2 Samuel 21
1 Once during David's reign there was a famine for three years in a row, and David asked the Lord about it. The Lord replied, “It's because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites.”
Ekubuseni kukaDavida kwaba lendlala iminyaka emithathu ilandelana; ngakho uDavida wabuza uThixo. UThixo wathi, “Kungenxa kaSawuli lendlu yakhe enindwe ngegazi; kungenxa yokuthi yena wabulala amaGibhiyoni.”
2 David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them. The Gibeonites were not Israelites, but what was left of the Amorites. The Israelites had sworn an oath to them, but in his nationalistic passion for the Israelites and Judah, Saul had tried to wipe them out.
Inkosi yabiza amaGibhiyoni yakhuluma lawo. (AbaseGibhiyoni babengasiyo ngxenye ka-Israyeli kodwa babengabasalayo bama-Amori, abako-Israyeli babefunge ukubayekela, kodwa uSawuli ngenxa yokutshisekela kwakhe u-Israyeli loJuda wafuna ukubaqeda du.)
3 “What can I do for you?” David asked the Gibeonites. “How can I compensate you so that you may bless the Lord's people?”
UDavida wabuza amaGibhiyoni wathi, “Kuyini engingalenzela khona na? Ngingakwenza njani ukubuyisana ukuze libusise ilifa likaThixo na?”
4 “This isn't a question of us receiving payment in silver or gold from Saul or his family,” the Gibeonites replied. “In addition we don't have the right to have anyone in Israel put to death for us.” “I'll do whatever you ask,” David answered.
AmaGibhiyoni amphendula athi, “Kasilalo ilungelo lokufuna isiliva loba igolide kuSawuli kumbe kwabendlu yakhe, lelungelo lokubulala umuntu ko-Israyeli kasilalo.” UDavida wabuza wathi, “Pho lifuna ukuthi ngilenzeleni?”
5 They replied, “Regarding the man who destroyed us, who planned to prevent us having any place to live in the whole country of Israel,
Bayiphendula inkosi bathi, “Umuntu owasichithayo waceba okubi ngathi saze satshabalala njalo kasaze saba lendawo loba ngaphi ko-Israyeli,
6 have seven of Saul's male descendants be handed over to us, and we will hang them in the presence of the Lord at Gibeon of Saul, the Lord's chosen one.” “I will hand them over to you,” said the king.
kasinikwe abenzalo yakhe besilisa abayisikhombisa ukuba babulawe balengiswe phambi kukaThixo eGibhiya kaSawuli, okhethiweyo kaThixo.” Ngakho inkosi yathi, “Ngizalinika bona.”
7 However, the king spared Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, son of Saul, because of the oath sworn before the Lord between David and Jonathan, son of Saul.
Kodwa uMefibhoshethi indodana kaJonathani, indodana kaSawuli, inkosi yamtshiya ngenxa yesifungo phambi kukaThixo phakathi kukaDavida loJonathani indodana kaSawuli.
8 The king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Merab, the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel, son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
Kodwa inkosi yathatha u-Arimoni loMefibhoshethi amadodana amabili endodakazi ka-Ayiya uRizipha, ayemzale loSawuli, kanye lamadodana amahlanu endodakazi kaSawuli uMerabi, ayewazale lo-Adiriyeli indodana kaBhazilayi waseMehola.
9 He handed them over to the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill in the presence of the Lord. All seven of them died at the same time, executed at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Yabanikeza kumaGibhiyoni, ababulala abachaya eqaqeni phambi kukaThixo. Bonke beyisikhombisa bafela ndawonye; babulawa ngezinsuku zakuqala zokuvuna, ukuvunwa kwebhali kuqalisa nje.
10 Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took some sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the time the rains came and poured down on the bodies, she kept the birds away from them during the day and the wild animals at night.
URizipha indodakazi ka-Ayiya wathatha isaka wazendlalela lona edwaleni. Kusukela ekuqaliseni kokuvuna izulu laze lana livela emazulwini linetha izidumbu, kavumelanga izinyoni zasemoyeni ukuba zizithinte emini loba izinyamazana zeganga ebusuku.
