2 Samuel 14
1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.
UJowabi indodana kaZeruya wakwazi ukuthi inhliziyo yenkosi yayimkhumbula u-Abhisalomu.
2 Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and do not anoint yourself with oil; but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.
Ngakho uJowabi wathuma umuntu eThekhowa wayabuya khona lowesifazane ohlakaniphileyo. Wathi kuye, “Yenza angathi uyalila. Gqoka izigqoko zokulila. Ungagcobi amagcobo okubukeka. Yenza njengowesifazane oseqede insuku ezinengi elilela ofileyo.
3 Go in to the king and speak like this to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.
Uye enkosini ukhulume amazwi la kuyo.” UJowabi wasemfunza lawomazwi.
4 When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”
Kwathi owesifazane owavela eThekhowa esefikile enkosini wathi mbo phansi ngobuso eyihlonipha, wasesithi, “Ake ungisize, awu nkosi!”
5 The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
Inkosi yambuza yathi, “Kuyini okukuhluphayo?” Yena wathi, “Ngingumfelokazi impela, umkami wafa.
6 Your servant had two sons; and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him.
Mina ncekukazi yakho ngangilamadodana amabili. Alwa egangeni njalo akulamuntu owayelapho ukuba awalamule. Enye yatshaya enye yayibulala.
7 Behold, the whole family has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth.”
Manje-ke bonke abosendo sebevukele incekukazi yakho, bathi, ‘Sinike lowo owabulala umfowabo ukuze simbulale ngenxa yempilo yomfowabo ambulalayo; lapho-ke sizasusa lendlalifa futhi.’ Bazacitsha ilahle lami elivuthayo eliyilo lodwa engilalo eliseleyo, umkami asale engaselabizo loba inzalo ebusweni bomhlaba.”
8 The king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you.”
Inkosi yasisithi kowesifazane lowo, “Buyela ekhaya, ngizakhupha umlayo ngimele wena.”
9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, may the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”
Kodwa owesifazane waseThekhowa wathi kuyo, “Mhlekazi wami, nkosi, umlandu kawube kimi lakwabendlu kababa, kuthi inkosi lesihlalo sayo sobukhosi kungabi lacala.”
10 The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you any more.”
Inkosi yaphendula yathi, “Nxa loba ngubani esitsho loba yini kuwe, mlethe kimi, njalo kasoze akuhluphe futhi.”
11 Then she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”
Wasesithi, “Inkosi kayincenge uThixo uNkulunkulu wayo ukuba avimbele umphindiseli wegazi ekwengezeleleni incithakalo, ukuze indodana yami ingabhujiswa.” Inkosi yathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, akukho lalunye unwele lwekhanda lendodana yakho oluzawela phansi.”
12 Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Say on.”
Lapho-ke owesifazane wasesithi, “Vumela incekukazi yakho ikhulume ilizwi enkosini yami.” Yathi, “Khuluma.”
13 The woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one.
Owesifazane wasesithi, “Pho kungani ucebe into enje ngabantu bakaNkulunkulu na? Nxa inkosi isitsho lokhu kayizidlisi ngecala na, ngoba inkosi kayiyibuyisanga indodana yayo eyaxotshwayo.
14 For we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him.
Njengamanzi achithekele phansi, angeke abuthwe, kanjalo kumele sife. Kodwa uNkulunkulu kakususi ukuphila, esikhundleni salokho yena uceba izindlela zokuthi umuntu oxotshiweyo angehlukaniswa laye kokuphela.
15 Now therefore, seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. Your servant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.’
Ngilande ukuzakutsho lokhu kumhlekazi wami inkosi, ngoba abantu sebengethusile. Incekukazi yakho icabange yathi, ‘Ngizakhuluma lenkosi, engxenye izakwenza lokho okucelwa yincekukazi yayo.
16 For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.
Engxenye inkosi izavuma ukuhlenga incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu ozama ukungisusa mina lendodana yami elifeni esaliphiwa nguNkulunkulu.’
17 Then your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May the LORD, your God, be with you.’”
Khathesi incekukazi yakho ithi, ‘Sengathi izwi lomhlekazi wami, uThixo lingangilethela ukuphumula, ngoba umhlekazi wami, inkosi unjengengilosi kaNkulunkulu ekuphawuleni okuhle lokubi. Sengathi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho angaba lawe.’”
18 Then the king answered the woman, “Please do not hide anything from me that I ask you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king now speak.”
