UDavide wababala abantu ababenaye, wayesebabekela izinduna zezinkulungwane nezinduna zamakhulu. UDavide wabehlukanisa amaqembu amathathu: elokuqala laliphethwe nguJowabe, elesibili liholwa ngu-Abhishayi, indodana kaZeruya, umfowabo kaJowabe, elokugcina liphethwe ngu-Ithayi, umGithi. Inkosi yathi kubantu: “Nami impela ngizophuma nani.”
Kepha abantu bathi: “Ngeke uphume nathi, ngokuba uma sibaleka abayukusilandela kangako, noma kungafa ingxenye yethu, abayukuyikhathalela. Kodwa wena ufana nezinkulungwane ezilishumi zethu kubo, ngakho-ke kungcono usisize usemzini.”
Inkosi yayisithi kubo: “Ngizokwenza lokho enikubona kufanele.”
Ngakho-ke inkosi yema ngaseceleni kwesango, wonke amabutho aphuma ngamakhulu nangezinkulungwane. Inkosi yayaleza uJowabe, u-Abhishayi no-Ithayi, yathi: “Anoyiphatha kahle insizwa ngenxa yami; ngisho u-Absalomu.”
Bonke abantu bezwa lapho inkosi iyaleza zonke izinduna ngo-Absalomu.
Base bephumela endle, bayolwa no-Israyeli. Balwela ehlathini kwa-Efrayimi. Abantu bakwa-Israyeli behlulwa yizinceku zikaDavide. Kwabulawa abantu abaningi kakhulu ngalolo lusuku; abayizi-20 000. Amabutho empi ahlakazeka agcwala iziganga, ihlathi lawaqeda amaningi, kunalawo adliwa yinkemba ngalolo lusuku.
U-Absalomu wethuka ehlangana nezinceku zikaDavide. U-Absalomu wayegibele umnyuzi. Umnyuzi wangena phansi kwehlozi elicinene lamagatsha omu-okhi, u-Absalomu wagaxela ngezinwele kuwo, walenga emoyeni, umnyuzi abewugibele wedlula, wamshiya kanjalo.
Umuntu othile wakubona lokho, watshela uJowabe, wathi kuye: “Bheka, ngibone u-Absalomu elenga emu-okhini.”
UJowabe wathi kumuntu ombikeleyo: “Umbone ngempela? Pho awumjuqanga ngani khona lapho, awele phansi na? Ngabe ngikunike izinhlamvu zesiliva ezilishumi nebhande.”
Lowo muntu wathi kuJowabe: “Noma ngabe bengizokhokhelwa izinhlamvu zesiliva eziyinkulungwane esandleni sami, nokho bengingeke ngibeke isandla sami endodaneni yenkosi, ngokuba sizwile ngezindlebe zethu inkosi ikuyala wena no-Abhishayi no-Ithayi, ithi: ‘Yilondeni insizwa u-Absalomu.’ Nokho-ke, ukuba ngenze ukungethembeki, ngambulala, inkosi ibizozwa ngalokho, njengoba kungekho nto inkosi eyifihlelwayo; nawe uqobo ubuyomelana nami.”
UJowabe wayesethi: “Anginakulibala ngenxa yakho.”
Wathatha imikhonto emithathu ngesandla sakhe, wambhokoda u-Absalomu enhliziyweni, esaphila ephakathi kwe-okhi. Izinsizwa ezilishumi ezaziphethe izikhali zikaJowabe zamzungeza, zamgwaza u-Absalomu, zambulala.
UJowabe wayesebetha icilongo, abantu babuya ekuxosheni u-Israyeli, ngokuba uJowabe wababamba abantu. Bamthatha u-Absalomu, bamlahla emgodini omkhulu ehlathini, babeka phezu kwakhe inqwaba yamatshe enkulu kakhulu; bonke abakwa-Israyeli, yilowo nalowo, wabalekela ethendeni lakhe.
U-Absalomu esaphila wayethathe insika, wazimisela yona eSigodini seNkosi, ngokuba wathi: “Anginandodana ezovusa igama lami.”
Wayiqamba insika ngegama lakhe; isabizwa ngokuthi yisikhumbuzo sika-Absalomu, kuze kube namuhla.
U-Ahimahazi, indodana kaZadoki, wayesethi: “Ake ngigijime, ngiyobikela inkosi ukuthi uSimakade uyiphindiselele ezitheni zayo.”
UJowabe wathi kuye: “Akuzukuba nguwe obika udaba namuhla, kepha uyakubika izindaba ngolunye usuku; namuhla awuzukubika lutho, ngokuba indodana yenkosi ifile.”
Wayesethi uJowabe kumKhushe: “Hamba, uyibikele inkosi ngokubonileyo.”
UmKhushe wamkhothamela uJowabe, wayesegijima.
U-Ahimahazi, indodana kaZadoki, wabuye wathi kuJowabe: “Noma kungenzekani, ake ngigijime nami ngimlandele umKhushe.”
Kepha uJowabe wathi: “Uzogijimelani wena, ndodana yami, lokhu kungekho mvuzo ozowuthola ngombiko na?”
Wathi: “Noma kungenzekani, ngizogijima.”
Wathi kuye: “Gijima.”
Wayesegijima u-Ahimahazi ngendlela esethafeni, wamdlula umKhushe.
UDavide wayehlezi phakathi kwamasango, elingaphakathi nelingaphandle; umlindi wakhuphukela ophahleni lwesango ngasogangeni lomuzi, waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona umuntu egijima yedwa. Umlindi wamemeza, wayibikela inkosi. Yathi inkosi: “Uma eyedwa, ulethe umbiko.”
Wayelokhu esondela njalo.
Umlindi wabona nomunye umuntu egijima; umlindi wayesebiza umlindisango, wathi: “Bheka, nangu omunye umuntu ogijima yedwa.”
Inkosi yathi: “Naye lona ulethe umbiko.”
Umlindi wayesethi: “Ngibona kungathi ukugijima kowokuqala kunjengokugijima kuka-Ahimahasi, indodana kaZadoki.”
Inkosi yathi: “Ngumuntu olungileyo lowo; ulethe umbiko omuhle.”
Wayesememeza u-Ahimahazi, wathi enkosini: “Bayede!” Wakhothama phambi kwenkosi, ebhekise phansi ubuso bakhe, wathi: “Makabongwe uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, onikele abantu abebefuna ukubulala inkosi yami.”
Inkosi yathi: “Kuhamba kahle yini ngensizwa u-Absalomu na?”
U-Ahimahazi wathi: “Ngabona isixuku sabantu, lapho uJowabe inceku yenkosi ethuma mina inceku yakho, kodwa angazanga ukuthi kwenzekani.”
Inkosi yathi: “Gudluka, ume lapho.”
Wagudluka, wema.
Bheka, kwase kufika umKhushe, wathi: “Ngilethe izindaba ezinhle enkosini, inkosi yami. USimakade ukuphindiselele namuhla kubo bonke abakuvukelayo.”
Inkosi yathi kumKhushe: “Kuhamba kahle yini ngensizwa u-Absalomu,na?”
UmKhushe wathi: “Izitha zenkosi yami, inkosi, nabo bonke abayivukelayo mababe njengaleyo nsizwa.”
Yayisidabuka kakhulu inkosi, yakhuphukela ekamelweni elingaphezu kwesango, yakhala; isahamba yathi: “Hawu ngendodana yami, u-Absalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami Absalomu! Sengathi ngabe kufe mina esikhundleni sakho, Absalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!”
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