1 Kings 2
1 When David [knew that he] was about to die, he gave these final instructions to his son Solomon:
Kwathi isikhathi sokuthi uDavida afe sesisondele, walaya indodana yakhe uSolomoni.
2 “I am about to die [EUP], like everyone else on earth does. Be courageous and conduct yourself as an adult should.
Wathi, “Sengiseduze ukuyiphetha indlela yemhlabeni. Ngakho qina, zitshengisele ubudoda bakho,
3 Do what Yahweh our God tells you to do. Conduct yourself as he wants you to do. Obey all of his laws and commands and precepts and instructions that are written in the laws that Moses [gave us]. Do this in order that you will prosper in all that you do and wherever you go.
unanzelele lokho okufunwa nguThixo uNkulunkulu wakho: Ukuhamba endleleni yakhe, ugcine imilayo leziqondiso zakhe, imithetho yakhe kanye lezilayezelo zayo: Hamba ezindleleni zakhe, ugcine izimiso zakhe leziqondiso zakhe, imithetho yakhe lokulotshiweyo ngokoMthetho kaMosi, ukuze uphumelele kukho konke okwenzayo kanye lalapho oya khona,
4 If you continually do that, Yahweh will do what he promised me: He said, ‘If your descendants do what I tell them to do, and faithfully obey my commands with all their inner beings, they will always be [LIT] the ones who will rule [MTY] Israel.’
ngalokho uThixo uzagcina isithembiso sakhe kimi: ‘Nxa isizukulwane sakho sizananzelela izindlela zokuphila kwaso, njalo sizahamba ngobuqotho phambi kwami ngezinhliziyo zaso lasemoyeni waso, awuyikwehluleka uswele indoda ezahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi ko-Israyeli.’
5 “There is something else [that I want you to do]. You know what Joab did to me. He killed my two army commanders, Abner and Amasa. He murdered them violently [MTY] during a time of peace, pretending that it was a time of war. Those two men (were innocent/had not done what was wrong). But Joab [killed them and] their blood to stain his belt and his sandals.
Wena ngokwakho uyakwazi ukuthi uJowabi indodana kaZeruya wenzani kimi lekubulaweni kwabalawuli bamabutho ako-Israyeli, u-Abhineri indodana kaNeri lo-Amasa indodana kaJetha. Wababulala, wachitha igazi ngesikhathi sokuthula kwangathi kusempini, ngalokho igazi langcolisa uzwezwe okhalweni lwakhe lenyathelo ezinyaweni zakhe.
6 Because you are wise, do to him what you think is best [for you to do], but do not allow him to become old [MTY] and then die [IDM] peacefully. (Sheol h7585)
Yenza lokho obona kufanele kuye, kodwa ikhanda lakhe elimpunga ungavumeli lingcwatshwe ngokuthula. (Sheol h7585)
7 “But be kind to the sons of Barzillai, the man from [the] Gilead [region], and be sure that they always have enough food to eat [MTY]. Do that because Barzillai helped me when I was running away from your older brother Absalom.
Kodwa ube lomusa emadodaneni kaBhazilayi weGiliyadi babengabanye balabo abazakudla kanye lawe ethaleni lakho. Bona bema kanye lami nxa ngangibalekela umfowenu u-Abhisalomu.
8 Also, [you remember] Gera’s son Shimei from Bahurim [town] in the area where the descendants of Benjamin live. [You know what he did to me]. He cursed me terribly on the day I [left Jerusalem and] went to Mahanaim [town]. But when he later came down to see me at the Jordan [River], I solemnly promised, while Yahweh listened [MTY], that I would not cause him to be executed.
Njalo ukhumbule ukuthi, wena ulendodana kaGera uShimeyi ongowakoBhenjamini oweBhahurimi owangithuka kabuhlungu mhla ngisiya kuMahanayimi. Wathi lapho ezongihlangabeza eJodani, ngafunga ngoThixo ngathi: ‘Angiyikukubulala ngenkemba.’
9 But now you must [LIT] surely punish him. You are a wise man, so you will know what you should do to him. He is an old man [MTY], but be sure that he [loses/sheds] a lot of blood when you kill him [MTY].” (Sheol h7585)
Kodwa loba kunjalo ungabonakana ukuthi umsulwa. Uyindoda elengqondo ekhaliphileyo, kumele ukwazi ozakwenza kuye. Yethula ikhanda lakhe elimpunga liye emangcwabeni ligcwele igazi.” (Sheol h7585)
10 Then David died [EUP] and was buried in [that part of Jerusalem which was called] ‘The City of David’.
Kwaba yikwedlula kukaDavida esesiya kubokhokho bakhe abafayo wayangcwatshwa eMzini kaDavida.
