Lisu laJowabe lekubuyisa Absalomu
1Jowabe, umsa waSeruya, abati kutsi inhlitiyo yenkhosi yayincokombele Absalomu. 2Ngako Jowabe wabe sewutfumela umuntfu eThekhowa, kutsi alandze umfati lohlakaniphile khona. Jowabe wakhuluma kulomfati watsi: “Tentise kube shangatsi uzilile. Yembatsa inzilo, ungacali utisebentise tinongo temtimba. Ubotentisa kube shangatsi lomuntfu lofile sewumzilele sikhatsi lesidze. 3Ubobe sewuyahamba uya enkhosini, ufike ukhulume kuyo nankha emavi lengitakunika wona.” Jowabe wavele wamfunta lawo mavi labefanele kuwakhuluma.
4Lomfati waseThekhowa wahamba waya enkhosini, wafike wawa ngebuso embikwayo, ayikhotsama, watsi: “Awu, Nkhosi! Ngicela mane ungisite!”
5Inkhosi yambuta yatsi: “Inkinga yakho yini?”
Wayiphendvula watsi: “Mine ngingumfelokati, indvodza yami ifile. 6Mine, ncekukati yakho, benginemadvodzana lamabili. Alwa odvwana esigangeni, kwabate umuntfu wekulamula. Lenye yashaya lena lenye, yayibulala. 7Manje lonkhe lusendvo seluvukele incekukati yakho, lutsi: ‘Letsa lona lowabulala umnakabo, kuze sitekumbulala ngenca yekubulala lomnakabo, ngekwenta njalo sitawube sesibulala lendlalifa.’ Ngalendlela batawube sebacisha lelo lahle belisasele livutsa, loko kwente indvodza yami ibete libito, iphindze ibete situkulwane emhlabeni.”
8Inkhosi yakhuluma kulomfati, yatsi: “Ncandzeka uye ekhaya, ngitawukhipha umtsetfo egameni lakho.”
9Lomfati waseThekhowa waphendvula watsi: “Nkhosi yami, shangatsi licala lingabasetikwami nasetikwendlu yababe, kodvwa inkhosi netinceku tayo bangabi nacala.”
10Inkhosi yamphendvula yatsi: “Nangabe kukhona lokhuluma lokutsite kuwe, ubomletsa lapha kimi, angeke aphindze akuhluphe futsi.”
11Waphendvula watsi: “Nkhosi, ngicela kutsi uthandaze kuSimakadze Nkulunkulu wakho, kutsi lesihlobo sami lesifuna kukhokha sibhongo ngekubulala lendvodzana yami, singengeti bubi ngekubulala lena lenye indvodzana yami.”
Inkhosi yatsi: “Ngifunga kuphila kwaSimakadze ngitsi, ngisho lunwele lunye enhloko yendvodzana yakho lungeke luwele emhlabatsini.”
12Lomfati wakhuluma watsi: “Ngicela kutsi incekukati yakho seyikhulume livi libe linye enkhosini yami.”
Inkhosi yatsi: “Khuluma.”
13Lomfati watsi: “Pho, wena uyenteleni intfo lenjena esiveni saNkulunkulu? Nangabe inkhosi ikhuluma kanjena, ayitilahli ngelicala yini, njengobe naku inkhosi seloku ayikayibuyisi ekhaya lendvodzana leyabaleka? 14Njengemanti lacitsekele phansi, angeke abutseke futsi, natsi kufanele sife. Kodvwa Nkulunkulu akabulali, esikhundleni saloko wenta tindlela letitsite, kuze kutsi umuntfu lodzingisiwe angahlali akhashane naye.
15“Manje ngite lapha kutewukhuluma enkhosini yami, ngobe bantfu bangesabisile. Incekukati yakho ibese iyacabanga, itsi: ‘Loku ngitakukhuluma enkhosini, mhlawumbe ingahle yente loko lokucelwa yincekukati yayo. 16Mhlawumbe inkhosi itawuvuma kukhulula incekukati yayo esandleni semuntfu lowetama kubhubhisa mine nendvodzana yami asilahlise lelifa Nkulunkulu lasipha lona.’
