U-Absalomu ulinga ukuzenza ikosi
1Emva kwalokho u-Absalomu wazithathela ikarana, iinjomani namatjhumi amahlanu wamavulandlela. 2Gade anande avuka ekuseni ayokulinda magegana nendlela eya esangweni ledorobho iJerusalema. Bekuthi lokha umuntu eza ekosini nesililo bona sigwetjwe, u-Absalomu ambuze athi: “Ubuya kiwuphi umuzi?” Lokha umuntu loyo naphendula athi: “Incekwakho ibuya kenye yeenkoro zakwa-Israyeli,” 3u-Absalomu gade athi kuye: “Iye, awa isililo sakho siyazwakala begodu silula, kodwana nginevalo ngombana ikosi angeze yasibeka ndawo.” 4Abuye godu athi: “Mntabantu, thana bekukhethwe mina bona ngibe mgwebi enarhenapha; bekuzakuthi lokha umuntu nanesililo namkha umlandu, ubangeza kimi, mina-ke bengizamenzela ukulunga!” 5Bekuthi lokha umuntu eza kuye ngokumkhothamela, elule isandla sakhe, abambe umuntu loyo amgone. 6U-Absalomu waziphatha ngendlela leyo kiwo woke umIsrayeli ogade eza ekosini bona abawe ubulungiswa. Ngendlela leyo-ke wazuza iinhliziyo zabantu bakwa-Israyeli.
7Kwathi ekupheleni kweminyaka emine, u-Absalomu wathi ekosini uDavida: “Yewungivumele ngiye eRhebroni ngiyokuzalisa isifungo engasenza kuSomninini. 8Lokha mina incekwakho nangisese seGetjhuri eSiriya, ngenza isifungwesi ngathi, ‘Nange uSomnini uZimu angangibuyisela eJerusalema, ngizamlotjha eRhebroni.’ ”
9UDavida wathi kuye: “Yewukhambe ngokuthula.” Waya-ke eRhebroni.
10Khonapho wathumela iinhloli kizo zoke iinkoro zakwa-Israyeli wathi: “Lokha nanizwa ukulila kwepalapala, yithini, ‘U-Absalomu sele ayikosi eRhebroni.’ ” 11Abantu abamakhulu amabili beJerusalema gade baphekelele u-Absalomu. Gade bamenywe njengeenthekeli ezikulu begodu baye lapho bangakatjheji, bangazi litho ngendaba le. 12U-Absalomu wamema no-Arhitofeli umGilo, omluleki kaDavida bona eze emgidini womhlatjelo. Ngaleyondlela izungu laka-Absalomu laqina nabalandeli bakhe banda.
13Kwafika isithunywa kuDavida sathi: “Iinhliziyo zabantu bakwa-Israyeli seziku-Absalomu.”
14UDavida wathi eenkhulwini zakhe egade zinaye eJerusalema: “Nambani sibalekeni, nakungasinjalo akakho ozakusinda ku-Absalomu. Asirhabeni, angaze asifunyane asibhubhise abe abulale woke umuntu edorobhenapha.”
15Yeke iinkhulu zakaDavida zaphendula zathi: “Iinceku zekosi sezilungele ukwenza nanyana yini ikosethu ekukhethako.”
16Ikosi yatjhiya isigodlo, yalandelwa yindlwayo yoke; kodwana yasukela imingena elitjhumi bona isale itjheje isigodlo. 17Kwathi lokha ikosi nayiphuma ngedorobheni ibutho layo layilandela. Nabafika endlini yokugcina bajama, 18kwathi amabuthwayo adlula phambi kwayo nawowoke amaKereti namaPeleti, kanye namaGathi amakhulu amathandathu ebegade ayiphekelele eGathi aqamula phambi kwekosi.
19Ikosi yathi ku-Itayi umGathi: “Ukhambelani nathi? Buyela emuva uyokuhlala no-Absalomu ikosi. Wena umqhamuka obaleke enarhenekhabo. 20Ungumafikizolo. Angikwazi ukuzulazula nawe, ukube nalapha ngiya khona nami angikwazi. Buyela emuva mntabantu, ujike nabekhenu. Ngiyathemba bonyana koke kuzakukhambela kuhle.”
21Kodwana u-Itayi waphendula ikosi wathi: “Mncwi, ngoZimu ngiqinisile ngithi ngifunga ikosami, ‘Nanyana kukuphi lapha ikosami izakubakhona, ekuphileni nekufeni, incekwakho izakuba lapho.’ ”
22UDavida wathi ku-Itayi: “Awa-ke, yewudlule, uragele phambili.” Yeke u-Itayi umGathi waragela phambili wakhamba nabo boke abantu nemindeni egade inaye.
23Boke abantu besigodi balila lokha loke ibutho nalidlulako. Ikosi nayo yaqamula umrhoba weKidroni, nabantu boke ebegade banayo balunga erhalawumbeni.
24UTsadokhi naye gade alapho, nawo woke amaLevi ebegade anaye athwele umfaji wesivumelwano sakaZimu. Abeka phasi umfaji kaZimu kwandawo, u-Abiyatari wanikela ngemihlabelo kufikela lapha boke abantu ebebakhamba noDavida baphuma khona edorobheni.
25Nje-ke ikosi uDavida yathi kuTsadokhi: “Buyisela umfaji kaZimu ngedorobheni. Nange ngingafunyana umusa phambi kwakaSomnini, uzangibuyisela emuva bona godu ngibone umfaji nendawawo. 26Kodwana nayibe uZimu akasathokozi ngami, kulungile; akazibonisele ngami.”
27Godu ikosi yathi kuTsadokhi umphristi: “Ngifuna ube yihloli. Yeke buyela edorobheni ngokuthula, wena no-Abiyatari namadodanenu u-Arhimahatsi noJonathani. 28Mina ngizakulinda emazibukweni weJordani bengifunyane umbikwenu.” 29Nje-ke uTsadokhi no-Abiyatari bathatha umfaji kaZimu bawubuyisela eJerusalema, bahlala lapho.
30UDavida bekakhamba alila nanyuka intaba ye-Oliva, azigubuzese ihloko, angakafaki namanyathelo. Boke abantu abanaye bagubuzesa iinhloko zabo, nabo bakhuphuka balila. 31UDavida wafumana umlayezo bonyana u-Arhitofeli uhlangana nabakhokhobeli kanye no-Absalomu. Yeke uDavida wathandaza wathi: “Kosami, dlhayeja ubululeki baka-Arhitofeli.”
32Kwathi bona uDavida afike esiqongolweni lapha abantu bebaphele balotjhe khona uZimu, uRhutjhayi umAriki gade alapho bona amhlangabeze, izambatho zakhe bezitlebhukile nehlokwakhe inethuli.
33UDavida wathi kuye: “Nayibe ukhamba nami uzokuba mthwalo kimi. 34Kodwana nange ungabuyela edorobheni ungangisiza ngokutjharaganisa ubululeki baka-Arhitofeli. Khamba ufese utjele u-Absalomu bonyana ufuna ukuba sisebenzi sakhe. Mtjele bona phambilini gade uyinceku kayise, nje-ke ufuna ukuba yincekwakhe. 35Abaphristi uTsadokhi no-Abiyatari nabo bazabe baseJerusalema. Batjele nanyana yini oyizwa esigodlweni sekosi. 36Amadodanabo amabili, u-Arhimahatsi umsa kaTsadokhi noJonathani umsa ka-Abiyatari bazabe balapho nabo. Balume indlebe ngananyana yini oyizwako.”
37URhutjhayi umngani kaDavida wafikisana no-Absalomu edorobheni.
