1 AMakhosi 2:1-46

Lapho sezisondela izinsuku zokufa kukaDavide, wayiyala indodana yakhe, uSolomoni, wathi: “Mina sengizohamba indlela ehanjwa yibo bonke abaphilayo, ngakho-ke wena qina, ube yindoda. Gcina isiyalezo akuyala ngaso uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, uhambe ezindleleni zakhe. Gcina izimiso zakhe, imithetho yakhe, imiyalo yakhe nobufakazi bakhe, njengalokhu kubhalwe emthethweni kaMose, ukuze uphumelele kukho konke oyokwenza nakulokho oyophendukela kukho. Ngalokho uSimakade uyakuqinisa izwi lakhe alikhuluma maqondana nami, lapho ethi: ‘Uma abozalo lwakho beyoqaphela indlela yabo, bahambe ngobuqotho phambi kwami ngenhliziyo yabo yonke nangawo wonke umphefumulo wabo, akuyukusweleka muntu kubo oyohlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sika-Israyeli.’ “Phezu kwalokho, uyazi ukuthi uJowabe, indodana kaZeruya, wenzani kimi, nokuthi wabaphatha kanjani abakhuzi ababili bempi ka-Israyeli; u-Abhineri, indodana kaNeri, no-Amasa, indodana kaJetheri, ababulalayo, wachitha igazi ngokulwa ngesikhathi sokuthula. Wabheca igazi lokulwa ebhandeni lakhe elalisokhalo, nasezicathulweni zakhe ezazisezinyaweni zakhe. Uyokwenza njengokuhlakanipha kwakho, ungavumi ukuba aze abe mpunga, aye endaweni yabafileyo ngokuthula. “Kepha ube nomusa kumadodana kaBharizilayi wakwaGileyadi, abe phakathi kwabadla ngasefatuleni lakho, ngokuba enza kanjalo kimi, mhlazana ngibalekela u-Absalomu, umfowenu. “Bheka, ungakuwe uShimeyi, indodana kaGera wakwaBhenjamini waseBhahurimi, owangithuka ngendlela ebuhlungu mhla ngiya eMahanayimi. Kepha wehla wangihlangabeza ngaseJordani, ngase ngifunga kuye phamabi kukaSimakade, ngathi: ‘Angiyukukubulala ngenkemba.’ “Ngakho-ke ungamyeki engajezile, wena ungumuntu ohlakaniphileyo, uyokwazi okufanele ukwenze kuye ukuze uyehlisele impunga endaweni yabafileyo inegazi.” UDavide wayeselaliswa kokhokho bakhe, wambelwa emzini kaDavide. Izinsuku uDavide abusa ngazo kwa-Israyeli zaziyiminyaka engama-40; iminyaka eyisikhombisa wabusa eHebhroni, kwathi engama-33 wabusa eJerusalema. USolomoni wahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide, uyise; umbuso wakhe waqiniswa kakhulu. Kwase kufika u-Adoniya, indodana kaHagithi, kuBhathi Sheba, unina kaSolomoni, uBhathi Sheba wathi: “Ngabe uze ngokuthula na?” Waphendula wathi u-Adoniya: “Yebo, ngize ngokuthula.” Wayesethi: “Nginodaba engize ngalo kuwe.” Wathi: “Khuluma.” Wathi u-Adoniya: “Uyazi wena ukuthi umbuso wawungowami, nokuthi wonke u-Israyeli wayebheke ukuba kubuse mina. Nokho-ke izinto zaguquka, umbuso wase ubuyela kumfowethu, uSolomoni, ngokuba yena wayeqokwe nguSimakade. Manje-ke ngicela into eyodwa vo kuwe; ungangifulatheli.” Wathi kuye: “Khuluma.” Wathi: “Ake ukhulume enkosini uSolomoni, ngokuba akasoze akufulathele wena, ukuba anginike u-Abhishagi waseShunemi abe ngumkami.” UBhathi Sheba wathi: “Kulungile, ngizokukhulumela enkosini.” UBhathi Sheba waya enkosini uSolomoni ukuze akhulumele u-Adoniya. Inkosi yasukuma yamhlangabeza, yamkhothamela, yase ihlala esihlalweni sayo, yase ibekela unina wenkosi isihlalo, wahlala ngakwesokunene sayo. Wayesethi kuyo: “Nginesicelo esisodwa nje esincane kuwe, uze ungangifulatheli.” Inkosi yathi kuye: “Cela mame, angiyukukufulathela.” Wathi-ke: “U-Abhishagi waseShunemi makanikwe u-Adoniya, umfowenu, abe ngumkakhe.” Inkosi uSolomoni yaphendula, yathi kunina: “Umcelelelani u-Adoniya u-Abhishagi waseShunemi na? Kungani ungamceleli nombuso, ngokuba ungufowethu? Yebo, wenze kanjalo naku-Abhiyathara, umphristi noJowabe, indodana kaZeruya.” Inkosi uSolomoni yayisifunga kuSimakade, yathi: “UNkulunkulu makenze kanjalo kimi, enezele futhi uma u-Adoniya engalikhulumanga leli lizwi, wabeka ukuphila kwakhe engcupheni yokufa. Ngakho ngifunga ngiyagomela