha abapristi.
Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there too. Tell them everything you hear in the king's palace.
36 Khangela, kukhona lapho kanye labo amadodana abo amabili, uAhimahazi okaZadoki, loJonathani okaAbhiyatha; njalo uzathumela ngesandla sabo kimi yonke into ozayizwa.
Their two sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, are there with them. Send them to me so they can tell me everything you hear.”
37 UHushayi umngane kaDavida wasefika emzini, loAbisalomu wafika eJerusalema.
David's friend Hushai arrived back in Jerusalem at the same time Absalom was entering the city.
