2 Samuweli 18:1-33

UDavide wayesebala amadoda ayenaye, wabeka phezu kwawo izinduna zezinkulungwane nezinduna zamakhulu. UDavide wathuma ingxenye yesithathu yabantu phansi kwesandla sikaJowabe, nengxenye yesithathu ngaphansi kwesandla sika-Abishayi indodana kaSeruya, umfowabo kaJowabe, nengxenye yesithathu ngaphansi kwesandla sika-Ithayi umGiti. Inkosi yasisithi ebantwini: Mina ngizaphuma lami lami. Kodwa abantu baphendula bathi: Ungaphumi, ngoba uba sibaleka, kabayikusinakekela; futhi uma kufa ingxenye yethu, bayosinakekela; kepha manje nilingana nezinkulungwane eziyishumi zethu; ngakho-ke kungcono manje ukuthi usikhiphe emzini. Inkosi yasisithi kubo: Ngizakwenza lokho elikubona kuhle. Inkosi yema esangweni, bonke abantu baphuma ngamakhulu nangezinkulungwane. Inkosi yabayala oJowabe no-Abishayi no-Ithayi, yathi: “Yibani mnene nensizwa ku-Abisalomu.” Bonke abantu bezwa lapho inkosi iyala zonke izikhulu ngo-Abisalomu. Amadoda aphuma aya endle ukulwa no-Israyeli; ukulwa kwaba sehlathini lakwa-Efrayimi; Lapho abantu bakwa-Israyeli babulawa phambi kwezinceku zikaDavide, kwaba khona ukubulawa okukhulu kwamadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili ngalolo suku. Ngokuba impi yahlakazeka ezweni lonke, nehlathi ladla abantu abaningi ngalolo suku kunabadliwa yinkemba. U-Abisalomu wahlangana nezinceku zikaDavide. U-Abisalomu wayegibele umnyuzi, umnyuzi wangena ngaphansi kwegatsha eliwugqinsi lomuthi wesopiloni, ikhanda lakhe labamba isihlahla sobululu, waphakanyiselwa phakathi kwezulu nomhlaba; umnyuzi owawungaphansi kwakhe wahamba. Umuntu othile wakubona lokho wamtshela uJowabe wathi: “Bheka, ngibone u-Abisalomu elenga esihlahleni se-oki. UJowabe wayesethi endodeni emtshelayo: “Bheka, umbonile; awumshayanga ngani phansi lapho na? bengiyakukunika amashekeli ayishumi esiliva nebhande. Wayesethi lowo muntu kuJowabe: “Noma ngathola esandleni sami amashekeli ayinkulungwane esiliva, bengingeke ngiphakamise isandla sami endodaneni yenkosi, ngokuba inkosi yayala wena no-Abishayi no-Ithayi phambi kwezindlebe zethu, yathi: “Dlulani! akekho othinta insizwa u-Absalomu. Uma kungenjalo, ngabe ngenze amanga ngempilo yami, ngokuba akukho lutho olufihlekile enkosini, ubuyakungivukela. UJowabe wasesithi: Kangiyikuhlala lawe kanje. Wathatha imicibisholo emithathu esandleni sakhe, wayigwaza enhliziyweni ka-Abisalomu esaphila esihlahleni sokhuni. Izinsizwa eziyishumi ezazimbethe izikhali zikaJowabe zamzungeza, zamshaya u-Abisalomu, zambulala. UJowabe wabetha icilongo, abantu babuya emva kuka-Israyeli, ngokuba uJowabe wabavimba abantu. Bamthatha u-Abisalomu, bamphonsa emgodini omkhulu ehlathini, babeka phezu kwakhe inqwaba enkulu kakhulu yamatshe; wonke u-Israyeli wabaleka, kwaba yilowo nalowo waya etendeni lakhe. U-Abisalomu wathatha insika esaphila, wazimisela yona esigodini senkosi; ngoba wathi: Kangilandodana yokukhumbula ibizo lami; wabiza insika ngegama lakhe; khala kuze kube namuhla, indawo ka-Abisalomu. U-Ahimaewu indodana kaSadoki wayesethi: “Mangigijime, ngitshele inkosi ukuthi uJehova umphindisele ezitheni zakhe.” UJowabe wasesithi kuye: Kawuyikuletha umbiko lamuhla, kodwa uzaletha ilizwi ngolunye usuku; kodwa namuhla aniyikuletha zwi, ngokuba indodana yenkosi ifile. UJowabe wasesithi kuKushi: Hamba uyetshela inkosi okubonileyo. UmKushi wakhothama phambi kukaJowabe, wagijima. U-Ahimayewu indodana kaSadoki wabuye wathi kuJowabe: “Kepha nami mangigijime ngilandele umKushi.” Wayesethi uJowabe: “Ugijimelani, ndodana yami, lokhu ungazi na? Kodwa noma kunjalo, wathi, ake ngigijime. Wathi kuye: “Gijima.” Khona-ke u-Ahimaäs wagijima wehla ngomgwaqo esuka ethafeni futhi wamfica uKusi. UDavide wahlala phansi phakathi kwamasango omabili, umlindi wakhwela ophahleni lwesango odongeni, waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabheka, nanko umuntu egijima yedwa. Umlindi wamemeza watshela inkosi. Inkosi yasisithi: Lapho eyedwa, ulolizwi emlonyeni wakhe. Futhi washesha wasondela. Umlindi wabona enye indoda igijima; umlindi wabiza umlindisango, wathi: “Bheka, nanso indoda igijima iyodwa.” Yathi inkosi: “Naye uletha izindaba.” Umlindi wasesithi: Ngibona ukuthi ukugijima kowokuqala kunjengokugijima kukaAhimayosi indodana kaSadoki. Inkosi yasisithi: Ungumuntu olungileyo, njalo uza lezindaba ezinhle. U-Ahimayo wamemeza wathi enkosini: “Kulungile; Wawa ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini phambi kwenkosi, wathi: “Makabongwe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho owakhulula abantu abaphakamisela isandla sabo enkosini yami, inkosi. Inkosi yathi: “Ingabe insizwa u-Abisalomu iphephile na?” U-Ahimaewu wathi: “Lapho uJowabe ethuma inceku yenkosi kanye nami, inceku yakho, ngabona isiyaluyalu esikhulu, kodwa angazi ukuthi kuyini. Inkosi yathi kuye: “Suka ume lapha.” Wasuka wema. Bheka, kwafika uKusi; uKushi wathi: “Thumela, nkosi yami, nkosi, ngokuba uJehova ukuphindisele namuhla kubo bonke abakuvukelayo. Inkosi yathi kuKushi: “Ingabe insizwa u-Abisalomu iphephile na?” UKusi waphendula wathi: “Izitha zenkosi yami, inkosi, nabo bonke abakuvukelayo ukukulimaza, makube njengaleyo nsizwa; Inkosi yathukuthela kakhulu, yakhuphukela ekamelweni elibhekene nesango, yakhala; wahamba, wathi: “Ndodana yami Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami Abisalomu! Sengathi ngafela wena, Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!