2 USamuyeli 18
1 UDavida wasebala abantu ababelaye, wabeka phezu kwabo izinduna zezinkulungwane lenduna zamakhulu.
And David numbered the people with him, and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.
2 UDavida wasethuma ingxenye yesithathu yabantu ngaphansi kwesandla sikaJowabi, lengxenye yesithathu ngaphansi kwesandla sikaAbishayi indodana kaZeruya, umfowabo kaJowabi, lengxenye yesithathu ngaphansi kwesandla sikaIthayi umGiti. Inkosi yasisithi ebantwini: Lami ngizaphuma lokuphuma kanye lani.
And David sent away the people, the third part under the hand of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Abessa the son of Saruia, the brother of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Ethi the Gittite. And David said to the people, I also will surely go out with you.
3 Kodwa abantu bathi: Kawuyikuphuma. Ngoba uba sibaleka lokubaleka, kabayikusinaka; kumbe uba kusifa ingxenye yethu, kabayikuba landaba lathi. Kanti khathesi wena ulingana lenkulungwane ezilitshumi zethu; ngakho-ke kungcono ukuthi ube lusizo lwethu usemzini.
And they said, Thou shalt not go out: for if we should indeed flee, they will not care for us; and if half of us should die, they will not mind us; for thou [art] as ten thousand of us: and now [it is] well that thou shalt be to us an aid to help us in the city.
4 Inkosi yasisithi kibo: Lokho okulungileyo emehlweni enu ngizakwenza. Inkosi yasisima eceleni kwesango; bonke abantu basebephuma ngamakhulu langezinkulungwane.
And the king said to them, Whatsoever shall seem good in your eyes I will do. And the king stood by the side of the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 Inkosi yasibalaya oJowabi loAbishayi loIthayi, isithi: Liliphathe kahle ijaha, uAbisalomu, ngenxa yami. Njalo bonke abantu bezwa lapho inkosi ilaya zonke izinduna indaba kaAbisalomu.
And the king commanded Joab and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Spare for my sake the young man Abessalom. And all the people heard the king charging all the commanders concerning Abessalom.
6 Abantu basebephumela egangeni ukuyakulwa bemelene loIsrayeli; njalo impi yayiseguswini lakoEfrayimi.
And all the people went out into the wood against Israel; and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim.
7 Abantu bakoIsrayeli basebetshaywa lapho phambi kwenceku zikaDavida, kwasekusiba khona ukubulala okukhulu ngalolosuku - abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili.
And the people of Israel fell down there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter in that day, [even] twenty thousand men.
8 Ngoba impi yahlakazeka khona ebusweni belizwe lonke, njalo igusu ladla abantu abanengi ngalolosuku okwedlula labo inkemba eyabadlayo.
And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land: and the wood consumed more of the people than the sword consumed among the people in that day.
9 UAbisalomu wasehlangana lenceku zikaDavida. Njalo uAbisalomu wayegade imbongolo; kwathi imbongolo ifika ngaphansi kwengatsha ezihlangeneyo zesihlahla se-okhi elikhulu, ikhanda lakhe laselibambelela esihlahleni se-okhi; waselenga phakathi kwamazulu lomhlaba, njalo imbongolo engaphansi kwakhe yedlula.
And Abessalom went to meet the servants of David: and Abessalom was mounted on his mule, and the mule came under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head was entangled in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth; and the mule passed on from under him.
10 Umuntu othile wasebona, watshela uJowabi wathi: Khangela, ngibone uAbisalomu elenga esihlahleni se-okhi.
And a man saw it, and reported to Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Abessalom hanging in an oak.
11 UJowabi wasesithi kulowomuntu omtshelayo: Khangela-ke, umbonile, kungani-ke ungamtshayelanga emhlabathini khonapho? Bengizakunika inhlamvu ezilitshumi zesiliva lebhanti elilodwa.
And Joab said to the man who reported it to him, And, behold, thou didst see him: why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten [pieces] of silver, and a girdle.
12 Kodwa lowomuntu wathi kuJowabi: Loba bengingemukela ezandleni zami inhlamvu eziyinkulungwane zesiliva, bengingayikwelulela isandla sami endodaneni yenkosi, ngoba ezindlebeni zethu inkosi yakulaya wena loAbishayi loIthayi isithi: Nanzelelani, loba ngubani, angathinti ijaha uAbisalomu.
And the man said to Joab, Were I even to receive a thousand shekels of silver, I would not lift my hand against the king's son; for in our ears the king charged thee and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Take care of the young man Abessalom for me,
13 Uba bengenze inkohliso ngempilo yami, ngoba kakulalutho olucatshela inkosi, lawe ubuzazimisa umelene lami.
so as to do no harm to his life: and nothing of the matter will be concealed from the king, and thou wilt set thyself against me.
14 UJowabi wasesithi: Kangiyikulibala ngokunjalo lawe. Wasethatha imikhonto emithathu esandleni sakhe, wamgwaza uAbisalomu enhliziyweni esaphila, phakathi kwesihlahla se-okhi.
And Joab said, I will begin this; I will not thus remain with thee. And Joab took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Abessalom, while he was yet alive in the heart of the oak.
15 Njalo amajaha alitshumi ayethwala izikhali zikaJowabi, amzingelezela amtshaya uAbisalomu ambulala.
And ten young men that bore Joab's armour compassed Abessalom, and smote him and slew him.
16 UJowabi wasevuthela uphondo, abantu basebebuya ekuxotshaneni loIsrayeli, ngoba uJowabi wabamisa abantu.
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab spared the people.
17 Basebemthatha uAbisalomu, bamphosela emgodini omkhulu eguswini, babeka phezu kwakhe inqwaba enkulu kakhulu yamatshe; uIsrayeli wonke wasebaleka, ngulowo lalowo waya ethenteni lakhe.
