1 Samuweli 25:1-39

Wafa uSamuweli; bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babuthana, bamlilela, bammbela endlini yakhe eRama. UDavide waqeda, wehlela ehlane lasePharanu. Kwakukhona umuntu eMahoni omfuyo yakhe yayiseKarmeli; lowo muntu wayemkhulu kakhulu, enezimvu eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu nezimbuzi eziyinkulungwane; wayezigunda izimvu zakhe eKarmeli. Igama lalowo muntu lalinguNabali; igama lomkakhe lalingu-Abigayili; futhi wayengowesifazane onengqondo enhle futhi ebukekayo; wayengowendlu kaKalebi. UDavide wezwa ehlane ukuthi uNabali ugundile izimvu zakhe. UDavida wasethuma amajaha alitshumi, uDavida wathi ezincekwini: Yenyukelani eKhameli, liye kuNabali, limkhonzele ebizweni lami. Njalo lizakutsho kohlala kuhle, ukuthi: Ukuthula makube kuwe, lokuthula makube sendlini yakho, lokuthula kukho konke olakho. Manje ngizwile ukuthi unabagundi; manje abelusi bakho ababe nathi, asibalimazanga, abasweli lutho ngaso sonke isikhathi beseKarmeli. Buza izinsizwa zakho, zizokukhombisa. Ngakho-ke izinsizwa mazithole umusa emehlweni akho, ngokuba siyeza ngosuku oluhle; kunika izinceku zakho nendodana yakho uDavide konke okusesandleni sakho. Lapho izinsizwa zikaDavide zifika, zakhuluma kuNabali njengawo wonke lawo mazwi egameni likaDavide, zema. UNabali wasephendula izinceku zikaDavida wathi: Ngubani uDavida? futhi ingubani indodana kaJese? kulezi zinsuku ziningi izinceku ezephula, kube yilowo nalowo enkosini yakhe. Ngithathe yini isinkwa sami, namanzi ami, nenyama yami engiyihlabele abagundi bami, ngiyinike abantu engingabaziyo ukuthi bavelaphi na? Zase ziphenduka izinsizwa zikaDavide, zabuya, zafika zamtshela onke lawo mazwi. UDavide wayesethi kubantu bakhe: “Bhincani, kube yilowo nalowo inkemba yakhe; Babhinca, kwaba yilowo nalowo inkemba yakhe; Naye uDavide wabhinca inkemba yakhe, wenyuka wamlandela uDavide kungathi amadoda angamakhulu amane; abangamakhulu amabili basala kwabalungileyo. Kepha enye yezinsizwa yamtshela u-Abigayili umkaNabali yathi: “Bheka, uDavide uthume izithunywa zivela ehlane ukuba zibingelele inkosi yethu; wabathuka. Kodwa lawo madoda ayesiphatha kahle kakhulu, asilimalanga, futhi asiphuthelwa lutho ngesikhathi sisensimini sijwayelene nawo. Babelugange kithi, ubusuku nemini, sonke isikhathi sinabo, salusa izimvu. Yazi manje, unake lokho ozakukwenza; ngoba ngokuqinisekile ububi bumelene nenkosi yethu naphezu kwayo yonke indlu yayo, ngoba iyindodana kaBheliyali kangangokuthi akekho ongakhuluma nayo. Khona-ke u-Abigayili washesha wathatha izinkwa ezingamakhulu amabili namasaka amabili ewayini nezimvu ezinhlanu ezilungisiwe namaseya amahlanu kakolweni ogaziniwe nezigaxa eziyikhulu zezithelo zomvini ezomisiwe namaqebelengwane amakhiwane angamakhulu amabili wakubeka ezimbongolweni. Wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Phumani phambi kwami; bheka, ngiyakulandela. Kodwa akamtshelanga umyeni wakhe uNabali. Ekhwele imbongolo, wehlela endaweni yokucasha yentaba, bheka, uDavide nabantu bakhe behla ukumhlangabeza; wahlangana nabo. UDavida wasesithi: Isibili, mina ngalinda ngeze konke alakho lumuntu enkangala, kakuswelekanga