< 2 Samuel 24 >

1 The Lord was angry with Israel, and he provoked David against them, saying, “go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
Lwaselubuya lwamvuthela uIsrayeli ulaka lukaJehova, wabavusela uDavida, esithi: Hamba ubale uIsrayeli loJuda.
2 So David told Joab, the army commander, “Go and count the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba, so I can have a total number.”
Ngakho inkosi yathi kuJowabi induna yebutho eyayilaye: Hamba khathesi ubhode ezizweni zonke zakoIsrayeli, kusukela koDani kuze kube seBherishebha, libale abantu ukuze ngazi inani labantu.
3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord multiply his people a hundred times over, Your Majesty, and may you live to see it! But why does Your Majesty want to do this?”
UJowabi wasesithi enkosini: Aluba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ingandisa ebantwini, loba bebanengi kangakanani, kuphindwe ngokulikhulu, ukuthi amehlo enkosi yami, inkosi, akubone. Kodwa inkosi yami, inkosi, ithokozelani kulinto?
4 But the king was adamant so Joab and the army commanders left the king and went to census the people of Israel.
Kodwa ilizwi lenkosi lalilamandla phezu kukaJowabi laphezu kwezinduna zebutho. Ngakho uJowabi lenduna zebutho baphuma phambi kwenkosi ukuze babale abantu, uIsrayeli.
5 They crossed the Jordan and camped on the south side of the town of Aroer, in the middle of the valley, and then continued towards Gad and Jazer.
Basebechapha iJordani, bamisa inkamba eAroweri, ngakwesokunene komuzi ophakathi kwesifula seGadi, lamaqondana leJazeri.
6 Then they went on to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and then continued towards Dan, and from Dan around to Sidon.
Basebefika eGileyadi lelizweni leTahetimi-Hodishi; bafika eDani-Jahani, babhoda ngaseSidoni,
7 After this they went to the fortress of Tyre, and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. They ended up in the Negev of Judah at Beersheba.
bafika enqabeni yeTire lemizini yonke yamaHivi leyamaKhanani; baphuma baya eningizimu yakoJuda, eBherishebha.
8 After traveling throughout the whole country for nine months and twenty days, they returned to Jerusalem.
Sebebhode badabula ilizwe lonke, bafika eJerusalema ekupheleni kwenyanga eziyisificamunwemunye lensuku ezingamatshumi amabili.
9 Joab reported to the king the number of people that had been counted. In Israel there were 800,000 fighting men who could use the sword, and in Judah there were 500,000.
UJowabi waseyinika inkosi inani lokubalwa kwabantu; njalo kwakukhona koIsrayeli amaqhawe ayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisificaminwembili ahwatsha inkemba; lamadoda akoJuda ayengamadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amahlanu.
10 Afterwards, David felt really bad for ordering the census. He said to God, “I have committed a terrible sin by doing this. Please take away the guilt of your servant, for I have been very stupid.”
Inhliziyo kaDavida yasimtshaya emva kokuthi esebale abantu. UDavida wasesithi eNkosini: Ngonile kakhulu ngalokho engikwenzileyo. Ngakho-ke, Nkosi, ngiyakuncenga, susa ububi benceku yakho, ngoba ngenze ngobuthutha obukhulu.
11 When David got up in the morning, the Lord had sent a message to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
Kwathi uDavida esevukile ekuseni, kwafika ilizwi leNkosi kuGadi umprofethi, umboni kaDavida, lisithi:
12 “Go and tell David that this is what the Lord says: ‘I'm giving you three options. Choose one of them, and that's what I'll do to you.’”
Hamba uthi kuDavida: Itsho njalo iNkosi ithi: Ngikubekela okuthathu; zikhethele okukodwa kukho, ukuthi ngikwenze kuwe.
13 So Gad went and told David, “You can choose three years of famine in your land; or three months of running from your enemies while they chase you; or three days of plague in your land. So think about it and decide how I should reply to the One who sent me.”
UGadi wasefika kuDavida, wamtshela wathi kuye: Kufike kuwe yini iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala elizweni lakini? Loba ubalekele izitha zakho inyanga ezintathu zixotshana lawe? Ingabe kube khona umatshayabhuqe wesifo okwensuku ezintathu elizweni lakini? Khathesi cabanga, ubone ukuthi yimpendulo bani engizayibuyisela kongithumileyo.
