Eyesibili KaSamuweli

19 UJowabe wabikelwa kwathiwa: “Inkosi iyakhala, ililela u-Absalomu.” + 2 Ngakho ngalolo suku ukunqoba* kwaphenduka isililo kubo bonke abantu, ngoba bezwa ukuthi inkosi yayililela indodana yayo. 3 Ngalolo suku abantu bangena edolobheni ngesinyelela, + njengabantu abanamahloni ngenxa yokuthi babalekile empini. 4 Inkosi yamboza ubuso bayo yaqhubeka ikhala ngezwi elikhulu, ithi: “Ndodana yami Absalomu! Absalomu ndodana yami, ndodana yami!” +

5 UJowabe waya enkosini endlini wafike wathi: “Namuhla uzihlazise zonke izinceku zakho ezisindise ukuphila kwakho nokuphila kwamadodana akho, + okwamadodakazi akho, + okwamakhosikazi akho nokwezancinza zakho. + 6 Uthanda labo abakuzondayo, uzonde labo abakuthandayo, ngoba ukwenze kwacaca namuhla ukuthi izinduna nezinceku zakho azilutho kuwe, ngoba angingabazi ukuthi ukube nje u-Absalomu ubephila namuhla thina sonke abanye sifile, bekuyobe kulungile kuwe. 7 Manje sukuma, uphumele phandle uyokhuthaza izinceku zakho,* ngoba ngifunga uJehova ukuthi uma ungaphumi, akukho muntu ozosala nawe namuhla kusihlwa. Lokhu kuzoba kubi kakhulu kuwe ukwedlula konke okubi okukwehlele kusukela ebusheni bakho kuze kube manje.” 8 Ngakho inkosi yasukuma yayohlala esangweni ledolobha, bonke abantu batshelwa, kwathiwa: “Manje inkosi isihlezi esangweni.” Bonke abantu baya enkosini.

Kodwa ama-Israyeli ayekade esekela u-Absalomu ayebalekile, yilowo nalowo waya ekhaya. + 9 Bonke abantu kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli babephikisana, bethi: “Inkosi yasikhulula ezitheni zethu, + yasikhulula nakumaFilisti; kodwa manje ibalekile ezweni ngenxa ka-Absalomu. + 10 U-Absalomu esamgcoba ukuba abe inkosi yethu, *+ ufele empini. + Pho kungani ningenzi lutho ukubuyisa inkosi?”

11 INkosi uDavide yathumela lo myalezo kuZadoki + no-Abhiyathara + abapristi, yathi: “Khulumani namadoda amadala akwaJuda, + nithi, ‘Kungani kufanele nibe ngabokugcina ukubuyisela inkosi emzini wayo, kuyilapho izwi lawo wonke u-Israyeli lifikile enkosini lapha endlini yayo? 12 Ningabafowethu; niyizihlobo zami zegazi.* Pho kungani kufanele nibe ngabokugcina ukubuyisa inkosi?’ 13 Ku-Amasa + kufanele nithi, ‘Awulona yini ithambo lami nenyama yami? Kwangathi uNkulunkulu angangijezisa kanzima uma ungeke ube yinduna yempi yami kusukela manje kuqhubeke esikhundleni sikaJowabe.’ ” +

14 Wonke amadoda akwaJuda agculiseka,* ngakho athumela izwi enkosini athi: “Buya, wena nazo zonke izinceku zakho.”

15 Inkosi yangena indlela yaphindela emuva yaze yayofika eJordani, abantu bakwaJuda beza eGiligali + bezohlangabeza inkosi, nokuba bawele nayo iJordani. 16 UShimeyi + indodana kaGera umBhenjamini, waseBhahurimi, washesha wehla namadoda akwaJuda ezohlangabeza iNkosi uDavide, 17 wayehamba namadoda angu-1 000 akwaBhenjamini. UZiba + isikhonzi sendlu kaSawule namadodana akhe angu-15 nezinceku zakhe ezingu-20, naye waphuthuma wehlela eJordani ehamba phambi kwenkosi. 18 Wawela* ezibukweni ukuze aweze abendlu yenkosi, nokuba enze konke okwakufiswa yinkosi. Kodwa uShimeyi indodana kaGera, wakhothama phambi kwenkosi lapho isizowela iJordani. 19 Wathi enkosini: “Inkosi yami mayingangibeki icala, ungakukhumbuli okubi okwenziwa yinceku yakho + ngosuku inkosi yami eyaphuma ngalo eJerusalema. Kwangathi inkosi ingekufake enhliziyweni yayo, 20 ngoba mina nceku yakho ngazi kahle ukuthi ngonile; ngakho namuhla ngibe ngowokuqala kuyo yonke indlu kaJosefa ukuzohlangabeza inkosi yami.”

