2 USamuyeli 20
1 Kwasekusenzakala ukuthi kube khona lapho umuntu kaBheliyali, obizo lakhe linguShebha indodana kaBikiri umBhenjamini; wasevuthela uphondo wathi: Kasilasabelo kuDavida, kasilalifa endodaneni kaJese; wonke umuntu emathenteni akhe, Israyeli!
There was a man there [at Gilgal] named Sheba. He was a man who always caused trouble. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was the son of Bichri. He blew a trumpet and called out, “We have nothing to do with [DOU] David, that son of Jesse! So, men of Israel, let’s go to our homes!”
2 Ngakho wonke umuntu wakoIsrayeli wenyuka wasuka emva kukaDavida, elandela uShebha indodana kaBikiri; kodwa abantu bakoJuda banamathela enkosini yabo, kusukela eJordani kwaze kwaba seJerusalema.
So all the men from the other Israeli tribes deserted David and went with Sheba, but the men of Judah stayed with David. They wanted him to be their king, and went with him from near the Jordan [River] up to Jerusalem.
3 UDavida wasefika endlini yakhe eJerusalema; inkosi yathatha abafazi abalitshumi, abafazi abancane, eyayibatshiye ukuze balinde indlu, yababeka endlini elindiweyo, yabanika ukudla, kodwa kayingenanga kubo. Basebevalelwa kwaze kwaba lusuku lokufa kwabo, bephila ebufelokazini.
When David arrived at the palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten slave wives whom he had left there to take care of the palace and put them in another house. He put a guard at that house, and he provided for them what they needed, but he never had sexual relations [EUP] with them again. So they remained shut up in their house until they died. It was as though they were widows.
4 Inkosi yasisithi kuAmasa: Biza abantu bakoJuda babuthane kimi ngensuku ezintathu, lawe ube khona lapha.
[One day] the king said to Amasa, “Summon the soldiers of Judah to come here within three days, and you be here also.”
5 UAmasa wasehamba ukubuthanisa uJuda, kodwa waphuza phezu kwesikhathi esimisiweyo ayemmisele sona.
So Amasa went to summon them, but he did not return within the time that David told him to.
6 UDavida wasesithi kuAbishayi: Khathesi uShebha indodana kaBikiri uzasenzela okubi okwedlula uAbisalomu; wena thatha inceku zenkosi yakho, uxotshane laye, hlezi azitholele imizi ebiyelwe ngemithangala, asiphunyuke.
So David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba will harm us more than Absalom did. So you take my soldiers and pursue him. If you do not do that, he and his soldiers may occupy/capture some of the (fortified towns/towns that have walls around them), and escape from us. [IDM]”
7 Kwasekuphuma emva kwakhe amadoda kaJowabi lamaKerethi lamaPelethi lamaqhawe wonke, basebephuma eJerusalema ukuxotshana loShebha indodana kaBikiri.
So Abishai [and Joab] and the king’s bodyguards and the other soldiers left Jerusalem, to pursue Sheba.
8 Sebeselitsheni elikhulu eliseGibeyoni, uAmasa weza phambi kwabo. UJowabi wayebhince isigqoko ayesigqokile, laphezu kwaso kulebhanti elilenkemba ebotshelwe ekhalweni lwakhe isesikhwameni sayo; esaqhubeka inkemba yawa.
When they arrived at the huge rock in [the] Gibeah [region], Amasa met them. Joab was wearing a soldier’s uniform. He had a dagger/long knife fastened to his belt. When he came close [to Amasa, he allowed] the dagger [to] fall on the ground.
9 UJowabi wasesithi kuAmasa: Uyaphila yini, mfowethu? UJowabi wasebamba uAmasa ngesilevu ngesandla sokunene ukuze amange.
Joab said to Amasa, “Are things going well with you, my friend?” Then Joab grabbed Amasa’s beard with his right hand, in order to kiss him.
10 Kodwa uAmasa wayengayinanzeleli inkemba eyayisesandleni sikaJowabi; wasemtshaya ngayo kubambo lwesihlanu, wathululela imibilini yakhe emhlabathini, kamphindanga, wafa. UJowabi loAbishayi umfowabo basebexotshana loShebha indodana kaBikiri.
But Amasa did not see that Joab was holding [another] dagger in his [other] hand. And Joab stabbed it into Amasa’s belly, and his insides spilled out onto the ground. Amasa died [immediately]; Joab did not need to stab him again. Then Joab and his brother Abishai continued to pursue Sheba.
11 Omunye wamajaha kaJowabi wema phansi kwakhe, wathi: Omthandayo uJowabi, longokaDavida, landela uJowabi.
One of Joab’s soldiers stood alongside Amasa’s body and called out, “Everyone who wants Joab [to be our commander] and who wants David [to be our king], go with Joab!”
12 UAmasa wasegiqika egazini phakathi komgwaqo omkhulu. Lapho lowomuntu ebona ukuthi bonke abantu bayema, wamsusa uAmasa emgwaqweni omkhulu wamusa egangeni, waphosela isembatho phezu kwakhe, lapho ebona ukuthi wonke ofika ngakuye wema.