11 When David heard what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Saul's concubine of Saul had done,
Kwathi uDavida esetshelwe ngokwakwenziwe yindodakazi ka-Ayiya uRizipha, umfazi kaSawuli weceleni,
12 he retrieved the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had taken them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had killed Saul at Gilboa.
wahamba wayathatha amathambo kaSawuli lawendodana yakhe uJonathani ebantwini baseJabheshi Giliyadi. (Babewathathe ensitha enkundleni kazulu eBhethi-Shani, lapho amaFilistiya ayewachaye khona emva kokubulala kwawo uSawuli eGilibhowa.)
13 David had the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan brought back, and also had the bones of those who had been hanged gathered up.
UDavida wawathatha khonapho amathambo kaSawuli lawendodana yakhe uJonathani, lamathambo alabo ababebulawe babuye bachaywa abuthwa.
14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan at Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul's father Kish. Once they finished doing everything the king had ordered, God answered their prayers to end the famine in the land.
Amathambo kaSawuli lawendodana yakhe uJonathani bawangcwaba ethuneni likasekaSawuli uKhishi, eZela koBhenjamini, benza konke njengokulaya kwenkosi. Emva kwalokho uNkulunkulu wayiphendula imikhuleko eyenzelwa ilizwe.
15 There was war once more between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight the Philistines, and he got worn out.
Kwaphinda kwaba lempi futhi phakathi kwamaFilistiya lo-Israyeli. UDavida wahamba labantu bakhe ukuyakulwa lamaFilistiya, wasedinwa.
16 Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels, and who was carrying a new sword, said he was going to kill David.
U-Ishibhi-Bhenobi, omunye wabenzalo kaRafa, isihloko somkhonto wakhe wethusi esasilobunzima obungamashekeli angamakhulu amathathu, njalo ehlome ngenkemba entsha, wathi uzabulala uDavida.
17 But Abishai, son of Zeruiah, came to his rescue, attacked the Philistine, and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, “Don't ever go out with us to battle again, so that the Israel's light isn't snuffed out!”
Kodwa u-Abhishayi indodana kaZeruya wamhlenga uDavida; wamcakazela phansi umFilistiya lowo wambulala. Abantu bakaDavida bafunga kuye bathi, “Kawuyikuhamba lathi futhi empini, ukuze isibane sika-Israyeli singacitshwa.”
18 Some time after this there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. But then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Repha.
Ngokuqhubeka kwesikhathi kwaba lenye impi futhi lamaFilistiya, eGobi. Ngalesosikhathi uSibhekhayi umHushathi wabulala uSafi, omunye wabosendo kaRafa.
19 In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan, son of Jair, from Bethlehem, killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite. The shaft of his spear was as thick as a weaver's rod.
Kweyinye impi lamaFilistiya njalo eGobi, u-Elihanani indodana kaJayiri umBhethilehema wabulala umfowabo kaGoliyathi umGithi, owayelomkhonto owawuloluthi olunjengogodo lomaluki.
20 In yet another battle at Gath, there was a gigantic man, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, making twenty-four all. He too was descended from the giants.
Kanti njalo kwenye impi eyalwelwa eGathi, kwakulendoda enkulu kakhulu ileminwe eyisithupha esandleni ngasinye lamazwane ayisithupha enyaweni ngalunye, sekubalwa konke ndawonye kungamatshumi amabili lane. Laye wayengowosendo lukaRafa.
21 But when he insulted Israel, Jonathan, son of Shimea, David's brother, killed him.
Kwathi echothoza u-Israyeli, uJonathani indodana kaShimeya, umfowabo kaDavida, wambulala.
22 These four were the descendants of the giants in Gath, but they were all killed by David and his men.
Abane laba babengabosendo lukaRafa eGathi, bonke babulawa nguDavida lamabutho akhe.