And he took Abessalom, and cast him into a great cavern in the wood, into a deep pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones: and all Israel fled every man to his tent.
18 UAbisalomu esaphila wayethethe wazimisela insika esesigodini senkosi, ngoba wathi: Angilandodana yokwenza ukuthi ibizo lami likhunjulwe. Wabiza leyonsika ngebizo lakhe. Yabizwa ngokuthi, isikhumbuzo sikaAbisalomu, kuze kube lamuhla.
Now Abessalom while yet alive had taken and set up for himself the pillar near which he was taken, and set it up so as to have the pillar in the king's dale; for he said he had no son to keep his name in remembrance: and he called the pillar, Abessalom's hand, until this day.
19 UAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki wasesithi: Ake ngigijime, ngiyibikele inkosi ukuthi iNkosi iyiphindisele esandleni sezitha zayo.
And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said, Let me run now and carry glad tidings to the king, for the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.
20 Kodwa uJowabi wathi kuye: Kawusumbiki wendaba lamuhla, kodwa uzazibika izindaba ngolunye usuku; lamuhla kawuyikubika izindaba, ngenxa yokuthi indodana yenkosi ifile.
And Joab said to him, Thou [shalt] not [be] a messenger of glad tidings this day; thou shalt bear them another day; but on this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.
21 UJowabi wasesithi kumKhushi: Hamba uyebikela inkosi okubonileyo. UmKhushi wamkhothamela uJowabi, wagijima.
And Joab said to Chusi, Go, report to the king all that thou hast seen. And Chusi did obeisance to Joab, and went out.
22 UAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki wabuya wasephinda wathi kuJowabi: Loba kunjani, ake ngigijime lami ngimlandele umKhushi. Kodwa uJowabi wathi: Uzagijimelani, mntanami, lokhu ungelambiko ongawuletha?
And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said again to Joab, Nay, let me also run after Chusi. And Joab said, Why wouldest thou thus run, my son? attend, thou hast no tidings for profit if thou go.
23 Kodwa loba kunjani, kangigijime. Wasesithi kuye: Gijima. Wasegijima uAhimahazi ngendlela yemagcekeni, wamdlula umKhushi.
And he said, Why should I not run? and Joab said to him, Run. And Achimaas ran along the way of Kechar, and outran Chusi.
24 UDavida wayehlezi-ke phakathi kwamasango womabili; umlindi wasesiya ephahleni lwesango emdulini, waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona, khangela-ke, umuntu egijima yedwa.
And David was sitting between the two gates: and the watchman went up on the top of the gate of the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone before him.
25 Umlindi wasememeza watshela inkosi. Yasisithi inkosi: Uba eyedwa ulombiko emlonyeni wakhe. Wasehamba weza esondela.
And the watchman cried out, and reported to the king. And the king said, If he be alone, [there are] good tidings in his mouth. And the man came and drew near.
26 Umlindi wasebona omunye umuntu egijima; umlindi wabiza umlindisango wathi: Khangela, omunye umuntu ugijima yedwa. Inkosi yasisithi: Laye lo uletha izindaba.
And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman cried at the gate, and said, And look, another man running alone. And the king said, He also brings glad tidings.
27 Umlindi wasesithi: Ngibona ukugijima kowokuqala kunjengokugijima kukaAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki. Inkosi yasisithi: Lo ngumuntu olungileyo, uza lendaba ezinhle.
And the watchman said, I see the running of the first as the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said, He [is] a good man, and will come to [report] glad tidings.
28 UAhimahazi wasememeza wathi enkosini: Ukuthula! Wasekhothamela inkosi ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini wathi: Kayibusiswe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, enikele abantu abaphakamisa isandla sabo enkosini yami, inkosi.
And Achimaas cried out and said to the king, Peace. And he did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground, and said, Blessed [be] the Lord thy God, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hands against my lord the king.
29 Inkosi yasisithi: Kuhle yini ngejaha, ngoAbisalomu? UAhimahazi wasesithi: Ngibone isiphithiphithi esikhulu lapho uJowabi ethuma inceku yenkosi lenceku yakho, kodwa kangazanga ukuthi kuyini.
And the king said, [Is] the young man Abessalom safe? and Achimaas said, I saw a great multitude [at the time] of Joab's sending the king's servant and thy servant, and I knew not what was there.
30 Inkosi yasisithi: Buyela eceleni, ume lapho. Wasebuyela eceleni wema.
And the king said, Turn aside, stand still here. And he turned aside, and stood.
31 Khangela-ke, umKhushi wafika, umKhushi wathi: Yemukela imibiko, nkosi yami, nkosi! Ngoba iNkosi ikuphindisele lamuhla esandleni salabo bonke abakuvukelayo.
And, behold, Chusi came up, and said to the king, Let my lord the king hear glad tidings, for the Lord has avenged thee this day upon all them that rose up against thee.
32 Inkosi yasisithi kumKhushi: Kuhle yini ngejaha, ngoAbisalomu? UmKhushi wasesithi: Kungathi izitha zenkosi yami, inkosi, labo bonke abakuvukelayo ngobubi bangaba njengalelojaha.
And the king said to Chusi, Is it well with the young man Abessalom? and Chusi said, Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all whosoever have risen up against him for evil, be as that young man.
33 Yasikhathazeka kakhulu inkosi, yenyukela endlini ephezulu yesango, yakhala inyembezi, isahamba yakhuluma kanje: Ndodana yami Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami, Abisalomu! Kungathi ngabe kufe mina endaweni yakho, Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!
And the king was troubled, and went to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and thus he said as he went, My son Abessalom, my son, my son Abessalom; would God I had died for thee, [even] I [had died] for thee, Abessalom, my son, my son!
