2 USamuyeli 15
1 Kwasekusithi emva kwalokhu uAbisalomu wazilungisela izinqola lamabhiza, labantu abangamatshumi amahlanu begijima phambi kwakhe.
It came about after this that Absalom prepared a chariot and horses for himself, with fifty men to run before 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;
Absalom would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. When any man had a dispute to come to the king for judgment, Absalom called to him and said, “From what city have you come?” Then the man would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”
3 uAbisalomu abesesithi kuye: Bona, indaba zakho zinhle zilungile, kodwa kakho owenkosi ukuthi akuzwe.
So Absalom would say to him, “Look, your case is good and right, but there is no one empowered by the king to hear your case.”
4 UAbisalomu abesesithi: Kungathi ngabe ngibekwe umahluleli elizweni, ukuthi wonke umuntu olecala lomthetho lodaba angeza kimi, njalo bengizamlungisela.
Absalom added, “I wish that I were made judge in the land, so that every man who had any dispute or cause might come to me, and I would bring him justice!”
5 Kwakusithi lapho kusondela umuntu ukumkhothamela, elule isandla sakhe, ambambe, amange.
So it came about that when any man came to Absalom to honor him, Absalom would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.
6 UAbisalomu wasesenza ngalindlela kuIsrayeli wonke, bona abeza enkosini ukwahlulelwa; ngalokho uAbisalomu wathumba inhliziyo yamadoda akoIsrayeli.
Absalom acted in this way to all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kweminyaka engamatshumi amane uAbisalomu wathi enkosini: Ake ngiyekhokha isithembiso sami engasithembisa eNkosini eHebroni.
It came about at the end of four years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay a vow that I have made to Yahweh in Hebron.
8 Ngoba inceku yakho yathembisa isithembiso ngisahlala eGeshuri eSiriya ngisithi: Uba iNkosi ingibuyisela lokungibuyisela eJerusalema, ngizayikhonza iNkosi.
For your servant made a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram, saying,' If Yahweh will indeed bring me again to Jerusalem, then I will worship Yahweh.'”
9 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Hamba ngokuthula. Wasesukuma waya eHebroni.
So the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So Absalom arose and went to Hebron.
10 Kodwa uAbisalomu wathuma izinhloli ezizweni zonke zakoIsrayeli esithi: Lapho lisizwa ukukhala kophondo, lizakuthi: UAbisalomu uyinkosi eHebroni!
But then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you must say, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.'”
11 Kwasekuhamba loAbisalomu amadoda angamakhulu amabili esuka eJerusalema, anxusiweyo, ahamba ebuqothweni bawo, njalo engazi lutho.
With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem, who were invited. They went in their innocence, not knowing anything that Absalom had planned.
12 UAbisalomu wasethumela wabiza uAhithofeli weGilo, umeluleki kaDavida, esuka emzini wakhe, eGilo, esahlaba imihlatshelo. Njalo ugobe lwaqina, labantu bahamba banda kuAbisalomu.
While Absalom offered sacrfices, he sent for Ahithophel from his hometown of Giloh. He was David's counselor. Absalom's conspiracy was strong, for the people following Absalom were constantly increasing.
13 Kwasekufika isithunywa kuDavida, sisithi: Inhliziyo yabantu bakoIsrayeli ilandela uAbisalomu.
A messenger came to David saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are following after Absalom.”
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.
So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Prepare to leave immediately, or he will quickly overtake us, and he will bring down disaster on us and attack the city with the edge of the sword.”
15 Izinceku zenkosi zasezisithi enkosini: Njengakho konke inkosi, inkosi yami, ekukhethayo, khangela, nanzi inceku zakho.
The king's servants said to the king, “Look, your servants are ready to do whatever our master the king decides.”
16 Yasiphuma inkosi, layo yonke indlu yayo iyilandela. Inkosi yasitshiya abafazi abalitshumi, abafazi abancane, ukuze balinde indlu.
The king left and all his family after him, but the king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the palace.
17 Yasiphuma inkosi, labo bonke abantu beyilandela; bema endlini ekhatshana.
After the king went out and all the people after him, they 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.
All his army marched with him, and before him went all the Kerethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites—six hundred men who had followed him from Gath.