Amasa’s body was lying on the road. It was covered with blood. The soldier of Joab [who had called out] saw that many others of Joab’s soldiers were stopping [to see it], so he dragged Amasa’s body off the road into a field, and threw a cloth/blanket over the body.
13 Esesusiwe emgwaqweni omkhulu, bonke abantu badlula bamlandela uJowabi ukuze baxotshane loShebha indodana kaBikiri.
After the body had been taken off the road, all the soldiers went with Joab to pursue Sheba.
14 Wasedabula kuzo zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli, waya eAbeli ngitsho iBeti-Mahaka, lawo wonke amaBeri; basebebuthana bamlandela labo.
Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel, and arrived at Abel-Beth-Maacah [town in the northern part of Israel]. There, all the members of [his father] Bichri’s clan gathered, and went with Sheba into the town.
15 Basebefika, bamgombolozela eAbeli-Beti-Mahaka; babuthelela idundulu maqondana lomuzi, lema emthangaleni; bonke abantu ababeloJowabi basebewona umduli ukuwuwisela phansi.
The soldiers who were with Joab [found out that Sheba had gone there, so they] went there and surrounded the town. They built a dirt ramp up against the town wall. They also pounded against the wall [with heavy poles], to cause it to collapse.
16 Kwasekumemeza owesifazana ohlakaniphileyo phakathi komuzi wathi: Zwanini, zwanini! Ake lithi kuJowabi: Sondela lapha, ukuze ngikhulume lawe.
Then a wise woman who was in that town [stood on the top of the wall and] shouted down, “Listen to me! Tell Joab to come here, because I want to talk to him!”
17 Esesondele kuye, owesifazana wathi: Nguwe uJowabi yini? Yena wathi: Nginguye. Wasesithi kuye: Zwana amazwi encekukazi yakho. Wasesithi: Ngiyezwa.
So [after they told Joab], he came there, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He replied, “Yes, I am.” She said to him, “Listen to what I say.” He replied, “I am listening.”
18 Wasekhuluma esithi: Endulo babejwayele ukukhuluma besithi: Kababuze lokubuza eAbeli; basebeqeda ngokunjalo.
She said, “Long ago people used to say, ‘Go to Abel [town] to get good advice about your problems.’ And that is what people did.
19 Ngingowabokuthula, owabathembekileyo bakoIsrayeli; udinga ukuchitha umuzi lonina koIsrayeli. Uginyelani ilifa leNkosi?
We are peaceful and loyal Israelis. Our people here are important and respected [IDM]. So (why are you trying to destroy a town that belongs to Yahweh?/you should not be trying to destroy a town that belongs to Yahweh.)” [RHQ]
20 UJowabi wasephendula wathi: Kakube khatshana, kakube khatshana lami ukuthi ngiginye loba ngichithe.
Job replied, “I would certainly never want to ruin or destroy your town!
21 Udaba kalunjalo; kodwa umuntu wasentabeni yakoEfrayimi, nguShebha indodana kaBikiri ibizo lakhe, uphakamisile isandla sakhe emelene lenkosi, emelene loDavida; nikelani yena kuphela, ngizasuka emzini. Owesifazana wasesithi kuJowabi: Khangela, ikhanda lakhe lizaphoselwa kuwe ngaphezu komduli.
That is not what we want to do. But Bichri’s son Sheba, a man from the hilly area in the tribe of Ephraim, is rebelling against King David. Put this man into our hands, and then we will (go away from/not attack) this town.” The woman replied to Joab, “Okay, what we will do is, we will [cut off] his head [and] throw it over the wall to you.”
22 Owesifazana wasesiya ngenhlakanipho yakhe ebantwini bonke. Basebequma ikhanda likaShebha indodana kaBikiri, baliphosela kuJowabi. Wasevuthela uphondo, bahlakazeka besuka kulowomuzi, ngulowo lalowo waya emathenteni akhe. UJowabi wasebuyela eJerusalema enkosini.
Then this wise woman went to the elders of the town and told them what she had said to Joab. So they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it over the wall to Joab. Then Joab blew his trumpet [to signal that the battle was ended], and all his soldiers left the town and returned to their homes. And Joab returned to Jerusalem and told the king [what had happened].
23 Njalo uJowabi wayephezu kwebutho lonke lakoIsrayeli; loBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada wayephezu kwamaKerethi laphezu kwamaPelethi;
Joab was the commander of the entire Israeli army. Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was the commander of David’s bodyguards;
24 loAdoniramu wayephezu kwezibhalwa; loJehoshafathi indodana kaAhiludi wayengumabhalane;
Adoram supervised the men who were forced to work [for the king]; Ahilud’s son Jehoshaphat was the man who reported [to the people everything that David decided];
25 loSheva wayengumbhali; loZadoki loAbhiyatha babengabapristi;
Sheva was the official secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were the priests;
26 loIra laye umJayiri wayengumpristi kaDavida.
and Ira from Jair [town] was also one of David’s priests.
