2 USamuyeli 23

1 La ngamazwi okucina kaDavida: “Umbono kaDavida indodana kaJese, umbono womuntu owaphakanyiswa ngoPhezukonke, umuntu owagcotshwa nguNkulunkulu kaJakhobe, umhlabeleli wezingoma ka-Israyeli:

Now these are the last words of David: The saying of David the son of Jesse, and the saying of the man raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet singer of Israel:

2 Umoya kaThixo wakhuluma ngami, ilizwi lakhe lalisolimini lwami.

The spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was upon my tongue.

3 UNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli wakhuluma, iDwala lika-Israyeli lathi kimi: ‘Lapho umuntu ebusa abantu ngokulunga, lapho ebusa ngokwesaba uNkulunkulu,

The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: 'Ruler over men shall be the righteous, even he that ruleth in the fear of God,

4 unjengokukhanya kwekuseni ekuphumeni kwelanga ekuseni okungelamayezi, njengokukhanya emva kokuna kwezulu okumilisa utshani emhlabathini.’

And as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds; when through clear shining after rain, the tender grass springeth out of the earth.'

5 Indlu yami kayifanelanga kuNkulunkulu na? Kanje kenzanga lami isivumelwano esingapheliyo esalungiswayo saqiniswa izigaba zonke na? Kambe kazukuphumelelisa ukusindiswa kwami angiphe konke engikufisayo na?

For is not my house established with God? for an everlasting covenant He hath made with me, ordered in all things, and sure; for all my salvation, and all my desire, will he not make it to grow?

6 Kodwa abantu ababi bonke bazaphoselwa eceleni njengameva, angabuthwayo ngesandla.

But the ungodly, they are as thorns thrust away, all of them, for they cannot be taken with the hand;

7 Loba ngubani othinta ameva usebenzisa insimbi loba uluthi lomkhonto; ayatshiswa ngomlilo khonapho akhona.”

But the man that toucheth them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.

8 La ngamabizo amaqhawe kaDavida: UJoshebi-Bhasishebethi umThakemoni wayeyinduna yabaThathu, waphakamisela abantu abangamakhulu ayisificaminwembili umkhonto wakhe, ababulalayo ekuhlaseleni kunye.

These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite; he lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

9 Yena elandelwa ngu-Eliyazari indodana kaDodo umʼAhohi. Njengomunye wamaqhawe amathathu, wayeloDavida lapho bechothoza amaFilistiya ayebuthanele impi ePhasi Damimi. Lapho-ke abantu bako-Israyeli bahlehlela emuva,

And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they jeoparded their lives against the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away;

10 kodwa yena wajama wawacakazela phansi amaFilistiya isandla sakhe saze sadinwa sanamathela enkembeni. Ngalelolanga uThixo waletha ukunqoba okukhulu. Amabutho abuyela ku-Eleyazari ukuyahlubula abafileyo kuphela nje.

he stood firm, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand did cleave unto the sword; and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.

11 Phansi kwakhe kwakuloShama indodana ka-Ageye umHarari. Kwathi amaFilistiya eseqoqene endaweni eyayilezindumba ezinengi, amabutho ako-Israyeli awabalekela.

And after him was Shammah the son of Age the Ararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.

12 Kodwa uShama wajama phakathi kwensimu. Wayivikela wawacakazela phansi amaFilistiya, uThixo waletha ukunqoba okukhulu.

But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory.

13 Ngesikhathi sokuvuna, abathathu ezinduneni ezingamatshumi amathathu baya kuDavida ebhalwini lwase-Adulami, lapho ibutho lamaFilistiya lalimise eSigodini saseRefayi.

And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

14 Ngalesosikhathi uDavida wayesenqabeni, iviyo lamabutho amaFilistiya laliseBhethilehema.

And David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

15 UDavida womela amanzi wasesithi, “Oh, sengathi kungaba lomuntu ongangikhela amanzi okunatha emthonjeni oseduze lesango laseBhethilehema!”

And David longed, and said: 'Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate!'

