UJowabe indodana kaSeruya wayeseqonda ukuthi inhliziyo yenkosi iku-Abisalomu. UJowabe wayesethumela eThekhowa, walanda khona owesifazane ohlakaniphileyo, wathi kuye: “Ake uzishaye olilayo, ugqoke izingubo zokulila, ungazigcobi ngamafutha, kepha ube njengowesifazane oselilele ofileyo izinsuku eziningi, ungene enkosini, ukhulume kuyo ngalendlela.” UJowabe wayesemfunza amazwi emlonyeni wakhe.
Lapho owesifazane waseThekhowa ekhuluma enkosini, wawa ngobuso emhlabathini, wakhuleka, wathi: “Siza, nkosi.”
Inkosi yathi kuye: “Unani na?”
Wathi: “Maye, ngingumfelokazi! Indoda yami seyafa. Incekukazi yakho yayinamadodana amabili; alwa odwa endle, akwabakho muntu wokulamula, kepha enye yashaya enye, yayibulala. Bheka, umndeni wonke usuvukele incekukazi yakho; bathi: ‘Sinike yena owashaya umfowabo ukuba simbulale ngenxa yomphefumulo womfowabo, sichithe indlalifa.’ Bayakucima kanjalo ilahle lami eliseleyo, bangabe besashiyela indoda yami igama nensali ebusweni bomhlaba.”
Inkosi yayisithi kowesifazane: “Yiya endlini yakho; mina ngiyakuyaleza ngawe.”
Owesifazane waseThekhowa wathi enkosini: “Nkosi yami, nkosi, icala malibe phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa, inkosi nesihlalo sayo sobukhosi kube msulwa.”
Yathi inkosi: “Oshoyo utho kuwe, mlethe kimi; akayikuphinda akuthinte.”
Wayesethi yena: “Inkosi ake ikhumbule uJehova uNkulunkulu wayo ukuba umphindiseli wegazi angaqhubeki ukuchitha nokuba bangayibulali indodana yami.”
Yathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, akuyikuwela phansi nolulodwa unwele lwendodana yakho.”
Wayesethi owesifazane: “Incekukazi yakho mayikhulume izwi enkosini yami, inkosi.”
Yathi: “Khuluma.”
Wathi-ke owesifazane: “Uqambeleni okunjalo ngabantu bakaNkulunkulu na? Ngokukhuluma leli zwi inkosi injengonecala, lokhu inkosi ingabuyisi oxoshiweyo wayo. Ngokuba simelwe ukufa, sinjengamanzi achithwa emhlabathini, angenakuqoqwa futhi; uNkulunkulu akasusi ukuphila, kepha uqamba amasu ukuba oxoshiweyo angabi ngumxoshwa kuye.
“Ngalokho-ke lokhu ngize ukukhuluma leli zwi enkosini yami, inkosi, kungokuba abantu bengesabisile; incekukazi yakho yayisithi: ‘Mangikhulume enkosini; mhlawumbe inkosi iyakwenza izwi lencekukazi yayo. Ngokuba inkosi iyakuzwa, yophule incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu oyakungichitha mina nendodana yami efeni likaNkulunkulu.’
“Yayisithi incekukazi yakho: ‘Izwi lenkosi yami, inkosi, malibe ngelokuthula, ngokuba inkosi yami, inkosi, injengengelosi kaNkulunkulu ekuzweni okuhle nokubi; uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho makabe nawe.’ ”
Yayisiphendula inkosi, yathi kowesifazane: “Ake ungafihli lutho kimi engiyakulubuza mina kuwe.”
Wathi owesifazane: “Mayikhulume inkosi yami, inkosi.”
Yathi-ke inkosi: “Isandla sikaJowabe sinawe yini kukho konke lokhu na?”
Owesifazane waphendula wathi: “Kuphila kwakho, nkosi yami, nkosi, akukho muntu ongaphendukela ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo kukho konke okukhulunywe yinkosi yami, inkosi, ngokuba inceku yakho uJowabe yangiyaleza, yafunza onke lawo mazwi emlonyeni wencekukazi yakho; uJowabe inceku yakho wenzile lokho ukuba aphendukezele ubuso bendaba; inkosi yami ihlakaniphile njengokuhlakanipha kwengelosi kaNkulunkulu ukwazi konke okusemhlabeni.”
Inkosi yayisithi kuJowabe: “Bheka-ke, yenza lokhu: hamba ubuyise umfana u-Abisalomu.”
UJowabe wawa phansi ngobuso, wakhuleka, wayibusisa inkosi; uJowabe wathi: “Namuhla inceku yakho iyazi ukuthi ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, nkosi, lokhu inkosi ilenzile izwi lenceku yayo.”
Wayesesuka uJowabe wahamba, waya eGeshuri, wamletha u-Abisalomu eJerusalema. Inkosi yathi: “Makaye endlini yakhe, angaboni nokho ubuso bami.” Wayeseya u-Abisalomu endlini yakhe, akabubona ubuso benkosi.
Kwa-Israyeli wonke kwakungekho muntu omuhle njengo-Abisalomu owababazeka kakhulu, kungekho sici kuye kusukela ematheni onyawo kuze kube sokhakhayini. Nxa ephucula ikhanda lakhe ngokuba wayelokhu eliphucula njalo ngasekupheleni komnyaka, lokhu izinwele zakhe zamsinda; ngalokho waziphucula wazilinganisa izinwele zekhanda lakhe, zalingana namashekeli* angamakhulu amabili ngesisindo senkosi.
U-Abisalomu wazalelwa amadodana amathathu nendodakazi inye egama layo linguTamari; yayingowesifazane obukeka emuhle.
U-Abisalomu wahlala eJerusalema iminyaka emibili epheleleyo, engabuboni ubuso benkosi. U-Abisalomu wayesethumela kuJowabe ukuba amthume enkosini, kepha akavumanga ukuza kuye; waphinda wathumela ngokwesibili, kepha akavumanga ukuza. Wayesethi ezincekwini zakhe: “Bhekani, insimu kaJowabe iseduze neyami, unebhali* khona; hambani niyithungele ngomlilo.” Izinceku zika-Abisalomu zayithungela-ke insimu ngomlilo.
Wayesesuka uJowabe, waya ku-Abisalomu endlini yakhe, wathi kuye: “Izinceku zakho ziyithungeleleni insimu yami ngomlilo na?”
U-Abisalomu wathi kuJowabe: “Bheka, ngithumele kuwe, ngithi: ‘Woza lapha ukuba ngikuthume enkosini ukuyothi: “Ngisukeleni eGeshuri na? Ngabe kungcono kimi ukuba bengisekhona lapho.” ’ Ngalokho mangibone ubuso benkosi; uma kukhona icala kimi, mayingibulale.”
Wayeseya uJowabe enkosini, wayitshela; isimbizile u-Abisalomu, weza enkosini, wakhothamela kuyo, ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi, phambi kwenkosi; inkosi yamanga u-Abisalomu.
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