UDavida uhlangana noTsiba
1Kuthe bona uDavida akhambakhambe abe ayokufika ngaphetjheya kwesiqongolo, wahlangana noTsiba isisebenzi sakaMefi-Bhotjheti simlindile. UTsiba gade araga umjeje wabodumbana ababotjhelweko bathwele amakhulu amabili wamapani wesikwa, ikhulu lamakhekhe wamakwapa wediribe, ikhulu leenthelo ezivuthiweko nomjeka wewayini. 2UDavida wabuza uTsiba wathi: “Uzisa kwanabani izintwezi?” UTsiba waphendula wathi: “Abodumbanaba ngebekosini, kobanyana bekosini babe nento ekhwelwako; izikwa neenthelo ngezamadoda wekosini kobana agome; iwayini ngelokwehlisa ithuli kilabo abazakubulawa mrhawu erhalawumbeni.” 3Yeke ikosi yabuza yathi: “Uphi umntwanomntwana womphathakho?” UTsiba wathi ekosini: “Usele eJerusalema ngombana udlumbana bonyana namhlanje ikumba ka-Israyeli izombuyisela umbuso kabamkhulwakhe.” 4Yeke ikosi yathi kuTsiba: “Koke okungekwakaMefi-Bhotjheti kusukela gadesi kuzakuba ngekwakho.” UTsiba wathi: “Ngikhothama ngokuzithoba ndabezitha ngombana ngifunyene umusa phambi kwakho kosami!”
5Kuthe lokha ikosi uDavida nayifika eBharhurimu, kwavela indoda yekoro yomndeni kaSawula, ibizo layo nguTjhimeyi umsa kaGera. Yavela ikhamba ithukana, 6yathoma nokujikijela uDavida nedwendwe lakhe ngamatje. Yakwenza lokho phezu kobana loke iviyo ngitjho neentsitsirimba liphahle uDavida ngapha nangapha. 7Gade ithukana irhuwelela ithi: “Sukapha! Phuma lapha mbulali ndina! Isikhothamukhwesi! 8USomnini uZimu ukwehlisele isibetho ngeengazikazi ozichithe endlini kaSawula, owaba yikosi esikhundleni sakhe. USomnini udlulisele umbuswakho endodanenakho u-Absalomu. Khonanje, uzwa ubuhlungu obukufaneleko ngombana umbulali!”
9U-Abitjhayi umsa kaTseruya wathi ekosini: “Ndabezitha! Umgodoyikazi lo, ungubani bona ungathukana nekosami? Angiwuphahlazilini ihlokwanyana le!”
10Kodwana ikosi yathi: “Niyithenga ngani indaba le, nina besa bakaTseruya? Ayithukane! Mhlamunye uSomnini uyivumele bona ingithuke. Besibobani-ke thina bonyana singabuza sithi, ‘Ungenwe yini lo?’ ”
11UDavida wathi ku-Abitjhayi nakilo loke idwendwe lakhe: “Kungathi indodanami eligazi lakogazi lami ifuna ukungihlukanisa namabele, kangangani-ke ngomBhenjaminikazi lo? Mliseni athukane, sizamthini nje, mhlamunye ulayelwe nguSomnini bona enze njalo. 12Mhlamunye uSomnini uzakubona iinhlupheko zami bese ungibuyiselela ngobuhle godu phezu kwamanikelela engiwabona namhlanjesi la.”
13Yeke uDavida nedwendwe lakhe baragela phambili nendlela, ngapha uTjhimeyi naye nangu ugega nombundu ulinganisene nabo. Ukhamba athukana, ajikijela uDavida ngamatje nangamagade.
14Ikosi kanye nedwendwe layo, bafika sebadinwe baphelile emazibukweni weJordani. Ikosi yafese yakhokha ummoya.
U-Arhitofeli noRhutjhayi beluleka u-Absalomu
15Ngesikhatheso, u-Absalomu nawo woke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli bafika eJerusalema, u-Arhitofeli naye gade alapho. 16URhutjhayi umAriki, omngani kaDavida, waya ku-Absalomu wathi: “Bayede, ndabezitha! Bayede, ngwenyama!” 17U-Absalomu wabuza uRhutjhayi wathi: “Yindlela okhombisa ngayo umnganakho ithando le na? Kubayini ungazange ukhambe nomnganakho?” 18URhutjhayi wathi ku-Absalomu: “Awa, mina ngikhamba naloyo okhethwe nguSomnini, abantwaba nawo woke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli. Nango-ke umuntu engikakarele kuye. 19Ukudlula lapho, kanti ngubani omunye ekumele ngimlotjhe? Akukameli bona ngilotjhe umntwanomgani na? Njengombana bengilotjha uyihlo, nawe ngizakulotjha.”
20U-Absalomu wathi ku-Arhitofeli: “Akhe useluleke. Senze njani nakunje?” 21U-Arhitofeli waphendula wathi: “Lala nemingena kayihlo ayitjhiye bona itjheje isigodlo. Ngalokho woke u-Israyeli uzakuzwa bonyana uhlolele uyihlo bese woke okusekelako uqina idolo.”
22Yeke bahlomela u-Absalomu itende esirhodlweni esingaphezulu, walala nayo yoke imingena kayise epanyameni. 23Ngeenkhathezo nawululekwe ngu-Arhitofeli bese kufana nalokha nawuphendulwa nguZimu. Kwakunjalo ngoDavida no-Absalomu bebathatha zoke iinluleko zaka-Arhitofeli.