kuSimakade ongimisile, wangibeka esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide, ubaba, waze wangenza ngayindlu njengokusho kwakhe, namuhla uzobulawa u-Adoniya.” Inkosi uSolomoni yayisithumela uBhenaya, indodana kaJehoyada, ukuba imhlasele imbulale; wafa kanjalo-ke. Inkosi yathi ku-Abhiyathara, umphristi: “Hamba uye e-Anathothi emasimini akho, ngokuba ufanelwe wukufa, kodwa angizukukubulala namuhla, ngokuba wawuthwala umphongolo weNkosi uSimakade phambi kukaDavide, ubaba. Nawe wahlushwa yizona zonke izinhlupheko ezehlela ubaba.” USolomoni wayesemxosha u-Abhiyathara, akabe esaba ngumphristi kaSimakade, ukuze afeze izwi likaSimakade alisho ngendlu ka-Eli eShilo. Kuthe lapho ufika lo mbiko kuJowabe, ngokuba uJowabe wayelandele u-Adoniya nakuba ayengamlandelanga u-Absalomu, wabaleka waya ethendeni likaSimakade, wafika wabamba izimpondo ze-althare. Inkosi uSolomoni yabikelwa ukuthi: “UJowabe ubalekele ethendeni likaSimakade, bheka, ungase-althare.” USolomoni wathumela uBhenaya, indodana kaJehoyada, wathi kuyo: “Hamba umsukele, umbulale.” UBhenaya waya ethendeni likaSimakade, wathi kuJowabe: “Isho kanje inkosi, ithi: ‘Phuma.’ ” Wathi: “Qha, ngizofela lapha.” UBhenaya wabuyisela enkosini izwi, wathi: “UJowabe ungiphendule kanjalo.” Inkosi yathi kuye: “Yenza njengalokhu eshilo; mthelekele umbulale, ummbele, ukuze ususe kimi nasendlini kababa igazi elachithwa ngeze nguJowabe. USimakade uzophindisela phezu kwakhe igazi lamadoda amabili alungileyo namahle kunaye awabulala ngenkemba, ubaba uDavide engazi ngalokho: u-Abhineri, indodana kaNeri, umkhuzi wempi yakwa-Israyeli, no-Amasa, indodana kaJetheri, umkhuzi wempi yakwaJuda. Igazi labo liyakubuyela ekhanda likaJowabe nasekhanda lozalo lwakhe kuze kube phakade, kepha kuDavide, nasozalweni lwakhe, nakuyo indlu yakhe, nakuso isihlalo sakhe sobukhosi kuyakuba ngukuthula kuze kube phakade, kuvela kuSimakade.” UBhenaya, indodana kaJehoyada, wenyuka wamthelekela, wambulala, wembelwa endlini yakhe ehlane. Inkosi yambeka uBhenaya, indodana kaJehoyada, waba ngumkhuzi wempi esikhundleni sikaJowabe. UZadoki, umphristi, inkosi yambeka waba ngumphristi esikhundleni sika-Abhiyathara. Inkosi yathumela, yabiza uShimeyi, yathi kuye: “Zakhele indlu eJerusalema, uhlale khona, ungaphumi lapho, ungayi ndawo. Ngokuba mhla uphuma, uwela umfudlana iKidroni, yazisisa ukuthi uyakufa nokufa; igazi lakho liyakuba sekhanda lakho.” Wayesethi uShimeyi enkosini: “Lokhu okushilo kulungile, inceku yakho izokwenza njengokusho kwenkosi yami, inkosi.” UShimeyi wahlala eJerusalema izinsuku eziningi. Kwathi ngasekupheleni kweminyaka emithathu, izinceku ezimbili zikaShimeyi zabaleka, zaya ku-Akhishi, indodana kaMahakha, inkosi yaseGathi. UShimeyi watshelwa kwathiwa: “Bheka, izinceku zakho ziseGathi.” Wayesesuka uShimeyi, wabophela imbongolo yakhe, waya eGathi ku-Akhishi ukuba afune izinceku zakhe; wahamba uShimeyi, wazibuyisa izinceku zakhe eGathi. USolomoni wabikelwa ukuthi uShimeyi usukile eJerusalema waya eGathi, kodwa usebuyile. Inkosi yathumela, yambiza uShimeyi, yathi kuye: “Angikufungisanga yini kuSimakade ngabuye ngakuxwayisa ngathi: ‘Mhla uphuma uya noma kuphi, wazi kahle ukuthi uyobe usuzimbele igodi na?’ Wena wathi kimi: ‘Lokho okushilo kuhle.’ “Pho awusigcinanga ngani isifungo owasenza kuSimakade nomyalo engakuyala ngawo na?” Inkosi yabuye yathi kuShimeyi: “Wena ukwazi kahle konke okubi okusenhliziyweni yakho owakwenza kuDavide, ubaba, ngakho-ke uSimakade uyakuphindisela ububi bakho phezu kwakho. Inkosi uSolomoni izobusiswa, nesihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavide siqiniswe phambi kukaSimakade kuze kube phakade.” Inkosi yayisiyala uBhenaya, indodana kaJehoyada, waphuma wamthelekela; wambulala. Umbuso waqiniswa esandleni sikaSolomoni.