1Abantu batjela uJowabi bonyana ikosi iyalila, ililela u-Absalomu. 2Kwathi bona amabutho ezwe bonyana ikosi isemahlungwini ngomsanayo, ukuhlula kwawo mhlokho kwaphenduka isililo. 3Amabutho angena emzini akhwetjhezela mhlokho njengamadoda nangena ngokunanya lokha nabaleke epini. 4Ikosi yazibhibeza ubuso yarhahlawula yathi: “Maye mina, ngomsanami u-Absalomu! Maye mina ngo-Absalomu, umsanami, umsanami!”
5UJowabi wangena ngelawini waya ekosini wafese wathi: “Awa, namhlanje khona uwadanisile-ke amabuthwakho akusindise abe asindisa namadodanakho namadodakazakho kanye nepilo yamakhosikazakho neyemingenakho. 6Ujama nezitha zakho, uhlanukela abangani bakho. Ubonakalise kuhle namhlanje bonyana iinduna namabutho akatjho litho kuwe. Ngiyabona bonyana bewuzakuthaba nangathana u-Absalomakho loyo gade aphila, khibe kufe thina sokanyana nje. 7Phuma khona nje uyokukhuthaza amabuthwakho lawaya. Nawungaphumiko, ngoZimu ngiqinisile ngithi bazakutjhiya boke usale wedwa tere nakutjhinga ilangeli, uzase uyihlole. Kuzakuba budisi kuwe ukudlula ubudisi boke owakhe wabuthwala epilwenakho.”
8Yeke ikosi yasikima yakhamba yayokuhlala esangweni. Amadoda nezwa bonyana ikosi isesangweni, eza azoyilotjhisa.
UDavida ubuyela eJerusalema
Ngesikhatheso ama-Israyeli agade akhamba no-Absalomu gade sele abalekele eendlini zawo. 9Phakathi kweenkoro zoke zakwa-Israyeli gade sele kunokuphikisana hlangana nabantu. Bathi kubaphathi: “Ikosi uDavida eyasisindisa esandleni sezitha zethu, iye ikosi eyasisindisa esandleni samaFilista, ibalekile enarhenapha ngebanga laka-Absalomu. 10Kodwana u-Absalomu loyo esamzesa bonyana asibuse, uhlongakele epini. Alo, kubayini nathi du nje; ningasathi ikosi ayibuye?”
11Yeke ikosi uDavida yathumela umlayezo othi kubaphristi uTsadokhi no-Abiyatari: “Akhe nibuze abaphathi bakwaJuda ngesewula bonyana benziwa yini kobana badose iinyawo ekubuyiseleni ikosi esigodlweni sayo. Batjeleni bonyana ikosi lapha igugubele khona iwezwile amahlebezi wokobana ama-Israyeli ngetlhagwini afuna izokuba yikosawo. 12Batjeleni nithi, ‘Nibafowethu mbala, niyinyama negazi lami. Alo, kubayini nidosa iinyawo ekubuyiseleni ikosi?’ 13Bese nithi ku-Amasa, ‘Awusinyama negazi lami na? NgoZimu ngiqinisile ngithi uzakuba yinduna yamabuthwami esikhundleni sakaJowabi kusuka khona nje.’ ”
14Amezwi kaDavida athumba iinhliziyo zabantu boke bakwaJuda kwaba ngathi bamumuntu munye. Bathumela ilizwi ekosini bathi: “Yewubuye namabuthwakho woke.”
15Yeke ikosi yabuya beyakhamba yayokufika eJordani. Abantu bakwaJuda bafika eGiligali kobana bahlangabezane nekosi, bayiyamise iJordani. 16UTjhimeyi umsa kaGera, umBhenjamini weBharhurimu, naye wagijima nabantu bakwaJuda wayokuhlangabeza ikosi uDavida. 17Bekaphekelelwa yikulungwana yamaBhenjamini, uTsiba isisebenzi sekumba kaSawula kanye namadodanakhe alitjhumi nahlanu neenceku zakhona ezimatjhumi amabili. Bagijimela eJordani lapha kwakunekosi khona. 18Bayama ezibukweni kobana bayamise umndeni wekosi bebenze nanyana yini efunwa yikosi. Ngemva kobana uTjhimeyi umsa kaGera ayame iJordani, wazilahlela phasi phambi kwekosi 19wathi kiyo: “Ikosi ayidle izitjhiyele. Inga ikosi ingakhohlwa ubudlhayela obenziwa yincekwayo mhlana ikosami isuka eJerusalema. Bengithi ekosinami tjhebetjhebe. 20Incekwakho iyazi bonyana itjhaphele ikosi, kodwana namhlanje ithe ayiphume ibe ngeyokuthoma ekumbeni kaJosefa ukwehla izokuhlangabeza ikosayo.”
21U-Abitjhayi umsa kaTseruya wathi: “Usaphilelani nje uTjhimeyi wakhona loyo, nathuke umzeswa kaZimu kangaka?”
