Incwadzi Yesibili YaSamuweli

18 Davide wase ubala lamadvodza labekanawo futsi wawabekela tindvuna tetinkhulungwane netindvuna temakhulu.+ 2 Ngemuva kwaloko Davide watfumela licembu lekucala lalamadvodza lebelicondziswa* nguJowabe,+ lesibili licondziswa ngu-Abishayi+ umnakaboJowabe indvodzana yaSeruya,+ watfumela nelesitsatfu lebelicondziswa ngu-Ithayi+ umGathi. Inkhosi yabese itsi kulamadvodza: “Nami ngitawuhamba nani.” 3 Kodvwa wona atsi: “Akukafaneli uhambe,+ ngobe nasibaleka angeke babe nendzaba natsi;* futsi nangabe kungafa ihhafu yetfu, ngeke babe nendzaba natsi ngobe wena ubaluleke ngangemadvodza langu-10 000 lakanye natsi.+ Ngako kungaba ncono nawungasitfolela lusito loluvela edolobheni.” 4 Inkhosi yatsi kubo: “Noma ngabe yini leniyibona ikahle, ngitayenta.” Ngako inkhosi yema eceleni kweligede lelidolobha futsi onkhe lamadvodza aphuma ngemakhulu nangetinkhulungwane. 5 Inkhosi yabese inika boJowabe, Abishayi na-Ithayi umyalo lotsi: “Niliphatse kahle lelijaha lelingu-Absalomu. Loko nibokwentela mine.”+ Onkhe lalamanye emadvodza eva ngalesikhatsi inkhosi iniketa tonkhe letindvuna lomyalo lomayelana na-Absalomu.

6 Lamadvodza aya kuyohlangana nema-Israyeli ehlane, futsi lemphi bayilwela ehlatsini laka-Efrayimu.+ 7 Kuleyo ndzawo, ema-Israyeli+ ancotjwa tinceku taDavide+ futsi kwafa bantfu labanyenti kakhulu ngalelolanga; labafa kwaba ngemadvodza langu-20 000. 8 Lemphi yasakatekela kuso sonkhe leso sifundza. Ngetulu kwaloko, baba banyenti bantfu lababulawa tingoti labatitfola kulelihlatsi kunalabo lababulawa ngenkemba ngalelolanga.

9 Kungakalindzeleki, Absalomu watikhandza sekabukene netinceku taDavide. Absalomu abegibele umnyuzi, futsi lomnyuzi wangena ngephansi kwesihlahla lesikhulu lesinemagala lahlangene, inhloko yakhe yabambeka lapho, yena walenga emoyeni* kantsi lomnyuzi wakhe wachubeka uhamba. 10 Kukhona lowakubona loko futsi watjela Jowabe+ watsi: “Ngibone Absalomu alenga esihlahleni lesikhulu!” 11 Jowabe waphendvula lendvodza watsi: “Nangabe ukubonile loko, ubangelwe yini kutsi ungamshayi umlahle phansi ngaso leso sikhatsi? Kube wente njalo, bengitakunika tinhlavu letingu-10 telisiliva kanye nelibhande.” 12 Kodvwa lendvodza yatsi kuJowabe: “Ngisho nome ngabe bengitawunikwa* tinhlavu telisiliva letingu-1 000, bengingeke ngikhone kuphakamisela sandla sami endvodzaneni yenkhosi ngobe siyivile inkhosi nayiniketa wena na-Abishayi kanye na-Ithayi umyalo lotsi, ‘Nome ngabe ngubani, abovikela lelijaha lelingu-Absalomu.’+ 13 Kube angikakulaleli loko ngambulala, inkhosi beyingeke ihlale ingeva ngako futsi wena bewungeke ungivikele.” 14 Nakeva loko, Jowabe watsi: “Ngeke ngichubeke ngicitsa sikhatsi sami nawe!” Ngako watsatsa tikhali letintsatfu esandleni sakhe wagwaza ngato Absalomu enhlitiyweni asekulesihlahla asaphila. 15 Kwase kufika tinceku letingu-10 lebetiphetse tikhali taJowabe tacedzela Absalomu.+ 16 Jowabe wabese ushaya luphondvo, futsi lamadvodza ase ayayekela kucosha ema-Israyeli; Jowabe watjela lamadvodza kutsi awasale ayekela kulwa. 17 Batsatsa Absalomu bamjikijela emgodzini lomkhulu kulelihlatsi base bamgcibedzela ngendvundvuma yematje.+ Ema-Israyeli abaleka onkhe abuyela emakhaya awo.

