2 USamuyeli 24

1 Lwaselubuya lwamvuthela uIsrayeli ulaka lukaJehova, wabavusela uDavida, esithi: Hamba ubale uIsrayeli loJuda.

Now again the anger of Jehovah burned against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, "Go, number Israel and Judah."

2 Ngakho inkosi yathi kuJowabi induna yebutho eyayilaye: Hamba khathesi ubhode ezizweni zonke zakoIsrayeli, kusukela koDani kuze kube seBherishebha, libale abantu ukuze ngazi inani labantu.

So the king said to Joab and the captains of the army, who were with him, "Now go back and forth through all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba and number the people, that I may know the sum of the people."

3 UJowabi wasesithi enkosini: Aluba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ingandisa ebantwini, loba bebanengi kangakanani, kuphindwe ngokulikhulu, ukuthi amehlo enkosi yami, inkosi, akubone. Kodwa inkosi yami, inkosi, ithokozelani kulinto?

But Joab said to the king, "Now may Jehovah your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"

4 Kodwa ilizwi lenkosi lalilamandla phezu kukaJowabi laphezu kwezinduna zebutho. Ngakho uJowabi lenduna zebutho baphuma phambi kwenkosi ukuze babale abantu, uIsrayeli.

However, the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the army. Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king, to number the children of Israel.

5 Basebechapha iJordani, bamisa inkamba eAroweri, ngakwesokunene komuzi ophakathi kwesifula seGadi, lamaqondana leJazeri.

They crossed over the Jordan and began from Aroer, and from the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad; then on to Jazer.

6 Basebefika eGileyadi lelizweni leTahetimi-Hodishi; bafika eDani-Jahani, babhoda ngaseSidoni,

Then they came to Gilead, and to the region of the Hethites, to Kedesh; and they came to Dan. Then they skirted Sidon,

7 bafika enqabeni yeTire lemizini yonke yamaHivi leyamaKhanani; baphuma baya eningizimu yakoJuda, eBherishebha.

and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beersheba.

8 Sebebhode badabula ilizwe lonke, bafika eJerusalema ekupheleni kwenyanga eziyisificamunwemunye lensuku ezingamatshumi amabili.

So when they had gone back and forth through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

9 UJowabi waseyinika inkosi inani lokubalwa kwabantu; njalo kwakukhona koIsrayeli amaqhawe ayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisificaminwembili ahwatsha inkemba; lamadoda akoJuda ayengamadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amahlanu.

Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

10 Inhliziyo kaDavida yasimtshaya emva kokuthi esebale abantu. UDavida wasesithi eNkosini: Ngonile kakhulu ngalokho engikwenzileyo. Ngakho-ke, Nkosi, ngiyakuncenga, susa ububi benceku yakho, ngoba ngenze ngobuthutha obukhulu.

David's heart struck him after that he had numbered the people. David said to Jehovah, "I have sinned greatly in that which I have done. But now, Jehovah, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly."

11 Kwathi uDavida esevukile ekuseni, kwafika ilizwi leNkosi kuGadi umprofethi, umboni kaDavida, lisithi:

When David rose up in the morning, the word of Jehovah came to Gad, David's seer, saying,

12 Hamba uthi kuDavida: Itsho njalo iNkosi ithi: Ngikubekela okuthathu; zikhethele okukodwa kukho, ukuthi ngikwenze kuwe.

"Go and speak to David, 'Thus says Jehovah, "I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you."'

13 UGadi wasefika kuDavida, wamtshela wathi kuye: Kufike kuwe yini iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala elizweni lakini? Loba ubalekele izitha zakho inyanga ezintathu zixotshana lawe? Ingabe kube khona umatshayabhuqe wesifo okwensuku ezintathu elizweni lakini? Khathesi cabanga, ubone ukuthi yimpendulo bani engizayibuyisela kongithumileyo.

So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, "Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now answer, and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me."

14 UDavida wasesithi kuGadi: Ngicindezelekile kakhulu; ake siwele esandleni seNkosi, ngoba izisa zayo zinkulu, kodwa kangingaweli esandleni somuntu.

David said to Gad, "All of them are difficult for me. Only let me fall now into the hand of Jehovah; for his mercies are great. Let me not fall into the hand of man."

15 Ngakho iNkosi yasibeka umatshayabhuqe wesifo kuIsrayeli, kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba sesikhathini esimisiweyo; kwasekusifa ebantwini abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa kusukela koDani kwaze kwaba seBherishebha.

So Jehovah sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the appointed time; and the destruction began among the people. And there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.

16 Lapho ingilosi iselulela isandla sayo eJerusalema ukuyibhubhisa, iNkosi yazisola ngalobobubi, yathi engilosini eyayibhubhisa abantu: Sekwanele. Khathesi finyeza isandla sakho. Ingilosi yeNkosi yayisebaleni lokubhulela likaArawuna umJebusi.

When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Jehovah relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough. Now stay your hand." The angel of Jehovah was standing near the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of Jehovah standing between earth and the sky, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell down on their faces.

17 UDavida wasekhuluma eNkosini lapho ebona ingilosi eyayitshaya abantu, wathi: Khangela, mina ngonile, njalo mina ngenze okubi; pho, lezizimvu zenzeni? Isandla sakho ake simelane lami njalo simelane lendlu kababa.

Then David spoke to Jehovah when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, "Look, I have sinned, and I, the shepherd, have done great evil. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my father's house."

18 UGadi wasefika kuDavida ngalolosuku, wathi kuye: Yenyuka, umisele iNkosi ilathi ebaleni lokubhulela likaArawuna umJebusi.

And Gad went to David that day and said, "Go up, build an altar to Jehovah on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."

19 UDavida wasesenyuka njengokutsho kukaGadi, njengokulaya kweNkosi.

So David went up and did what Gad had said, as Jehovah commanded.

20 UArawuna waselunguza, wabona inkosi lenceku zayo beqhubeka besiza kuye; uArawuna wasephuma wakhothama phambi kwenkosi ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini.

And Araunah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him, so Araunah went out and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

21 UArawuna wasesithi: Kungani inkosi yami, inkosi, ize encekwini yayo? UDavida wasesithi: Ukuthi ngithenge kuwe ibala lokubhulela, ukuthi ngakhele iNkosi ilathi, ukuze inhlupheko ithinteke ingafiki ebantwini.

And Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy this threshing floor from you to build an altar to Jehovah, so that the plague may be held back from the people."

22 UArawuna wasesithi kuDavida: Inkosi yami, inkosi, kayithathe inikele lokho okuhle emehlweni ayo; bona, nanzi inkabi zomnikelo wokutshiswa, lezimbulo lezinto zenkabi kube zinkuni.

But Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Look, the oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood.

23 Konke lokhu, nkosi, uArawuna wakunika inkosi; uArawuna wasesithi enkosini: INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho kayikwemukele.

All these Araunah gives to the king." And Araunah said to the king, "May Jehovah your God accept you."

24 Inkosi yasisithi kuArawuna: Hatshi, kodwa ngizakuthenga lokukuthenga kuwe ngentengo; njalo kangiyikunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa engangibizanga lutho eNkosini uNkulunkulu wami. UDavida waselithenga ibala lokubhulela lezinkabi ngamashekeli esiliva angamatshumi amahlanu.

But the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to Jehovah my God which cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25 UDavida wasesakhela khona iNkosi ilathi, wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula. Ngakho iNkosi yancengeka ngelizwe, inhlupheko yasithinteka phezu kukaIsrayeli.

Then David built an altar to Jehovah there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So Jehovah responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.