USamyela Wesibili
19 UJowabi wafumana umbiko othi: “Ikosi iyalila begodu izilele u-Absalomu.”+ 2 Yeke ukuthumba kwamhlokho kwaphenduka isililo ebantwini boke ngombana bezwa bona ikosi inesizi ngendodanayo. 3 Abantu babuyela edorobheni+ mhlokho bathule njengabantu abaneenhloni lokha nababaleke epini. 4 Ikosi yavala ubuso bayo begodu beyisolo irhahlawula isililo ithi: “Ndodanami Absalomu! Absalomu ndodanami, ndodanami!”+
5 Ngemva kwalokho, uJowabi wangena ngekosini ngendlini wathi: “Namhlanjesi uphathise iinsebenzi zakho zoke iinhloni ezisindise ukuphila kwakho, ukuphila kwamadodanakho,+ kwamadodakazakho,+ kwabafazi bakho nekwamakhohlwakho.+ 6 Uthanda abakuhloyileko bese uhloya abakuthandako ngombana ukwenze kwakhanya namhlanjesi bona iinduna neensebenzi zakho azitjho litho kuwe ngombana ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi bewungathaba ngathana u-Absalomu uyaphila namhlanjesi kodwana thina soke sihlongakele. 7 Nje-ke sikima, uphume ukhuthaze iinsebenzi zakho ngombana ngifunga ngoJehova ukuthi nange ungaphumi, akunamuntu ozokusala nawe ebusuku banamhlanjesi. Lokhu kuzokuba kumbi khulu kuwe ukudlula koke ukulimala ekhekweza phezu kwakho kusukela ebutjheni bakho bekube nje.” 8 Yeke ikosi yasikima yahlala esangweni ledorobho, abantu boke babikelwa kwathiwa: “Nje ikosi ihlezi esangweni.” Boke abantu beza phambi kwekosi.
Kodwana ama-Israyeli bewabalekile, ngamunye aye kwakhe.+ 9 Boke abantu beenkoro zoke zakwa-Israyeli bebaphikisana bathi: “Ikosi isisindise emanabenethu,+ yasisindisa nemaFilisteni kodwana nje ibalekile enarheni ngebanga laka-Absalomu.+ 10 Nakungu-Absalomu, esamzesako bona asibuse,+ uhlongakele epini.+ Alo kubayini kunganalitho enilenzako bona nibuyise ikosi?”
11 IKosi uDavida yathumela umlayezo nakhu kuTsadokhi+ no-Abhiyathari+ abaphristi, yathi: “Khulumani nabadala bakwaJuda+ nithi, ‘Kubayini kufuze nibe ngebokugcina ukubuyisa ikosi endlinayo, kanti ngapha ilizwi laka-Israyeli woke lifikile ekosini endlinayo? 12 Nibafowethu; nilithambo lami nenyamami.* Kubayini kufuze nibe ngebokugcina ukubuyisa ikosi?’ 13 Kufuze nithi ku-Amasa,+ ‘Kghani awusilithambo lami nenyamami na? Kwanga uZimu angangijezisa kabuhlungu nange ungabi yinduna yebutho lami esikhundleni sakaJowabi.’”+
14 Yeke wathumba iinhliziyo zabantu boke bakwaJuda baba njengomuntu munye, bathumela ilizwi ekosini bathi: “Buya, wena neensebenzi zakho zoke.”
15 Ikosi yathoma ukubuya beyafika eJordani, abantu bakwaJuda beza eGiligali+ bazokuhlangabeza ikosi bebayiphekelele ngaphetjheya kweJordani. 16 UTjhimeyi+ indodana kaGera, umBhenjamini weBharhurimu warhaba wehla nabantu bakwaJuda ukuyokuhlangabeza iKosi uDavida, 17 bekakhamba namadoda ayi-1 000 avela kwaBhenjamini. Godu uTsiba,+ umsizi wendlu kaSawula namadodanakhe ali-15 neensebenzi ezima-20, barhaba behlela eJordani ngaphambi kwekosi. 18 Wayama* izibuko bona alethe indlu yekosi ngaphetjheya nokuthi enze nanyana yini eyifisako. Kodwana uTjhimeyi indodana kaGera waguqa phambi kwekosi nasele izokuyama iJordani. 19 Wathi ekosini: “Ikosami ayingangibeki umlandu, ungabukhumbuli ubumbi obenziwa sisebenzi sakho+ ngelanga ikosami iphuma eJerusalema. Ngibawa ikosi ingakufaki ehliziyweni, 20 ngombana isisebenzi sakho sazi kuhle ukuthi ngonile, yeke namhlanjesi ngibe ngewokuthoma kibo boke bendlu kaJosefa ukwehla ngizokuhlangabeza ikosami.”