11 David had been the king of Israel for 40 years: He ruled for seven years in Hebron and for 33 years in Jerusalem.
Wayesebuse okweminyaka engamatshumi amane ko-Israyeli, iminyaka eyisikhombisa eHebhroni kwathi engamatshumi amathathu lemithathu eJerusalema.
12 Solomon became the ruler/king [MTY] to take the place of his father David and took control of all of the kingdom.
Ngakho uSolomoni wahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikayise uDavida, umbuso wakhe wagxila waqina.
13 [One day] Adonijah came to Solomon’s mother Bathsheba. She said to him, “Have you come because you want things to go well?” He replied, “Yes.”
Kwathi u-Adonija, indodana kaHagithi, waya kuBhathishebha, unina kaSolomoni. UBhathishebha wambuza wathi, “Kambe uza ngokuthula na?” Yena waphendula wathi, “Ye, ngokuthula.”
14 But then he said, “I have something to ask you to do.” She said, “Tell me [what you want me to do].”
Waqhubekela phambili wathi, “Kukhona engifisa ukukutsho kuwe.” Wathi, “Ungatsho lokho oza ngakho.”
15 He said, “You know that all the Israeli people expected me to be their king [because I am David’s oldest surviving son]. But that did not happen. Instead, my [younger] brother became king, because that is what Yahweh wanted.
“Njengoba usazi ukuthi ubukhosi bebungobami. U-Israyeli ubekhangele ukuthi yimi inkosi yabo. Kodwa izinto seziguqukile, ubukhosi sebuthethwe ngumfowethu, ngoba yena ubuphiwe nguThixo.
16 Now I have one thing that I ask you to do. Please do not refuse to do it.” She replied, “Tell me [what you want me to do].”
Pho khathesi ngilesicelo engiza ngaso kuwe. Ungabokwala.” Waphendula wathi, “Khuluma isikhalazo sakho.”
17 He said, “Please ask King Solomon to give to me Abishag, the woman from Shunem [town], to be my wife. [I am sure that] he will not refuse.”
Yena waqhubekela phambili wathi, “Ngicelela inkosi uSolomoni anginike u-Abhishagi umShunami ukuze abe ngumkami, ngiyazi ngeke ale kuwe.”
18 Bathsheba replied, “Okay, I will speak to the king for you.”
UBhathishebha waphendula wathi, “Yebo kambe, ngizakukhulumela ngikubike enkosini.”
19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to tell him what Adonijah wanted. The king got up [from his throne] and went to greet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne again and asked someone to bring a chair for her. So she sat down at the king’s right side.
Kwathi uBhathishebha esiyakhulumela u-Adonija enkosini uSolomoni, inkosi yaphakama yamhlangabeza yamkhothamela yasihlala esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi. Yathi kabalethele unina isihlalo sesikhosini, unina wasehlala esandleni sayo sokudla.
20 Then she said, “I have one small thing which I want you to do; please do not say that you will not do it.” The king replied, “Mother, what do you want? I will not refuse you.”
Unina wathi, “Ungabokwala, ngilesicelo esincane engizasethula kuwe.” Inkosi yaphendula yathi, “Cela mama, angiyikukuncitsha, angikwaleli.”
21 She said, “Allow Abishag to be given to your [older] brother Adonijah to be his wife.”
Unina wasesithi, “Yekela u-Abhishagi umShunami abe ngumfazi womfowenu u-Adonija.”
22 The king replied [angrily], “What? Are you requesting me to give Abishag to Adonijah? [Does he want me] to allow him to rule the kingdom, too? Because he is my older brother, [does he think that he should be the king]? Does he think that Abiathar should be the priest [instead of Zadok], and that Joab [should be the army commander instead of Benaiah] because they supported him [when he tried to become the king]?”
INkosi uSolomoni ephendula unina wathi, “Kungani ucelela u-Adonija u-Abhishagi umShunami? Kuyafanana lokuthi umcelela ubukhosi, kanti njalo yena ngokwakhe umnewethu umdala kulami kanye laku-Abhiyathari umphristi loJowabi indodana kaZeruya!”
23 Then Solomon solemnly promised, requesting Yahweh to listen, “I wish God would strike me and kill me if I do not cause Adonijah to be executed for requesting this!
Ngakho inkosi uSolomoni yasifunga ngoThixo yathi: “Kungani uNkulunkulu angangijezisa mina, loba kabuhlungu kanganani, nxa u-Adonija engasahlawulanga ngokufela lesisicelo esinje!
