USamyela Wesibili

14 Nje-ke uJowabi indodana kaTseruya+ wezwa bona ihliziyo yekosi ihlulukele u-Absalomu.+ 2 Ngalokho uJowabi wathumela bona kuyokubizwa umfazi ohlakaniphileko eTekhowa,+ wathi kuye: “Ngibawa wenze ngasuthi uzilile, umbathe iinzilo begodu ungazizesi ngamafutha.+ Yenza njengomfazi ozilele umuntu osele anesikhathi eside ahlongakele. 3 Ngemva kwalokho, ukhambe uyokutjela ikosi lokhu.” UJowabi wamfaka amezwi ngemlonyeni.*

4 Umfazi weTekhowa waya ekosini, wawela phasi ngobuso, waguqa wathi: “Maye kosi! Ngisiza.” 5 Ikosi yambuza yathi: “Kwenzenjani?” Wathi ekosini: “Ngimhlolokazi; indodami ihlongakele. 6 Mina, sisebenzi sakho, benginamadodana amabili begodu alwa wodwa emmangweni. Bekunganamuntu ongawalamula, yeke enye yabetha enye yayibulala. 7 Njenganje umndeni woke ujamelene nami isisebenzi sakho uthi, ‘Sinikela lo obulele umfowabo bona simbulale ngebanga lomfowabo ambuleleko,+ ngitjho nanyana lokho kungatjho ukususa indlalifa!’ Bazongicimela ilahle lokugcina engisele nalo* begodu indodami angeze ibe negama namkha isizukulwana ephasini.”

8 Yeke ikosi yathi kuye: “Khamba uye kwakho, ngizokukhupha umyalo malungana nawe.” 9 Ngalokho umfazi weTekhowa wathi ekosini: “Maye kosami! Umlandu awube phezu kwami nendlu kababa, ikosi nesihlalo sayo sobukhosi bamsulwa.” 10 Yeke ikosi yathi: “Nakungaba nomuntu ozokuraga aphatha indaba le kuwe, umlethe kimi begodu angeze asakutshwenya godu.” 11 Kodwana wathi: “Ngibawa ikosi ikhumbule uJehova uZimayo bona umbuyiseli weengazi+ angatjhabalalisi indodanami.” Ikosi yathi: “Ngifunga ngoJehova uZimu ophilako,+ akunasihluthu nasinye sendodanakho esizokuwela phasi.” 12 Nje-ke umfazi wathi: “Ngibawa uvumele isisebenzi sakho sikhulume ilizwi linye ekosini.” Ikosi yathi: “Khuluma!”

13 Umfazi wathi: “Kubayini ucabange ukwenza into efana nale ebantwini bakaZimu?+ Ikosi nayikhuluma bunjesi izithwesa umlandu ngombana ikosi ayikavumeli indodanayo eqothiweko bona ibuye.+ 14 Sizokuhlongakala nakanjani begodu sizokuba njengamanzi aphalakileko, angasawolekiko. Kodwana uZimu angeze abulala begodu ucabangela amabanga wokuthi kubayini oqothiweko kungakafuzi aqothelwe safuthi kuye. 15 Ngize ekosinami bona ngizokutjho lokhu ngombana abantu bangithusile. Yeke isisebenzi sakho sithe, ‘Ngibawa ukukhuluma nekosi. Mhlamunye ikosi izokuphendula isibawo sesisebenzi sayo. 16 Ikosi ingalalela beyisindise nencekwayo esandleni sendoda efuna ukutjhabalalisa mina nendodanami okukuphela kwayo elifeni uZimu asinikele lona.’+ 17 Ngemva kwalokho, isisebenzi sakho sithe, ‘Kwanga ilizwi lekosami lingangiphumuza,’ ngombana ikosami injengengilozi kaZimu weqiniso ekuhlukaniseni okuhle nokumbi. Kwanga uJehova uZimakho angaba nawe.”

18 Ikosi yaphendula umfazi yathi: “Ngibawa ungangifihleli litho engikubuza lona.” Umfazi wathi: “Ngibawa ikosami ikhulume.” 19 Ikosi yabuza yathi: “NguJowabi okwenzise yoke intwele?”+ Umfazi wathi: “Maye! Kosami ngifunga ngokuphila kwakho, kunjengombana ikosami itjho, sisebenzi sakho uJowabi esingiyalileko nesifake woke amezwi la emlonyeni wesisebenzi sakho. 20 Isisebenzi sakho uJowabi senze lokhu bona sitjhugulule indlela izinto eziqaleka ngayo kodwana ikosami ihlakaniphe njengengilozi kaZimu weqiniso begodu yazi koke okwenzeka enarheni.”

21 Nje-ke ikosi yathi kuJowabi: “Kulungile, ngizoyenza intwele.+ Khamba uyokuthatha isokanelo u-Absalomu.”+ 22 UJowabi wawela phasi ngobuso, waguqa bewathokoza ikosi. UJowabi wathi: “Maye! Kosami namhlanjesi isisebenzi sakho siyazi bona ube nomusa kiso ngombana ikosi iphendule isibawo sesisebenzi sayo.” 23 Ngemva kwalokho, uJowabi wasikima watjhinga eGetjhuri+ bese wabuya no-Absalomu eJerusalema. 24 Nanyana kunjalo, ikosi yathi: “Akabuyele endlinakhe kodwana angezi phambi kwami.” Yeke u-Absalomu wabuyela endlinakhe begodu akhenge aye phambi kwekosi.

25 Kwa-Israyeli woke, bekunganamuntu obatjazwa ngejamo njengo-Absalomu. Bekungananto engasiyihle kuye, kusukela ngaphasi kwenyawo kufikela efokothweni. 26 Nakarhune iinhluthu zakhe, bekazirhuna qobe ekupheleni komnyaka ngombana bezimdisela, ubudisi beenhluthu zakhe bebumatjhekeli ama-200* ngokwesilinganiso sobudisi belitje lebukhosini.* 27 U-Absalomu wabelethelwa amadodana amathathu+ nendodakazi yinye, igama layo bekunguTamari. UTamari bekamntazana omuhle kwamambala.

28 U-Absalomu wahlala eJerusalema iminyaka emibili ezeleko kodwana akhenge aye phambi kwekosi.+ 29 Yeke u-Absalomu wathumela bona kuyokubizwa uJowabi bona azomthuma ekosini kodwana wabhala ukuza kuye. Wathumela kwesibili, nalapho wabhala ukuza. 30 Ekugcineni wathi eensebenzini zakhe: “Isimu kaJowabi iseqadi kweyami begodu unebhali lapho. Khambani niyoyitjhisa.” Yeke iinsebenzi zaka-Absalomu zathungelela isimu ngomlilo. 31 UJowabi wasikima waya endlini ka-Absalomu wathi kuye: “Kubayini iinsebenzi zakho zitjhise isimami?” 32 U-Absalomu wathi kuJowabi: “Qala! Ngithumele umlayezo kuwe ngathi, ‘Yiza ngikuthume ekosini bona uthi kiyo: “Ngabuyiselwani eGetjhuri?+ Bekuzokuba ngcono ngathana ngahlala khona. Nje-ke ngivumela ngiye phambi kwekosi, nange ngimlandu, kufuze ingibulale.”’”

33 Yeke uJowabi waya ekosini wayibikela. Ikosi yabiza u-Absalomu, wangena ngekosini waguqa phambi kwekosi begodu wawela phasi ngobuso phambi kwayo. Ngemva kwalokho, ikosi yammanga u-Absalomu.+