2 USamuyeli 4

1 Lapho isizwile indodana kaSawuli ukuthi uAbhineri ufele eHebroni, izandla zakhe zaba buthakathaka, loIsrayeli wonke wakhathazeka.

When Ishbosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became weak, and all Israel was troubled.

2 Njalo indodana kaSawuli yayilamadoda amabili ayeyizinduna zamaviyo; ibizo lenye lalinguBahana, lebizo lenye linguRekabi, amadodana kaRimoni, umBherothi, wabantwana bakoBhenjamini. Ngoba iBherothi layo yayibalelwa koBhenjamini;

Now Saul's son had two men who were captains of groups of soldiers. The name of one was Baanah and the other Recab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the people of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin,

3 lamaBherothi abalekela eGithayimi, aba ngabahlali njengabezizwe khona kuze kube lamuhla.

and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have been living there until this very time).

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.

Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up to flee. But as she was running, Jonathan's son fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

5 Lamadodana kaRimoni, umBherothi, uRekabi loBahana, ahamba, ekutshiseni kwelanga afika endlini kaIshiboshethi, owayelele embhedeni emini enkulu.

So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Recab and Baanah, traveled during the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, as he was resting at noon.

6 Bona bangena endlini phakathi kungathi bathatha ingqoloyi, bamtshaya kubambo lwesihlanu; uRekabi loBahana umfowabo basebebaleka.

The woman guarding the door had fallen asleep while sifting wheat, and Recab and Baanah walked in quietly and passed her.

7 Ngoba bengena endlini, wayelele embhedeni wakhe endlini yakhe yokulala, bamtshaya, bambulala, bamquma ikhanda; bathatha ikhanda lakhe, bahamba ngendlela yamagceke ubusuku bonke.

So after they entered the house, they attacked him and killed him as he was lying on his bed in his room. Then they cut off his head and carried it away, traveling on the road all night to 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 Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and they said to the king, “Look, this is the head of Ishbosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. Today Yahweh has avenged our master the king against Saul and his descendants.”

9 Kodwa uDavida wabaphendula uRekabi loBahana umfowabo, amadodana kaRimoni umBherothi, wathi kubo: Kuphila kukaJehova, ohlenge umphefumulo wami kuyo yonke inhlupheko,

David answered Recab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite; he said to them, “As Yahweh lives, who delivered my life from every trouble,

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,' thinking he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him 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 have killed an innocent person in his own house on his bed, should I not now require his blood from your hand, 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.

Then David gave orders to the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them up beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.