U-Absalomu Weba Izinhliziyo Zabakwa-Israyeli
1Kwathi emveni kwalokho u-Absalomu wazakhela inqola yempi, wazitholela amahhashi, namadoda angama-50 ayezogijima phambi kwakhe. 2U-Absalomu wayevuka ekuseni, ame eceleni kwendlela eya esangweni. Kwakuthi uma kwedlula umuntu onecala eya enkosini ukuze linqunywe, u-Absalomu ambize, athi kuye: “Uvela kumuphi umuzi na?”
Umuntu aphendule athi: “Inceku yakho ingowesinye sezizwana zakwa-Israyeli.”
3U-Absalomu bese ethi kuye: “Uyabona, indaba yakho inhle, iqondile, kodwa akukho muntu obekwe yinkosi ukuba akulalele.”
4U-Absalomu wabuye wathi: “Sengathi bengingabekwa ngibe ngumehluleli ezweni, ukuze wonke umuntu onecala nesikhalo esithile, eze kimi ngimehlulele; ngimenzele ubulungiswa.”
5Kwakuthi lapho kusondela noma ngubani ukuzomkhothamela, wayelula isandla sakhe, ambambe, amange. 6U-Absalomu wayenza kanjalo kubo bonke abakwa-Israyeli ababeza enkosini ngamacala. U-Absalomu wazeba kanjalo-ke izinhliziyo zabantu bakwa-Israyeli.
7Ekupheleni kweminyaka engama-40, u-Absalomu wathi enkosini: “Ngiyacela ukuba ngiye eHebhroni ngiyofeza isithembiso engasenza kuSimakade. 8Inceku yakho, ngesikhathi isahleli eGeshuri e-Aramu, yenza isithembiso, yathi: ‘Uma impela uSimakade engangibuyisela eJerusalema, ngiyakumkhonza uSimakade.’ ”
9Inkosi yathi kuye: “Hamba ngokuthula.”
Wayesesuka, wahamba waya eHebhroni.
10U-Absalomu wathuma izinhloli kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli ukuba ziyothi: “Ngesikhathi nizwa ukukhala kwecilongo anothi: ‘U-Absalomu uyinkosi eHebhroni.’ ”
11U-Absalomu wahamba namadoda angama-200 ayemenyiwe evela eJerusalema; ayehamba emsulwa engazi lutho. 12U-Absalomu wathumela ku-Ahithofeli, umGiloni, umeluleki kaDavide owayevela emzini iGilo, lapho esanikela ngemihlatshelo. Lwaqina-ke uzungu, futhi banda nabantu ngasohlangothini luka-Absalomu.
UDavide Ubalekela U-Absalomu
13Kwafika othile kuDavide wambikela, wathi: “Izinhliziyo zabantu bakwa-Israyeli zilandela u-Absalomu.”
14UDavide wayesethi ezincekwini zakhe zonke ezazinaye eJerusalema: “Sukani, masibalekeni, ngokuba uma singenzi kanjalo, akukho namunye ozophunyuka ku-Absalomu. Sheshisani sihambe, funa asificezele, asenzakalise, awubhubhise nalo muzi ngenkemba.”
15Izinceku zenkosi zathi enkosini: “Noma yini eyikhethayo inkosi yethu, inkosi, izinceku zakho zimi ngomumo ukuyenza.”
16Yayisiphuma inkosi, bonke abendlu bayo beyilandela. Inkosi yashiya abesifazane abayizancinza abalishumi ukuba banakekele isigodlo. 17Yaphuma-ke inkosi, bonke abantu beyilandela; bama ngasendlini yokugcina. 18Zonke izinceku zadlula eceleni kwakhe nawo wonke amaKherethi, nawo wonke amaPhelethi, nawo wonke amaGithi, abantu abangama-600, ababeyilandela besuka eGathi, bedlula phambi kwenkosi.
19Inkosi yayisithi ku-Ithayi, umGithi: “Wena-ke uhambelani nathi na? Phindela emuva, uhlale nenkosi, ngokuba wena ungumfokazi nodingisiwe kwelakini. 20Usanda kufika nje, manje usufuna ngikuzulazulise nathi na? Mina ngisaya lapho ngiya khona. Phindela emuva wena, ubuyele nabafowenu; umusa neqiniso kube nawe.”
21U-Ithayi wayiphendula inkosi, wathi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade naphambi kwakho nkosi yami, inkosi, lapho inkosi yami, inkosi, iya khona, kungaba sekufeni noma ekuphileni, inceku yakho nayo iyakuba lapho.”
22UDavide wathi ku-Ithayi: “Woza, uwele.”
U-Ithayi, umGithi, wawela nabo bonke abantu bakubo nazo zonke izingane ezazinaye.
23Izwe lonke lakhala ngezwi elikhulu. Abantu bonke bawela, nenkosi nayo yawela umfudlana iKidroni; abantu bonke bawela ngendlela yasogwadule.
24Kwenyuka u-Abhiyathara noZadoki nabo bonke abaLevi, bethwele umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu; bawubeka phansi umphongolo wesivumelwano baze bedlula bonke abantu ababephuma emzini.
25Inkosi yathi kuZadoki: “Ubuyisele emzini umphongolo kaNkulunkulu. Uma ngifumana umusa emehlweni kaSimakade, uzokungibuyisa, angibonise wona nendlu yawo, 26kodwa uma ethi: ‘Angithokozi ngawe;’ bheka, ngilapha; makenze kimi lokho akubona kufanele.”
27Inkosi yathi kuZadoki, umphristi: “Wena ungumboni yini na? Buyela emzini ngokuthula, wena namadodana amabili, u-Ahimahazi, indodana yakho noJonathani, indodana ka-Abhiyathara. 28Mina-ke, ngizothi ukuzindela ngasemazibukweni ehlane, kuze kufike izwi elivela kini lokungibikela.”
29UZadoki no-Abhiyathara bawubuyisela eJerusalema umphongolo kaNkulunkulu, bahlala khona.
30UDavide wenyuka ngommango weNtaba Yemihlwathi, wenyuka ekhala, egubuzele ikhanda, engafake zicathulo. Bonke abantu ababenaye bagubuzela, yilowo nalowo ikhanda lakhe, benyuka bekhala. 31Kwabikwa kuDavide ukuthi: “U-Ahithofeli uphakathi kwabozungu luka-Absalomu.”
Wayesethi uDavide: “Simakade, ake uwenze inhlekisa amasu ka-Ahithofeli.”
32Uthe ukuba adundubale afinyelele esiqongweni lapho kukhulekwa khona kuNkulunkulu, wahlangatshezwa nguHushayi, umArikhi, egqoke ibhantshi eliklebhukile, enomhlabathi ekhanda. 33UDavide wathi kuye: “Uma uhamba nami, uzokuba ngumthwalo kimi, 34kodwa uma ubuyela emzini ufike uthi ku-Absalomu: ‘Sengizokuba yinceku yakho manje njengoba bengiyinceku kayihlo, manje sengizoba ngeyakho,’ ngokwenza lokho nje uyokwazi ukungibhuntshisela amasu ka-Ahithofeli. 35Abaphristi, uZadoki no-Abhiyathara, bayoba nawe lapho. Kuyothi konke okuzwayo esigodlweni senkosi ukutshele uZadoki no-Abhiyathara. 36Amadodana abo amabili, u-Ahimahazi, indodana kaZadoki noJonathani, indodana ka-Abhiyathara anabo, uyothumela ngabo konke oyobe ukuzwile.”
37UHushayi, umngani kaDavide, wangena emzini ngesikhathi u-Absalomu engena eJerusalema.
