2 Samuweli 17:1-29

U-Ahithofeli wathi ku-Abisalomu: “Mangikhethe amadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, ngisuke ngixoshe uDavide ngalobu busuku. Ngiyakumfikela ediniwe, ebuthakathaka isandla, ngimethuse; bonke abantu abanaye bayakubaleka; futhi ngizoyinqoba inkosi kuphela. Ngiyakubabuyisela kuwe bonke abantu; umuntu omfunayo unjengokungathi bonke babuyile; ngakho bonke abantu bazakuba nokuthula. Leli zwi lamjabulisa u-Abisalomu namalunga onke akwa-Israyeli. U-Abisalomu wayesethi: “Bizani noHushayi um-Ariki, sizwe ukuthi uthini nje.” UHushayi esefikile ku-Abisalomu, u-Abisalomu wakhuluma kuye, wathi: “U-Ahithofeli ukhulume kanje; kufanele senze ngokwezwi lakhe na? Uma kungenjalo; uyakhuluma. UHusayi wathi ku-Abisalomu: “Iseluleko sika-Ahithofeli asisihle ngalesi sikhathi.” Ngoba, uHusayi wathi, wena uyamazi uyihlo labantu bakhe ukuthi bangamaqhawe, futhi bachothozekile ezinhliziyweni zabo njengebhere eliphucwe amawundlu alo egangeni; futhi uyihlo uyindoda yempi futhi akafuni ukulala nabantu. Bhekani, manje ucashile komunye umgodi noma kwenye indawo; uma abanye kubo beketulwa kuqala, yilowo nalowo ozwayo uyakuthi: ‘Kukhona ukubulalana phakathi kwabantu abalandela u-Abisalomu. Futhi futhi indoda enesibindi enhliziyo yayo injengenhliziyo yengonyama, iyoncibilika ngokuphelele; ngoba wonke u-Israyeli uyazi ukuthi uyihlo uyiqhawe nokuthi labo abanaye bangamadoda anamandla. Ngalokho ngiyaluleka ukuba wonke u-Israyeli abuthane kuwe, kusukela kwaDani kuze kube seBeri Sheba, ngangesihlabathi esingasolwandle ngobuningi; nokuthi uziyele wena empini. Ngakho siyakuhlangana naye endaweni lapho ayotholakala khona, futhi siyokwehlela phezu kwakhe njengamazolo ewela emhlabathini; futhi kuye nakuwo wonke amadoda akanye naye akuyikusala neyodwa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uma efike emzini, wonke u-Israyeli kumelwe alethe izindophi kulowo muzi, sizidonsele emfuleni kuze kungatholakali nelilodwa itshe elincane. U-Abisalomu nawo onke amadoda akwa-Israyeli bathi: “Iseluleko sikaHushayi um-Arki singcono kuneseluleko sika-Ahithofeli. Ngokuba uJehova wanquma ukuchitha iseluleko esihle sika-Ahithofeli, ngenjongo yokuthi uJehova uzomehlisela okubi u-Abisalomu. UHushayi wayesethi kuSadoki naku-Abiyathara abapristi: “U-Ahithofeli weluleka kanje nakanje ku-Abisalomu namadoda amadala akwa-Israyeli; futhi nganikeza iseluleko. Ngakho-ke thumelani masinyane nitshele uDavide, nithi: ‘Ungalali emathafeni asehlane ngalobubusuku, kepha dabula masinyane; funa inkosi idliwe nabantu bonke abanayo. OJonathani no-Ahimahasi bahlala e-Eni Rogeli; ngoba babengabonwa bengena emzini. Bahamba bayitshela inkosi uDavide. Kepha umfana wababona, watshela u-Abisalomu; kepha bashesha bobabili, bafika endlini yomuntu eBahurimi, owayenomthombo egcekeni lakhe; lapho behla khona. Owesifazane wathatha isimbozo, wendlala umgodi womthombo, weneka ukolweni ogqunyiweyo phezu kwawo; necala lalingaziwa. Lapho izinceku zika-Abisalomu zifika kowesifazane endlini, zathi: “Baphi o-Ahimayo noJonathani na? Owesifazane wathi kubo: “Bawela umfula wamanzi.” Kwathi sebebafunile kodwa ababatholanga, babuyela eJerusalema. Kwathi sebesukile, bakhuphuka emthonjeni, baya babikela inkosi uDavida, bathi kuDavida: Sukuma uwele masinyane emanzini, ngoba uAhithofeli wenze icebo ngawe. Ngemva kwalokho uDavide waqeda kanye nawo wonke amadoda ayenaye, bawela iJordani; U-Ahithofeli ebona ukuthi isiluleko sakhe asilandelwanga, wabophela imbongolo yakhe, wasuka, waya endlini yakhe emzini wakubo, wayala indlu yakhe, waziphanyeka, wafa, wembelwa ethuneni likayise. UDavida wasefika eMahanayimi. U-Abisalomu wadabula iJordani, yena nawo wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli kanye naye. U-Abisalomu wabeka u-Amasa induna yempi esikhundleni sikaJowabe; u-Amasa wayeyindodana yendoda egama layo linguJitra, umIsrayeli, owangena no-Abigayili indodakazi kaNahashi, udadewabo kaSeruya, unina kaJowabe. O-Israyeli no-Abisalomu bamisa ezweni lakwaGileyadi. UDavide esefikile eMahanayimi, noSobi indodana kaNahashi eRaba labantwana bakwa-Amoni, noMagiri indodana ka-Amiyeli eLodebari, noBarizilayi wakwaGileyadi waseRogelimi, Lethani imibhede, nezitsha, nezimbiza zebumba, nokolweni, nebhali, nempuphu, nokolweni othosiwe, nobhontshisi, nodalili, namabele athosiweyo; nezinyosi nebhotela nezimvu noshizi ezinkomo zikaDavide nabantu ababe naye ukuba badle; ngoba bathi: Abantu balambile, badiniwe, bomile enkangala.