2 Samuweli 18 - IsiZulu 2020

UDavide Wehlula Abakwa-Israyeli

¹ UDavide wababala abantu ababenaye, wayesebabekela izinduna zezinkulungwane nezinduna zamakhulu.

² UDavide wabehlukanisa amaqembu amathathu: elokuqala laliphethwe nguJowabe, elesibili liholwa ngu-Abhishayi, indodana kaZeruya, umfowabo kaJowabe, elokugcina liphethwe ngu-Ithayi, umGithi. Inkosi yathi kubantu: “Nami impela ngizophuma nani.”

³ Kepha abantu bathi: “Ngeke uphume nathi, ngokuba uma sibaleka abayukusilandela kangako, noma kungafa ingxenye yethu, abayukuyikhathalela. Kodwa wena ufana nezinkulungwane ezilishumi zethu kubo, ngakho-ke kungcono usisize usemzini.”

⁴ Inkosi yayisithi kubo: “Ngizokwenza lokho enikubona kufanele.” Ngakho-ke inkosi yema ngaseceleni kwesango, wonke amabutho aphuma ngamakhulu nangezinkulungwane.

⁵ Inkosi yayaleza uJowabe, u-Abhishayi no-Ithayi, yathi: “Anoyiphatha kahle insizwa ngenxa yami; ngisho u-Absalomu.” Bonke abantu bezwa lapho inkosi iyaleza zonke izinduna ngo-Absalomu.

⁶ Base bephumela endle, bayolwa no-Israyeli. Balwela ehlathini kwa-Efrayimi.

⁷ Abantu bakwa-Israyeli behlulwa yizinceku zikaDavide. Kwabulawa abantu abaningi kakhulu ngalolo lusuku; abayizi-20 000.

⁸ Amabutho empi ahlakazeka agcwala iziganga, ihlathi lawaqeda amaningi, kunalawo adliwa yinkemba ngalolo lusuku.

Ukufa Kuka-Absalomu Nokukhala KukaDavide

⁹ U-Absalomu wethuka ehlangana nezinceku zikaDavide. U-Absalomu wayegibele umnyuzi. Umnyuzi wangena phansi kwehlozi elicinene lamagatsha omu-okhi, u-Absalomu wagaxela ngezinwele kuwo, walenga emoyeni, umnyuzi abewugibele wedlula, wamshiya kanjalo.

¹⁰ Umuntu othile wakubona lokho, watshela uJowabe, wathi kuye: “Bheka, ngibone u-Absalomu elenga emu-okhini.”

¹¹ UJowabe wathi kumuntu ombikeleyo: “Umbone ngempela? Pho awumjuqanga ngani khona lapho, awele phansi na? Ngabe ngikunike izinhlamvu zesiliva ezilishumi nebhande.”

¹² Lowo muntu wathi kuJowabe: “Noma ngabe bengizokhokhelwa izinhlamvu zesiliva eziyinkulungwane esandleni sami, nokho bengingeke ngibeke isandla sami endodaneni yenkosi, ngokuba sizwile ngezindlebe zethu inkosi ikuyala wena no-Abhishayi no-Ithayi, ithi: ‘Yilondeni insizwa u-Absalomu.’

¹³ Nokho-ke, ukuba ngenze ukungethembeki, ngambulala, inkosi ibizozwa ngalokho, njengoba kungekho nto inkosi eyifihlelwayo; nawe uqobo ubuyomelana nami.”

¹⁴ UJowabe wayesethi: “Anginakulibala ngenxa yakho.” Wathatha imikhonto emithathu ngesandla sakhe, wambhokoda u-Absalomu enhliziyweni, esaphila ephakathi kwe-okhi.

¹⁵ Izinsizwa ezilishumi ezaziphethe izikhali zikaJowabe zamzungeza, zamgwaza u-Absalomu, zambulala.

¹⁶ UJowabe wayesebetha icilongo, abantu babuya ekuxosheni u-Israyeli, ngokuba uJowabe wababamba abantu.

