2 Samuel 7
1 By now the king was comfortable in his palace and the Lord had given him peace from all the enemy nations around him.
Kwathi inkosi isihlala esigodlweni sayo uThixo eseyiphumuzile kuzozonke izitha zayo enhlangothini zonke,
2 So he said to Nathan the prophet, “Look at me—I live in a palace made of cedar, but the Ark of God is still in a tent.”
yathi kuNathani umphrofethi, “Mina ngilapha, ngihlala esigodlweni semsedari, kodwa ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lilokhu lihlala ethenteni.”
3 “Go ahead, do whatever you want, for the Lord is with you,” Nathan told the king.
UNathani waphendula inkosi wathi, “Loba kuyini okusengqondweni yakho, qhubeka ukwenze, ngoba uThixo ulawe.”
4 But that night the Lord spoke to Nathan and told him,
Ngalobobusuku ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuNathani, lisithi:
5 “Go and tell my servant David, This is what the Lord says: Should you be the one to build a house for me to live in?
“Hamba uyetshela inceku yami uDavida uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Nguwe yini omele ungakhele indlu yokuhlala kuyo?
6 For I have never lived in a house, from the time I led the Israelites out of Egypt up till now. I have always moved from place to place, living in a tent and a Tabernacle.
Mina angikaze ngihlale endlini kusukela ngosuku engabakhulula ngalo ama-Israyeli eGibhithe kuze kube lamuhla. Ngibe ngihamba ngisuka kwenye indawo ngisiya kwenye ithente liyindawo yami yokuhlala.
7 But in all those travels with all of Israel did I ever ask any Israelite leader I'd ordered to take care of my people, ‘Why haven't you built a cedar house for me?’
Loba kungaphi engahamba khona labako-Israyeli bonke, ngake ngatsho yini komunye wababusi babo engangibalaye ukuthi beluse abantu bami u-Israyeli ngathi, “Kungani lingangakhelanga indlu yemisedari na?”’
8 So then, tell my servant David this is what the Lord Almighty says. It was me who took you from the fields, from looking after sheep, to become a leader of my people Israel.
Ngakho-ke, tshela inceku yami uDavida uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uSomandla: Ngakuthatha emadlelweni ekweluseni izimvu, ukuba ube ngumbusi wabantu bami u-Israyeli.
9 I have been with you wherever you've gone. I have destroyed all your enemies right in front of you, and I will make your reputation as great as the most famous people on earth.
Ngibe lawe loba kungaphi lapho oya khona, njalo ngizinqobile zonke izitha zakho phambi kwakho. Khathesi ngizakwenza ibizo lakho libe likhulu, njengamabizo amadoda adumileyo asemhlabeni.
10 I will choose a place for my people Israel. I will settle them there and they won't be disturbed anymore. Evil people won't persecute them as they used to,
Njalo ngizabanika indawo abantu bami u-Israyeli ngibagxumeke ukuze babe lekhaya elingelabo bangabe besakhathazwa futhi. Abantu ababi kabasayikubancindezela futhi njengalokhu abakwenza ekuqaliseni,
11 from the time I placed judges in charge of my people. I will defeat all of your enemies. Also I want to make it clear that I the Lord will build a house for you.
bakwenza futhi kusukela ngesikhathi engamisela ngaso abantu bami u-Israyeli abakhokheli. Njalo ngizakuphumuza kuzozonke izitha zakho. UThixo wafunga kuwe ukuthi uThixo yena ngokwakhe uzakumisela indlu:
12 For when you come to the end of your life and join your ancestors in death, I will bring to power one of your descendants, one of your sons, and make sure his kingdom is successful.
Nxa insuku zakho seziphelile usuphumula labokhokho bakho, ngizakwenza inzalo yakho ithathe isikhundla sakho, ozaphuma emzimbeni wakho, ngizawuqinisa umbuso wakhe.
13 He will be the one to build me a house, and I will make sure his kingdom lasts forever.
Lowo nguye ozakwakhela iBizo lami indlu, njalo ngizaqinisa isihlalo sobukhosi sombuso wakhe kuze kube nininini.
14 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me. If he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod like people do, like a parent punishing a child.
Ngizakuba nguyise, yena abe yindodana yami. Angenza okubi ngizamjezisa ngomqwayi wabantu, ukuklebhula okwenziwa ngabantu.
15 But I will never take away my kindness and love from him, as I did in the case of Saul who I removed before you.
Kodwa uthando lwami kaluyikususwa kuye lanini, njengokulususa kwami kuSawuli, engamsusayo phambi kwakho.
