2 USamuyeli 18
1 UDavida wasebala abantu ababelaye, wabeka phezu kwabo izinduna zezinkulungwane lenduna zamakhulu.
David arranged his soldiers for the battle. He divided them into groups, and appointed a commander for each 100 soldiers and a commander for each 1,000 soldiers.
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.
He sent them out in three groups. Joab commanded one group, Joab’s brother Abishai commanded a second group, and Ittai from Gath commanded the third group. David said to them, “I myself will go with you [to the battle].”
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.
But his soldiers said, “No, we will not allow you to go with us. If they force us all to run away, they will not be concerned about that happening. Or if they kill half of us, that will also not be what they want. To them, [killing] you is more important than [killing] 10,000 of us. So it will be better that you [stay here] in the city and send help to us.”
4 Inkosi yasisithi kibo: Lokho okulungileyo emehlweni enu ngizakwenza. Inkosi yasisima eceleni kwesango; bonke abantu basebephuma ngamakhulu langezinkulungwane.
The king replied, “Okay, I will do whatever seems best to you.” So he stood at the gate [and watched] while his soldiers marched out, group by group.
5 Inkosi yasibalaya oJowabi loAbishayi loIthayi, isithi: Liliphathe kahle ijaha, uAbisalomu, ngenxa yami. Njalo bonke abantu bezwa lapho inkosi ilaya zonke izinduna indaba kaAbisalomu.
[While they were leaving, ] the king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “For my sake, do not harm my son Absalom!” And all the troops heard it when David gave that order about Absalom to those three commanders.
6 Abantu basebephumela egangeni ukuyakulwa bemelene loIsrayeli; njalo impi yayiseguswini lakoEfrayimi.
So the army went out to fight against the Israeli soldiers [who were with Absalom]. They fought the battle in the forest [where people from the tribe] of Ephraim [lived].
7 Abantu bakoIsrayeli basebetshaywa lapho phambi kwenceku zikaDavida, kwasekusiba khona ukubulala okukhulu ngalolosuku - abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili.
David’s soldiers defeated Absalom’s soldiers. They killed 20,000 of them!
8 Ngoba impi yahlakazeka khona ebusweni belizwe lonke, njalo igusu ladla abantu abanengi ngalolosuku okwedlula labo inkemba eyabadlayo.
The battle was fought {They fought the battle} all over that area, and the number of men who died because of [dangerous things in] the forest [PRS] was greater than the number of men who were killed (in the battle/by swords).
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.
During the battle, Absalom suddenly came near [some of] David’s soldiers. Absalom was riding on his mule; and when the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak tree, Absalom’s head/hair was caught in the branches. The mule kept going, but Absalom was left dangling in the air.
10 Umuntu othile wasebona, watshela uJowabi wathi: Khangela, ngibone uAbisalomu elenga esihlahleni se-okhi.
One of David’s soldiers saw what happened, and went and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11 UJowabi wasesithi kulowomuntu omtshelayo: Khangela-ke, umbonile, kungani-ke ungamtshayelanga emhlabathini khonapho? Bengizakunika inhlamvu ezilitshumi zesiliva lebhanti elilodwa.
Joab said to the man, “What? You say that you saw him hanging there, so why did you not kill him immediately [RHQ]? [If you had killed him, ] I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt!”
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.
The man replied to Joab, “Even if you gave me 1,000 pieces of silver, I would not have done anything to harm [IDM] the king’s son. We all heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, do not harm my son Absalom!’
13 Uba bengenze inkohliso ngempilo yami, ngoba kakulalutho olucatshela inkosi, lawe ubuzazimisa umelene lami.
If I had disobeyed the king and killed Absalom, the king would have heard about it, because the king hears about everything, and even you would not have defended me!”
14 UJowabi wasesithi: Kangiyikulibala ngokunjalo lawe. Wasethatha imikhonto emithathu esandleni sakhe, wamgwaza uAbisalomu enhliziyweni esaphila, phakathi kwesihlahla se-okhi.
Joab said, “I am not going to waste time talking to you!” Then he took three spears [and went to where Absalom was], and thrust them into Absalom’s chest/heart while he was still alive, dangling from the oak tree.
15 Njalo amajaha alitshumi ayethwala izikhali zikaJowabi, amzingelezela amtshaya uAbisalomu ambulala.
Then ten young men who carried weapons for Joab surrounded Absalom and [finished] killing him.
16 UJowabi wasevuthela uphondo, abantu basebebuya ekuxotshaneni loIsrayeli, ngoba uJowabi wabamisa abantu.
Then Joab blew his trumpet [to signal that they should not fight any more], and his soldiers returned from pursuing those Israeli soldiers.
17 Basebemthatha uAbisalomu, bamphosela emgodini omkhulu eguswini, babeka phezu kwakhe inqwaba enkulu kakhulu yamatshe; uIsrayeli wonke wasebaleka, ngulowo lalowo waya ethenteni lakhe.
They took Absalom’s body and threw it into a huge pit in the forest, and covered it with a huge pile of stones. Then all the remaining Israeli soldiers [who had been with Absalom] fled to their own towns.
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.
Absalom had no sons to preserve his [family] name. So, while Absalom was alive, he built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley [near Jerusalem, in order that people would remember him]. He put his name on the monument, and people still call it Absalom’s monument.
19 UAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki wasesithi: Ake ngigijime, ngiyibikele inkosi ukuthi iNkosi iyiphindisele esandleni sezitha zayo.
