Eyesibili KaSamuweli

14 Manje uJowabe indodana kaZeruya + wezwa ukuthi inkosi yayisimkhumbule kakhulu* u-Absalomu. + 2 Ngakho uJowabe wathumela eThekhowa + ukuba kulandwe owesifazane okhaliphile wathi kuye: “Ngicela uzenze umuntu ososizini lokufelwa, ugqoke izingubo zokulila, ungazigcobi ngamafutha. + Zenze owesifazane oselile isikhathi eside elilela umuntu ofile. 3 Ngemva kwalokho hamba uye enkosini ufike ukhulume nayo kanje.” Ngakho uJowabe wamtshela lokho okufanele akusho.*

4 Owesifazane waseThekhowa wangena enkosini waguqa wakhothama, wathi: “O nkosi, ngisize!” 5 Inkosi yathi kuye: “Kwenzenjani?” Wayiphendula wathi: “Empeleni ngingumfelokazi; umyeni wami washona. 6 Mina ncekukazi yakho benginamadodana amabili, womabili alwa lapho esendle. Kwakungekho muntu ozowalamula, enye yahlasela enye yayibulala. 7 Manje wonke umndeni umelene nami, incekukazi yakho, uthi, ‘Letha lo muntu obulale umfowabo, ukuze simbulale ngenxa yokuphila komfowabo ambulele, + ngisho noma ngabe lokho kusho ukubhuqa indlalifa!’ Bazocisha ilahle lokugcina elilokozayo engisele nalo,* balesule igama lomyeni wami kanye nenzalo yakhe kulo mhlaba.”

8 Inkosi yathi kowesifazane: “Buyela ekhaya, mina ngizokhipha umyalo ngokuqondene nawe.” 9 Owesifazane waseThekhowa wayiphendula inkosi wathi: “Nkosi yami, icala malibe kimi nasendlini kababa, kuyilapho inkosi imsulwa kanjalo nesihlalo sayo sobukhosi.” 10 Inkosi yathi: “Uma kukhona osho okuthile kuwe, umlethe kimi, ngeke aphinde akukhathaze.” 11 Kodwa owesifazane wathi: “Ngicela inkosi ikhumbule uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, ukuze umuntu ophindiselela umufi *+ angabangeli umonakalo, abulale indodana yami.” Yamphendula yathi: “Ngimfunge uJehova, + akukho nolulodwa unwele lwendodana yakho oluzowela emhlabathini.” 12 Lona wesifazane wayesethi: “Ngicela uvumele incekukazi yakho ikhulume izwi enkosini yami.” Ngakho yathi: “Khuluma!”

13 Owesifazane wathi: “Pho kungani ucabange ukwenza into enjengale kubantu bakaNkulunkulu? + Lapho inkosi ikhuluma ngale ndlela, izilahla ngecala, ngoba inkosi ayiyibuyisi indodana yayo edingisiwe. + 14 Nakanjani sizofa sibe njengamanzi achithwa emhlabathini, angenakuphinde atholakale. Kodwa uNkulunkulu ngeke akususe ukuphila, kepha ucabanga izizathu zokuthi kungani odingisiwe kungafanele ahlale edingisiwe. 15 Ngize enkosini yami ngazosho lokhu ngenxa yokuthi abantu bangesabisile. Ngakho incekukazi yakho ithe, ‘Ngicela ukukhuluma nenkosi. Mhlawumbe inkosi izothatha isinyathelo ngenxa yesicelo sesigqila sayo. 16 Inkosi ingase ilalele bese ikhulula isigqila sayo esandleni somuntu ofuna ukungibhuqa kanye nendodana yami okuwukuphela kwayo, efeni esilinikwe uNkulunkulu.’ + 17 Ngakho incekukazi yakho ithe, ‘Kwangathi izwi lenkosi yami linganginika impumuzo,’ ngoba inkosi yami injengengelosi kaNkulunkulu weqiniso ngokukwazi ukuhlukanisa phakathi kokuhle nokubi. Kwangathi uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho angaba nawe.”

