Kuncotjwa nekufa kwa-Absalomu
1Davide wabutsela onkhe lamadvodza akakhe ndzawonye, wase uwehlukanisa tigaba ngetigaba, lamanye aba tinkhulungwane, lamanye aba ngemakhulu, wase uwabekela tindvuna tawo njengekwetigaba tawo. 2Wase uyawakhipha ngeticheme letintsatfu, sinye saphuma naJowabe, lesinye saphuma na-Abishayi, umnakaboJowabe, sekugcina wasikhipha na-Ithayi, umGathi. Inkhosi Davide yakhuluma kulamabutfo, yatsi: “Nami cobo lwami ngitawushuca kanye nani.”
3Kodvwa lamabutfo atsi: “Wena akukafaneli kutsi uphume kanye natsi; nasekufanele sibaleke, tsine bangeke babe nandzaba natsi. Ngisho nome incenye yetfu ingafa, bangeke babe nandzaba naloko; kodvwa wena ungalinganiswa nemadvodza lati-10 000 akitsi. Kungaba ncono kutsi wena usale lapha edolobheni, usitfumelele lusito.”
4Inkhosi yaphendvula yatsi: “Ngitakwenta loko lokubonakala kukuhle kini.”
Inkhosi yase ima ngasesangweni ngesikhatsi emadvodza akayo aphuma ngetigaba temakhulu netetinkhulungwane. 5Inkhosi yayala boJowabe, na-Abishayi, na-Ithayi, yatsi: “Nibomane ningisite tsine ningamenti lutfo lomfana Absalomu, ngenca yami.” Onkhe lamabutfo ayiva inkhosi nayiyala tonkhe tindvuna tayo.
6Imphi yaphuma yaya esigangeni kuyakulwa nema-Israyeli aka-Absalomu. Leyomphi yayilwelwa ehlatsini laka-Efrayimu. 7Lapho-ke emabutfo ema-Israyeli ehlulwa ngemadvodza akaDavide. Ngalelo langa lacoba lavungula kuma-Israyeli, kwafa emadvodza lati-20 000. 8Imphi yabhedvuka nalo lonkhe live, ngalelo langa bantfu labanyenti ngulabafela ehlatsini kunalaba labafa ngenkemba.
9Masinyane nje Absalomu watsi ngcwamangca ahlangana nemadvodza akaDavide. Absalomu abegibele umnyuzi wakhe. Lomnyuzi watsi uphuma ngaphansi kwemagala lahlangene esihlahla sem-okhi, inhloko ya-Absalomu yahhukeka emagaleni alesihlahla sem-okhi, wasala yedvwa alenga ngenhloko kulesihlahla, umnyuzi labewugibele wona washaya wacitsa.
10Lomunye walamadvodza akaDavide watsi nakakubona loku, watjela Jowabe watsi: “Ngisandza kubona Absalomu alenga lapha kulesa sihlahla sem-okhi.”
11Jowabe wakhuluma kulendvodza yayimtjela loko, watsi: “Ini? Umbonile? Awukamgadli ngani wamlahla phansi khona lapho? Mine cobo lwami bengitakunika tinhlavu tesiliva letilishumi kanye nembhenso.”
12Kodvwa lendvodza yamphendvula yatsi: “Ngisho nome bewunganginika inkhulungwane yetinhlavu tesiliva, bengingete sengicale ngiphakamise sandla sami etikwendvodzana yenkhosi. Sonkhe besiva ngesikhatsi inkhosi ininika umyalo nine nabo-Abishayi na-Ithayi, itsi: ‘Nibomane ningisite tsine, ningacali nimbeke sandla lomfana Absalomu, ngenca yami.’ 13Kodvwa kube ngiwephulile lomyalo wenkhosi, ngabulala Absalomu, inkhosi beyitawuva ngaloko, ngobe iva ngako konkhe, nawe bewungasenakungivikela.”
14Jowabe wayiphendvula watsi: “Angisenawucitsa sikhatsi nawe kanje.” Watsatsa tikhali letintsatfu, watiphisela esifubeni sa-Absalomu asengakafi, alenga esihlahleni sem-okhi. 15Kwesuka lishumi lemadvodza akaJowabe latselekela Absalomu, lamcedzela.
16Jowabe washaya impalampala; emabutfo onkhe ayekela kucosha ema-Israyeli, ngobe abesayekeliswe nguJowabe. 17Atsatsa sidvumbu sa-Absalomu asijika esihholweni ehlatsini, ambonya lesihholo ngendvundvuma yematje. Ngaleso sikhatsi onkhe ema-Israyeli labehamba na-Absalomu abaleka abuyela emakhaya awo.
