2 Madzimambo 6
1 Zvino boka ravaprofita rakati kuna Erisha, “Tarisai, nzvimbo yatinosangana nemi yatiitira diki kwazvo.
One day a group of prophets said to Elisha, “Look, this place where we meet together with you is very small.
2 Ngatiendei kuJorodhani, mumwe nomumwe wedu andotora danda ikoko; tigozvivakira ikoko nzvimbo yokugara.” Iye akati, “Endai.”
Allow us to go to the Jordan [River and cut down some trees to make] logs to build a new meeting place.” So Elisha said, “Okay, go.”
3 Ipapo mumwe wavo akati, “Ndapota, ko, imi hamungaendiwo navaranda venyu here?” Erisha akati, “Ndinoenda.”
One of them said to Elisha, “Please come with us.” So Elisha replied, “Okay, I will go with you.”
4 Naizvozvo akaenda navo. Vakaenda kuJorodhani vakatanga kutema miti.
So they went together. When they reached the Jordan [River], they cut down some trees.
5 Asi mumwe akati achiri kutema muti, musoro wedemo wakasvotoka ukawira mumvura. Akadanidzira akati, “Haiwa, ishe wangu, rakanga rakweretwa!”
But while one of them was cutting down a tree, suddenly the axe head [separated from the handle and] fell into the water. He cried out to Elisha, “O, Master, what shall I do? [The axe is not mine]; I borrowed it!”
6 Munhu waMwari akati, “Rawira napapi?” Akati amuratidza nzvimbo yacho, Erisha akatema rutanda akarukandirapo, uye akapapamadza musoro wedemo.
Elisha replied, “Where did it fall into the water?” After the man showed him the place, Elisha cut off a stick, and threw it into the water, and caused the iron axe head to float [on top of the water].
7 Akati, “Ribudise.” Ipapo murume akatambanudza ruoko rwake akaritora.
Elisha said, “Take it out of the water.” So the man reached his hand down and picked up the axe head.
8 Zvino mambo weAramu akanga achirwa neIsraeri. Mushure mokutaurirana navaranda vake, akati, “Ndichadzika musasa wangu panzvimbo yokuti neyokuti.”
Whenever the king of Syria [prepared to send his army to] fight against Israel, he first consulted his officers, and then told them where they should set up their tents.
9 Munhu waMwari akatumira shoko kuna mambo weIsraeri achiti, “Chenjerai kuti murege kupfuura napanzvimbo iyo nokuti vaAramu vari kuburukirako.”
But each time, Elisha would send a message to warn the king of Israel, [telling him where the army of Syria was planning to attack them, ] saying, “Be sure that your army does not go near that place, because the army of Syria has set up their tents there.”
10 Naizvozvo mambo weIsraeri akatumira vanhu kunzvimbo iyoyo yaakanga aratidzwa nomunhu waMwari, kuti vandoiongorora. Nguva nenguva Erisha aiyambira mambo, kuti achenjerere nzvimbo dzakadaro.
So the king of Israel would send [messengers] to warn [the people who lived in] that place, and the people would remain on guard. That happened several times.
11 Izvi zvakatsamwisa mambo weAramu. Akadana vabati vake akati kwavari, “Hamungandiudzewo here kuti pakati pedu ari kurutivi rwamambo weIsraeri ndiani?”
The king of Syria was very upset/disturbed/angry about that. So he summoned his army officers and said to them, “[Obviously] one of you is (betraying us/revealing our plans) to the king of Israel. Which one of you is doing it?”
12 Mumwe wavabati vake akati, “Pakati pedu hapana, ishe wangu mambo, asi Erisha, muprofita ari muIsraeri ndiye anoudza mambo weIsraeri mashoko chaiwoiwo amunotaura muimba yenyu yokurara.”
One of his officers answered, “Your Majesty, it is not one of us. Elisha the prophet [knows what we plan to do, and he] tells the king of Israel everything. He even knows what you say in your own bedroom!”
13 Mambo akati, “Endai munotsvaka kuti ari kupi, kuitira kuti ndigotuma varume vanomubata.” Akaziviswa kuti, “Ari muDhotani.”
