Ukufa kwaka-Absalomu
1UDavida wahlola amaviywakhe, wakhetha iinduna zekulungwana neenduna zekhulu. 2Wakhupha amabutho ngeenqhemaqhema, isithathu sesiqhema sarholwa nguJowabi, esinye sarholwa ngumnakwabo kaJowabi u-Abitjhayi umsa kaTseruya, esinye sarholwa ngu-Itayi umGathi. Ikosi yathi kumabutho: “Nami ngizokuphuma nani ngenyama.”
3Kodwana amadoda athi: “Ungaphumi nathi, nange sizifumana sikateleleka bonyana sibaleke, angeze bebasitjheje. Nanyana kungafa ingcenye yethu angeze kwabatjhisa ndawo lokho ngombana kibo wena uqakatheke ukudlula thina simadoda aziinkulungwana ezilitjhumi kunathi. Kungaba ngcono kobana wena usisekele usedorobhenapha.”
4Ikosi yathi: “Ngizakwenza nanyana yini okubonakala kungcono kini.”
Yeke ikosi yajama hlanu kwesango lokha amadoda naphuma ngeenqhema zamakhulukhulu nezeenkulungwana. 5Ikosi yalayela uJowabi, u-Abitjhayi no-Itayi yathi: “Ningisize nibe buthaka ngendodanami u-Absalomu.”
Woke amabutho azizwela lokha ikosi nayitjela zoke iinduna ngo-Absalomu.
6Ipi yaphuma yayokuhlangana no-Israyeli etatawini lokulwa, yabambanela eHlathini laka-Efrayimu. 7Lapho, ipi yakwa-Israyeli yahlulwa liviyo lakaDavida, kanti neenkhubela zaba zinengi tle mhlokho, amatjhumi amabili weenkulungwana zamadoda. 8Ipi yabheduka inarha yoke, abantu abafela ehlathini baba banengi ukudlula ababulawa yisabula.
9Khonokho u-Absalomu wazithela phezu kwebutho lakaDavida. Bekakhwele imeyilakhe, kuthe lokha imeyila leyo nayisakhambakhamba ngaphasi kweempande ezimdlani zomuthi omkhulu we-owuku, ihloko yaka-Absalomu yakghiya emthinapho. Wasala alembelele lapho khibe imeyila agade ayikhwele ihlabela phambili. 10Kuthe lokha enye yamadoda nayibona umhlolo lowo, yayokutjela uJowabi yathi: “Kazi ngibone u-Absalomu alembelele emthini we-owuku.”
11UJowabi wathi endodeni ebikako leyo: “Baba-ke! Usangitjela bona umbonile? Kutheni ungakamumadlhi khonapho umhlanganise nehlabathi? Ngabe sikhuluma nje ngikunikela iimpaparwana ezilitjhumi zesiliva nebhande lobungorho.”
12Kodwana indoda yaphendula yathi: “Ngitjho nanyana bewunganginikela iimpaparwana eziyikulungwana, bengingekhe ngigabaze ngibeke indodana yekosi isandla. Ngizizwele ngezami zombili lokha ikosi nayithi kuwe naku-Abitjhayi no-Itayi, ‘Nibabalele indodanami u-Absalomu.’ 13Ngathana ngimbulalele ngemsitheleni, ikosi beyizokwazi; wena bewuyokujamela kude nami.”
14UJowabi wathi: “Angizokulokhu ngona isikhathi nawe lapha.” Nanguya athatha imikhonto emithathu wahlaba ngayo u-Absalomu esifubeni asaphila alokhu alembelele emthini we-owuku njalo. 15Abosonkhande abalitjhumi bakaJowabi bazombeleza u-Absalomu, bamphobola bebambulala. 16Khonokho uJowabi wavuthela ipalapala, amabutho alisa ukugijimisa u-Israyeli ngombana uJowabi bekasithi ayisele. 17Bathatha u-Absalomu bamjikijela ngemgodini omkhulu ehlathini bebambhibeza ngentaba yamatje. Ngesikhatheso ama-Israyeli gade abelethe iinthende, omunye nomunye abambe indlela eya kwakhe.