16 Ngakho amaqhawe amathathu adabula phakathi kwamaviyo amaFilistiya, akha amanzi emthonjeni eduze lesango laseBhethilehema ahamba lawo kuDavida. Kodwa wala ukuwanatha, esikhundleni salokho wawathela phambi kukaThixo.

And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David; but he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.

17 Wathi, “Akungenzeki, Oh Thixo, ukuba ngenze lokhu. Akusigazi labantu abahambe befake ukuphila kwabo engozini na?” UDavida kawanathanga. Lezi zaziyizenzo zobuqhawe zalawomabutho womathathu.

And he said: 'Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this; shall I drink the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives?' therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

18 U-Abhishayi umfowabo kaJowabi indodana kaZeruya wayeyinduna yabaThathu labo. Waphakamisela umkhonto wakhe phezu kwabangamakhulu amathathu, ababulalayo, ngakho waba lodumo njengabaThathu.

And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three.

19 Kahlonitshwanga kakhulu kulabaThathu na? Waba ngumlawuli wabo, loba engazange abe phakathi kwabo.

He was most honourable of the three; therefore he was made their captain; howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

20 UBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada wayeliqhawe elilesibindi laseKhabhizeli, elenza izenzo zobuqhawe obukhulu. Wabulala amaqhawe amaMowabi amabili ayezintshantshu ekulweni. Wake wangena emgodini wabulala isilwane mhla kulongqwaqwane.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he smote the two altar-hearths of Moab; he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow;

21 Njalo wabulala umGibhithe owayemkhulu kakhulu. Lanxa umGibhithe lowo wayephethe umkhonto, uBhenaya wamhlasela ngenduku. Wawuhluthuna umkhonto esandleni somGibhithe wambulala ngomkhonto wakhe.

and he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man; and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

22 Lezi zaziyizenzo zobuqhawe zikaBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada; laye futhi wayedume njengamaqhawe amathathu.

These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men.

23 Wayehlonitshwa kakhulu ukwedlula bonke abangamaTshumi Amathathu, kodwa wayengabalwa kanye labaThathu. UDavida wambeka ukuba abe ngumphathi wabalindi bakhe.

He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

24 Phakathi kwabangamatshumi amathathu labo kwakuyilaba: U-Asaheli umfowabo kaJowabi, u-Elihanani indodana kaDodo waseBhethilehema,

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem;

25 uShama umHarodi, u-Elika umHarodi,

Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite;

26 uHelezi umPhalithi, u-Ira indodana ka-Ikheshi waseThekhowa,

Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite;

27 u-Abhiyezeri wase-Anathothi, uSibhekhayi umHushathi,

Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite;

28 uZalimoni umʼAhohi, uMaharayi umNethofa,

Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite;

29 uHeledi indodana kaBhana umNethofa, u-Ithayi indodana kaRibhayi owaseGibhiya koBhenjamini,

Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin;

30 uBhenaya umPhirathoni, uHidayi wasezindongeni zaseGashi,

Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of Nahale-gaash;

31 u-Abhi-Alibhoni umʼAribhathi, u-Azimavethi umBharihumi,

Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite;

32 u-Eliyaba umShalibhoni, amadodana kaJasheni, uJonathani

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan;

33 indodana kaShama umHarari, u-Ahiyamu indodana kaSharari umHarari,

Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite;

34 u-Elifelethi indodana ka-Ahasibhayi umʼMahakhathi, u-Eliyami indodana ka-Ahithofeli umGiloni,

Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite;

35 uHeziro umKhameli, uPharayi umʼAribhi,

Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite;

36 u-Igali indodana kaNathani waseZobha, indodana kaHagiri,

Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite;

37 uZelekhi umʼAmoni, uNaharayi umBherothi, owayethwala izikhali zikaJowabi, indodana kaZeruya,

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armour-bearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah;

38 u-Ira umʼIthira, uGarebhi umʼIthiri

Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite;

39 kanye lo-Uriya umHithi. Bebonke babengamatshumi amathathu lesikhombisa.

Uriah the Hittite. Thirty and seven in all.