2 uSamuweli 19:9-43

Bonke abantu babephikisana ezizweni zonke zakwa-Israyeli, bethi: “Inkosi yasophula esandleni sezitha zethu, yasikhulula esandleni samaFilisti; manje isibalekile ezweni, imbalekele u-Abisalomu. U-Abisalomu esamgcoba ukuba abe phezu kwethu usefile empini. Manje nithuleleni, ningayibuyisi inkosi na?” Inkosi uDavide yathumela kuSadoki naku-Abiyathara abapristi, yathi: “Khulumani kumalunga akwaJuda, nithi: ‘Kungani ukuba nibe ngabokugcina ukubuyisela inkosi endlini yayo, lokhu kufinyelele enkosini nasendlini yayo konke ukukhuluma kuka-Israyeli, na? Ningabafowethu, niyithambo lami nenyama yami; ngalokho kungani ukuba nibe ngabokugcina ukuyibuyisa inkosi na?’ Yishoni ku-Amasa ukuthi: ‘Angithi uyithambo lami nenyama yami na? Makenze njalo kimi uNkulunkulu, enezele futhi, uma ungayikuba yinduna yempi ngaphambi kwami njalo esikhundleni sikaJowabe.’ ” Wathobisa izinhliziyo zabantu bonke bakwaJuda njengomuntu munye, baze bathuma enkosini, bathi: “Buya wena nazo zonke izinceku zakho.” Yayisibuya inkosi, yafika eJordani; uJuda wafika eGiligali ukuba ayihlangabeze inkosi, ayiwelise inkosi iJordani. UShimeyi indodana kaGera umBenjamini waseBahurimi washesha wehla nabantu bakwaJuda ukuyihlangabeza inkosi. Kweza naye abantu abayinkulungwane bakwaBenjamini, noSiba inceku yendlu kaSawule, namadodana akhe ayishumi nanhlanu, nezinceku zakhe ezingamashumi amabili zinaye; bawela iJordani phambi kwenkosi. Kwawela isikebhe sokuwelisa abendlu yenkosi nokwenza okwakukuhle emehlweni ayo. UShimeyi indodana kaGera wawela phansi phambi kwenkosi isiyakuliwela iJordani. Wathi enkosini: “Inkosi yami mayingangibaleli icala, futhi ungakhumbuli okubi okwenziwa yinceku yakho mhla inkosi yami, inkosi, iphuma eJerusalema, ukuba inkosi ikubeke enhliziyweni yayo. Ngokuba inceku yakho iyazi ukuthi yonile; bheka, ngifikile namuhla ngingowokuqala wendlu yonke kaJosefa, ngehle ukuhlangabeza inkosi yami, inkosi.” Kepha u-Abishayi indodana kaSeruya waphendula wathi: “UShimeyi akayikubulawa yini ngalokho, njengokuba wathuka ogcotshiweyo kaJehova, na?” UDavide wathi: “Nginamsebenzi muni nani madodana kaSeruya ukuba nimelane nami namuhla na? Kuzakubulawa umuntu namuhla kwa-Israyeli na? Angazi yini mina ukuthi namuhla ngiyinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli na?” Inkosi yayisithi kuShimeyi: “Awuyikufa.” Inkosi yafunga kuye. Naye uMefibosheti indodana kaSawule wehla ukuhlangabeza inkosi; wayengalungisanga izinyawo zakhe, engalungisanga nesilevu sakhe, engahlanzanga futhi izingubo zakhe, kwasukela osukwini inkosi eyamuka ngalo kwaze kwaba lusuku owabuya ngalo ngokuthula. Kwathi esefike eJerusalema ukuyihlangabeza inkosi, inkosi yathi kuye: “Awuhambanga ngani nami, Mefibosheti, na?” Wathi: “Nkosi yami, nkosi, inceku yami yangikhohlisa, ngokuba inceku yakho yathi: ‘Ngiyakuzibophelela imbongolo ukuba ngiyikhwele, ngihambe nenkosi, ngokuba inceku yakho ilunyonga.’ Ihlebile inceku yakho enkosini yami, inkosi, kepha inkosi yami, inkosi, injengengelosi kaNkulunkulu; ngalokho yenza okuhle emehlweni akho. Ngokuba yonke indlu kababa yayinjengabantu abafileyo phambi kwenkosi yami, inkosi; kepha wayibeka inceku yakho phakathi kwabadla etafuleni lakho. Ngisenalungelo lini ukuba ngibuye ngikhale enkosini na?” Inkosi yathi kuye: “Usakhulumelani ngezindaba zakho na? Ngithi: Wena noSiba, yahlukaniselani izwe.” Wayesethi uMefibosheti enkosini: “Makathathe konke, njengokuba inkosi yami, inkosi, isibuyele endlini yayo ngokuthula.” UBarizilayi wakwaGileyadi wehla eRogelimi; wawela iJordani kanye nenkosi ukuyiwelisa iJordani. UBarizilayi wayengumuntu omdala kakhulu, eneminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili; wayekade eyipha inkosi ukudla isahlezi eMahanayimi, ngokuba wayengumuntu omkhulu kakhulu. Inkosi yathi kuBarizilayi: “Wela nami wena, ngikondle kanye nami eJerusalema.” Wayesethi uBarizilayi enkosini: “Zingaki izinsuku zeminyaka yokuhamba kwami ukuba ngenyukele eJerusalema nenkosi na? Namuhla ngineminyaka engamashumi ayisihiyagalombili; ngingahlukanisa okuhle nokubi yini? Inceku yakho ingezwa ekudlayo nekuphuzayo na? Ngingabe ngisalizwa izwi lamadoda ahlabelelayo nabesifazane abahlabelelayo na? Inceku yakho isezakuba ngumthwalo wenkosi yami, inkosi, ngani na? Inceku yakho iyakusimze iwele nje iJordani nenkosi; pho, inkosi iyakungivuzelani ngomvuzo ongaka na? Mayibuyele emuva inceku yakho ukuba ngifele emzini wami ngasethuneni likababa nelikamame. Kepha bheka, inceku yakho uKimihamu mayiwele nenkosi yami, inkosi, wenze kuyo okuhle emehlweni akho.” Inkosi yathi: “UKimihamu angawela nami, mina ngenze kuye okuhle emehlweni akho; konke okufunayo kimi ngiyakukwenzela khona.” Bonke abantu bawela iJordani, nenkosi yawela; inkosi yamanga uBarizilayi, yambusisa; wabuyela endaweni yakhe. Yayisiwela inkosi, yaya eGiligali, noKimihamu wawela nayo; bonke abantu bakwaJuda bayiwelisa inkosi kanye nenxenye yabantu bakwa-Israyeli. Bheka, base befika bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli enkosini, bathi enkosini: “Abafowethu amadoda akwaJuda bakwebeleni, bawelisa inkosi nabendlu yayo iJordani kanye nabo bonke abantu bakwaDavide benaye, na?” Bonke abantu bakwaJuda baphendula abantu bakwa-Israyeli, bathi: “Ngokuba inkosi iyisihlobo sethu impela; kungani ukuba nithukuthele ngale nto na? Sike sadla ntoni engeyenkosi na? Isixoshisile ngamaxosho na?” Abantu bakwa-Israyeli baphendula abantu bakwaJuda, bathi: “Sinezinxenye eziyishumi kunani enkosini, yebo, nakuDavide; nisideleleni na? Izwi lethu lokubuyisa inkosi lalingesilo elokuqala na?” Kepha amazwi abantu bakwaJuda ayelukhuni kunamazwi abantu bakwa-Israyeli.