19 Inkosi yasisithi kuIthayi umGiti: Lawe uhambelani lathi? Buyela uhlale lenkosi, ngoba ungowezizweni njalo ungumxotshwa endaweni yakho.
Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why will you come with us? Return and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and an exile. Return to your own place.
20 Ufike izolo; pho, lamuhla ngikuzulazulise ngokuhamba lathi, njengoba ngiya lapho engiya khona? Buyela ubuyisele abafowenu. Umusa leqiniso kakube lawe.
Since you just left yesterday, why should I make you wander all over with us? I do not even know where I am going. So return and take your fellow countrymen back. May loyalty and faithfulness go with you.”
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 and said, “As Yahweh lives, and as my master the king lives, surely in whatever place where my master the king goes, there also will your servant go, whether that means living or dying.”
22 UDavida wasesithi kuIthayi: Hamba, uchaphe. UIthayi umGiti wasechapha kanye labantu bakhe bonke labantwanyana ababelaye.
So David said to Ittai, “Go ahead and continue with us.” So Ittai the Gittite marched with the king, along with all his men and all the families who 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 country wept with a loud voice as all the people passed by over the Kidron Valley, and as the king also himself crossed over. All the people traveled on the road 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.
Even Zadok with all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God, were present. They set the ark of God down, and then Abiathar joined them. They waited until all the people had passed by out of the city.
25 Inkosi yasisithi kuZadoki: Buyisela umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu emzini. Uba ngizathola umusa emehlweni eNkosi, izangibuyisa ingitshengise wona kanye lendawo yayo yokuhlala.
The king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of Yahweh, he will bring me back here and show me again the ark and the place where he lives.
26 Kodwa uba isitsho njalo, ithi: Kangithokozi ngawe; khangela ngilapha, kayenze kimi njengokuhle emehlweni ayo.
But if he says, 'I am not pleased with you,' look, here am I, let him do to me whatever seems good to him.”
27 Inkosi yasisithi kuZadoki umpristi: Ungumboni yini? Buyela emzini ngokuthula, loAhimahazi indodana yakho loJonathani indodana kaAbhiyatha, amadodana enu womabili elani.
The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar.
28 Bona, ngizalinda emazibukweni enkangala, kuze kufike ilizwi elivela kini lokungibikela.
See, I will wait at the fords of the Arabah until word comes from you to inform me.”
29 Ngakho uZadoki loAbhiyatha bawubuyisela umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, bahlala khona.
So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back into Jerusalem, and they stayed 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.
But David ascended barefoot and weeping up the Mount of Olives, and he had his head covered. Every man of the people who were with him covered his head, and they went up weeping as they walked.
31 Kwasekubikwa kuDavida kwathiwa: UAhithofeli uphakathi kwabakugobe loAbisalomu. UDavida wasesithi: Nkosi, ake enze icebo likaAhithofeli libe yibuthutha.
Someone told David saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David prayed, “O Yahweh, please turn Ahithophel's advice into foolishness.”
32 Kwasekusithi uDavida esefike engqongeni lapho ayekhonza khona uNkulunkulu, khangela, uHushayi umArki wamhlangabeza, isembatho sakhe sidatshuliwe, lenhlabathi isekhanda lakhe.
It came about that when David arrived at the top of the road, where God used to be worshiped, Hushai the Arkite came to meet him with his coat torn and earth on his head.
33 UDavida wasesithi kuye: Uba usedlula lami, uzakuba ngumthwalo kimi.
David said to him, “If you travel with me, then you will 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 return to the city and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, king, as I have been your father's servant in time past, so will I now be your servant,' then you will confuse 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.
Will you not have the priests Zadok and Abiathar with you? So whatever you hear in the king's palace, you must tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.
36 Khangela, kukhona lapho kanye labo amadodana abo amabili, uAhimahazi okaZadoki, loJonathani okaAbhiyatha; njalo uzathumela ngesandla sabo kimi yonke into ozayizwa.
See that they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son. You must send to me by their hand everything that you hear.”
37 UHushayi umngane kaDavida wasefika emzini, loAbisalomu wafika eJerusalema.
So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city as Absalom arrived and entered into Jerusalem.