24 Yahweh has appointed me to be the king and placed me here to rule [MTY] as my father David did. He has promised that my descendants [MTY] will be the kings of Israel. So just as surely as Yahweh lives, I solemnly promise that Adonijah will be executed today!”
Khathesi-ke, ngeqiniso likaThixo ophilayo, yena kanye ongibeke wangizinzisa esihlalweni sobukhosi bukababa uDavida wangidalela indlu yesikhosini njengokuthembisa kwakhe, u-Adonija uzabulawa lamhlanje!”
25 So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah to [go and] kill Adonijah, and Benaiah did that.
Ngakho iNkosi uSolomoni yakhipha ilizwi yathuma uBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, lakanye wamlahla phansi u-Adonija kwahle kwaba yikufa kwakhe.
26 Then Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “Go to Anathoth [town], to your land there. You deserve to be killed, but I will not execute you now, because you were the one who [supervised the men who] carried Yahweh’s Sacred Chest for David my father, and you endured all the troubles that my father endured.”
Ku-Abhiyathari umphristi iNkosi yathi, “Buyela emasimini akho e-Anathothi. Kufanele ufe kodwa angiyikukubulala khathesi, ngoba wathwala ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo Wobukhosi phambi kukababa uDavida waba kanye lobaba esebunzimeni.”
27 So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being the priest of Yahweh. By doing that he caused to happen what Yahweh had said [many years previously] at Shiloh, [that some day he would get rid] of the descendants [MTY] of Eli.
Ngakho uSolomoni wasusa u-Abhiyathari esihlalweni sobuphristi bukaThixo, kwagcwaliseka lelolizwi likaThixo alikhuluma eShilo ekhuluma ngendlu ka-Eli.
28 Joab had not supported Absalom [when he tried to become the king], but he had supported Adonijah. So when Joab heard what had happened, he ran to the Sacred Tent, and he grasped the projections on the corners of the altar, [because he knew that no one would kill him there].
UJowabi ekuzweni lelilizwi, njengoba yena wayekade ebambene lo-Adonija engazange enze lokho lo-Abhisalomu, wabalekela ethenteni likaThixo wafika wadumela impondo ze-alithare.
29 When someone told Solomon that Joab had run to the Sacred Tent and was standing alongside the altar, Solomon told Benaiah, “Go and execute Joab.”
Inkosi uSolomoni yatshelwa ukuthi uJowabi ubalekele ethenteni likaThixo lapha afike wazisondeza e-alithareni. Ngalokho uSolomoni wathi kuBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, “Hamba uyemtshaya umbhuqe.”
30 So Benaiah went to the Sacred Tent and said to Joab, “The king commands you to come out!” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah went back to the king and reported [what he had said to Joab, and] what Joab had replied.
Lakanye uBhenaya wangena ethenteni likaThixo wathi kuJowabi, “Inkosi ithi, ‘Phuma phandle!’” Kodwa yena waphendula wathi, “Angiphumi, ngizafela khonapha.” UBhenaya wayabika enkosini wathi, “Yiyonale indlela angiphendule ngayo uJowabi.”
31 The king replied to him, “Do what he has requested. Kill him and bury his body. If you do that, my descendants [MTY] and I will no longer be punished for what Joab did when he killed [MTY] two men who (were innocent/had not done anything that is wrong).
Ngalokho inkosi yathi kuBhenaya, “Yenza njengokutsho kwakhe. Umtshaye umbhuqe, uhle umngcwabe, ukuze ungigeze mina kanye lendlu kababa kulowomlandu wegazi elingelacala elachithwa nguJowabi.
32 But Yahweh will punish [MTY] Joab for attacking and killing Abner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa, the commander of the army of Judah, two men who were more righteous and better [DOU] men than he is. My father David did not even know that Joab [was planning to murder them].
UThixo uzamjezisa ngegazi alichithayo, ngoba wahlasela wabulala amadoda amabili ngenkemba ubaba inkosi uDavida engakwazi. Bobabili u-Abhineri indodana kaNeri, umlawuli wamabutho ako-Israyeli, kanye lo-Amasa indodana kaJetha, umlawuli wamabutho akoJuda, babengamadoda angcono beqotho kulaye.
33 Joab and his descendants will be punished [IDM] forever for his murdering Abner and Amasa. But things will forever go well for David’s descendants [MTY] who rule [MTY] as King David did.”
