2 Samuweli
18:1 UDavide wabala abantu ababenaye, wamisa izinduna
izinkulungwane nezinduna zamakhulu phezu kwabo.
18:2 UDavide wathuma ingxenye yesithathu yabantu phansi kwesandla sikaJowabe.
nenxenye yesithathu iphansi kwesandla sika-Abishayi indodana kaSeruya kaJowabe
umfowabo, nengxenye yesithathu ngaphansi kwesandla sika-Ithayi umGiti. Futhi i
inkosi yathi ebantwini: Mina lami ngizaphuma lokuphuma lami.
18:3 Kodwa abantu baphendula bathi: "Awuyikuphuma, ngoba uma sibaleka.
ngeke basinakekele; noma kufa inxenye yethu, abayikuzinaka
kepha manje ulingana nezinkulungwane eziyishumi zethu;
kungcono ukuthi usisize ungaphandle komuzi.
" 18:4 Inkosi yasisithi kubo: "Okubonakala kukuhle kini ngizokwenza. Futhi i
inkosi yema ngasesangweni, bonke abantu baphuma ngamakhulu
ngezinkulungwane.
18:5 Inkosi yabayala oJowabe no-Abishayi no-Ithayi, wathi: "Yenza kahle
ngenxa yami ku-Abisalomu insizwa. Futhi bonke abantu
yezwa lapho inkosi iyala zonke izinduna ngo-Abisalomu.
18:6 Ngakho abantu baphuma baya endle ngokumelene no-Israyeli, futhi impi
ehlathini lakwa-Efrayimi;
18:7 Lapho abantu bakwa-Israyeli babulawa phambi kwezinceku zikaDavide, futhi
kwaba khona ukubulalana okukhulu ngalolo suku abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili.
18:8 Ngoba impi yahlakazeka lapho ebusweni balo lonke izwe
izinkuni zadla abantu abaningi ngalolo suku kunabadliwa yinkemba.
18:9 U-Abisalomu wahlangana nezinceku zikaDavide. U-Abisalomu wayegibele umnyuzi, futhi
umnyuzi wangena ngaphansi kwamagatsha aminyene esihlahla se-oki, ikhanda lakhe labanjwa
wabamba i-oki, wanyuselwa phakathi kwezulu nomhlaba;
umnyuzi owawungaphansi kwakhe wahamba.
18:10 Umuntu othile ekubona lokho, wamtshela uJowabe, wathi: "Bheka, ngibone u-Abisalomu.
walengiswa esihlahleni se-oki.
18:11 UJowabe wayesethi endodeni emtshelayo: "Bheka, umbonile.
awumshayanga ngani emhlabathini lapho na? futhi bengizoba
wakunika amashekeli ayishumi esiliva nebhande.
18:12 Wathi lowo muntu kuJowabe, "Noma ngingathola amashekeli ayinkulungwane
nesiliva esandleni sami, kepha angivumanga ngelulela isandla sami kuyo
indodana yenkosi, ngokuba ezindlebeni zethu inkosi yakuyala wena no-Abishayi kanye
U-Ithayi wathi: "Xwaya ukuba kungabikho muntu othinta insizwa u-Abisalomu."
18:13 Uma kungenjalo, ngabe ngenze amanga ngokumelene ukuphila kwami siqu
akukho lutho olufihlekile enkosini, ubuyakuyibeka wena
wena ngokumelene nami.
" 18:14 Wathi uJowabe, "Angiyikulibala kanjalo nawe. Futhi wathatha imicibisholo emithathu
esandleni sakhe, wawahlaba enhliziyweni ka-Abisalomu esekhona
nokho ephila phakathi kwe-oki.
18:15 Izinsizwa eziyishumi ezaziphethe izikhali zikaJowabe zahaqa, zamshaya.
u-Abisalomu, wambulala.
18:16 UJowabe wavuthela icilongo, futhi abantu babuya ekuxosheni
Israyeli, ngokuba uJowabe wabavimba abantu.