18Ngesikhatsi sakhe Absalomu bekatakhele litje lesikhumbuto, waligcumeka eSihosheni Senkhosi, ngobe abecabange watsi: “Anginandvodzana letawuchubeka ivuse libito lami,” waletsa ngaye lelitje lesikhumbuto, nalamuhla loku solomane kutsiwa Litje la-Absalomu Lesikhumbuto.
Kulila kwaDavide ngekufa kwa-Absalomu
19Ahimasi, umsa waSadoki, wase utsi kuJowabe: “Angigijimise umbiko kuDavide, inkhosi, kutsi Simakadze sewumkhululile esandleni setitsa takhe.”
20Jowabe wamtjela watsi: “Akusiwe lofanele uhambise lombiko lamuhla nje. Ungawuhambisa umbiko ngaletinye tikhatsi, kodvwa akukafaneli ukwente loko lamuhla, ngobe kufe umntfwanenkhosi.”
21Jowabe wase ukhuluma nesigcili sakhe lesasingumKushe, watsi: “Hamba utjele inkhosi loko lokubonile.” Lesigcili sakhotsamela Jowabe, sase siyesuka ngematubane.
22Ahimasi, umsa waSadoki, waphindza wakhuluma kuJowabe watsi: “Nome kungentekani, ngivumele ngigijime ngilandzele lomKushe, nami ngiphutfumise umbiko.”
Kodvwa Jowabe waphendvula watsi: “Ndvodzana yami; ufunelani lokuhamba? Kute umvuzo lotawutfola ngaloku.”
23Watsi: “Nome kungavelani, ngifuna kugijima nami.”
Ngako Jowabe watsi: “Gijima-ke.” Ahimasi wagijima wajuba ngendlela yasematsafeni, wamendlula lomKushe.
24Ngaleso sikhatsi Davide asehleti emkhatsini wemnyango longekhatsi edolobheni nelisango lelingaphandle, gadzi wakhuphukela etulu eluphahleni lwelisango lelingaselubondzeni. Watsi uphakamisa emehlo, wabona umuntfu eta agijima, ayedvwana. 25Logadzi wabikela inkhosi ngaloko.
Inkhosi yatsi: “Nangabe uta yedvwana, kufanele kutsi uphetse tindzaba letimnandzi.” Indvodza yaya ngekuya isondzela.
26Logadzi waphindze wabona lenye ichamukile nayo ngematubane, wamemeta lona losesangweni ngaphansi, watsi: “Bukela nansiya lenye indvodza nayo igijima yodvwana!”
Inkhosi yatsi: “Nayo kufanele kube ita netindzaba letimnandzi.”
27Logadzi watsi: “Kushangatsi kimi lona logijima embili, ngu-Ahimasi, umsa waSadoki.”
Inkhosi yatsi: “Yindvodza-ke leyo; uta netindzaba letimnandzi.”
28Ahimasi wakhulekela enkhosini, watsi: “Konkhe kukahle.” Wakhotsama phansi embikwenkhosi buso bakhe bubheke phansi, watsi: “Ludvumo alube kuSimakadze Nkulunkulu wakho! Ubanikele kuwe bantfu labaphakamisa tandla tabo etikwakho, nkhosi yami, nkhosi.”
29Inkhosi yabuta yatsi: “Unjani umfana Absalomu?”
Ahimasi waphendvula watsi: “Nkhosi, ngesikhatsi inceku yakho Jowabe ingitfuma, ngibone kudzidzitela lokukhulu, kodvwa angati kutsi bekudzidziteliswani.”
30Inkhosi yatsi: “Asewume lapha eceleni.” Ngako wakhwesha, wema eceleni.
31Kwase kungena lomKushe, watsi: “Nkhosi yami, nkhosi, vani nati tindzaba letimnandzi! Simakadze ukukhululile lamuhla, kubo bonkhe labakuvukelako.”
32Inkhosi yabuta kulomKushe, yatsi: “Unjani umfana Absalomu?”
LomKushe waphendvula watsi: “Shangatsi loko lokwenteke kuye kungenteka kubo bonkhe labatitsa takho, nkhosi, nabo bonkhe labakuvukelako.”
33Inkhosi yehlulwa buhlungu. Yasukuma yakhuphukela ekamelweni lelalingetulu kwelisango yayawukhala khona. Isakhuphuka, yayihambe ikhala itsi: “Awu, ndvodzana yami, Absalomu! Ndvodzana yami, ndvodzana yami, Absalomu! Kube kufane kwafa mine esikhundleni sakho! Awu, Absalomu, ndvodzana yami, ndvodzana yami!”