22UDavida wathi: “Niyithenga ngani indaba le, nina besa bakaTseruya? Namhlanje nijamelene nami! Akunamuntu ozakubulawa kwa-Israyelapha namhlanjesi. Ngimi ikosi kwa-Israyeli, ngiqedile nangitjho njalo.”
23Ikosi yathi kuTjhimeyi: “Awuzukufa.” Ikosi yamthembisa ngesifungo.
24UMefi-Bhotjhethi, umntwanomntwana kaSawula naye wehla wayokuhlangabeza ikosi. Bekangazange ahlambe iinyawo zakhe nanyana aphungule iindevu zakhe, nezambatho zakhe azange azihlanze soloko kwamhlana ikosi isuka eJerusalema, bekwaba sekubuyeni kwayo isabulungekile. 25Naye weza ukuzokuhlangabeza ikosi asuka eJerusalema. Ikosi yambuza yathi: “Awu, Mefi-Bhotjhethi, kubayini ungazange ukhambe nami?”
26Waphendula wathi: “Kosami, ndabezitha, njengombana incekwakho irholophele nje, ngazitjela bona ngizakubophela udumbanami ukuze ngikghone ukukhamba nekosi. Nakhuya-ke uTsiba isisebenzi sami singidlelezela. 27Wafika wangikhuluma kumbi ekosinami. Nokho-ke ikosami ikghona ukuzwisisa kuhle njengesithunywa sakaZimu. Yeke ayenze nanyana yini elungileko emehlwenayo. 28Bewunelungelo lokubulala zoke iinzukulwana zakabamkhulwami, kodwana unikele incekwakho indawo hlangana nalabo abagoma esithebeni sekosi. Alo, ngingabe ngisathi ngifunelani ukubawa okhunye ekosinami?”
29Ikosi yathi kuye: “Ungasanda namezwi! Ngithi wena noTsiba hlukaniselanani amasimu.”
30UMefi-Bhotjhethi wathi ekosini: “UTsiba akawathathe woke amasimu lawo, mina kimi kwanele ukubona ikosami ibuyele ekhaya ibulungekile.”
31UBharzilayi umGiliyadi wehla avela eRogelimi kobana azokulotjhisa ikosi eJordani. 32UBharzilayi lo gade kuliqhegu elidala, aneminyaka ematjhumi abunane. Watlhogomela ikosi lokha nayisahlala eMarhanayimu ngombana wayemumuntu onjingileko. 33Ikosi yathi kuBharzilayi: “Yewuyame nami uyokuhlala nami eJerusalema, ngizakutlhogomela.”
34Kodwana uBharzilayi wathi ekosini: “Ikosi itjho bonyana ngingabe ngisafika eJerusalema nanginje? 35Nginamatjhumi abunane woke weminyaka. Angisanandiphelwa lilitho. Ukudla nokuselwako sekuduma qwatjhi. Nalokha abobaba nabomma nababhina esigodlweni angeze bengisabezwa. Incekwakho izokuba mthwalo ekosinami. 36Kungaba budisana bonyana incekwakho iyame iJordani nekosi. Ikosi ingibonani kangaka? 37Ikosi ayingivumele ngiphenduke, ngiyokufela emzinekhethu, ngilale eduze nezindla lakababa nomma. Nokho nangu umsanami uKimhamu. Akayame nekosi, ikosi imenzele nanyana yini ekubona kukuhle emehlwenayo.”
38Ikosi yathi: “Iye, awa; uKimhamu angayama nami. Ngizamenzela nanyana yini ekuthokozisako ngombana kuyangithokozisa ukukwenzela nanyana yini oyifuna kimi.”
39Yeke boke abantu bayama iJordani. Ikosi nayo yayama ngemva kobana igone uBharzilayi beyambusisa. UBharzilayi waphendukela ekhaya. 40Ikosi yanqomba eGiligali, uKimhamu wakhamba nayo.
Bekungiwo woke amabutho wakwaJuda nengcenye yamabutho wakwa-Israyeli ayamisa ikosi eJordani. 41Kwasuka inengi labantu bakwa-Israyeli laya ekosini lafese lathi: “Banalungelo liphi abafowethu bakwaJuda bona bangathatha ikosi nomndenayo bayiyamise iJordani nabo boke abantu abakhamba nayo na?”
42Boke abantu bakwaJuda bafahlela, baphendula bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Lokho sikwenze ngombana ikosi iseduze nathi ngegazi. Alo, nitjhiswa yini ngalokho? Kghani kunento esiyigomileko esabelweni sekosi? Kunezinto esizithathele zona na?” 43Abantu bakwa-Israyeli baphendula bakwaJuda bathi: “Thina siziinkoro ezilitjhumi kunani, yeke sinesandla esibanzi ekosini uDavida. Alo, nisinyazelani kangaka? Akusithi esize nombono wokobana kulandwe ikosi na?”
Abantu bakwaJuda barhagalela bakwa-Israyeli ngendaba le.
