Kwathi uDavide esedlule ibangana nje esicongweni sentaba, wahlangatshezwa nguZiba, inceku kaMefibhoshethi, nezimbongolo ezimbili ezaziboshelwe, zithwele izinkwa ezingama-200, izigaxa eziyikhulu zamagilebhisi omisiwe, izigaxa eziyikhulu zezithelo zasehlobo, nemvaba yewayini.
Inkosi yathi kuZiba: “Ziyini lezi zinto na?”
UZiba wathi: “Izimbongolo ngezokugibelisa abendlu yenkosi. Izinkwa nezithelo ngezokudliwa, kuthi iwayini liphuzwe yilabo asebeyethiswe ukuba sehlane.”
Inkosi yayisithi: “Iphi indodana yenkosi yakho?”
UZiba wathi enkosini: “Ihleli eJerusalema ngokuba yathi: ‘Namuhla indlu ka-Israyeli izowubuyisela kimi umbuso kababa.’ ”
Inkosi yathi kuZiba: “Uyabona-ke, konke obekungokukaMefibhoshethi sekungokwakho.”
UZiba wayesethi: “Ngiyakhuleka ukuba ngifumane umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, nkosi.”
Kwathi lapho inkosi uDavide ifika eBhahurimi, kwaphuma omunye wabomndeni wendlu yenkosi uSawule, igama lakhe kunguShimeyi, indodana kaGera; wayehla enyuka ethuka inkosi. Wamjikijela ngamatshe uDavide nezinceku zakhe zonke, nabo bonke abantu eyayihamba nabo inkosi, wonke amaqhawe ayemhaqile ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo sakhe. UShimeyi wathi lapho ethuka uDavide: “Suka, suka wena muntu wegazi, muntu ongelutho! USimakade ubuyisele phezu kwakho lonke igazi lendlu kaSawule okade ubusa esikhundleni sakhe. USimakade uwunikele umbuso esandleni sendodana yakho u-Absalomu. Nakhu lapha ukhona, ubhajwe ebubini bakho, ngokuba ungumuntu wegazi.”
U-Abhishayi, indodana kaZeruya, wayesethi enkosini: “Le nja efileyo iyithukelani inkosi yami, inkosi, na? Mangiye kuyo ngiyinqume ikhanda.”
Yathi inkosi: “Ngihlangene ngani mina nani, madodana kaZeruya? Uma engithuka, ngoba kusho uSimakade kuye wathi: ‘Thuka uDavide,’ ngubani ongathi: ‘Ukwenzeleni lokho na?’ ”
UDavide wayesethi ku-Abhishayi nakuzo zonke izinceku zakhe: “Bhekani, indodana yami eyaphuma ezibilini zami ifuna ukuphila kwami; kakhulu kangakanani-ke lo mBhenjamini na? Myekeni, athuke, ngokuba nguSimakade omthumile. Mhlawumbe uSimakade uzolubona usizi lwami, angibuyisele okuhle ngokungithuka kwakhe namuhla.”
UDavide nabantu bakhe baqhubeka nendlela; uShimeyi wagudla intaba elinganisene nabo, ehamba ebathuka, ebajikijela ngamatshe, futhi ebathela ngomhlabathi.
Inkosi, nabo bonke abantu eyayihamba nabo, bafika eJordani bekhathele; yafike yathi gozololo lapho, yahlumeleleka.
U-Absalomu nabo bonke abantu, amadoda akwa-Israyeli, bafika eJerusalema, u-Ahithofeli wayenabo. Kwathi nje lapho uHushayi, umArikhi, umngani kaDavide, efika ku-Absalomu, wathi kuye: “Mana njalo, nkosi; mana njalo, nkosi.”
U-Absalomu wayesethi kuHushayi: “Lokhu kungukwethembeka kwakho kumngani wakho, na? Awuhambanga ngani nomngani wakho, na?”
Wayesethi uHushayi ku-Absalomu: “Qha, lowo okhethwe nguSimakade, nayilaba bantu, abantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli ngiyakuba ngowakhe, ngihlale naye. Ngiyakukhonza bani uma ngingekhonze indodana yakhe, na? Njengalokhu ngamsebenzela uyihlo, ngizokwenza kanjalo nakuwe.”
Wayesethi u-Absalomu ku-Ahithofeli: “Sinike iseluleko sakho, senzenjani, na?”
Wathi-ke u-Ahithofeli ku-Absalomu: “Hamba ulale nezancinza zikayihlo, lezo azishiyile ukuba zinakekele isigodlo; u-Israyeli wonke uyakuzwa ukuthi unengwa kangakanani nguyihlo, bese ziyaqina izandla zabo bonke abanawe.”
U-Absalomu bammisela ithende ophahleni lwendlu. U-Absalomu walala nazo zonke izancinza zikayise phambi kuka-Israyeli wonke.
Konke u-Ahithofeli ayeluleka ngakho kulezo zinsuku, kwakungathi kubuzwe kuNkulunkulu, ngakho-ke iseluleko sika-Ahithofeli sasihlonishwa nguDavide, kanjalo no-Absalomu.
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