The king of Syria replied, “Go and find out where he is, and I will send [some men there] to capture him.” Someone told him, “People say that he is in Dothan [town north of Samaria].”
14 Ipapo akatumira ikoko mabhiza nengoro namauto akasimba. Vakaenda usiku vakakomba guta.
So the king sent a large group of soldiers [to Dothan] with horses and chariots. They arrived at night and surrounded the town.
15 Muranda womunhu waMwari akati amuka mangwanani aitevera, akabuda panze akaona hondo namabhiza nengoro zvakomba guta. Muranda wake akati, “Haiwa, ishe wangu, tichaita seiko?”
Early the next morning, Elisha’s servant got up and went outside the house. He saw the soldiers of Syria with their horses and chariots surrounding the town. So he went inside [the house and reported it to Elisha] and exclaimed, “O, sir! What are we going to do?”
16 Muprofita akapindura akati, “Usatya. Vari kwatiri vazhinji kupfuura vari kwavari.”
Elisha replied, “Do not be afraid! Those who will be helping us will be more than those who will be helping them!”
17 Ipapo Erisha akanyengetera akati, “Haiwa Jehovha, svinudzai meso ake kuti aone.” Ipapo Jehovha akasvinudza meso omuranda, iye ndokutarisa akaona zvikomo zvakazara namabhiza nengoro dzomoto zvakakomba Erisha.
Then he prayed, “Yahweh, I request that you open my servant’s eyes in order that he can see [what is out there]!” So Yahweh enabled the servant to look out and see that surrounding the hill on which the town [was built] was a huge number of horses, and chariots made of fire!
18 Vavengi pavakaburuka kwaari, Erisha akanyengetera kuna Jehovha akati, “Pofumadzai vanhu ava.” Naizvozvo akavapofumadza sezvakanga zvakumbirwa naErisha.
When the army of Syria prepared to attack Elisha, he prayed again, saying, “Yahweh, cause all these soldiers to become blind!” Yahweh answered his prayer and caused them to be unable to see clearly.
19 Erisha akati kwavari, “Iyi handiyo nzira uye iri harizi iro guta racho. Nditeverei, ndichakutungamirirai kumunhu wamuri kutsvaka.” Uye akavatungamirira kuSamaria.
Then Elisha went to them and said, “You are not on the right road; this is not the city that you are searching for. I will take you to the man whom you are searching for.” But he led them to Samaria, [the capital of Israel]!
20 Mushure mokupinda kwavo muguta, Erisha akati, “Jehovha, svinudzai meso avarume ava kuti vaone.” Ipapo Jehovha akasvinudza meso avo vakatarira, onei, vava muSamaria.
As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha prayed again, saying, “Yahweh, now enable these soldiers to see correctly again!” So Yahweh enabled them to see correctly, and they were surprised to see that they were inside Samaria [city].
21 Mambo weIsraeri akati achivaona, akabvunza Erisha akati, “Ndivauraye here, baba vangu? Ndovauraya here?”
When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “Sir, shall I [tell my soldiers to] kill them? Shall we kill all of them?”
22 Akamupindura akati, “Musavauraya. Hamungazouraya vanhu vamunenge makatapa nomunondo wenyu kana uta hwenyu here? Vaisirei zvokudya nemvura pamberi pavo kuti vadye uye vanwe vagodzokera kuna tenzi wavo.”
Elisha replied, “No, you must not kill them. If your army captured many of your enemies in a battle, you would certainly not [RHQ] kill them. Give these men something to eat and drink, and then allow them to return to their king.”
23 Naizvozvo akavagadzirira mabiko makuru, uye vakati vapedza kudya nokunwa akavaendesa, ivo vakadzokera kuna tenzi wavo. Naizvozvo mapoka avapambi vokuAramu akarega zvokupamba nyika yeIsraeri.
So the king of Israel did that. He told his servants to provide a big feast for them. And when they had eaten and drunk plenty, he sent them away. They returned to the king of Syria [and told him what had happened]. So for a while after that, soldiers from Syria stopped raiding/attacking towns in Israel.
