2 Samuel 18

Ukufa kukaAbisalomu

1UDavida wasebala abantu ababelaye, wabeka phezu kwabo izinduna zezinkulungwane lenduna zamakhulu. 2UDavida wasethuma ingxenye yesithathu yabantu ngaphansi kwesandla sikaJowabi, lengxenye yesithathu ngaphansi kwesandla sikaAbishayi indodana kaZeruya, umfowabo kaJowabi, lengxenye yesithathu ngaphansi kwesandla sikaIthayi umGiti ^a. Inkosi yasisithi ebantwini: Lami ngizaphuma lokuphuma kanye lani ^b. 3Kodwa abantu bathi: Kawuyikuphuma. Ngoba uba sibaleka lokubaleka, kabayikusinaka; kumbe uba kusifa ingxenye yethu, kabayikuba landaba lathi. Kanti khathesi wena ulingana lenkulungwane ezilitshumi zethu; ngakho-ke kungcono ukuthi ube lusizo lwethu usemzini ^c. 4Inkosi yasisithi kibo: Lokho okulungileyo emehlweni enu ngizakwenza. Inkosi yasisima eceleni kwesango; bonke abantu basebephuma ngamakhulu langezinkulungwane. 5Inkosi yasibalaya oJowabi loAbishayi loIthayi, isithi: Liliphathe kahle ijaha, uAbisalomu, ngenxa yami. Njalo bonke abantu bezwa lapho inkosi ilaya zonke izinduna indaba kaAbisalomu.

6Abantu basebephumela egangeni ukuyakulwa bemelene loIsrayeli; njalo impi yayiseguswini lakoEfrayimi ^d. 7Abantu bakoIsrayeli basebetshaywa lapho phambi kwenceku zikaDavida, kwasekusiba khona ukubulala okukhulu ngalolosuku - abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili. 8Ngoba impi yahlakazeka khona ebusweni belizwe lonke, njalo igusu ladla abantu abanengi ngalolosuku okwedlula labo inkemba eyabadlayo.

9UAbisalomu wasehlangana lenceku zikaDavida. Njalo uAbisalomu wayegade imbongolo; kwathi imbongolo ifika ngaphansi kwengatsha ezihlangeneyo zesihlahla se-okhi elikhulu, ikhanda lakhe laselibambelela esihlahleni se-okhi; waselenga phakathi kwamazulu lomhlaba, njalo imbongolo engaphansi kwakhe yedlula ^e. 10Umuntu othile wasebona, watshela uJowabi wathi: Khangela, ngibone uAbisalomu elenga esihlahleni se-okhi. 11UJowabi wasesithi kulowomuntu omtshelayo: Khangela-ke, umbonile, kungani-ke ungamtshayelanga emhlabathini khonapho? Bengizakunika inhlamvu ezilitshumi zesiliva ^f lebhanti ^g elilodwa. 12Kodwa lowomuntu wathi kuJowabi: Loba bengingemukela ▼

▼ bengingemukela: Heb bengingalinganisa

ezandleni zami inhlamvu eziyinkulungwane zesiliva, bengingayikwelulela isandla sami endodaneni yenkosi ⁱ, ngoba ezindlebeni zethu inkosi yakulaya wena loAbishayi loIthayi isithi: Nanzelelani, loba ngubani, angathinti ijaha uAbisalomu ^j. 13Uba bengenze inkohliso ngempilo yami, ngoba kakulalutho olucatshela inkosi, lawe ubuzazimisa umelene lami. 14UJowabi wasesithi: Kangiyikulibala ngokunjalo lawe. Wasethatha imikhonto emithathu esandleni sakhe, wamgwaza uAbisalomu enhliziyweni esaphila, phakathi kwesihlahla se-okhi. 15Njalo amajaha alitshumi ayethwala izikhali zikaJowabi, amzingelezela amtshaya uAbisalomu ambulala. 16UJowabi wasevuthela uphondo, abantu basebebuya ekuxotshaneni loIsrayeli, ngoba uJowabi wabamisa abantu. 17Basebemthatha uAbisalomu, bamphosela emgodini omkhulu eguswini, babeka phezu kwakhe inqwaba enkulu kakhulu yamatshe ^k; uIsrayeli wonke wasebaleka, ngulowo lalowo waya ethenteni lakhe ^l.

