2 Samuel 17
1 Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David tonight.
U-Ahithofeli wathi ku-Abhisalomu, “Kahle ngikhethe abantu abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili ngiphume lamhla ebusuku ngilandela uDavida.
2 I will come on him while he is weary and exhausted, and will make him afraid. All the people who are with him will flee. I will strike the king only,
Ngingamhlasela esadiniwe engelamandla. Ngingamtshayisa ngovalo, bonke abantu abalaye bazabaleka. Ngingabulala inkosi kuphela
3 and I will bring back all the people to you. The man whom you seek is as if all returned. All the people shall be in peace.”
abantu bonke ngibabuyisele kuwe. Ukufa komuntu omdingayo kuzakutsho ukuphenduka kwabo bonke; bonke abantu kabayikwenziwa lutho.”
4 The saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.
Icebo leli lakhanya lilihle ku-Abhisalomu lakubo bonke abadala bako-Israyeli.
5 Then Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let’s hear likewise what he says.”
Kodwa u-Abhisalomu wathi, “Bizani loHushayi umʼArikhi, ukuze sizwe angakutsho.”
6 When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken like this. Shall we do what he says? If not, speak up.”
UHushayi esezile kuye, u-Abhisalomu wathi, “U-Ahithofeli usesinike iseluleko lesi. Sikwenze yini lokhu akutshoyo? Nxa kungenjalo, sinike owakho umcabango.”
7 Hushai said to Absalom, “The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.”
UHushayi waphendula u-Abhisalomu wathi, “Iseluleko osiphiwe ngu-Ahithofeli kasilunganga ngalesi isikhathi.
8 Hushai said moreover, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are fierce in their minds, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
Uyamazi uyihlo labantu bakhe, bangamaqhawe, njalo bathukuthela okwebhele leganga lithathelwe imidlwane yalo. Langaphandle kwalokho, uyihlo liqhawe eliyaziyo impi, kabuchithi ubusuku elamabutho.
9 Behold, he is now hidden in some pit, or in some other place. It will happen, when some of them have fallen at the first, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom!’
Lakhathesi nje, ucatshile ebhalwini loba enye indawo. Nxa yena engahlasela amabutho akho kuqala, loba ngubani ozakuzwa ngakho uzakuthi, ‘Kube lokuqothulwa phakathi kwamabutho alandela u-Abhisalomu.’
10 Even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.
Lapho-ke lebutho elilesibindi kulawo wonke, elinhliziyo yalo ifana lenhliziyo yesilwane, lizahedezela ngokwesaba ngoba u-Israyeli wonke uyakwazi ukuthi uyihlo liqhawe kanye lokuthi labo abalaye balesibindi.
11 But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that you go to battle in your own person.
Ngakho ngiyakucebisa: Akuthi abako-Israyeli bonke, kusukela koDani kusiya eBherishebha, ngobunengi obunjengetshebetshebe ekhunjini lolwandle, babuthane kuwe, kuthi wena ngokwakho ubakhokhele empini.
12 So we will come on him in some place where he will be found, and we will light on him as the dew falls on the ground, then we will not leave so much as one of him and of all the men who are with him.
Lapho-ke sizamhlasela loba kungaphi lapho angaficwa khona, njalo sizakwehlela phezu kwakhe njengamazolo ewela emhlabathini. Loba yena kumbe loba bani wabantu bakhe kakho ozasala ephila.
13 Moreover, if he has gone into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there isn’t one small stone found there.”
Angabalekela edolobheni u-Israyeli wonke uzakuza lezintambo edolobheni, silihudulele phansi esigodini kuze kungabe kusatholakala lesihletshana salo.”
14 Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For Yahweh had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Yahweh might bring evil on Absalom.
U-Abhisalomu labantu bonke bako-Israyeli bathi, “Iseluleko sikaHushayi umʼArikhi singcono kulesika-Ahithofeli.” Ngoba uThixo wayeqonde ukufubisa iseluleko esilungileyo sika-Ahithofeli ukuze alethele u-Abhisalomu incithakalo.
15 Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel that way; and I have counseled this way.
UHushayi watshela uZadokhi lo-Abhiyathari, abaphristi, wathi, “U-Ahithofeli usecebise u-Abhisalomu labadala bako-Israyeli ukuba benze ukuthi lokuthi, kodwa mina sengibacebise ukuthi benze okunje lokunje.