18:17 Bamthatha u-Abisalomu, bamphonsa emgodini omkhulu ehlathini, futhi
babeka phezu kwakhe inqwaba enkulu kakhulu yamatshe; wonke u-Israyeli wabaleka, kwaba yilowo nalowo
etendeni lakhe.
18:18 Manje u-Absalomu ekuphileni kwakhe wathatha futhi wazikhulisela a
insika esesigodini senkosi, ngokuba wathi: "Anginandodana engayigcina."
igama lami ngesikhumbuzo: futhi wabiza insika ngegama lakhe siqu: futhi
ibizwa ngokuthi indawo ka-Abisalomu kuze kube namuhla.
18:19 Wayesethi u-Ahimahazi indodana kaSadoki: “Mangigijime, ngithwale inkosi.
izindaba zokuthi uJehova umphindisele ezitheni zakhe.
" 18:20 UJowabe wathi kuye: "Akuyiwe ophethe izindaba namuhla, kodwa wena
uyakumemezela ngolunye usuku, kepha namuhla awuyikubika.
ngoba indodana yenkosi ifile.
" 18:21 UJowabe wayesethi kuKushi, "Hamba utshele inkosi lokho okubonileyo." Futhi uKushi
wakhothamela uJowabe, wagijima.
18:22 U-Ahimahazi indodana kaSadoki waphinda wathi kuJowabe: "Noma kunjalo
ngiyakucela nami ngigijime emva kukaKushi. UJowabe wathi: "Kungani
uyagijima, ndodana yami, ungakabi nandaba na?
18:23 Kodwa noma kanjani, wathi, Ngivumele ngigijime. Wathi kuye: Gijima. Khona-ke
U-Ahimahatse wagijima ngendlela yasethafeni, wamdlula uKushi.
18:24 UDavide wahlala phakathi kwamasango amabili, futhi umlindi wenyukela ethempelini
phezu kwesango odongeni, waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabheka;
bheka, umuntu egijima yedwa.
18:25 Futhi umlindi wamemeza, futhi watshela inkosi. Inkosi yathi: "Uma ekhona."
eyedwa, kunezindaba emlonyeni wakhe. Wasondela, wasondela.
18:26 Umlindi wabona omunye umuntu egijima, futhi umlindi wamemeza
umlindisango, wathi: "Bheka, nansi enye indoda egijima yodwa." Futhi inkosi
wathi: Laye uletha izindaba.
18:27 Futhi umlindi wathi: "Ngicabanga ukuthi ukugijima kwabaphambili kufana
ukugijima kuka-Ahimahazi indodana kaSadoki. Inkosi yasisithi: Muhle
umuntu, futhi iza nezindaba ezinhle.
" 18:28 U-Ahimahazi wamemeza, wathi enkosini: "Kulungile. Futhi wawa
wehlela phansi ngobuso phambi kwenkosi, wathi: "Makabusiswe."
uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho onikele abantu abaphakamisile
isandla phezu kwenkosi yami, inkosi.
" 18:29 Inkosi yathi: "Ingabe insizwa u-Abisalomu iphephile? U-Ahimahazi waphendula wathi:
Lapho uJowabe ethuma inceku yenkosi, mina nceku yakho, ngabona elikhulu
isiphithiphithi, kodwa ngangingazi ukuthi kuyini.
" 18:30 Inkosi yathi kuye: "Suka ume lapha. Futhi waphenduka
eceleni, wema.
18:31 Bheka, kwafika umKushi; umKushi wathi: “Izindaba ezinhle, nkosi yami, nkosi;
uJehova ukuphindisele namuhla kubo bonke abakuvukelayo
wena.
" 18:32 Inkosi yathi kuKushi, "Ingabe insizwa u-Absalomu iphephile? Futhi uKushi
waphendula wathi: "Izitha zenkosi yami, inkosi, nabo bonke abangivukelayo."
ukukulimaza, yiba njengaleyo nsizwa.
18:33 Inkosi yethuka kakhulu, yakhuphukela ekamelweni eliphezu kwesango.
wahamba, wathi: “Ndodana yami Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!
Absalomu! Sengathi ngabe ngifile esikhundleni sakho, Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!