18 Ngesikhatsi Absalomu asaphila, bekatakhele insika eSihosheni* seNkhosi+ ngobe bekatsi: “Ngite indvodzana letawulondvolota ligama lami.”+ Wabita lensika ngeligama lakhe, futsi kuze kube ngulamuhla ibitwa ngekutsi Sikhumbuto sa-Absalomu.

19 Ahimasi+ indvodzana yaSadoki watsi: “Ngicela kugijima ngiyobikela inkhosi letindzaba, ngobe Jehova uyilwele ngekuyikhulula etitseni tayo.”+ 20 Kodvwa Jowabe watsi kuye: “Kute tindzaba lotatimikisa enkhosini lamuhla. Utatimikisa ngalelinye lilanga hhayi lamuhla, ngobe kushone indvodzana yenkhosi.”+ 21 Jowabe wase utsi kulomunye umKushe:+ “Hamba uyobikela inkhosi konkhe lokubonile.” LomKushe wavele waguca embikwaJowabe wase uyesuka ngematubane. 22 Ahimasi indvodzana yaSadoki waphindze watsi kuJowabe: “Nome ngabe kwentekani, ngicela nami ungivumele ngigijime emuva kwalomKushe.” Kodvwa Jowabe watsi kuye: “Kungani kufanele ugijime ndvodzana kube kute tindzaba longatimikisa enkhosini?” 23 Ahimasi waphikelela watsi: “Noma ngabe kwentekani, ngicela ungivumele ngigijime.” Jowabe wabese utsi kuye: “Gijima!” Ngako wagijima ngendlela lehamba esigodzini saseJordane, futsi wagcine amendlulile lomKushe.

24 Davide abehleti emkhatsini weligede+ lelingekhatsi nalelingephandle kwelidolobha, futsi gadzi+ wenyukela eluphahleni lweligede lolungaselubondzeni. Logadzi watsi nakaphakamisa emehlo, wabona indvodza letsite igijima yodvwa. 25 Ngako logadzi wamemeta watjela inkhosi ngaloko. Inkhosi yatsi: “Nangabe iyodvwa, kukhona tindzaba leta nato.” Njengobe isondzela, 26 logadzi wabona lenye indvodza nayo ichamuka igijima. Logadzi wabese utjela lomunye lebekahleti egedeni watsi: “Kukhona lenye indvodza leta yodvwa igijima!” Inkhosi yatsi: “Nalena futsi iletse tindzaba.” 27 Logadzi watsi: “Ngibona shengatsi lendvodza yekucala igijima njenga-Ahimasi+ indvodzana yaSadoki,” ngako inkhosi yatsi: “Uyindvodza lekahle, kufanele kutsi uta netindzaba letimnandzi.” 28 Ahimasi wafike watsi enkhosini: “Kuhamba kahle konkhe!” Ngemuva kwaloko waguca embikwenkhosi buso bakhe wabubhekisa phansi. Wabese utsi: “Shengatsi Jehova Nkulunkulu wakho angadvunyiswa, ngoba unikele ngalamadvodza lebekavukela* inkhosi yami!”+

29 Nome kunjalo, inkhosi yatsi: “Unjani umfana wami Absalomu?” Ahimasi watsi: “Ngibone siphitsiphitsi lesikhulu ngalesikhatsi Jowabe atfumela inceku yenkhosi kanye nami,* kodvwa angati kutsi besisani.”+ 30 Ngako inkhosi yatsi: “Khwesha ume laceleni.” Lendvodza yakhwesha, yemela eceleni.

31 LomKushe wabese uyafika+ watsi: “Ngicela inkhosi yami itemukele nati tindzaba letitsi: Lamuhla Jehova ukulwele ngekutsi akukhulule kubo bonkhe labebakuvukela.”+ 32 Kodvwa inkhosi yatsi kulomKushe: “Unjani umfana wami Absalomu?” LomKhushe watsi: “Shengatsi tonkhe titsa tenkhosi yami kanye nabo bonkhe lebebayivukela kute bayilimate, bangaba njengalelijaha lelingu-Absalomu!”+

33 Lamavi ayitsintsa inkhosi yase ikhuphukela ekamelweni lelingetulu kweligede. Njengobe ikhuphuka beyikhala itsi: “Awu ndvodzana yami Absalomu, ndvodzana yami, ndvodzana yami Absalomu! Kube kumane kufe mine esikhundleni sakho. Awu Absalomu ndvodzana yami, ndvodzana yami!”+