2 USamuyeli 18 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ukufa kukaAbisalomu

¹ UDavida wabutha abantu ababelaye, wababekela izinduna zezinkulungwane lezinduna zamakhulu.

² Wahlukanisa amabutho aba yizigaba ezintathu, esinye isigaba saphathwa nguJowabi, lesinye saphathwa ngumfowabo kaJowabi, uAbishayi indodana kaZeruya, esesithathu saphathwa nguIthayi waseGiti. Inkosi yawazisa amabutho ukuba layo uqobo izaphuma impi.

³ Kodwa abantu bathi: Kawuyikuphuma. Ngoba uba sibaleka, kabayikuba landaba lathi; loba kusifa ingxenye yethu, kabayikuba landaba. Kanti wena ulingana lenkulungwane ezilitshumi zethu; ngakho kuhle usisize uphakathi komuzi.

⁴ Inkosi yasisithi kibo: Ngizakwenza lokho elikubona kulungile. Inkosi yasisima eceleni kwesango, wonke amabutho aphuma ngamakhulu langezinkulungwane.

⁵ Inkosi yabalaya oJowabi loAbishayi loIthayi, yathi: Aliboliphatha kuhle ijaha uAbisalomu ngenxa yami. Bonke abantu bezwa lapho inkosi ilaya zonke izinduna ngoAbisalomu.

⁶ Impi yaphumela egangeni ukuyakulwa loIsrayeli, kwalwelwa eguswini elakoEfrayimi.

⁷ AbakoIsrayeli behlulwa lapho ngabantu bakaDavida, kwaba khona ukubulalana okukhulu ngalolosuku, kwafa abantu abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili.

⁸ Impi yahlakazekela elizweni lonke, igusu laqeda abantu abanengi ngalolosuku ukwedlula umkhonto.

⁹ UAbisalomu wahlangana lenceku zikaDavida. Wayegade imbongolo; kwathi isedlula ngaphansi kwengatsha zesihlahla esikhulu, ikhanda lakhe labanjwa zingatsha; imbongolo yadlula, yena wasala elenga emoyeni.

¹⁰ Umuntu othile wambona, watshela uJowabi wathi: Ngibone uAbisalomu elenga esihlahleni esikhulu.

¹¹ UJowabi wathi kulowomuntu omtshelayo: Umbonile na? Kungani ungamjuqanga, wawela phansi na? Bengizakukunika inhlamvu ezilitshumi zesiliva kanye lebhanti.

¹² Kodwa lowomuntu wathi kuJowabi: Loba bengizanikwa inhlamvu eziyinkulungwane zesiliva, bengingayikusiphakamisela isandla sami endodaneni yenkosi, ngoba inkosi yakulaya wena loAbishayi loIthayi sisizwa yathi: Lilondolozeni ijaha uAbisalomu ngenxa yami.

¹³ Uba bengenze inkohliso ngokuphila kwakhe, inkosi ibizakukwazi lokho ngoba yona kayicatshelwa lutho, lawe uqobo ubungayikwenza lutho.

¹⁴ UJowabi wasesithi: Kangiyikuchitha isikhathi ngokunjalo lawe. Wasethatha imikhonto emithathu, wamhlaba uAbisalomu enhliziyweni esezwa esabanjiwe yisihlahla esikhulu.

¹⁵ Insizwa ezilitshumi ezaziphatha izikhali zikaJowabi, zamzingelezela uAbisalomu, zamtshaya zambulala.

¹⁶ UJowabi wasetshaya uphondo, abantu babuya ekuxotshaneni loIsrayeli, ngoba uJowabi esebatshele ukuba bayekele.

¹⁷ Basithatha isidumbu sikaAbisalomu, basiphosela emgodini omkhulu eguswini, babuthelela inqwaba yamatshe phezulu; bonke abakoIsrayeli babalekela emakhaya abo.

¹⁸ UAbisalomu esekhona wayemise insika esigodini senkosi, ngoba wathi: Angilandodana yokukhumbula ibizo lami. Leyonsika wayitha ibizo lakhe, kuthiwa yisikhumbuzo sikaAbisalomu kuze kube lamuhla.

¹⁹ UAhimazi indodana kaZadoki wasesithi: Ake ngigijime, ngiyibikele inkosi ukuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu iyikhulule ezitheni zayo.

²⁰ Kodwa uJowabi wathi kuye: Kawuyikubika indaba lamuhla, kodwa uzazibika ngolunye usuku; lamhla kawuyikubika lutho, ngoba indodana yenkosi ifile.

²¹ UJowabi wasesithi kumEtiyopiya: Hamba uyebikela inkosi okubonileyo. UmEtiyopiya wakhothama phambi kukaJowabi, wasuka wagijima.

²² UAhimazi indodana kaZadoki wabuya wathi kuJowabi: Loba kunjani, ake ngigijime lami, ngimlandele umEtiyopiya. Kodwa uJowabi wathi: Uzagijimelani, mntanami, lokhu kawuyikuzuza umvuzo ngombiko wakho na?

²³ Yena wathi: Loba kunjani, ngizagijima. Wathi: Gijima. Wasegijima uAhimazi ngendlela edabula esigodini saseJordani, wamdlula emEtiyopiya.

²⁴ UDavida wayehlezi phakathi kwamasango womabili; umlindi wakhwela waya ophahleni lwesango emdulini, wahle wabona umuntu egijima yedwa.

²⁵ Umlindi wamemeza wayitshela inkosi. Yathi inkosi: Uba eyedwa uletha indaba ezinhle. Umuntu lowo wayelokhu esondela njalo.

²⁶ Umlindi wabuya wabona omunye umuntu egijima; wabiza umlindisango wathi: Nanguya omunye umuntu ugijima yedwa. Inkosi yathi: Laye uletha indaba ezinhle.

²⁷ Umlindi wasesithi: Ngibona kungathi owokuqala ugijimisa uAhimazi indodana kaZadoki. Inkosi yathi: Ngumuntu olungileyo yena, uletha indaba ezinhle.

²⁸ UAhimazi wasekhuleka esithi enkosini: Bayethe! Wakhothama phambi kwenkosi, wakhangela phansi wathi: Kayibongwe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, enikele esandleni sakho abantu abavukela inkosi yami.

²⁹ Inkosi yathi: Injani insizwa uAbisalomu na? UAhimazi wathi: Ngibone ukuphithizela okukhulu lapho uJowabi inceku yenkosi engithuma, kodwa kangazanga ukuba bekwenze njani.

³⁰ Inkosi yathi: Buyela eceleni, ume khona. Wasebuyela eceleni esima.

³¹ Kwasekufika umEtiyopiya wathi: Kuzindaba ezinhle, nkosi yami! INkosi uNkulunkulu ikuphindisele lamuhla kubo bonke abakuvukelayo.

³² Inkosi yasisithi kumEtiyopiya: Injani insizwa uAbisalomu na? UmEtiyopiya wathi: Kungathi izitha zenkosi yami labo bonke abayivukelayo ukuba bayilimaze bangaba njengaleyonsizwa.

³³ Yadabuka kakhulu inkosi, yakhwela yaya endlini engaphezu kwesango, yahamba ikhala isithi: Hawu, ndodana yami Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami, Abisalomu! Kungathi ngabe kufe mina endaweni yakho! Hawu, Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!