Inkosi yasisithi kowesifazane lowo, “Ungangifihleli impendulo kulokhu engizakubuza khona.” Owesifazane wathi “Mhlekazi wami, inkosi kayikhulume.”
19 The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your servant.
Inkosi yasibuza yathi, “Isandla sikaJowabi kasilawe yini kukho konke lokhu na?” Owesifazane waphendula wathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uphila, mhlekazi wami, inkosi, kakho ongaphambukela kwesokudla kumbe kwesenxele kwaloba yini umhlekazi wami, inkosi ekutshoyo. Ye, yinceku yakho uJowabi engilaye ukuba ngenze lokhu onguye njalo ofunze amazwi wonke la emlonyeni wencekukazi yakho.
20 Your servant Joab has done this thing to change the face of the matter. My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.”
Inceku yakho uJowabi yenze lokhu ukuba iguqule umumo okhona khathesi. Inkosi yami ilenhlakanipho efana leyengilosi kaNkulunkulu yazi konke okwenzakalayo elizweni.”
21 The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, and bring the young man Absalom back.”
Inkosi yasisithi kuJowabi, “Kulungile, ngizakwenza lokho. Hamba uyebuya lalo ijaha u-Abhisalomu.”
22 Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”
UJowabi wathi mbo phansi ngobuso eyihlonipha, waseyibonga inkosi. UJowabi wasesithi, “Lamhla inceku yakho isikwazi ukuthi isithole umusa emehlweni akho, mhlekazi wami, nkosi, ngoba inkosi isivumile isicelo senceku yayo.”
23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
Emva kwalokho uJowabi waya eGeshuri wayabuya lo-Abhisalomu eJerusalema.
24 The king said, “Let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, and did not see the king’s face.
Kodwa inkosi yathi, “Kaye endlini yakhe, akumelanga abone ubuso bami.” Ngakho u-Abhisalomu waya endlini yakhe akaze abubona ubuso benkosi.
25 Now in all Israel there was no one to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty. From the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no defect in him.
Kulolonke elako-Israyeli kakho umuntu owayebatshazwa kakhulu ngobuhle bakhe njengo-Abhisalomu. Kusukela ekhanda lakhe kusiya ephangweni lonyawo lwakhe kwakungekho sici kuye.
26 When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year’s end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight.
Kwakusithi lapho egele inwele zekhanda lakhe wayejwayele ukuzigela inwele zakhe kanye ngomnyaka nxa zasezimsinda kakhulu, wayezilinganisa esikalini, isisindo sazo sasingamakhulu amabili amashekeli ngesilinganiso sesikhosini.
27 Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a woman with a beautiful face.
U-Abhisalomu wazala amadodana amathathu lendodakazi eyodwa. Ibizo lendodakazi lalinguThamari, owayengumfazi omuhle.
28 Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and he did not see the king’s face.
U-Abhisalomu wahlala iminyaka emibili eJerusalema engabuboni ubuso benkosi.
29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. Then he sent again a second time, but he would not come.
Yikho u-Abhisalomu wabiza uJowabi wamthuma enkosini, kodwa uJowabi wala ukuya kuye. Wathumela okwesibili, kodwa wala ukuza.
30 Therefore he said to his servants, “Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
Wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe, “Khangelani, insimu kaJowabi iphansi kweyami, njalo kulebhali kiyo. Hambani liyeyithungela ngomlilo.” Ngakho izinceku zika-Abhisalomu zayithungela insimu ngomlilo.
31 Then Joab arose and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
Lapho-ke uJowabi waya endlini ka-Abhisalomu wathi kuye, “Kungani izinceku zakho zithungele insimu yami ngomlilo?”
32 Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore, let me see the king’s face; and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”’”
U-Abhisalomu wathi kuJowabi, “Khangela, ngithumele ilizwi kuwe ngathi, ‘Woza lapha ukuze ngikuthume enkosini ukuyabuza ukuthi, “Pho ngisukeleni eGeshuri? Kade kuzakuba ngcono kimi aluba ngilokhu ngikhonale!”’ Khathesi nje, mina ngifuna ukubona ubuso benkosi, nxa ngilecala laloba yini kangibulale.”
33 So Joab came to the king and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.
Ngakho uJowabi waya enkosini wayitshela lokhu. Inkosi yambiza u-Abhisalomu, wafika wangena wasesithi mbo phansi ngobuso phambi kwenkosi. Inkosi yamanga u-Abhisalomu.