21 Ngaso leso sikhathi u-Abhishayi + indodana kaZeruya + wathi: “Akufanele yini uShimeyi abulawe ngenxa yalokhu, ngoba wathuka ogcotshiwe kaJehova?” + 22 Kodwa uDavide wathi: “Ningenaphi kule ndaba, nina madodana kaZeruya, + ukuba nimelane nami namuhla? Ingabe kufanele kubulawe umuntu namuhla kwa-Israyeli? Angazi yini ukuthi namuhla ngiyinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli?” 23 Inkosi yase ithi kuShimeyi: “Ngeke ufe.” Inkosi yafunga kuye. +

24 UMefibhosheti + umzukulu kaSawule naye wehla ezohlangabeza inkosi. Wayengazange azigeze izinyawo zakhe, engazange awanakekele amadevu akhe, engazange azihlanze nezingubo zakhe kusukela ngosuku inkosi eyahamba ngalo kwaze kwaba usuku eyabuya ngalo ngokuthula. 25 Lapho efika* eJerusalema ezobonana nenkosi, inkosi yathi kuye: “Kungani ungahambanga nami Mefibhosheti?” 26 Waphendula wathi: “Nkosi yami, inceku yami + yangikhohlisa. Ngoba ngangithe,* ‘Mangibophele imbongolo yami ukuze ngiyigibele ngihambe nenkosi,’ ngoba ngikhubazekile. *+ 27 Kodwa yanginyundela *+ enkosini yami. Nokho, inkosi yami injengengelosi kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, ngakho ungenza noma yini ebonakala ilungile kuwe. 28 Yonke indlu kababa ngabe yamane yanqunyelwa ukufa yinkosi yami, kunalokho wabeka inceku yakho phakathi kwalabo abadla etafuleni lakho. + Ngakho nginalungelo lini lokuphinde ngikhalele inkosi?”

29 Nokho, inkosi yathi kuye: “Sekwanele lokhu okushilo. Senginqume ukuthi wena noZiba kufanele nihlukaniselane ngendawo.” + 30 UMefibhosheti wathi enkosini: “Makayithathe yonke, njengoba inkosi yami isibuyele emzini wayo ngokuthula.”

31 UBharizilayi + waseGileyadi wehlela eJordani evela eRogelimi ukuze aphelezele inkosi ayoyibeka eJordani. 32 UBharizilayi wayesemdala kakhulu, eneminyaka engu-80 ubudala, wayenike inkosi ukudla ngesikhathi ihlala eMahanayimi, + ngoba wayecebe kakhulu. 33 Ngakho inkosi yathi kuBharizilayi: “Wela kanye nami, ngizokunika ukudla eJerusalema.” + 34 Kodwa uBharizilayi wathi enkosini: “Zingaki nje izinsuku* ezisele engisazoziphila, ukuba nginganyuka nenkosi ngiye eJerusalema? 35 Sengineminyaka engu-80 ubudala manje. + Ngisengakwazi yini ukuhlukanisa phakathi kokuhle nokubi? Mina nceku yakho ngisengakwazi yini ukuzwa ukunambitheka kwalokho engikudlayo nengikuphuzayo? Ngisengalilalela yini izwi labahlabeleli besilisa nabesifazane? + Pho kungani inceku yakho kufanele ibe umthwalo enkosini yami? 36 Kwanele ukuthi inceku yakho ikwazile ukuphelezela inkosi yazoyibeka eJordani. Kungani inkosi kufanele ingibuyisele ngalo mvuzo? 37 Ngiyacela, vumela inceku yakho ibuyele emuva, ngifele edolobheni lakithi eduze namathuna kababa nomama. + Kodwa nayi inceku yakho uKimihamu. + Mayiwele nenkosi yami, ungayenzela lokho okubonakala kukuhle kuwe.”

38 Ngakho inkosi yathi: “UKimihamu uzowela nami, ngizomenzela lokho okubonakala kukuhle kuwe; noma yini oyicelayo ngizoyenza.” 39 Bonke abantu bawela iJordani, lapho inkosi iwela, inkosi yaqabula uBharizilayi + yambusisa; ngemva kwalokho uBharizilayi wabuyela emzini wakhe. 40 Lapho inkosi iwelela eGiligali, + uKimihamu wawela kanye nayo. Bonke abantu bakwaJuda nengxenye yabantu bakwa-Israyeli, bayiweza inkosi. +

41 Ngemva kwalokho, bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli beza enkosini, bathi kuyo: “Kungani abafowethu, amadoda akwaJuda, beyebile inkosi bayiweza iJordani nabendlu yayo, baweza nawo wonke amadoda kaDavide?” + 42 Wonke amadoda akwaJuda aphendula amadoda akwa-Israyeli, athi: “Yingoba inkosi ihlobene nathi. + Kungani lokhu kunithukuthelisa? Ingabe kukhona esike sakudla ngezindleko zenkosi, noma ingabe sikhona isipho esisinikiwe?”

43 Nokho amadoda akwa-Israyeli aphendula amadoda akwaJuda, athi: “Siyizizwe eziyishumi, ngakho thina sinamalungelo amaningi kuDavide kunani. Pho, kungani nisidelelile? Bekungafanele yini sibe ngabokuqala ukubuyisa inkosi?” Kodwa izwi lamadoda akwaJuda laba nesisindo* kunezwi lamadoda akwa-Israyeli.