[After Absalom had been killed, ] Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said to Joab, “Allow me to run to the king to tell him the good news that Yahweh has rescued him from the power of his enemies!”
20 Kodwa uJowabi wathi kuye: Kawusumbiki wendaba lamuhla, kodwa uzazibika izindaba ngolunye usuku; lamuhla kawuyikubika izindaba, ngenxa yokuthi indodana yenkosi ifile.
But Joab said to him, “No, I will not allow you to take news to the king today. Some other day I will allow you to take some news, but not today. [If you took news today it would not be good news for the king, ] because his son is dead.”
21 UJowabi wasesithi kumKhushi: Hamba uyebikela inkosi okubonileyo. UmKhushi wamkhothamela uJowabi, wagijima.
Then Joab said to David’s servant who was from Ethiopia, “You go and tell the king what you have seen.” So the man from Ethiopia bowed in front of Joab, and started to run.
22 UAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki wabuya wasephinda wathi kuJowabi: Loba kunjani, ake ngigijime lami ngimlandele umKhushi. Kodwa uJowabi wathi: Uzagijimelani, mntanami, lokhu ungelambiko ongawuletha?
Then Ahimaaz said again to Joab, “Even though [that man from Ethiopia is running], allow me to run behind him.” Joab replied, “My boy/son, why do you want to do that? You will not receive any reward for your news!”
23 Kodwa loba kunjani, kangigijime. Wasesithi kuye: Gijima. Wasegijima uAhimahazi ngendlela yemagcekeni, wamdlula umKhushi.
But Ahimaaz replied, “That does not matter, I want to go.” So Joab said, “Okay, go.” So Ahimaaz ran along [another] road through the Jordan Valley and arrived [where David was] before the man from Ethiopia arrived.
24 UDavida wayehlezi-ke phakathi kwamasango womabili; umlindi wasesiya ephahleni lwesango emdulini, waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona, khangela-ke, umuntu egijima yedwa.
David was sitting between the outer gate and the inner gate [of the city]. The watchman/lookout went up on top of the city wall and stood on the roof over the gates. He looked out and saw one man running alone.
25 Umlindi wasememeza watshela inkosi. Yasisithi inkosi: Uba eyedwa ulombiko emlonyeni wakhe. Wasehamba weza esondela.
The watchman called down and reported it to the king. The king said, “If he is alone, [that indicates/means that] he is bringing [good] news.” The man who was running continued to come closer.
26 Umlindi wasebona omunye umuntu egijima; umlindi wabiza umlindisango wathi: Khangela, omunye umuntu ugijima yedwa. Inkosi yasisithi: Laye lo uletha izindaba.
Then the watchman saw another man running. So he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look! There is another man running!” And the king said, “He also is bringing [some good] news.”
27 Umlindi wasesithi: Ngibona ukugijima kowokuqala kunjengokugijima kukaAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki. Inkosi yasisithi: Lo ngumuntu olungileyo, uza lendaba ezinhle.
The watchman said, “I think the first man [must be Ahimaaz, because he] is running like Ahimaaz runs.” The king said, “He is a good man, and [I am sure] he is coming with good news.”
28 UAhimahazi wasememeza wathi enkosini: Ukuthula! Wasekhothamela inkosi ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini wathi: Kayibusiswe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, enikele abantu abaphakamisa isandla sabo enkosini yami, inkosi.
[When] Ahimaaz [reached the king, he] called out “I hope/desire that things will go well with you!” Then he prostrated himself on the ground in front of the king and said, “Your Majesty, praise Yahweh our God, who has rescued you from the men who were rebelling against you!”
29 Inkosi yasisithi: Kuhle yini ngejaha, ngoAbisalomu? UAhimahazi wasesithi: Ngibone isiphithiphithi esikhulu lapho uJowabi ethuma inceku yenkosi lenceku yakho, kodwa kangazanga ukuthi kuyini.
The king said, “Is the young man Absalom safe/all right?” Ahimaaz [did not want to answer that question, so he] replied, “When Joab sent me, I saw that there was a lot of confusion, but I do not know what it was about.”
30 Inkosi yasisithi: Buyela eceleni, ume lapho. Wasebuyela eceleni wema.
Then the king said, “Stand aside.” So Ahimaaz stepped aside and stood there.
31 Khangela-ke, umKhushi wafika, umKhushi wathi: Yemukela imibiko, nkosi yami, nkosi! Ngoba iNkosi ikuphindisele lamuhla esandleni salabo bonke abakuvukelayo.
Suddenly the man from Ethiopia arrived, and said, “Your Majesty, I have good news for you! Yahweh has enabled your soldiers to defeat all those who rebelled against you!”
32 Inkosi yasisithi kumKhushi: Kuhle yini ngejaha, ngoAbisalomu? UmKhushi wasesithi: Kungathi izitha zenkosi yami, inkosi, labo bonke abakuvukelayo ngobubi bangaba njengalelojaha.
The king said to him, “Is the young man Absalom safe/all right?” And the man from Ethiopia replied, “Sir, I wish/desire that what happened to him would happen to all of your enemies and to all those who rebel against you!”
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!
The king [realized that he meant that Absalom was dead, so he] became (extremely distressed/overcome with grief), and he went up to the room above the gateway and cried. While he was going up, he kept crying out, “O, my son Absalom! My son! O, my son Absalom, I desire/wish that I had died instead of you!”