24 Shure kwenguva, Bheni-Hadhadhi mambo weAramu, akaunganidza hondo yake yose akaenda kundokomba Samaria.
But some time later, Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, assembled his entire army, and they went to Samaria and surrounded the city [for a long time].
25 Kwakava nenzara huru muguta zvokuti musoro wembongoro waitengeswa mashekeri makumi masere esirivha, uye chitswanda chamatoto enjiva chaitengeswa namashekeri mashanu; nokuti nguva yokukombwa yakanga yarebesa.
Because of that, after a while there was hardly any food left inside the city, with the result that eventually a donkey’s head, [which was usually worthless, ] cost eighty pieces of silver, and (one cup/0.3 liter) of dove’s dung cost five pieces of silver.
26 Mambo weIsraeri akati achipfuura naparusvingo, mumwe mukadzi akadanidzira kwaari akati, “Ndibatsireiwo, ishe wangu mambo!”
One day when the king of Israel was walking on top of the city wall, a woman cried out to him, “Your Majesty, help me!”
27 Mambo akamupindura akati, “Kana Jehovha asingakubatsiri ini ndingakuwanira rubatsiro kupi? Kubva paburiro here? Kubva pachisviniro chewaini here?”
He replied, “If Yahweh will not help you, I certainly cannot [RHQ] help you. I certainly [RHQ] do not have any wheat or wine!
28 Ipapo akamubvunza akati, “Zvaita sei?” Iye akamupindura akati, “Mukadzi uyu akati kwandiri, ‘Tipe mwanakomana wako kuti timudye nhasi, mangwana tigozodya wangu.’
What is your problem?” She replied, “Several days ago, that woman [over there] said to me, ‘[Because we have nothing left to eat, ] let’s kill your son today, in order that we can eat his flesh. Then tomorrow we can [kill] my son [and] eat his flesh.’
29 Naizvozvo takabika mwana wangu tikamudya. Fume mangwana, ini ndokuti kwaari, ‘Tipe mwanakomana wako kuti timudye,’ asi iye akanga andomuviga.”
So we [killed my son and cut his body up and] boiled his flesh and ate it. The next day, I said to her, ‘Now give your son to me, in order that we can [kill him and cook his flesh and] eat it.’ But she has hidden her son!”
30 Zvino mambo akanzwa mashoko omukadzi uyu, akabvarura nguo dzake. Akati achifamba naparusvingo, vanhu vakamutarisa, vakaona kuti akanga akapfeka masaga mukati menguo, pamuviri wake.
When the king heard what the woman said, he tore his robe [to show that he was very distressed]. The people who were standing close to the wall were able to see that the king was wearing rough cloth underneath his robe [because he was very distressed].
31 Akati, “Mwari ngaandirove zvakanyanya kwazvo, kana musoro waErisha mwanakomana waShafati ukaramba uri pamapfudzi ake nhasi!”
The king exclaimed, “I wish/hope that God will strike me dead if I do not cut off the head of Elisha today, [because he is the one who has caused these terrible things to happen to us]!”
32 Zvino Erisha akanga akagara mumba make, uye vakuru vakanga vagere naye. Mambo akatuma nhume mberi, asi asati asvika, Erisha akati kuvakuru, “Hamuoni here iyi mhondi iri kutumira munhu kuzodimura musoro wangu? Tarirai, kana nhume yasvika, mupfige mukova muutsigire kuti asapinda. Ko, hausi mutsindo wetsoka dzatenzi wake mushure make here?”
So the king sent an officer to get Elisha. Before the officer arrived, Elisha was sitting in his house with some Israeli elders who were talking with him. Elisha said to them, “That murderer, [the king of Israel, ] is sending someone here to kill me. Listen: When he arrives, shut the door and do not allow him to come in. And the king will be coming right behind that officer!”
33 Akati achiri kutaurirana navo, nhumwa yakasvika kwaari. Mambo akati, “Dambudziko iri rinobva kuna Jehovha. Ndichagoramba ndakamirira Jehovha nemhaka yeiko?”
And while he was still speaking, the king and the officer arrived. The king said, “It is Yahweh who has caused us to have all this trouble/suffering. (Why should I wait any longer [RHQ] for him to do something [to help us]?/It is useless for me to wait any longer for him [to help us]!)”