16 Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, ‘Don’t lodge tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him.’”
Khathesi-ke thumelani lizwi ngokuphangisa litshele uDavida ukuthi, ‘Ngalobubusuku ungalali emazibukweni asenkangala; chaphela ngaphetsheya kungekho kuphutha, hlezi inkosi labantu bonke abalayo baminzwe.’”
17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En Rogel; and a female servant used to go and report to them, and they went and told King David; for they couldn’t risk being seen coming into the city.
UJonathani lo-Ahimazi babehlala e-Eni Rogeli. Intombazana eyinceku yayizahamba iyebatshela, labo bezahamba bayetshela inkosi uDavida, ngoba babengeke bazifake engozini yokubonakala bengena edolobheni.
18 But a boy saw them, and told Absalom. Then they both went away quickly and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down there.
Kodwa ijaha elithile lababona laselitshela u-Abhisalomu. Ngakho bobabili basuka masinyane baya endlini yomuntu othile eBhahurimi. Wayelomthombo egumeni lakhe, bangena kuwo.
19 The woman took and spread the covering over the well’s mouth, and spread out crushed grain on it; and nothing was known.
Umkakhe wathatha okokwembesa wakwendlala phezu komlomo womthombo wasehaza amabele phezu kwakho. Kakho owayesazi ulutho ngakho.
20 Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house; and they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman said to them, “They have gone over the brook of water.” When they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
Abantu baka-Abhisalomu sebefike kowesifazane lowo endlini, bambuza bathi, “U-Ahimazi loJonathani bangaphi?” Owesifazane wabaphendula wathi, “Bachaphele ngaphetsheya kwesifudlana.” Abantu labo badinga kodwa kabatholanga muntu, ngakho babuyela eJerusalema.
21 After they had departed, they came up out of the well and went and told King David; and they said to David, “Arise and pass quickly over the water; for thus has Ahithophel counseled against you.”
Abantu labo sebehambile, ababili labo baphuma emthonjeni basebesiyatshela inkosi uDavida. Bathi kuyo, “Suka uchaphe umfula masinyane; u-Ahithofeli usecebise ukuthi lokuthi okubi ngawe.”
22 Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they passed over the Jordan. By the morning light there lacked not one of them who had not gone over the Jordan.
Ngakho uDavida labantu bonke ababelaye basuka bachapha iJodani. Kwathi kusisa, engasekho owayesele engakachaphi iJodani.
23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, arose, and went home to his city, set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.
Kwathi u-Ahithofeli ebona ukuthi iseluleko sakhe sasingalandelwanga, wabophela isihlalo kubabhemi wakhe wasuka waya endlini yakhe emzini wakibo. Walungisa indlu yakhe, wasezibophela. Ngakho wafa wangcwatshwa ethuneni likayise.
24 Then David came to Mahanaim. Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
UDavida waya eMahanayimi, kwathi u-Abhisalomu wachapha iJodani labantu bonke bako-Israyeli.
25 Absalom set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.
U-Abhisalomu wayesebeke u-Amasa ukuba ngumlawuli webutho esikhundleni sikaJowabi. U-Amasa wayeyindodana yomuntu owayethiwa nguJetha, umʼIsrayeli owayethethe u-Abhigeli indodakazi kaNahashi udadewabo kaZeruya unakaJowabi.
26 Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead.
Abako-Israyeli lo-Abhisalomu bamisa elizweni laseGiliyadi.
27 When David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,
Kwathi uDavida esefikile eMahanayimi, uShobhi indodana kaNahashi waseRabha yama-Amoni, loMakhiri indodana ka-Amiyeli waseLo-Debhari, loBhazilayi umGiliyadi waseRogelimi
28 brought beds, basins, earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans, lentils, roasted grain,
bamlethela okokwendlala lemiganu lempahla ezenziwe ngebumba. Bamlethela lamabele kanye lebhali, ifulawa lamabele akhanzingiweyo, indumba lamalentili,
29 honey, butter, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people who were with him to eat; for they said, “The people are hungry, weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.”
uluju lamasi, izimvu, letshizi evela echagweni lwamankomokazi ukuba uDavida labantu bakhe badle. Ngoba bathi, “Abantu sebelambile njalo badiniwe futhi bomile enkangala.”