18 Inkosi yathi kowesifazane: “Ngicela ungangifihleli lutho engikubuza lona.” Owesifazane wathi: “Ngicela inkosi yami ikhulume.” 19 Inkosi yabe isibuza yathi: “Ingabe nguJowabe okwenzise yonke le nto?” + Owesifazane waphendula wathi: “Ngiyafunga kuwe nkosi yami, kunjengoba nje inkosi yami isho,* ngoba yinceku yakho uJowabe engiyalile, yafunza incekukazi yakho wonke la mazwi. 20 UJowabe inceku yakho wenze le nto ukuze enze izinto zibonakale ngenye indlela, kodwa inkosi yami ihlakaniphe njengengelosi kaNkulunkulu weqiniso futhi ikwazi konke okwenzeka ezweni.”

21 Ngemva kwalokho inkosi yathi kuJowabe: “Kulungile, ngizokwenza lokho. + Hamba uyoyilanda insizwa u-Absalomu.” + 22 UJowabe waguqa wakhothama, wayibusisa inkosi. UJowabe wathi: “Namuhla inceku yakho iyazi ukuthi ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, ngoba inkosi yenze ngokwesicelo senceku yayo.” 23 Ngemva kwalokho uJowabe wasuka waya eGeshuri + wayolanda u-Absalomu wamletha eJerusalema. 24 Nokho, inkosi yathi: “Makabuyele endlini yakhe, kodwa ngeke abubone ubuso bami.” Ngakho u-Absalomu wabuyela endlini yakhe, akabubonanga ubuso benkosi.

25 Manje kuwo wonke u-Israyeli akekho umuntu owayebatshazwa ngobuhle njengo-Absalomu. Kusukela ematheni onyawo lwakhe kuze kube sokhakhayini kwakungekho sici kuye. 26 Lapho egunda ikhanda lakhe—kwakudingeka aligunde njalo ekupheleni konyaka ngoba lalimsinda kakhulu—izinwele zekhanda lakhe zaziba yisisindo esingamashekeli angu-200* ngesisindo setshe lasebukhosini.* 27 U-Absalomu wazalelwa amadodana amathathu + nendodakazi eyodwa egama layo kwakunguThamari. Wayengowesifazane omuhle kakhulu.

28 U-Absalomu waqhubeka ehlala eJerusalema iminyaka emibili egcwele, kodwa akabubonanga ubuso benkosi. + 29 Ngakho u-Absalomu wathumela ukuba kubizwe uJowabe ukuze amthume enkosini, kodwa uJowabe akavumanga ukuza kuye. Waphinde wathumela okwesibili ukuba abizwe, kodwa waphinde wenqaba ukuza. 30 Ekugcineni wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Kunensimu kaJowabe eseceleni kweyami, unebhali lapho. Hambani niyoyishisa ngomlilo.” Ngakho izinceku zika-Absalomu zayishisa ngomlilo leyo nsimu. 31 Ngenxa yalokho uJowabe wasuka waya endlini ka-Absalomu wafike wathi kuye: “Izinceku zakho ziyishiseleni ngomlilo insimu yami?” 32 U-Absalomu wathi kuJowabe: “Ngithumele umyalezo kuwe, ngathi, ‘Woza ngikuthume enkosini ukuba uyothi: “Ngibuyeleni eGeshuri? + Ngabe kungcono ukube ngizihlalele khona. Manje ngicela ukubona ubuso benkosi, futhi uma nginecala kufanele ingibulale.” ’ ”

33 Ngakho uJowabe wahamba waya enkosini wafike wayitshela. Ngemva kwalokho yambiza u-Absalomu, oweza enkosini wafike waguqa wakhothama phambi kwenkosi. Ngemva kwalokho inkosi yamqabula u-Absalomu. +