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 David's last words. The divine message of David son of Jesse, the divine message of the man made great by God, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, the wonderful psalm-writer of Israel:
2 UMoya weNkosi wakhuluma ngami, lelizwi lakhe lisolimini lwami.
“The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; my tongue gave his message.
3 UNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli wathi, iDwala likaIsrayeli lakhuluma kimi lathi: Obusa abantu uzakuba ngolungileyo, ebusa ngokumesaba uNkulunkulu.
Israel's God spoke; Israel's Rock told me, ‘He who rules the people justly, he who rules respecting God,
4 Njalo uzakuba njengokukhanya kwekuseni ekuphumeni kwelanga, ikuseni engelamayezi, njengohlaza emhlabathini ngokukhanya emva kwezulu.
is like the light of the morning sunrise on a cloudless dawn; like the shining of raindrops on the new grass growing from 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.
Isn't this how my family is with God? For he has made an everlasting agreement with me, set out in detail and with every part guaranteed. He will make sure to save me and to give me all I want.
6 Kodwa abakaBheliyali bonke banjengameva alahliweyo, ngoba engelakuthathwa ngesandla;
But evil people are like thorns to be thrown aside; they can't be held in the hand.
7 kodwa umuntu owathintayo uzazihlomisa ngensimbi langoluthi lomkhonto, azatshiswa lokutshiswa ngomlilo kuleyondawo.
The only way to deal with them is to use an iron tool or the handle of a spear. They are completely burned up right where they are.”
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 the leading warriors who supported David: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, leader of the Three. Using his spear, he once killed eight hundred men in a single battle.
9 Lemva kwakhe kwakuloEleyazare indodana kaDodo indodana kaAhohi, owamaqhawe amathathu ayeloDavida, ekudeleleni kwabo amaFilisti ayebuthanele khona impi, lapho amadoda akoIsrayeli esenyukile,
After him came Eleazar, son of Dodai, the Ahohite, one of the Three leading warriors. He was with David when they defied the Philistines gathered for battle at Pas-dammin. The Israelites 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 took his stand and went on killing Philistines until his hand stuck to his sword. The Lord saved them by granting them a great victory. The Israelite army did return, but only to strip the dead.
11 Lemva kwakhe kwakuloShama indodana kaAge umHarari. AmaFilisti ayebuthene aba lixuku, lapho okwakukhona isiqinti sensimu sigcwele amalentili; njalo abantu babaleka ebusweni bamaFilisti,
After him came Shammah, son of Agee, the Hararite. When the Philistines gathered at Lehi, in a field full of lentils, the Israelite army ran away 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, defending it and killing the Philistines. The Lord gave them a great victory.
13 Abathathu ezinhlokweni ezingamatshumi amathathu basebesehla, bafika kuDavida ebhalwini lweAdulamu ngesikhathi sokuvuna; lexuku lamaFilisti lalimise inkamba esihotsheni seRefayimi.
At harvest time, the Three, who were part of the Thirty leading warriors, went down to meet David when he was at the cave of Adullam. The Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim.
14 Langalesosikhathi uDavida wayesenqabeni, lebutho lenqaba lamaFilisti laliseBhethelehema ngalesosikhathi.
At the time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem.
15 UDavida wasenxwanela, wathi: Hawu, kungathi omunye ubenganginathisa amanzi omthombo weBhethelehema ongasesangweni!
David was feeling really thirsty, and he said, “If only someone could bring me a drink of water from the well beside the entrance gate to Bethlehem!”
16 Lawomaqhawe amathathu asefohla adabula enkambeni yamaFilisti, akha amanzi emthonjeni weBhethelehema owawungasesangweni, awathatha awaletha kuDavida. Kube kanti kathandanga ukuwanatha, kodwa wawathululela iNkosi.
The Three leading warriors broke through the Philistine defenses, took some water from the well at Bethelehem's gate, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it, and poured it out as an offering 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.
“Lord, never let me do this!” he said. “Isn't it like drinking the blood of these men who risked their lives?” So he did not drink it. This is just some of the things the Three leading warriors did.
18 Njalo uAbishayi, umfowabo kaJowabi indodana kaZeruya, wayeyinhloko yabathathu. Yena wasegiyela abangamakhulu amathathu ngomkhonto wakhe, ababuleweyo, wasesiba lebizo phakathi kwabathathu.
Abishai, Joab's brother, was leader of the second Three. Using his spear, he once killed 300 men, and became famous among the Three.
19 Kahlonitshwanga kakhulu yini kulabathathu? Ngakho waba yinduna yabo; kodwa kafikanga kwabathathu abokuqala.
He was the most highly regarded of the Three and was their commander, though he was not one of the first 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.
Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, a strong warrior from Kabzeel, did many amazing things. He killed two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went after a lion into a pit in the snow and killed it.
21 Yena wasetshaya indoda engumGibhithe, umuntu obukekayo; njalo umGibhithe wayelomkhonto esandleni sakhe; kodwa wehlela kuye elenduku, wawuhluthuna umkhonto esandleni somGibhithe, wambulala ngomkhonto wakhe.
Another time he killed a huge Egyptian. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand but Benaiah attacked him with just a club. He grabbed the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.
22 Lezizinto wazenza uBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, waba lebizo phakathi kwamaqhawe amathathu.
These were the kind of things Benaiah did that made him as famous as the Three leading warriors.
23 Wayehlonipheka kulabangamatshumi amathathu, kodwa kafikanga kwabathathu. UDavida wasembeka phezu kwabalindi bakhe.
He was the most highly regarded of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. David put him in charge of his personal bodyguard.
24 UAsaheli umfowabo kaJowabi wayephakathi kwabangamatshumi amathathu, uElihanani indodana kaDodo weBhethelehema,
Included in the Thirty were: Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan, son of Dodo, from Bethlehem;
25 uShama umHarodi, uElika umHarodi,
Shammoth the Harorite; Elika the Harodite,
26 uHelezi umPaliti, uIra indodana kaIkheshi umThekhowa,
Helez the Paltite; Ira, son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa;
27 uAbiyezeri umAnethothi, uMebunayi umHusha,
Abiezer from Anathoth; Mebunnai the Hushathite;
28 uZalimoni umAhohi, uMaharayi umNetofa,
Zalmon the Ahohite; Maharai the Netophahite;
29 uHelebi indodana kaBahana umNetofa, uIthayi indodana kaRibayi weGibeya wabantwana bakoBhenjamini,
Heleb, son of Baanah the Netophahite; Ittai, son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjamites;
30 uBhenaya umPirathoni, uHidayi wezifuleni zeGahashi,
Benaiah the Pirathonite; Hiddai from the streams of Gaash;
31 uAbi-Aliboni umAraba, uAzimavethi umBahurimi,
Abi-albon the Arbathite; Azmaveth the Baharumite;
32 uEliyabha umShahaliboni, wamadodana kaJasheni, uJonathani,
Eliahba the Shaalbonite; the sons of Jashem; Jonathan,
33 uShama umHarari, uAhiyamu indodana kaSharari umHarari,
son of Shagee the Hararite; Ahiam, son of Sachar the Hararite;
34 uElifeleti indodana kaAhasibayi indodana yomMahaka, uEliyamu indodana kaAhithofeli umGilo,
Eliphelet, son of Ahasbai, son of 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; a total of thirty-seven.
