2 USamuyeli 14 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UJowabi wenza icebo lokubuyisa uAbisalomu

¹ UJowabi indodana kaZeruya wabona ukuthi inhliziyo yenkosi ikuAbisalomu.

² Wasethumela ilizwi eTekowa ukuba alande khona owesifazana ohlakaniphileyo, wathi kuye: Ake uzitshaye olilayo, ugqoke izigqoko zokuzila; ungazigcobi ngamagcobo, kodwa ube njengowesifazana oselilele ofileyo insuku ezinengi.

³ Ungeneke enkosini, ukhulume kuyo ngalindlela. UJowabi wasemfunzake amazwi.

⁴ Lapho owesifazana efika enkosini, wathi mbo ngobuso phansi, wakhuleka, wasesithi: Siza, nkosi!

⁵ Inkosi yathi kuye: Uhlutshwa yini na? Yena wathi: Sibili, nkosi, ngingumfelwakazi, indoda yami seyafa.

⁶ Incekukazi yakho yayilamadodana amabili, alwa wodwa egangeni; kwakungelamuntu wokuwalamula, enye yatshaya enye, yayibulala.

⁷ Usendo lonke seluvukele incekukazi yakho, luthi: Sinike yena owatshaya umfowabo wambulala, ukuba simbulale ngenxa yokuba wabulala umfowabo, siyibulale indlalifa. Ngalokhoke bacime isikhuni sami esiseleyo, bangabe besatshiyela indoda yami ibizo lenzalo emhlabeni.

⁸ Inkosi yasisithi kowesifazana: Hamba endlini yakho; mina ngizalungisa indaba yakho.

⁹ Owesifazana waseTekowa wasesithi enkosini: Nkosi yami, icala kalibe phezu kwami laphezu kwendlu kababa; inkosi lesihlalo sayo sobukhosi kungabi lacala.

¹⁰ Yathi inkosi: Otsho ulutho kuwe, umlethe kimi; kayikuphinda akuthinte futhi.

¹¹ Yena wasesithi: Inkosi ake ifunge iNkosi uNkulunkulu wayo ukuba isihlobo sami esifuna ukuphindisela singaqhubeki ukubulala, ukuze ingabhujiswa indodana yami. Inkosi yathi: Ngifunga iNkosi, kakuyikuwela phansi olulodwa unwele lwendodana yakho.

¹² Owesifazana wasesithi: Incekukazi yakho ake ikhulume ilizwi enkosini yami. Yathi: Khuluma.

¹³ Owesifazana wasesithi: Uqambeleni okunje ngabantu bakaNkulunkulu na? Ngokukhuluma lokhu inkosi izethwesa icala, ngoba iyala ukubuyisa oxotshiweyo wayo ekhaya.

¹⁴ Sifanele ukufa sonke, sinjengamanzi achithekele phansi angaselakubuthwa futhi; kodwa uNkulunkulu uzamyekela umuntu ongenzi olahliweyo ahlale exotshiwe.

¹⁵ Ngizile ukukhuluma lokhu enkosini yami ngoba abantu bangethusile; incekukazi yakho yasisithi: Ngizakhuluma lenkosi; mhlawumbe inkosi izalizwa ilizwi lencekukazi yayo.

¹⁶ Ngoba inkosi izakuzwa, ikhulule incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu ofuna ukungichitha mina lendodana yami elizweni labantu bakaNkulunkulu.

¹⁷ Ngasengisithi: Ilizwi lenkosi yami lizangiduduza, ngoba inkosi yami injengesithunywa sikaNkulunkulu ukubona okubi lokuhle. INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho kayibe lawe.

¹⁸ Inkosi yasimphendula owesifazana isithi: Ungafihli lutho engizalubuza kuwe. Owesifazana wathi: Inkosi kayikhulume.

¹⁹ Yathi inkosi: Isandla sikaJowabi silawe yini kukho konke lokhu na? Owesifazana waphendula wathi: Ngifunga inkosi yami, lapho inkosi ibuza umbuzo, kakulandlela yokuwuvika, ngasokunene langasekhohlo. Yebo, inceku yakho uJowabi yangilaya, yiyo eyangifunza wonke lamazwi.

²⁰ Inceku yakho uJowabi ikwenzile lokhu ukuba iphendule ukuma kwendaba. Kodwa inkosi yami ilokuhlakanipha okunjengokwesithunywa sikaNkulunkulu, iyakwazi konke okusemhlabeni.

²¹ Inkosi yasisithi kuJowabi: Khangela, ngiyakuvumela; hamba ulande umfana uAbisalomu.

²² UJowabi wasesithi mbo ngobuso phansi, wakhuleka, wayibusisa inkosi, wasesithi: Lamuhla ngiyazi ukuba ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, ngoba inkosi isizwile isicelo sami.

²³ Wasesuka uJowabi ehamba, waya eGeshuri, wambuyisa eJerusalema uAbisalomu.

²⁴ Inkosi yathi: Kaye endlini yakhe, angezi lapha kimi. Ngakho uAbisalomu wasesiya endlini yakhe, kangenanga enkosini.

²⁵ Kuye wonke uIsrayeli kwakungelamuntu obukeka njengoAbisalomu ngobuhle bakhe; kwakungelasici kuye kusukela ophangweni lonyawo lwakhe kuze kufike enkanda yakhe.

²⁶ Nxa egela inwele zakhe — ngoba wayezigela iminyaka yonke, ngoba zazimsinda ngobunzima bazo — zazilingana lamashekeli angamakhulu amabili ngesilinganiso senkosi.

²⁷ UAbisalomu wazala amadodana amathathu lendodakazi eyodwa eyayithiwa nguTamari; wayengowesifazana omuhle kakhulu.

²⁸ UAbisalomu wahlala eJerusalema iminyaka emibili epheleleyo engangeni enkosini.

²⁹ Wasebiza uJowabi ukuba amthume enkosini; kodwa yena kavumanga ukuza kuye. Waphinda wambiza ngokwesibili, kodwa uJowabi kavumanga ukuza.

³⁰ Wasesithi encekwini zakhe: Khangelani, insimu kaJowabi iseduze leyami, kulamabele kiyo; hambani liyithungele ngomlilo. Inceku zikaAbisalomu zayithungelake insimu ngomlilo.

³¹ Wasesuka uJowabi esiya kuAbisalomu endlini yakhe, wathi kuye: Inceku zakho ziyithungeleleni insimu yami ngomlilo na?

³² UAbisalomu wamphendula uJowabi wathi: Ngithumele ilizwi kuwe ukuba uze lapha, ukuze ngikuthume enkosini, ukuba ungibuzele uthi: Ngisukeleni eGeshuri na? Ngabe kungcono kimi uba ngilokhu ngisekhonale. Ake ungivumele ngingene kuwe, nkosi; uba ngilecala, ungibulale.

³³ UJowabi wasesiya enkosini, wayitshela, yambiza uAbisalomu; weza enkosini, wafika wathi mbo ngobuso phansi phambi kwayo; inkosi yamanga uAbisalomu.