17“Manje-ke incekukati yakho itsi: ‘Shangatsi emavi enkhosi yami, inkhosi, angangiletsela kuphumula, ngobe phela inkhosi yami ifanana nengilosi yaNkulunkulu ekwehlukaniseni lokuhle kulokubi. Shangatsi Simakadze Nkulunkulu wakho angaba nawe.’ ”
18Inkhosi yaphendvula yatsi: “Ngitakubuta umbuzo, wena-ke ngitjele lonkhe liciniso.”
Lomfati watsi: “Inkhosi yami ngicela kutsi ikhulume.”
19Inkhosi yabuta yatsi: “Loku awukakwenti naJowabe yini?”
Waphendvula watsi: “Ngifunga kuphila kwakho, nkhosi yami, kute longaphambukela ngesekudla nome ngesancele esuke kuloko lokushiwo yinkhosi yami. Yebo, yinceku yakho Jowabe, lengitfume kutsi ngente loku, nguye futsi lofake onkhe lamavi emlonyeni wencekukati yakho. 20Jowabe, inceku yakho, loku ukwentele kugucula simo lesikhona kwamanje. Inkhosi yami inekuhlakanipha lokufanana nekwengilosi yaNkulunkulu, yati konkhe lokwentekako lapha eveni.”
21Inkhosi yakhuluma kuJowabe, yatsi: “Yebo, loko ngitawukwenta. Hamba ulandze lomfana Absalomu.”
22Jowabe wakhotsamisa buso bakhe wabubhekisa phansi emhlabatsini, ahlonipha inkhosi, ayibusisa. Jowabe watsi: “Lamuhla sengiyati kutsi ngizuze umusa emehlweni akho, nkhosi yami, ngobe inkhosi isemukele sicelo senceku yayo.”
23Jowabe wesuka lapho waya eGeshuri, wabuya na-Absalomu wamletsa eJerusalema. 24Kodvwa inkhosi yatsi: “Kufanele ahambe aye endlini kakhe, akukafaneli abonane nebuso bami.” Ngako Absalomu wavele waya endlini kakhe, wangete wabonana nebuso benkhosi.
Kubuyela kwa-Absalomu kuDavide
25Kulo lonkhe laka-Israyeli kute indvodza leyayidvume ngebuhle kwendlula Absalomu. Abemuhle kusuka etulu enhloko kuye phansi elunyaweni, ate ngisho nalesincane sici. 26Njalo nje nakahhula tinwele takhe, labevame kutihhula kanye ngemnyaka, nase timsindza, abetikala, atikhandze kutsi sisindvo sato sasiba ngetulu kwemakhilogremu lamabili ngesikali lesisemtsetfweni. 27Absalomu abenemadvodzana lamatsatfu nendvodzakati yinye. Lendvodzakati yakhe wayetsa libito watsi nguThamari; abeyintfombi lenhle kakhulu.
28Absalomu wahlala eJerusalema iminyaka lemibili, seloku angakaze abonane nebuso benkhosi. 29Absalomu wase utfumela kuJowabe kutsi ammikise enkhosini, kodvwa Jowabe wala kuta kuye. Ngako waphindze watfumela kuye kwesibili, kodvwa nakhona lapho waphindze wala kuta. 30Absalomu wakhuluma etincekwini takhe, watsi: “Bukani la, insimi yaJowabe isedvute naleyami, uhlanyele ibhali kuyo. Hambani nifike niyilumeke ngemlilo.” Ngako letinceku takhe tavele tayilumeka ngemlilo.
31Jowabe wesuka lapho waya ku-Absalomu, wafike wabuta watsi: “Letinceku takho tiyilumekeleni ngemlilo lensimi yami?”
32Absalomu waphendvula watsi: “Buka la, ngitfumele livi kuwe ngatsi: ‘Kota lapha, khona ngitekutfumela enkhosini kutsi uyewubuta utsi: “Ngibuyiselweni lena eGeshuri? Ngabe kuncono kimi kube ngisatihlalele lapho!” ’ Manje ngifuna kubonana nenkhosi; nangabe nginelicala lelitsite, ayivele ingibulale.”
33Ngako Jowabe wavele wahamba waya enkhosini, wafike wayitjela konkhe loko. Inkhosi yabe seyibita Absalomu; wafike wakhotsamisa buso bakhe phansi emhlabatsini embikwenkhosi. Inkhosi yanga Absalomu.
