UDavide Uhlangatshezwa NguZiba
1Kwathi uDavide esedlule ibangana nje esicongweni sentaba, wahlangatshezwa nguZiba, inceku kaMefibhoshethi, nezimbongolo ezimbili ezaziboshelwe, zithwele izinkwa ezingama-200, izigaxa eziyikhulu zamagilebhisi omisiwe, izigaxa eziyikhulu zezithelo zasehlobo, nemvaba yewayini.
2Inkosi yathi kuZiba: “Ziyini lezi zinto na?”
UZiba wathi: “Izimbongolo ngezokugibelisa abendlu yenkosi. Izinkwa nezithelo ngezokudliwa, kuthi iwayini liphuzwe yilabo asebeyethiswe ukuba sehlane.”
3Inkosi yayisithi: “Iphi indodana yenkosi yakho?”
UZiba wathi enkosini: “Ihleli eJerusalema ngokuba yathi: ‘Namuhla indlu ka-Israyeli izowubuyisela kimi umbuso kababa.’ ”
4Inkosi yathi kuZiba: “Uyabona-ke, konke obekungokukaMefibhoshethi sekungokwakho.”
UZiba wayesethi: “Ngiyakhuleka ukuba ngifumane umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, nkosi.”
UShimeyi Wehla Enyuka Ethuka UDavide
5Kwathi lapho inkosi uDavide ifika eBhahurimi, kwaphuma omunye wabomndeni wendlu yenkosi uSawule, igama lakhe kunguShimeyi, indodana kaGera; wayehla enyuka ethuka inkosi. 6Wamjikijela ngamatshe uDavide nezinceku zakhe zonke, nabo bonke abantu eyayihamba nabo inkosi, wonke amaqhawe ayemhaqile ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo sakhe. 7UShimeyi wathi lapho ethuka uDavide: “Suka, suka wena muntu wegazi, muntu ongelutho! 8USimakade ubuyisele phezu kwakho lonke igazi lendlu kaSawule okade ubusa esikhundleni sakhe. USimakade uwunikele umbuso esandleni sendodana yakho u-Absalomu. Nakhu lapha ukhona, ubhajwe ebubini bakho, ngokuba ungumuntu wegazi.”
9U-Abhishayi, indodana kaZeruya, wayesethi enkosini: “Le nja efileyo iyithukelani inkosi yami, inkosi, na? Mangiye kuyo ngiyinqume ikhanda.”
10Yathi inkosi: “Ngihlangene ngani mina nani, madodana kaZeruya? Uma engithuka, ngoba kusho uSimakade kuye wathi: ‘Thuka uDavide,’ ngubani ongathi: ‘Ukwenzeleni lokho na?’ ”
11UDavide wayesethi ku-Abhishayi nakuzo zonke izinceku zakhe: “Bhekani, indodana yami eyaphuma ezibilini zami ifuna ukuphila kwami; kakhulu kangakanani-ke lo mBhenjamini na? Myekeni, athuke, ngokuba nguSimakade omthumile. 12Mhlawumbe uSimakade uzolubona usizi lwami, angibuyisele okuhle ngokungithuka kwakhe namuhla.”
13UDavide nabantu bakhe baqhubeka nendlela; uShimeyi wagudla intaba elinganisene nabo, ehamba ebathuka, ebajikijela ngamatshe, futhi ebathela ngomhlabathi.
UHushayi Uqinisekisa U-Absalomu
14Inkosi, nabo bonke abantu eyayihamba nabo, bafika eJordani bekhathele; yafike yathi gozololo lapho, yahlumeleleka.
15U-Absalomu nabo bonke abantu, amadoda akwa-Israyeli, bafika eJerusalema, u-Ahithofeli wayenabo. 16Kwathi nje lapho uHushayi, umArikhi, umngani kaDavide, efika ku-Absalomu, wathi kuye: “Mana njalo, nkosi; mana njalo, nkosi.”
17U-Absalomu wayesethi kuHushayi: “Lokhu kungukwethembeka kwakho kumngani wakho, na? Awuhambanga ngani nomngani wakho, na?”
18Wayesethi uHushayi ku-Absalomu: “Qha, lowo okhethwe nguSimakade, nayilaba bantu, abantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli ngiyakuba ngowakhe, ngihlale naye. 19Ngiyakukhonza bani uma ngingekhonze indodana yakhe, na? Njengalokhu ngamsebenzela uyihlo, ngizokwenza kanjalo nakuwe.”
U-Ahithofeli Weluleka U-Absalomu Okokuqala
20Wayesethi u-Absalomu ku-Ahithofeli: “Sinike iseluleko sakho, senzenjani, na?”
21Wathi-ke u-Ahithofeli ku-Absalomu: “Hamba ulale nezancinza zikayihlo, lezo azishiyile ukuba zinakekele isigodlo; u-Israyeli wonke uyakuzwa ukuthi unengwa kangakanani nguyihlo, bese ziyaqina izandla zabo bonke abanawe.”
22U-Absalomu bammisela ithende ophahleni lwendlu. U-Absalomu walala nazo zonke izancinza zikayise phambi kuka-Israyeli wonke.
23Konke u-Ahithofeli ayeluleka ngakho kulezo zinsuku, kwakungathi kubuzwe kuNkulunkulu, ngakho-ke iseluleko sika-Ahithofeli sasihlonishwa nguDavide, kanjalo no-Absalomu.
