Eyesibili KaSamuweli

18 UDavide wabala amadoda ayekanye naye, wabeka phezu kwawo izinduna zezinkulungwane nezinduna zamakhulu. + 2 UDavide wathumela amadoda ayekanye naye ngamaviyo amathathu: elinye liholwa nguJowabe, *+ elinye liholwa umfowabo kaJowabe u-Abhishayi + indodana kaZeruya, + elinye liholwa ngu-Ithayi + umGiti. Ngemva kwalokho inkosi yathi kula madoda: “Nami ngizohamba nani.” 3 Kodwa athi: “Wena akumele uhambe, + ngoba uma sibaleka ngeke babe nandaba nathi;* uma ingxenye yethu ifa ngeke babe nandaba nathi, ngoba wena ulingana nabangu-10 000 kithi. + Ngakho kuzoba ngcono uma usinikeza usizo usedolobheni.” 4 Inkosi yathi kuwo: “Noma yini eniyibona ilungile ngizoyenza.” Ngakho inkosi yama eceleni kwesango ledolobha, wonke amadoda aphuma ngamakhulu nangezinkulungwane. 5 Inkosi yayala uJowabe no-Abhishayi no-Ithayi, yathi: “Niyiphathe kahle insizwa u-Absalomu ngenxa yami.” + Wonke amadoda ezwa lapho inkosi iyala zonke izinduna ngokuphathelene no-Absalomu.

6 Amadoda aphuma aya enkundleni eyolwa no-Israyeli, impi yabambana ehlathini lakwa-Efrayimi. + 7 Izinceku zikaDavide + zabanqoba abantu bakwa-Israyeli, + kwabulawa abantu abaningi ngalolo suku—amadoda angu-20 000. 8 Impi yasakazeka kuyo yonke indawo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ihlathi lashwabadela abantu abaningi kunalabo abadliwa yinkemba ngalolo suku.

9 Ekugcineni u-Absalomu wazithola esebhekene nezinceku zikaDavide. U-Absalomu wayegibele umnyuzi. Lo mnyuzi wadlula ngaphansi kwamagatsha athothene esihlahla esikhulu, ikhanda lakhe labambeka kuleso sihlahla esikhulu walenga emoyeni,* kuyilapho umnyuzi ayewugibele udlula. 10 Umuntu othile wakubona lokho watshela uJowabe + wathi: “Ngibone u-Absalomu elenga esihlahleni esikhulu.” 11 UJowabe wathi kulowo muntu owayembikela: “Uma ukubonile, pho kungani ungambulalanga khona lapho wamlahla phansi? Ukube bewenze njalo bengiyokunika izinhlamvu eziyishumi zesiliva nebhande ngaphandle kokuthandabuza.” 12 Kodwa lowo muntu wathi kuJowabe: “Ngisho noma benginganikwa* izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-1 000, bengingeke ngiyibulale indodana yenkosi, ngoba siyizwile inkosi iniyala, wena no-Abhishayi no-Ithayi, ithi, ‘Niqikelele ukuthi akukho muntu olimaza insizwa u-Absalomu.’ + 13 Ukube bengingalalelanga ngayibulala, lokho bekungeke kuhlale kufihlekile enkosini, nawe ubungeke ungivikele.” 14 UJowabe waphendula wathi: “Ngeke ngilokhu ngizichithela isikhathi ngawe!” Ngakho wathatha imikhonto* emithathu ngesandla sakhe wagwaza ngayo u-Absalomu esifubeni* esaphila ephakathi kwamagatsha esihlahla esikhulu. 15 Ngemva kwalokho kwafika izikhonzi eziyishumi ezaziphethe izikhali zikaJowabe zamshaya u-Absalomu waze wafa. + 16 UJowabe wabe eseshaya uphondo, abantu babuya ekujaheni u-Israyeli, ngoba uJowabe wathi abame. 17 Bamthatha u-Absalomu bamphonsa emgodini omkhulu ehlathini base bebeka inqwaba yamatshe phezu kwakhe. + Wonke ama-Israyeli abaleka aya emakhaya.

