2 USamuyeli 23

1 La-ke ngamazwi okucina kaDavida. UDavida indodana kaJese wathi, lomuntu ophakanyiselwe phezulu, ogcotshiweyo kaNkulunkulu kaJakobe, lomhlabeleli omnandi wakoIsrayeli, wathi:

Now these are the last words of David: The saying of David the son of Jesse, and the saying of the man raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet singer of Israel:

2 UMoya weNkosi wakhuluma ngami, lelizwi lakhe lisolimini lwami.

The spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was upon my tongue.

3 UNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli wathi, iDwala likaIsrayeli lakhuluma kimi lathi: Obusa abantu uzakuba ngolungileyo, ebusa ngokumesaba uNkulunkulu.

The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: 'Ruler over men shall be the righteous, even he that ruleth in the fear of God,

4 Njalo uzakuba njengokukhanya kwekuseni ekuphumeni kwelanga, ikuseni engelamayezi, njengohlaza emhlabathini ngokukhanya emva kwezulu.

And as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds; when through clear shining after rain, the tender grass springeth out 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.

For is not my house established with God? for an everlasting covenant He hath made with me, ordered in all things, and sure; for all my salvation, and all my desire, will he not make it to grow?

6 Kodwa abakaBheliyali bonke banjengameva alahliweyo, ngoba engelakuthathwa ngesandla;

But the ungodly, they are as thorns thrust away, all of them, for they cannot be taken with the hand;

7 kodwa umuntu owathintayo uzazihlomisa ngensimbi langoluthi lomkhonto, azatshiswa lokutshiswa ngomlilo kuleyondawo.

But the man that toucheth them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.

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 mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite; he lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

9 Lemva kwakhe kwakuloEleyazare indodana kaDodo indodana kaAhohi, owamaqhawe amathathu ayeloDavida, ekudeleleni kwabo amaFilisti ayebuthanele khona impi, lapho amadoda akoIsrayeli esenyukile,

And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they jeoparded their lives against the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away;

10 yena wasukuma watshaya amaFilisti saze sadinwa isandla sakhe, lesandla sakhe sanamathela enkembeni. INkosi yasisenza usindiso olukhulu ngalolosuku; abantu basebebuya emva kwakhe ukuzaphanga kuphela.

he stood firm, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand did cleave unto the sword; and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.

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 the son of Age the Ararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.

12 kodwa wajama phakathi kwesiqinti, wasivikela, wawatshaya amaFilisti. INkosi yenza-ke usindiso olukhulu.

But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory.

13 Abathathu ezinhlokweni ezingamatshumi amathathu basebesehla, bafika kuDavida ebhalwini lweAdulamu ngesikhathi sokuvuna; lexuku lamaFilisti lalimise inkamba esihotsheni seRefayimi.

And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

14 Langalesosikhathi uDavida wayesenqabeni, lebutho lenqaba lamaFilisti laliseBhethelehema ngalesosikhathi.

And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

15 UDavida wasenxwanela, wathi: Hawu, kungathi omunye ubenganginathisa amanzi omthombo weBhethelehema ongasesangweni!

And David longed, and said: 'Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate!'

16 Lawomaqhawe amathathu asefohla adabula enkambeni yamaFilisti, akha amanzi emthonjeni weBhethelehema owawungasesangweni, awathatha awaletha kuDavida. Kube kanti kathandanga ukuwanatha, kodwa wawathululela iNkosi.

And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David; but he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto 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.

And he said: 'Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this; shall I drink the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives?' therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

18 Njalo uAbishayi, umfowabo kaJowabi indodana kaZeruya, wayeyinhloko yabathathu. Yena wasegiyela abangamakhulu amathathu ngomkhonto wakhe, ababuleweyo, wasesiba lebizo phakathi kwabathathu.

And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three.

19 Kahlonitshwanga kakhulu yini kulabathathu? Ngakho waba yinduna yabo; kodwa kafikanga kwabathathu abokuqala.

He was most honourable of the three; therefore he was made their captain; howbeit he attained not unto 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.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he smote the two altar-hearths of Moab; he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow;

21 Yena wasetshaya indoda engumGibhithe, umuntu obukekayo; njalo umGibhithe wayelomkhonto esandleni sakhe; kodwa wehlela kuye elenduku, wawuhluthuna umkhonto esandleni somGibhithe, wambulala ngomkhonto wakhe.

and he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man; and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

22 Lezizinto wazenza uBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, waba lebizo phakathi kwamaqhawe amathathu.

These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men.

23 Wayehlonipheka kulabangamatshumi amathathu, kodwa kafikanga kwabathathu. UDavida wasembeka phezu kwabalindi bakhe.

He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

24 UAsaheli umfowabo kaJowabi wayephakathi kwabangamatshumi amathathu, uElihanani indodana kaDodo weBhethelehema,

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem;

25 uShama umHarodi, uElika umHarodi,

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite;

26 uHelezi umPaliti, uIra indodana kaIkheshi umThekhowa,

Helez the Paltite, Ira the 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,

Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin;

30 uBhenaya umPirathoni, uHidayi wezifuleni zeGahashi,

Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of Nahale-gaash;

31 uAbi-Aliboni umAraba, uAzimavethi umBahurimi,

Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite;

32 uEliyabha umShahaliboni, wamadodana kaJasheni, uJonathani,

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan;

33 uShama umHarari, uAhiyamu indodana kaSharari umHarari,

Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite;

34 uElifeleti indodana kaAhasibayi indodana yomMahaka, uEliyamu indodana kaAhithofeli umGilo,

Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite;

35 uHezirayi umKharmeli, uPaharayi umArabi,

Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite;

36 uIgali indodana kaNathani weZoba, uBani umGadi,

Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite;

37 uZeleki umAmoni, uNaharayi umBherothi, umthwali wezikhali zikaJowabi indodana kaZeruya,

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armour-bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah;

38 uIra umIthiri, uGarebi umIthiri,

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite;

39 uUriya umHethi; bebonke babengamatshumi amathathu lesikhombisa.

Uriah the Hittite. Thirty and seven in all.