2 USamuyeli 17
1 UAhithofeli wasesithi kuAbisalomu: Ake ngikhethe amadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili, ngisukume ngixotshane loDavida ngalobubusuku.
Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Now let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight.
2 Ngizamehlela esakhathele ebuthakathaka ezandleni, ngimethuse; labo bonke abantu abalaye bazabaleka; ngizatshaya inkosi kuphela.
I will come on him while he is weary and weak and will surprise him with fear. The people who are with him will flee, and I will attack only the king.
3 Ngizabuyisela abantu bonke kuwe. Umuntu omdingayo ufanana lokubuya kwabo bonke. Bonke abantu bazakuba sekuthuleni.
I will bring back all the people to you, like a bride coming to her husband, and all the people will be at peace under you.”
4 Lalelilizwi lalilungile emehlweni kaAbisalomu lemehlweni abo bonke abadala bakoIsrayeli.
What Ahithophel said pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
5 UAbisalomu wasesithi: Bizani-ke loHushayi umArki, sizwe ukuthi laye uthini ngomlomo.
Then Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Arkite, too, and let us hear what he says.”
6 UHushayi esefikile kuAbisalomu, uAbisalomu wakhuluma kuye esithi: UAhithofeli ukhulume ngalindlela: Senze ilizwi lakhe yini? Uba kungenjalo, khuluma wena.
When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom explained to him what Ahithophel had said and then asked Hushai, “Should we do what Ahithophel has said? If not, tell us what you advise.”
7 UHushayi wasesithi kuAbisalomu: Iseluleko uAhithofeli aselulekileyo ngalesisikhathi kasisihle.
So Hushai said to Absalom, “The advice that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.”
8 UHushayi wathi futhi: Wena uyamazi uyihlo labantu bakhe ukuthi bangamaqhawe, ukuthi bathukuthele enhliziyweni, njengebhere elithathelwe imidlwane egangeni. Futhi uyihlo yindoda yempi; kayikulala labantu ebusuku.
Hushai added, “You know your father and his men are strong warriors, and that they are bitter, and they are like a bear robbed of her cubs in a field. Your father is a man of war; he will not sleep with the army tonight.
9 Khangela, khathesinje ucatshile komunye wemigodi, loba kwenye yezindawo. Kuzakuthi lapho abanye babo bewile ekuqaleni, kuthi loba ngubani ozwayo athi: Bekulokubulawa ebantwini abalandela uAbisalomu.
Look, right now he is probably hidden in some pit or in some other place. It will happen that when some of your men have been killed at the beginning of an attack, that whoever hears it will say, 'A slaughter has taken place among the soldiers who follow Absalom.'
10 Kuthi laye olobuqhawe, onhliziyo yakhe injengenhliziyo yesilwane, ancibilike lokuncibilika; ngoba uIsrayeli wonke uyazi ukuthi uyihlo uliqhawe, lalabo abalaye balobuqhawe.
Then even the bravest soldiers, whose hearts are like the heart of a lion, will be afraid because all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and that the men who are with him are very strong.
11 Ngakho ngiyeluleka ukuthi uIsrayeli wonke abuthane, abuthane kuwe kusukela koDani kuze kufike eBherishebha, ngangetshebetshebe eliselwandle ngobunengi, wena ngokwakho ubususiya empini.
So I advise you that all Israel should be gathered together to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as numerous as the sands that are by the sea, and that you go to battle in person.
12 Ngakho sizamehlela kwenye yezindawo lapho angatholakala khona, simehlele njengamazolo ewela emhlabathini; njalo kungasali kuye lebantwini bonke abalaye loyedwa.
Then we will come on him wherever he may be found, and we will cover him as the dew falls on the ground. We will not leave even one of his men, or him himself, alive.
13 Uba-ke engena emzini, uIsrayeli wonke uzaletha amagoda kulowomuzi, siwuhudulele esifuleni, kungabe kusatholwa lalitshana khona.
If he retreats into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city and we will drag it into the river, until there is no longer even a small stone found there.”
14 UAbisalomu lawo wonke amadoda akoIsrayeli basebesithi: Iseluleko sikaHushayi umArki singcono kuleseluleko sikaAhithofeli. Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu yayilayile ukuthi kufutshiswe iseluleko esihle sikaAhithofeli ukuze iNkosi imehlisele okubi uAbisalomu.
Then Absalom and the men of Israel said, “Hushai the Arkite's advice is better than Ahithophel's.” Yahweh had ordained the rejection of Ahithophel's good advice in order to bring destruction on Absalom.
15 UHushayi wasesithi kuZadoki lakuAbhiyatha abapristi: UAhithofeli weluleke uAbisalomu labadala bakoIsrayeli kanje lakanje; mina-ke ngeluleka kanje lakanje.
Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel in such and such a way, but I have advised something else.
16 Ngakho-ke thumani masinyane litshele uDavida lithi: Ungalali emagcekeni enkangala kulobubusuku, futhi chapha lokuchapha, hlezi inkosi iginywe labantu bonke abalayo.
Now then, go quickly and report to David; say to him, 'Do not camp tonight at the fords of the Arabah, but by all means cross over, or the king will be swallowed up along with all the people who are with him.'”
17 OJonathani loAhimahazi babemile-ke eEnirogeli; incekukazi yeza yabatshela, bona-ke bahamba babikela inkosi uDavida; ngoba babengelakubonwa bengena emzini.
Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at the spring of Rogel. A female servant used to go and inform them what they needed to know, for they could not risk being seen going into the city. When the message came, then they were to go and tell King David.
18 Kodwa umfana othile wababona, wabikela uAbisalomu; kodwa bahamba masinyane bobabili, bayafika endlini yomuntu eBahurimi, owayelomthombo egumeni lakhe; behlela khona.
But a young man saw them this time and told Absalom. So Jonathan and Ahimaaz went away quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard, into which they descended.
19 Owesifazana wasethatha wendlala isimbombozo phezu komlomo womthombo, wachaya amabele agigiweyo phezu kwaso; ngakho linto kayaziwanga.
The man's wife took the covering for the well and spread it over the well's opening, and tossed grain over it, so no one knew Jonathan and Ahimaaz were in the well.
20 Lapho zifika izinceku zikaAbisalomu kowesifazana endlini, zathi: Bangaphi oAhimahazi loJonathani? Owesifazana wasesithi kizo: Bachaphe isifula samanzi. Sezidingile, zingabatholanga, zabuyela eJerusalema.
Absalom's men came to the woman of the house and said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman told them, “They have crossed over the river.” So after they had looked around and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
21 Kwasekusithi sezihambile, benyuka emthonjeni baya bayitshela inkosi uDavida, bathi kuDavida: Sukani lichaphe amanzi masinyane, ngoba uAhithofeli weluleke njalo emelene lani.
It came about after they had left that Jonathan and Ahimaaz came up out of the well. They went to report to King David; they said to him, “Get up and cross quickly over the water because Ahithophel has given such and such advice about you.”
22 UDavida wasesuka, labo bonke abantu ababelaye, bachapha iJordani; kuze kube sekukhanyeni kokusa kwakungasalanga loyedwa, ongayichaphanga iJordani.
Then David arose and all the people who were with him, and they crossed over the Jordan. By morning daylight not one of them had failed to cross over the Jordan.
23 Lapho uAhithofeli ebona ukuthi iseluleko sakhe asilandelwanga, wabophela isihlalo kubabhemi, wasuka waya endlini yakhe emzini wakhe, walaya indlu yakhe, waziphanyeka, wafa, wangcwatshelwa engcwabeni likayise.
When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and left. He went home to his own city, set his affairs in order, and hanged himself. In this way he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.
24 UDavida wasefika eMahanayimi; uAbisalomu wasechapha iJordani, yena lamadoda wonke akoIsrayeli kanye laye.
Then David came to Mahanaim. As for Absalom, he crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
25 UAbisalomu wayebeke-ke uAmasa phezu kwebutho esikhundleni sikaJowabi. Njalo uAmasa wayeyindodana yomuntu obizo lakhe lalinguIthira umIsrayeli, owangena kuAbigali indodakazi kaNahashi, udadewabo kaZeruya, unakaJowabi.
Absalom had set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of Jether the Ishmaelite, who had slept with Abigail, who was the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab.
26 Ngakho uIsrayeli loAbisalomu bamisa inkamba elizweni leGileyadi.
Then Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.
27 Kwasekusithi uDavida esefikile eMahanayimi, uShobi indodana kaNahashi weRaba yabantwana bakoAmoni, loMakiri indodana kaAmiyeli weLodebari, loBarizilayi umGileyadi weRogelimi,
It came about when David had come to Mahanaim, that Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir son of Ammiel from Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim,
28 baletha amacansi, lemiganu, lendiwo zebumba, lengqoloyi, lebhali, lempuphu, lamabele akhanzingiweyo, lendumba, lamalentili, lokunye okukhanzingiweyo,
brought sleeping mats and blankets, bowls and pots, and wheat, barley flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils,
29 lenyosi, lamasi, lezimvu, letshizi yenkomo, kusenzelwa uDavida labantu ababelaye ukuze badle; ngoba bathi: Abantu balambile badiniwe bomile enkangala.
honey, butter, sheep, and milk curds, so that David and the people with him could eat. These men had said, “The people are hungry, weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.”