lutho kukho konke okwakhe, wabuyisela ububi bami ngokuhle. UNkulunkulu uyakwenza lokhu futhi enezele ezitheni zikaDavide, uma ngithungela odongeni konke okwakhe ekuseni; Lapho u-Abhigayili ebona uDavide, wehla ngokushesha embongolweni wawa ngobuso phambi kukaDavide wakhothamela phansi. Wawa phansi ezinyaweni zakhe, wathi: “Lobu bubi mabufike phezu kwami, nkosi yami, incekukazi yakho mayikhulume phambi kwezilaleli zakho, uzwe amazwi encekukazi yakho.” Inkosi yami mayingamnaki lo muntu omubi, uNabali, ngokuba njengegama lakhe unjalo; nguNabali igama lakhe, nobuwula bukuye; kepha mina nceku yakho angizibonanga izinsizwa zenkosi yami owazithuma. Ngakho-ke, nkosi yami, kuphila kukaJehova nokuphila komphefumulo wakho, lokhu uJehova ukuvimbile ukuba ungezi ukuchitha igazi nokuziphindisela ngesandla sakho, izitha zakho nabenza okubi mazifune iNkosi yami, njengoNabali. Manje-ke, lesi sibusiso inceku yakho esilethe enkosini yami, masinikwe nezinsizwa ezilandela inkosi yami. Xolela isiphambeko senceku yakho, ngokuba uJehova uyakuyenzela inkosi yami indlu; ngokuba inkosi yami ilwa izimpi zikaJehova, akufunyanwanga okubi kuwe zonke izinsuku zakho. Kodwa umuntu wasukuma ukukuxotsha lokudinga umphefumulo wakho; kepha umphefumulo wenkosi yami uyakuboshelwa emshungwini wabaphilayo kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho; nemiphefumulo yezitha zakho iyoyiphonsa kungathi iphakathi kwendwayimana. Kuyakuthi uma uJehova enzile enkosini yami njengakho konke okuhle akukhulumileyo ngawe, wakumisa ube ngumbusi kwa-Israyeli; kungabi kini usizi noma isikhubekiso senhliziyo enkosini yami, ukuthi nichithe igazi ngeze, noma ukuthi inkosi yami iziphindisele; kepha uma uJehova enze okuhle enkosini yami, khumbula inceku yakho. UDavida wasesithi kuAbigayili: Kayibusiswe iNKOSI, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, okuthumileyo lamuhla ukungihlangabeza. Futhi ibusisiwe iseluleko sakho, futhi ubusisiwe wena ongivimbele namuhla ukuba ngichithe igazi futhi ungiphindisele ngesandla sami. Ngokuba kuphila kukaJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli owangivimbela ukuba ngikulimaze, uma ubungasheshanga ukuza ukungihlangabeza, impela, ngabe akasalanga uNabali ekukhanyeni kokusa uJehova angazange amshaye udonga. UDavide wayesethatha esandleni sakhe lokho amlethele khona, wathi kuye: “Khuphukela endlini yakho ngokuthula; bheka, ngilalele izwi lakho futhi ngathatha ubuntu bakho. U-Abigayili wafika kuNabali; bheka, wayenedili endlini yakhe njengedili lenkosi; inhliziyo kaNabali yayijabule phakathi kwakhe, ngokuba wayedakwe kakhulu; ngalokho akamtshelanga lutho, okukhulu noma okuncane, kwaze kwasa. Kwathi ekuseni, lapho iwayini lenyuka kuNabali, umkakhe wamtshela lokho, inhliziyo yakhe yafa phakathi kwakhe, waba njengetshe. Kwathi emva kwezinsuku eziyishumi uJehova wamshaya uNabali, wafa. UDavide esezwile ukuthi uNabali ufile, wathi: “Makabusiswe uJehova owamela icala lami lokuhlanjalazwa esandleni sikaNabali, wayisindisa inceku yakhe ebubini; ngoba uJehova ulobubi bukaNabali ekhanda lakhe. UDavide wathumela wakhuluma ku-Abigayili ukuba amthathe abe ngumkakhe.