2 USamuyeli 23
1 La-ke ngamazwi okucina kaDavida. UDavida indodana kaJese wathi, lomuntu ophakanyiselwe phezulu, ogcotshiweyo kaNkulunkulu kaJakobe, lomhlabeleli omnandi wakoIsrayeli, wathi:
These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised on high, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 UMoya weNkosi wakhuluma ngami, lelizwi lakhe lisolimini lwami.
The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.
3 UNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli wathi, iDwala likaIsrayeli lakhuluma kimi lathi: Obusa abantu uzakuba ngolungileyo, ebusa ngokumesaba uNkulunkulu.
The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,
4 Njalo uzakuba njengokukhanya kwekuseni ekuphumeni kwelanga, ikuseni engelamayezi, njengohlaza emhlabathini ngokukhanya emva kwezulu.
is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’
5 Lanxa indlu yami ingenjalo kuNkulunkulu, kube kanti wenzile lami isivumelwano esilaphakade, esimiswe kuhle ezintweni zonke, lesigcinekileyo, ngoba lonke usindiso lwami lesiloyiso sikuso, lanxa engasikhulisi.
Is not my house right with God? For He has established with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and secured in every part. Will He not bring about my full salvation and my every desire?
6 Kodwa abakaBheliyali bonke banjengameva alahliweyo, ngoba engelakuthathwa ngesandla;
But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside, for they can never be gathered by hand.
7 kodwa umuntu owathintayo uzazihlomisa ngensimbi langoluthi lomkhonto, azatshiswa lokutshiswa ngomlilo kuleyondawo.
The man who touches them must be armed with iron or with the shaft of a spear. The fire burns them to ashes in the place where they lie.”
8 La ngamabizo amaqhawe uDavida ayelawo: UJoshebi-Bashebeti umTahekemoni, inhloko yezinduna; nguye uAdino umEzini, ngenxa yabangamakhulu ayisificaminwembili ababulawa ngasikhathi sinye.
These are the names of David’s mighty men: Josheb-basshebeth the Tahchemonite was chief of the Three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed at one time.
9 Lemva kwakhe kwakuloEleyazare indodana kaDodo indodana kaAhohi, owamaqhawe amathathu ayeloDavida, ekudeleleni kwabo amaFilisti ayebuthanele khona impi, lapho amadoda akoIsrayeli esenyukile,
Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he went with David to taunt the Philistines who had gathered for battle at Pas-dammim. The men of Israel retreated,
10 yena wasukuma watshaya amaFilisti saze sadinwa isandla sakhe, lesandla sakhe sanamathela enkembeni. INkosi yasisenza usindiso olukhulu ngalolosuku; abantu basebebuya emva kwakhe ukuzaphanga kuphela.
but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead.
11 Lemva kwakhe kwakuloShama indodana kaAge umHarari. AmaFilisti ayebuthene aba lixuku, lapho okwakukhona isiqinti sensimu sigcwele amalentili; njalo abantu babaleka ebusweni bamaFilisti,
And after him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines had banded together near a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them.
12 kodwa wajama phakathi kwesiqinti, wasivikela, wawatshaya amaFilisti. INkosi yenza-ke usindiso olukhulu.
But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field, defended it, and struck down the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.
13 Abathathu ezinhlokweni ezingamatshumi amathathu basebesehla, bafika kuDavida ebhalwini lweAdulamu ngesikhathi sokuvuna; lexuku lamaFilisti lalimise inkamba esihotsheni seRefayimi.
At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
14 Langalesosikhathi uDavida wayesenqabeni, lebutho lenqaba lamaFilisti laliseBhethelehema ngalesosikhathi.
At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.
15 UDavida wasenxwanela, wathi: Hawu, kungathi omunye ubenganginathisa amanzi omthombo weBhethelehema ongasesangweni!
David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”
16 Lawomaqhawe amathathu asefohla adabula enkambeni yamaFilisti, akha amanzi emthonjeni weBhethelehema owawungasesangweni, awathatha awaletha kuDavida. Kube kanti kathandanga ukuwanatha, kodwa wawathululela iNkosi.
So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD,
17 Wasesithi: Kakube khatshana lami, Nkosi, ukuthi ngenze lokho; kakusigazi yini labantu abahambe lempilo yabo engozini? Ngalokho kathandanga ukuwanatha. Lezizinto azenza lamaqhawe amathathu.
saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.
18 Njalo uAbishayi, umfowabo kaJowabi indodana kaZeruya, wayeyinhloko yabathathu. Yena wasegiyela abangamakhulu amathathu ngomkhonto wakhe, ababuleweyo, wasesiba lebizo phakathi kwabathathu.
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three, and he lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.
19 Kahlonitshwanga kakhulu yini kulabathathu? Ngakho waba yinduna yabo; kodwa kafikanga kwabathathu abokuqala.
Was he not more honored than the Three? And he became their commander, even though he was not included among the Three.
20 UBhenaya-ke, indodana kaJehoyada, indodana yeqhawe, omkhulu ngezenzo, weKabhiseyeli. Yena watshaya ababili abanjengezilwane bakoMowabi; futhi wehla watshaya isilwane phakathi komgodi mhla weliqhwa elikhithikileyo.
And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.
21 Yena wasetshaya indoda engumGibhithe, umuntu obukekayo; njalo umGibhithe wayelomkhonto esandleni sakhe; kodwa wehlela kuye elenduku, wawuhluthuna umkhonto esandleni somGibhithe, wambulala ngomkhonto wakhe.
He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.
22 Lezizinto wazenza uBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, waba lebizo phakathi kwamaqhawe amathathu.
These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name alongside the three mighty men.
23 Wayehlonipheka kulabangamatshumi amathathu, kodwa kafikanga kwabathathu. UDavida wasembeka phezu kwabalindi bakhe.
He was most honored among the Thirty, but he did not become one of the Three. And David appointed him over his guard.
24 UAsaheli umfowabo kaJowabi wayephakathi kwabangamatshumi amathathu, uElihanani indodana kaDodo weBhethelehema,
Now these were members of the Thirty: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo of Bethlehem,
25 uShama umHarodi, uElika umHarodi,
Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,
26 uHelezi umPaliti, uIra indodana kaIkheshi umThekhowa,
Helez the Paltite, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,
27 uAbiyezeri umAnethothi, uMebunayi umHusha,
Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,
28 uZalimoni umAhohi, uMaharayi umNetofa,
Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,
29 uHelebi indodana kaBahana umNetofa, uIthayi indodana kaRibayi weGibeya wabantwana bakoBhenjamini,
Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites,
30 uBhenaya umPirathoni, uHidayi wezifuleni zeGahashi,
Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash,
31 uAbi-Aliboni umAraba, uAzimavethi umBahurimi,
Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,
32 uEliyabha umShahaliboni, wamadodana kaJasheni, uJonathani,
Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan
33 uShama umHarari, uAhiyamu indodana kaSharari umHarari,
son of Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,
34 uElifeleti indodana kaAhasibayi indodana yomMahaka, uEliyamu indodana kaAhithofeli umGilo,
Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite, Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35 uHezirayi umKharmeli, uPaharayi umArabi,
Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,
36 uIgali indodana kaNathani weZoba, uBani umGadi,
Igal son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37 uZeleki umAmoni, uNaharayi umBherothi, umthwali wezikhali zikaJowabi indodana kaZeruya,
Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
38 uIra umIthiri, uGarebi umIthiri,
Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,
39 uUriya umHethi; bebonke babengamatshumi amathathu lesikhombisa.
and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.