18UAbisalomu esaphila wayethethe wazimisela insika ^m esesigodini senkosi ⁿ, ngoba wathi: Angilandodana yokwenza ukuthi ibizo lami likhunjulwe. Wabiza leyonsika ngebizo lakhe. Yabizwa ngokuthi, isikhumbuzo sikaAbisalomu, kuze kube lamuhla ^o.

19UAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki ^p wasesithi: Ake ngigijime, ngiyibikele inkosi ukuthi iNkosi iyiphindisele esandleni sezitha zayo. 20Kodwa uJowabi wathi kuye: Kawusumbiki wendaba lamuhla, kodwa uzazibika izindaba ngolunye usuku; lamuhla kawuyikubika izindaba, ngenxa yokuthi indodana yenkosi ifile. 21UJowabi wasesithi kumKhushi: Hamba uyebikela inkosi okubonileyo. UmKhushi wamkhothamela uJowabi, wagijima ^q. 22UAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki wabuya wasephinda wathi kuJowabi: Loba kunjani, ake ngigijime lami ngimlandele umKhushi. Kodwa uJowabi wathi: Uzagijimelani, mntanami, lokhu ungelambiko ongawuletha? 23Kodwa loba kunjani, kangigijime. Wasesithi kuye: Gijima ^r. Wasegijima uAhimahazi ngendlela yemagcekeni, wamdlula umKhushi ^s.

24UDavida wayehlezi-ke phakathi kwamasango womabili; umlindi wasesiya ephahleni lwesango emdulini, waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona, khangela-ke, umuntu egijima yedwa ^t. 25Umlindi wasememeza watshela inkosi. Yasisithi inkosi: Uba eyedwa ulombiko emlonyeni wakhe. Wasehamba weza esondela. 26Umlindi wasebona omunye umuntu egijima; umlindi wabiza umlindisango wathi: Khangela, omunye umuntu ugijima yedwa. Inkosi yasisithi: Laye lo uletha izindaba. 27Umlindi wasesithi: Ngibona ukugijima kowokuqala kunjengokugijima kukaAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki ^u. Inkosi yasisithi: Lo ngumuntu olungileyo, uza lendaba ezinhle ^v. 28UAhimahazi wasememeza wathi enkosini: Ukuthula! Wasekhothamela inkosi ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini wathi: Kayibusiswe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, enikele abantu abaphakamisa isandla sabo enkosini yami, inkosi. 29Inkosi yasisithi: Kuhle yini ngejaha, ngoAbisalomu? UAhimahazi wasesithi: Ngibone isiphithiphithi esikhulu lapho uJowabi ethuma inceku yenkosi lenceku yakho, kodwa kangazanga ukuthi kuyini. 30Inkosi yasisithi: Buyela eceleni, ume lapho. Wasebuyela eceleni wema. 31Khangela-ke, umKhushi wafika, umKhushi wathi: Yemukela imibiko, nkosi yami, nkosi! Ngoba iNkosi ikuphindisele lamuhla esandleni salabo bonke abakuvukelayo ^w. 32Inkosi yasisithi kumKhushi: Kuhle yini ngejaha, ngoAbisalomu? UmKhushi wasesithi: Kungathi izitha zenkosi yami, inkosi, labo bonke abakuvukelayo ngobubi bangaba njengalelojaha ^x.

33Yasikhathazeka kakhulu inkosi, yenyukela endlini ephezulu yesango, yakhala inyembezi ^y, isahamba yakhuluma kanje: Ndodana yami Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami, Abisalomu! Kungathi ngabe kufe mina endaweni yakho, Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami ^z!