18Kwakunesinye isikhumbuzo esajanyiswa ngu-Absalomu: Ngeenkhathi zakhe u-Absalomu wathatha isika wayijamisa ngemRhobeni kaSomnini ngombana bekasithi nadlumbanako: “Anginandodana ezakuvusa ibizo lami.” Wathiyelela isika leyo ngaye, nanje isabizwa bonyana siKhumbuzo saka-Absalomu.
UDavida ubikelwa ngokufa kwaka-Absalomu
19U-Arhimahatsi umsa kaTsadokhi wathi: “Angigijime ngiyokwazisa ikosi uDavida bonyana uSomnini uZimu umtjhaphululile esandleni sezitha zakhe.”
20Kodwana uJowabi wathi kuye: “Kahle ngokurhaba, awuzukubikela ikosi namhlanje, uzakwenza lokho ngelinye ilanga, hayi namhlanje. Ukhumbule bonyana yindodana yekosi ehlongakeleko.”
21UJowabi wathi kumKutjhe: “Khamba uyokwazisa ikosi ngokubonileko.”
UmKutjhe wakhothama phambi kwakaJowabi, wasuka lapho wagijima. 22U-Arhimahatsi umsa kaTsadokhi godu wathi kuJowabi: “Ngivumela nami ngilandele umKutjhe.” Kodwana uJowabi wathi: “Ndodana, watjhabatjheka kangaka nje? Abe akunalitho ozalithola ngombikwakho lowo.” 23Waphendula wathi: “Akhese ungilise ngigijime.” Yeke uJowabi wathi: “Gijima-ke!”
U-Arhimahatsi wagijima wathatha indlela eqamula emrhobeni weJordani wadlula umKutjhe.
24Kwathi uDavida asahlezi hlangana nesango langaphakathi nelangaphandle ledorobho, umqapheli wakhwela phezu kwephahla lesango elisemthangaleni. Wathi nathi uyaqala wabona umuntu eza nganeno agijima ayedwa. 25Umlindidorobho warhuwelela wabikela ikosi.
Ikosi yathi: “Nangabe ukhamba yedwa, kuyatjho bona uphethe iindaba ezimnandi.”
Umuntu loyo waya ngokuya asondela. 26Godu umlindidorobho wabona omunye umuntu naye agijima, warhuwelela umlindisango wathi: “Qala, godu nango omunye umuntu uza agijima yedwa!”
Ikosi yathi: “Naye uza neendaba.”
27Umlindidorobho wathi: “Igijimo lomuntu wokuthoma loya ungathi ngelaka-Arhimahatsi umsa kaTsadokhi.”
Ikosi yathi: “Leyo yindoda elungileko, iza nezimnandi.”
28U-Arhimahatsi warhuwelela ikosi asesekude wathi: “Koke kukhamba kuhle!” Wafika wakhothama phambi kwekosi wathi: “Bayede! Akathokozwe uZimu wekosami! Ubephule umkhono abantu egade baphakamisela ikosami imikhonto.”
29Ikosi yabuza yathi: “Umsanami u-Absalomu ulondekile na?”
U-Arhimahatsi wathi: “Gade kunesiyaluyalu ngaphambi kobana uJowabi athumele inceku yekosi nami, incekwakho, abe ayazi bonyana bekwenzakalani.”
30Ikosi yathi: “Jamela eqadi, ulinde khonapha.”
Mbala wajamela eqadi walinda khonapho. 31Kwase kufika umKutjhe wathi: “Ngwenyama! Ikosi ayilalele nanzi iindaba ezimnandi! UZimu namhlanje usindise ikosami kiboboke abayivukelako.”
32Ikosi yabuza umKutjhe yathi: “Alo, umsanami u-Absalomu yena ulondekile na?”
UmKutjhe wathi: “Inga zoke izitha zekosami nalabo abavukela ikosi bona bayilimaze bangaba njengesokanelo.”
33Ikosi yawurubajeka. Yakhuphukela elawini eliphezu kwesango, yalila. Yabe ilokhu yehla yenyuka isithi: “Maye mina ngomsanami u-Absalomu! Umsanami, umsanami u-Absalomu! Ngathana kuhlongakele mina esikhundleni sakho. Maye ngo-Absalomu, maye mina ngomsanami!”