16 Your house and your kingdom will last forever; your dynasty will be secure forever.”
Indlu yakho lombuso wakho kuzaqina nini lanini phambi kwami; isihlalo sakho sobukhosi sizakuma kuze kube nininini.’”
17 This is what Nathan explained to David—everything he was told in this divine revelation.
UNathani wambikela uDavida wonke amazwi alesisambulelo.
18 Then King David went and sat down in the presence of the Lord. He prayed, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is significant about my family, that you have brought me to this place?
Ngakho inkosi uDavida wangena wahlala phambi kukaThixo wasesithi: “Ngingubani, awu Thixo Wobukhosi, bayini abendlu yami, ukuba ungifikise lapha na?
19 God, you talk as if this was a small thing in your eyes, and you also have spoken about the future of my house, my family dynasty. Is this your usual way of dealing with human beings, Lord God?
Njalo sekungathi lokhu akwanelanga emehlweni akho, awu Thixo Wobukhosi, usukhulumile futhi ngesikhathi esizayo ngendlu yenceku yakho. Le yiyo yini indlela yakho ejayelekileyo yokuphatha abantu, awu Thixo Wobukhosi?
20 What more can I, David, tell you? You know exactly what your servant is like, Lord God.
Kambe kuyini okunye uDavida angakutsho kuwe? Ngoba wena uyayazi inceku yakho, awu Thixo Wobukhosi.
21 You're doing all this for me and you have explained it to me, your servant, and because of your promise and because it's what you want to do.
Ngoba ngenxa yelizwi lakho langentando yakho, uyenzile into le enkulu njalo wayenza yazakala encekwini yakho.
22 How great you are, Lord God! There really is no-one like you; there is no other God, only you. We have never heard about anyone else.
Yeka ubukhulu bakho, awu Thixo Wobukhosi! Kakho ofanana lawe, njalo kakho uNkulunkulu ngaphandle kwakho, njengoba sizizwele ngezindlebe zethu.
23 Who else is as fortunate as your people Israel? Who else on earth did God go and redeem to make his own people? You gained a wonderful reputation for yourself by all the tremendous, amazing things you did in driving out other nations and their gods before your people as you redeemed them from Egypt.
Njalo ngubani ongafanana labantu bakho bako-Israyeli esiyiso sodwa isizwe emhlabeni uNkulunkulu ayazihlengela sona ukuba sibe ngabantu bakhe, lokuze azenzele udumo kanye lokwenza izimangaliso ezinkulu lezesabekayo ngokuxotsha izizwe labonkulunkulu bazo phambi kwabantu bakho owabahlenga eGibhithe na?
24 You made your people Israel your own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
Ubeke abantu bakho u-Israyeli njengabantu bakho kuze kube nini lanini, njalo wena, Thixo, usunguNkulunkulu wabo.
25 So now, Lord God, please ensure that what you have said about me and my house happens, and is confirmed forever. Please do as you have promised,
Khathesi-ke, Thixo Nkulunkulu, sigcine kuze kube phakade isithembiso osenzileyo mayelana lenceku yakho lendlu yayo. Yenza njengokuthembisa kwakho,
26 and may your true nature be honored forever, with people declaring, ‘The Lord Almighty is Israel's God!’ May the house of your servant David continue to be there in your presence.
ukuze ibizo lakho libe likhulu kuze kube nininini. Ngakho abantu bazakuthi, ‘UThixo uSomandla unguNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli!’ Lendlu yenceku yakho uDavida izamiswa phambi kwakho.
27 Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to me, your servant, telling me, ‘I will build a house for you.’ That's why your servant has had the courage to pray this prayer to you.
Awu Thixo Somandla, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ukuvezile lokhu encekwini yakho usithi, ‘Ngizakwakhela indlu.’ Ngakho inceku yakho ibe lesibindi sokukhuleka umkhuleko lo kuwe.
28 Lord Almighty, you are God! Your words are truth, and you are the one who has promised these good things to your servant.
Thixo Wobukhosi, unguNkulunkulu! Amazwi akho athembekile, njalo usuthembise lezizinto ezinhle encekwini yakho.
29 So now, please bless your servant's house that it may continue in your presence forever. For you have spoken, Lord God, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”
Khathesi-ke ake uthokoziswe yikubusisa indlu yenceku yakho, ukuze ihlale isemehlweni akho kuze kube nininini; ngoba wena, awu Thixo Wobukhosi, usukhulumile, njalo ngokubusiswa nguwe indlu yenceku yakho izabusiseka kuze kube nininini.”
