USamyela Wesibili
17 U-Arhitofeli wathi ku-Absalomu: “Ngibawa ungivumele ngikhethe amadoda azii-12 000 bona siphume siyokugijimisa uDavida ebusuku banamhlanjesi. 2 Ngizomfikela asadiniwe begodu anganamandla,+ ngimthuse; boke abantu bakhe bazokubaleka kodwana ngizokurhayila ikosi kwaphela.+ 3 Ngemva kwalokho, ngizokuletha boke abantu kuwe. Ukubuya kwabo boke abantu kusame kilokho okuzokwenzeka emuntwini omfunako. Yeke boke abantu bazokuba nokuthula.” 4 U-Absalomu nabo boke abadala bakwa-Israyeli basithanda khulu isiphakamiswesi.
5 Nanyana kunjalo, u-Absalomu wathi: “Ngibawa nibize noRhutjhayi+ umAriki, sizwe bona yena uthini.” 6 Yeke uRhutjhayi wangena ngaku-Absalomu. U-Absalomu wathi kuye: “Nasi iseluleko saka-Arhitofeli. Sisilandele na? Nakungakafuzi sisilandele, sitjela bona senzeni.” 7 Ngalokho uRhutjhayi wathi ku-Absalomu: “Iseluleko saka-Arhitofeli asikalungi kilokhu!”+
8 URhutjhayi waraga wathi: “Wazi kuhle bona uyihlo nabantu bakhe banamandla+ begodu basilingeke njengebhere elilahlekelwe bantwabalo emmangweni.+ Ngaphezu kwalokho, uyihlo uyingorho+ begodu angeze alala hlangana nabantu bekuse. 9 Sikhuluma nje ubhace kwelinye lamarholo* namkha kwenye indawo;+ nange angasahlela qangi, abazokuzwa ngalokho bazokuthi, ‘Abalandeli baka-Absalomu bahluliwe!’ 10 Ngitjho nendoda enesibindi enehliziyo enjengeyebhubezi+ izokungenwa mamanzi emadolweni ngombana ama-Israyeli woke ayazi bona uyihlo uyindoda enamandla+ nokuthi abantu bakhe banesibindi. 11 Nasi iseluleko sami: Hlanganisa woke ama-Israyeli eze kuwe, kusukela kwaDani kuya eBheritjheba,+ abe manengi njengehlabathi yelwandle,+ uwarhole nitjhinge epini. 12 Sizomsahlela nanyana kukuphi lapho simfumana khona, sizombhudungela njengombethe nawuwela phasi; akukho namunye kibo ozokusinda, kungaba nguye namkha omunye wabantu bakhe. 13 Nange abalekela edorobheni, woke u-Israyeli uzokuphatha iintambo siye edorobhenelo, sizolirhurhulela ngemrhobeni loke kungasali nelitje nalinye.”
14 Ngalokho, u-Absalomu nawo woke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Iseluleko sakaRhutjhayi umAriki singcono+ khulu kuneseluleko saka-Arhitofeli!” Ngombana uJehova bekaqunte ukutjharaganisa iseluleko esihle saka-Arhitofeli+ bona uJehova alethele u-Absalomu+ ihlekelele.
15 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, uRhutjhayi wathi kuTsadokhi no-Abhiyathari+ abaphristi: “Nasi iseluleko u-Arhitofeli asinikele u-Absalomu nabadala bakwa-Israyeli begodu nasi iseluleko mina engibanikele sona. 16 Nje-ke thumelani ilizwi kuDavida msinya nimyelelise nithi: ‘Ungahlali emazibukweni* asemmangweni ebusuku banamhlanjesi kodwana yamela ngaphetjheya, nakungasinjalo, ikosi nabo boke abantu bayo bangathanyelwa.’”+
17 UJonathani+ no-Arhimahatsi+ bebahlala e-Eni-Rogeli,+ yeke isisebenzi sakhamba sabatjela, bona-ke bakhamba bayokutjela iKosi uDavida ngombana bengeze bazibeka engozini yokubonwa bangena edorobheni. 18 Nanyana kunjalo, isokana elithileko lababona latjela u-Absalomu. Yeke bobabili babaleka msinya bafika endlini yendoda ethileko eBharhurimu+ ebeyinomthombo ngesirhodlweni sayo. Bangena kiwo, 19 umfazi wendoda leyo wathatha isembeso wagubuzesa umlomo womthombo, wawuvala ngeenthoro ezigayiweko; akukho namunye owazi ngalokho. 20 Iinsebenzi zaka-Absalomu zafika emzini womfazi lo, zambuza zathi: “Uphi u-Arhimahatsi noJonathani?” Umfazi waziphendula wathi: “Badlule la batjhinga emlanjeni.”+ Ngalokho zabafuna kodwana akhenge zibafumane, yeke zabuyela eJerusalema.
21 Ngemva kokuthi amadoda lawo sekakhambile, baphuma ngemthonjeni bakhamba bayokubikela iKosi uDavida. Bathi kiyo: “Sikima uyame umlambo msinya ngombana u-Arhitofeli ululeke lokhu malungana nawe.”+ 22 UDavida nabo boke abantu bakhe basikima bayama iJordani khonokho. Ekuseni, bekungekho namunye ongakayami iJordani.
23 Kuthe lokha u-Arhitofeli nakalemuka bona iseluleko sakhe asikasetjenziswa, wabophela udumbana waya kwakhe edorobheni lekhabo.+ Ngemva kokuthi ayale umndenakhe,+ waziphanyeka.+ Yeke wahlongakala begodu wabulungwa ethuneni labokhokho bakhe.
24 Ngesikhatheso, uDavida waya eMarhanayimu+ begodu u-Absalomu wayama iJordani nawo woke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli. 25 U-Absalomu wabeka u-Amasa+ bona aphathe ibutho esikhundleni sakaJowabi;+ u-Amasa bekayindodana yendoda ekuthiwa nguJethera umIsrayeli, owaya emabhayini no-Abigeyili+ indodakazi kaNarhatjhi, udadwabo kaTseruya, unina lakaJowabi. 26 U-Israyeli no-Absalomu bahloma ikampa enarheni yakwaGiliyadi.+
27 Msinyana uDavida nakafika eMarhanayimu, uTjhobi indodana kaNarhatjhi weRabha+ yama-Amoni, uMakiri+ indodana ka-Amiyeli weLo-Debhara noBharzilayi+ umGiliyadi weRogelimi 28 baletha imibhede, izitja, iimpoto ezibunjwe ngomdaka, ikoroyi, ibhali, iflowuru, iinthoro ezikhanzingiweko, iimbhontjisi, iinhlumaya, iinthoro ezomisiweko, 29 iliju, ibhodoro, izimvu netjhizi. Balethela uDavida nabantu bakhe zoke izintwezi bona badle,+ ngombana bebathi: “Abantu balambile, badiniwe begodu bomile emmangweni.”+