Kungani umlandu waleligazi labo ungahlala phezu kukaJowabi labenzalo yakhe kuze kube nini lanini. Kodwa inkosi uDavida lenzalo yakhe, lendlu yakhe lesihlalo sobukhosi sakhe, angathi ingehlelwa yikuthula okungapheliyo kukaThixo.”
34 So Benaiah went [into the Sacred Tent] and killed Joab. Joab was buried on his property in the desert [part of Judah].
UBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada wakhwela wafika wamtshaya uJowabi wambulala wayangcwatshwa esiqintini sakhe enkangala.
35 Then the king appointed Benaiah to be the commander of the army instead of Joab, and he appointed Zadok to be the priest instead of Abiathar.
Inkosi yabeka uBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada ukuba abe ngumlawuli webutho esikhundleni sikaJowabi kwathi esikhundleni sika-Abhiyathari yabeka uZadokhi umphristi.
36 Then the king sent [a messenger] to summon Shimei, and the king said to him, “Build a house for yourself here in Jerusalem. Remain there and do not leave the city to go anywhere.
Ngakho inkosi yathi kayibizelwe uShimeyi yasisithi kuye. “Zakhele indlu eJerusalema uhlale khonale, kodwa ungayi ndawo.
37 Be sure that the day that you leave Jerusalem and go across the Kidron Brook, you will be executed, and it will be (your own fault/what you deserve).”
Mhla uzake usuke uchaphe uye eziHotsheni zeKhidironi, uhle wazi ngeqiniso ukuthi uzakufa, igazi lakho lizabizwa phezu kwakho.”
38 Shimei replied, “Your Majesty, what you say is good. I will do what you have said.” So Shimei remained in Jerusalem for several years.
UShimeyi wayiphendula inkosi wathi, “Lokho okutshoyo kuqondile. Inceku yakho izakwenza njengoba inkosi yayo itshilo.” Ngakho uShimeyi wahlala eJerusalema isikhathi eside.
39 But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away. They went to stay with Maacah’s son Achish, the king of Gath [city]. When someone told Shimei that they were in Gath,
Kodwa kwathi sekwedlule iminyaka emithathu, izigqili zikaShimeyi ezimbili zabalekela ku-Akhishi indodana kaMahakha, inkosi yeGathi, njalo uShimeyi watshelwa ukuthi, “Izigqili zakho ziseGathi.”
40 he put a saddle on his donkey and [got on it and] went to Gath. He found his slaves staying with King Achish and brought them back home.
Ekuzwa lokhu, wethesa ubabhemi wakhe waya ku-Akhishi eGathi esiyadinga izigqili zakhe. Ngakho uShimeyi wabuya lazo izigqili zakhe evela eGathi.
41 But someone told King Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned.
USolomoni esetsheliwe ukuthi uShimeyi wayesuke eJerusalema waya eGathi waze waphenduka,
42 So the king sent [a soldier] to summon Shimei and said to him, “I told you to solemnly promise, knowing that Yahweh [MTY] was listening, that you must not leave Jerusalem. I told you [RHQ], ‘Be sure that if you ever leave Jerusalem, you will be executed.’ And you replied [RHQ] to me, ‘What you have said is good; I will do what you have said.’
inkosi yambiza uShimeyi yathi kuye, “Angizange ngikufungise ngoThixo njalo ngakuqonqonsela ukuthi, ‘Mhla uzake usuke uye kwenye indawo uhle wazi ukuthi ngempela uzakufa na?’ Ngalesosikhathi wathi kimi, ‘Okutshoyo kuqotho. Ngizalalela.’
43 So why did you not do what you solemnly promised to Yahweh? Why did you disobey what I commanded you?”
Pho kungani ungagcinanga isifungo sakho kuThixo ulalele isiqondiso engakunika sona?”
44 The king also said to Shimei, “You know all the evil things that you did to my father David. So Yahweh will now punish you for the evil things that you did.
Inkosi njalo yathi kuShimeyi, “Uyakwazi enhliziyweni yakho konke ukona owakwenza kubaba uDavida. Khathesi uThixo uzakujezisa ngokona kwakho.
45 But Yahweh will bless me, and he will enable David’s descendants [MTY] to rule forever.”
Kodwa iNkosi uSolomoni izabusiswa, isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavida sizahlala siqinile ngokuzinza phambi kukaThixo kuze kube nini lanini.”
46 Then the king gave an order to Benaiah, and he went and killed Shimei. So Solomon was completely in control of the kingdom.
Ngakho yakhupha isiqondiso kuBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, yena waphuma wafika wamnqonda uShimeyi wamlahla phansi wahle wambulala. Ngalokho ubukhosi basebusezandleni zikaSolomoni ngokugcweleyo.