14 David replied to Gad, “This is an awful situation for me! Please, let the Lord decide my punishment, for he is merciful. Don't let me be punished by people.”
UDavida wasesithi kuGadi: Ngicindezelekile kakhulu; ake siwele esandleni seNkosi, ngoba izisa zayo zinkulu, kodwa kangingaweli esandleni somuntu.
15 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the time designated, and seventy thousand people died from Dan to Beersheba.
Ngakho iNkosi yasibeka umatshayabhuqe wesifo kuIsrayeli, kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba sesikhathini esimisiweyo; kwasekusifa ebantwini abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa kusukela koDani kwaze kwaba seBherishebha.
16 But just as the angel was getting ready to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented from causing such a disaster and told the destroying angel, “That's enough. You can stop now.” Right then the angel of the Lord was standing beside the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
Lapho ingilosi iselulela isandla sayo eJerusalema ukuyibhubhisa, iNkosi yazisola ngalobobubi, yathi engilosini eyayibhubhisa abantu: Sekwanele. Khathesi finyeza isandla sakho. Ingilosi yeNkosi yayisebaleni lokubhulela likaArawuna umJebusi.
17 When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I'm the one who has sinned; I'm the one who has done wrong. These people are just sheep. What have they done? Punish me and my family instead.”
UDavida wasekhuluma eNkosini lapho ebona ingilosi eyayitshaya abantu, wathi: Khangela, mina ngonile, njalo mina ngenze okubi; pho, lezizimvu zenzeni? Isandla sakho ake simelane lami njalo simelane lendlu kababa.
18 On that day Gad went to David and told him, “Go and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
UGadi wasefika kuDavida ngalolosuku, wathi kuye: Yenyuka, umisele iNkosi ilathi ebaleni lokubhulela likaArawuna umJebusi.
19 So David went and did what the Lord had ordered, as Gad had told him.
UDavida wasesenyuka njengokutsho kukaGadi, njengokulaya kweNkosi.
20 When Araunah looked up, he saw the king and his officials approaching. So he went out and bowed before the king with his face to the ground.
UArawuna waselunguza, wabona inkosi lenceku zayo beqhubeka besiza kuye; uArawuna wasephuma wakhothama phambi kwenkosi ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini.
21 “Why has Your Majesty come to see me, your servant?” Araunah asked. “To buy your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord in order that the plague on the people may be stopped.” David replied.
UArawuna wasesithi: Kungani inkosi yami, inkosi, ize encekwini yayo? UDavida wasesithi: Ukuthi ngithenge kuwe ibala lokubhulela, ukuthi ngakhele iNkosi ilathi, ukuze inhlupheko ithinteke ingafiki ebantwini.
22 “Take it, and Your Majesty can use it to make offerings as you think best,” Araunah told David. “Here are the oxen for burnt offerings, and here are the threshing boards and the yokes for the oxen for firewood.
UArawuna wasesithi kuDavida: Inkosi yami, inkosi, kayithathe inikele lokho okuhle emehlweni ayo; bona, nanzi inkabi zomnikelo wokutshiswa, lezimbulo lezinto zenkabi kube zinkuni.
23 Your Majesty, I, Araunah, give it all to the king.” Araunah concluded by saying, “May the Lord your God respond positively to you.”
Konke lokhu, nkosi, uArawuna wakunika inkosi; uArawuna wasesithi enkosini: INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho kayikwemukele.
24 “No, I insist on paying you for it,” the king replied. “I won't present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that didn't cost me anything.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
Inkosi yasisithi kuArawuna: Hatshi, kodwa ngizakuthenga lokukuthenga kuwe ngentengo; njalo kangiyikunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa engangibizanga lutho eNkosini uNkulunkulu wami. UDavida waselithenga ibala lokubhulela lezinkabi ngamashekeli esiliva angamatshumi amahlanu.
25 David built an altar to the Lord there, and presented burnt offerings and friendship offerings. The Lord answered his prayer for the country, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
UDavida wasesakhela khona iNkosi ilathi, wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula. Ngakho iNkosi yancengeka ngelizwe, inhlupheko yasithinteka phezu kukaIsrayeli.

< 2 Samuel 24 >