21 Khonokho u-Abitjhayi+ indodana kaTseruya+ wathi: “Kghani uTjhimeyi akukafuzi abulawe ngebanga lento ayenzileko le, yokuthuka ozesiweko kaJehova?”+ 22 Kodwana uDavida wathi: “Ningenaphi endabeni le, nina madodana kaTseruya,+ bona niphikisane nami namhlanjesi? Kghani kufuze kube nomuntu obulawako kwa-Israyeli namhlanjesi? Kghani angisiyikosi kwa-Israyeli godu namhlanjesi?” 23 Ngemva kwalokho, ikosi yathi kuTjhimeyi: “Angeze ufe.” Ikosi yafunga kuye.+
24 UMefi-Bhotjheti,+ umzukulu kaSawula naye wehla azokuhlangabeza ikosi. Akhenge atlhogomele iinyawo zakhe namkha aphungule iindevu zakhe namkha ahlanze izambatho zakhe kusukela ngelanga ikosi eyakhamba ngalo bekube lilanga eyabuya ngalo ngokuthula. 25 Kuthe lokha nakafika* eJerusalema azokuhlangabeza ikosi, ikosi yathi kuye: “Kubayini ungakakhambi nami Mefi-Bhotjheti?” 26 Waphendula wathi: “Ngikhohliswe sisebenzi sami+ kosami. Ngombana isisebenzi sakho besithe, ‘Angibophele udumbanami bona ngikhwele ngikhambe nekosi,’ ngebanga lokuthi isisebenzi sakho sirholophele.+ 27 Kodwana irhwayele isisebenzi sakho ekosinami.+ Nanyana kunjalo, ikosami injengengilozi kaZimu weqiniso, yeke yenza nanyana yini ebonakala ilungile kuwe. 28 Ikosami beyingayigwebela ukufa yoke indlu kababa kodwana ubeke isisebenzi sakho hlangana nalabo abadla etafuleni lakho.+ Alo ngiliphi ilungelo enginalo lokulilela ikosi ukuya phambili?”
29 Ikosi yathi kuye: “Kubayini uraga nokukhuluma ngendaba le? Ngiqunte bona wena noTsiba niyihlukaniselane isimu.”+ 30 Nakezwa lokho uMefi-Bhotjheti wathi ekosini: “Akayithathe yoke njengombana ikosami ibuye ngokuthula endlinayo.”
31 Ngemva kwalokho, uBharzilayi+ umGiliyadi wehlela eJordani avela eRogelimi bona aphekelele ikosi eJordani. 32 UBharzilayi bekaluphele khulu, bekaneminyaka ema-80 begodu wanikela ikosi ukudla nayihlala eMarhanayimu,+ ngombana bekanjinge kwamambala. 33 Yeke ikosi yathi kuBharzilayi: “Yama nami, ngizokunikela ukudla eJerusalema.”+ 34 Kodwana uBharzilayi wathi ekosini: “Ngisalelwe malanga ayingaki wokuphila bona ngingakhuphuka nekosi ngiye eJerusalema? 35 Namhlanjesi ngineminyaka ema-80.+ Kghani ngingahlukanisa na phakathi kokuhle nokumbi? Kghani mina, isisebenzi sakho, ngingakunambitha na engikudlako nengikuselako? Kghani ngisakghona na ukulalela iphimbo labavumi bamadoda nebabafazi?+ Alo kubayini kufuze isisebenzi sakho sibe mthwalo ongeziweko ekosinami? 36 Kwanele bona isisebenzi sakho sikghone ukuletha ikosi eJordani. Kubayini kufuze ikosi ingibhadele ngomtlomelo lo? 37 Ngibawa uvumele isisebenzi sakho sibuyele emuva, ungivumele ngihlongakalele edorobheni lami eduze nethuna lakababa nomma.+ Kodwana nasi isisebenzi sakho uKimhamu.+ Asiyamele ngaphetjheya nekosami begodu ungasenzela nanyana yini ebonakala ilungile kuwe.”
38 Yeke ikosi yathi: “UKimhamu uzokuyamela ngaphetjheya nami, ngizomenzela okubonakala kukuhle kuwe nanyana yini ongibawa yona ngizokwenzela.” 39 Nje-ke boke abantu bathoma ukuyama iJordani, kwathi ikosi nayiyamako, yammanga uBharzilayi+ beyambusisa; uBharzilayi wabuyela ekhaya. 40 Ikosi nayitjhinga ngaphetjheya eGiligali,+ uKimhamu wayama nayo. Boke abantu bakwaJuda nesiquntu sabantu bakwa-Israyeli baletha ikosi ngaphetjheya.+
41 Ngemva kwalokho, boke abantu bakwa-Israyeli beza ekosini bathi: “Kubayini abafowethu, amadoda wakwaJuda akwebile wena kosi, umndenakho nabo boke abantu bakho bakusa ngaphetjheya kweJordani?”+ 42 Boke abantu bakwaJuda baphendula abantu bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Kungombana ikosi ihlobene nathi.+ Kubayini nisilingekile ngalokhu? Kghani khesadla okuthileko ngeendleko zekosi namkha sikhona isipho esisifumeneko?”
43 Nokho, abantu bakwa-Israyeli baphendula abantu bakwaJuda bathi: “Siziinkoro ezilitjhumi, yeke uDavida ungewethu khulu ukudlula nina. Kubayini-ke nisidelele kangaka? Kghani bekungakafuzi kube ngithi bokuthoma ukubuyisa ikosethu?” Kodwana ilizwi labantu bakwaJuda laba namandla ngaphezu kwelabantu bakwa-Israyeli.