¹⁷ Bamthatha u-Absalomu, bamlahla emgodini omkhulu ehlathini, babeka phezu kwakhe inqwaba yamatshe enkulu kakhulu; bonke abakwa-Israyeli, yilowo nalowo, wabalekela ethendeni lakhe.

¹⁸ U-Absalomu esaphila wayethathe insika, wazimisela yona eSigodini seNkosi, ngokuba wathi: “Anginandodana ezovusa igama lami.” Wayiqamba insika ngegama lakhe; isabizwa ngokuthi yisikhumbuzo sika-Absalomu, kuze kube namuhla.

UDavide Ubikelwa Ngokufa Kuka-Absalomu

¹⁹ U-Ahimahazi, indodana kaZadoki, wayesethi: “Ake ngigijime, ngiyobikela inkosi ukuthi uSimakade uyiphindiselele ezitheni zayo.”

²⁰ UJowabe wathi kuye: “Akuzukuba nguwe obika udaba namuhla, kepha uyakubika izindaba ngolunye usuku; namuhla awuzukubika lutho, ngokuba indodana yenkosi ifile.”

²¹ Wayesethi uJowabe kumKhushe: “Hamba, uyibikele inkosi ngokubonileyo.” UmKhushe wamkhothamela uJowabe, wayesegijima.

²² U-Ahimahazi, indodana kaZadoki, wabuye wathi kuJowabe: “Noma kungenzekani, ake ngigijime nami ngimlandele umKhushe.” Kepha uJowabe wathi: “Uzogijimelani wena, ndodana yami, lokhu kungekho mvuzo ozowuthola ngombiko na?”

²³ Wathi: “Noma kungenzekani, ngizogijima.” Wathi kuye: “Gijima.” Wayesegijima u-Ahimahazi ngendlela esethafeni, wamdlula umKhushe.

²⁴ UDavide wayehlezi phakathi kwamasango, elingaphakathi nelingaphandle; umlindi wakhuphukela ophahleni lwesango ngasogangeni lomuzi, waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona umuntu egijima yedwa.

²⁵ Umlindi wamemeza, wayibikela inkosi. Yathi inkosi: “Uma eyedwa, ulethe umbiko.” Wayelokhu esondela njalo.

²⁶ Umlindi wabona nomunye umuntu egijima; umlindi wayesebiza umlindisango, wathi: “Bheka, nangu omunye umuntu ogijima yedwa.” Inkosi yathi: “Naye lona ulethe umbiko.”

²⁷ Umlindi wayesethi: “Ngibona kungathi ukugijima kowokuqala kunjengokugijima kuka-Ahimahasi, indodana kaZadoki.” Inkosi yathi: “Ngumuntu olungileyo lowo; ulethe umbiko omuhle.”

²⁸ Wayesememeza u-Ahimahazi, wathi enkosini: “Bayede!” Wakhothama phambi kwenkosi, ebhekise phansi ubuso bakhe, wathi: “Makabongwe uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, onikele abantu abebefuna ukubulala inkosi yami.”

²⁹ Inkosi yathi: “Kuhamba kahle yini ngensizwa u-Absalomu na?” U-Ahimahazi wathi: “Ngabona isixuku sabantu, lapho uJowabe inceku yenkosi ethuma mina inceku yakho, kodwa angazanga ukuthi kwenzekani.”

³⁰ Inkosi yathi: “Gudluka, ume lapho.” Wagudluka, wema.

³¹ Bheka, kwase kufika umKhushe, wathi: “Ngilethe izindaba ezinhle enkosini, inkosi yami. USimakade ukuphindiselele namuhla kubo bonke abakuvukelayo.”

³² Inkosi yathi kumKhushe: “Kuhamba kahle yini ngensizwa u-Absalomu,na?” UmKhushe wathi: “Izitha zenkosi yami, inkosi, nabo bonke abayivukelayo mababe njengaleyo nsizwa.”

³³ Yayisidabuka kakhulu inkosi, yakhuphukela ekamelweni elingaphezu kwesango, yakhala; isahamba yathi: “Hawu ngendodana yami, u-Absalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami Absalomu! Sengathi ngabe kufe mina esikhundleni sakho, Absalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!”