2 USamuyeli 4
1 Lapho isizwile indodana kaSawuli ukuthi uAbhineri ufele eHebroni, izandla zakhe zaba buthakathaka, loIsrayeli wonke wakhathazeka.
Now when Ish-bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was dismayed.
2 Njalo indodana kaSawuli yayilamadoda amabili ayeyizinduna zamaviyo; ibizo lenye lalinguBahana, lebizo lenye linguRekabi, amadodana kaRimoni, umBherothi, wabantwana bakoBhenjamini. Ngoba iBherothi layo yayibalelwa koBhenjamini;
Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding parties. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the tribe of Benjamin—Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin,
3 lamaBherothi abalekela eGithayimi, aba ngabahlali njengabezizwe khona kuze kube lamuhla.
because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have lived there as foreigners to this day.
4 UJonathani indodana kaSawuli wayelendodana eyayiyisilima enyaweni. Yayileminyaka emihlanu ekufikeni kombiko ngoSawuli loJonathani uvela eJizereyeli; lomlizane wayo wayithatha, wabaleka; kwasekusithi ekuphangiseni kwakhe ukubaleka, yawa yaba yisilima. Lebizo layo lalinguMefiboshethi.
And Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to escape, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
5 Lamadodana kaRimoni, umBherothi, uRekabi loBahana, ahamba, ekutshiseni kwelanga afika endlini kaIshiboshethi, owayelele embhedeni emini enkulu.
Now Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while the king was taking his midday nap.
6 Bona bangena endlini phakathi kungathi bathatha ingqoloyi, bamtshaya kubambo lwesihlanu; uRekabi loBahana umfowabo basebebaleka.
They entered the interior of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah slipped away.
7 Ngoba bengena endlini, wayelele embhedeni wakhe endlini yakhe yokulala, bamtshaya, bambulala, bamquma ikhanda; bathatha ikhanda lakhe, bahamba ngendlela yamagceke ubusuku bonke.
They had entered the house while Ish-bosheth was lying on his bed, and having stabbed and killed him, they beheaded him, took his head, and traveled all night by way of the Arabah.
8 Basebelisa ikhanda likaIshiboshethi kuDavida eHebroni. Bathi enkosini: Khangela, ikhanda likaIshiboshethi indodana kaSawuli, isitha sakho ebesidinga impilo yakho; iNkosi inike impindiselo lamuhla enkosini yami, inkosi, kuSawuli lakuyo inzalo yakhe.
They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. Today the LORD has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”
9 Kodwa uDavida wabaphendula uRekabi loBahana umfowabo, amadodana kaRimoni umBherothi, wathi kubo: Kuphila kukaJehova, ohlenge umphefumulo wami kuyo yonke inhlupheko,
But David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,
10 lapho owangibikelayo esithi: Khangela, uSawuli ufile; njalo enjengomthwali wendaba ezinhle emehlweni akhe, ngamxhakalaza, ngambulala eZikilagi, kulokuthi ngimvuzele indaba ezinhle.
when someone told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was a bearer of good news, I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag. That was his reward for his news!
11 Pho kangakanani, lapho abantu ababi bebulele umuntu olungileyo endlini yakhe esembhedeni wakhe; ngakho-ke angiyikubiza yini igazi lakhe esandleni senu, ngilisuse emhlabeni?
How much more, when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house and on his own bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth!”
12 UDavida waselaya amajaha, ababulala, aquma izandla zabo lenyawo zabo, abaphanyeka echibini leHebroni. Kodwa athatha ikhanda likaIshiboshethi, alingcwaba engcwabeni likaAbhineri eHebroni.
So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.