18 Manje lapho u-Absalomu esaphila, wayethathe insika wazimisela yona eSigodini* SeNkosi, + ngoba wathi: “Anginandodana ezokwenza ukuba igama lami likhunjulwe.” + Ngakho waqamba leyo nsika ngegama lakhe; ibizwa ngokuthi iSikhumbuzo Sika-Absalomu kuze kube namuhla.

19 U-Ahimahazi + indodana kaZadoki, wathi: “Ngicela ukugijima ngiyobikela inkosi, ngoba uJehova uyenzele ubulungisa ngokuyikhulula ezitheni zayo.” + 20 Kodwa uJowabe wathi kuye: “Ngeke uye ukuyobika lezi zindaba namuhla. Ungawuhambisa umbiko ngolunye usuku, kodwa hhayi namuhla, ngoba kufe indodana yenkosi.” + 21 Ngemva kwalokho uJowabe wathi kumKushe: + “Hamba uyobikela inkosi lokho okubonile.” UmKushe wakhothama phambi kukaJowabe wabe esegijima. 22 U-Ahimahazi indodana kaZadoki waphinda futhi wathi kuJowabe: “Noma kungenzekani, ngicela nami ungivumele ukuba ngigijime ngilandele umKushe.” Nokho uJowabe wathi: “Kungani kumele ugijime ndodana yami, kube kungekho zindaba ongazibika?” 23 Noma kunjalo wathi: “Noma kungenzekani, ngivumele ngigijime.” Ngakho uJowabe wathi kuye: “Gijima!” U-Ahimahazi wagijima ngendlela yasesifundeni saseJordani,* ekugcineni wamdlula umKushe.

24 Manje uDavide wayehlezi phakathi kwamasango amabili edolobha, + umlindi + wakhuphukela ophahleni lwesango ngasodongeni. Waphakamisa amehlo, wabona umuntu ogijima yedwa. 25 Ngakho umlindi wamemeza watshela inkosi, inkosi yona yathi: “Uma ehamba yedwa, ulethe umbiko.” Njengoba ayelokhu esondela, 26 umlindi wabona omunye umuntu egijima. Ngakho umlindi wamemeza umlindisango wathi: “Bheka! Nangu omunye umuntu ogijima yedwa!” Inkosi yathi: “Nalona futhi ulethe umbiko.” 27 Umlindi wathi: “Uma ngibheka lo wokuqala, ugijima njengo-Ahimahazi + indodana kaZadoki,” ngakho inkosi yathi: “Yindoda elungile leyo, iphethe izindaba ezinhle.” 28 U-Ahimahazi wamemeza wathi enkosini: “Ngiphethe izindaba ezinhle!” Ngemva kokusho lokho wakhothama phambi kwenkosi ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi. Waqhubeka wathi: “Makadunyiswe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, obanikele esandleni senkosi yami abantu abayivukelayo!” *+

29 Nokho, inkosi yathi: “Ingabe kuhamba kahle ngensizwa u-Absalomu?” U-Ahimahazi wathi: “Ngibone isiyaluyalu esikhulu ngesikhathi uJowabe ethuma inceku yenkosi kanye nami,* kodwa angizange ngiqonde ukuthi bekwenzekani.” + 30 Ngakho inkosi yathi: “Gudluka, yima lapha.” Wagudluka wama eceleni.

31 Ngemva kwalokho kwafika umKushe, + wathi: “Inkosi yami mayamukele nawu umbiko: Namuhla uJehova wenze ubulungisa ngokukukhulula esandleni sabo bonke abebekuvukela.” + 32 Kodwa inkosi yathi kumKushe: “Ingabe kuhamba kahle ngensizwa u-Absalomu?” UmKushe waphendula wathi: “Kwangathi zonke izitha zenkosi yami nabo bonke labo abakuvukele ukuze bakulimaze bangaba njengayo insizwa!” +

33 Lokhu kwayiphatha kabi inkosi, yakhuphukela ekamelweni elisophahleni ngaphezu kwesango yakhala, yilokhu eyayikusho njengoba ihamba: “Ndodana yami Absalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami Absalomu! Ukube bekufe mina esikhundleni sakho, Absalomu ndodana yami, ndodana yami!” +