UJowabe Nowesifazane Ohlakaniphileyo WaseThekhowa
1UJowabe, indodana kaZeruya, wabona ukuthi inhliziyo yenkosi iku-Absalomu. 2UJowabe wayesethumela eThekhowa, walanda khona owesifazane ohlakaniphileyo, wathi kuye: “Ake uzishaye olilayo, ugqoke inzilo, ungazigcobi ngamafutha, ube njengowesifazane oselile izinsuku eziningi elilela ofileyo, 3bese uya enkosini, ufike ukhulume kuyo kanje ...”
UJowabe wamfunza amazwi okwakumele awakhulume.
4Owesifazane waseThekhowa wafika phambi kwenkosi, wakhothama wathi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini, wayesethi: “Siza, nkosi.”
5Inkosi yathi kuye: “Ukhathazwe yini na?”
Wathi: “Maye, ngingumfelokazi! Indoda yami seyafa. 6Incekukazi yakho yayinamadodana amabili; alwa odwa endle kungekho ongawalamula, kepha enye yashaya enye, yayibulala. 7Manje umndeni wonke usuvukele incekukazi yakho; uthi: ‘Letha lowo owabulala umfowabo ukuba simbulale naye ngenxa yomphefumulo womfowabo, siyakuyibhubhisa indlalifa.’ Bayakulicima kanjalo-ke ilahle lami eliseleyo, bangabe besayishiyela indoda yami igama nensali ebusweni bomhlaba.”
8Inkosi yayisithi kowesifazane: “Phindela endlini yakho; ngizothumela umyalezo mayelana nawe.”
9Owesifazane waseThekhowa wathi enkosini: “Nkosi yami, nkosi, icala malibe phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa, inkosi nesihlalo sayo sobukhosi kube msulwa.”
10Yathi inkosi: “Oyosho utho kuwe, mlethe kimi; akayukuphinda akuthinte.”
11Wayesethi yena: “Inkosi ake ikhumbule uSimakade uNkulunkulu wayo ukuba umphindiseli wegazi angaqhubeki nokubulala, nokuthi bangayibulali indodana yami.”
Yathi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade, akukho nolulodwa unwele lwendodana yakho oluyakuwela phansi.”
12Wayesethi owesifazane: “Ake incekukazi yakho ikhulume izwi enkosini yami, inkosi.”
Yathi: “Khuluma.”
13Wathi-ke owesifazane: “Pho wena ukwenzeleni okunjalo kubantu bakaNkulunkulu na? Ngokukhuluma leli lizwi inkosi izibeka icala yona, ngokuba inkosi ingambuyisi oxoshiweyo wayo. 14Ngokuba simelwe ukufa, sinjengamanzi achithwa emhlabathini, angenakubuye aqoqwe. UNkulunkulu akakususi ukuphila, kepha uqamba amasu ukuba oxoshiweyo angabi ngumxoshwa kuye.
15“Manje-ke ngize lapha ukukhuluma leli lizwi enkosini yami, inkosi, ngenxa yokuthi abantu bangesabisile; incekukazi yakho yayisithi: ‘Mangikhulume enkosini; mhlawumbe inkosi iyakukwenza lokho okushiwo yincekukazi yayo. 16Inkosi iyokuzwa, iyihlenge incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu ofuna ukubhubhisa mina nendodana yami efeni, uNkulunkulu asabele lona.’
17“Yayisithi incekukazi yakho: ‘Izwi lenkosi yami, inkosi, malibe ngelokuthula, ngokuba inkosi yami, inkosi, injengengelosi kaNkulunkulu ukuba ilalele okuhle nokubi; uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho makabe nawe.’ ”
18Yayisiphendula inkosi, yathi kowesifazane: “Ake ungangifihleli lutho kulokhu engizokubuza khona.”
Wathi owesifazane: “Mayikhulume inkosi yami, inkosi.”
19Yathi-ke inkosi: “Ngabe isandla sikaJowabe asinawe kukho konke lokhu na?”
Owesifazane waphendula, wathi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela kuwe, nkosi yami, nkosi, akukho muntu ongaphikisana nakho konke okukhulunywe yinkosi yami, inkosi. Inceku yakho, uJowabe, yangiyaleza, yangifunza wonke lawa mazwi. 20UJowabe, inceku yakho, lokho ukwenzile ukuba aguqule isimo sezinto; inkosi yami ihlakaniphile njengokuhlakanipha kwengelosi kaNkulunkulu, ukwazi konke okusemhlabeni.”
U-Absalomu Ubuyela KuDavide EJerusalema
21Inkosi yayisithi kuJowabe: “Bheka-ke, ngizokwenza lokho. Hamba ulande umfana, u-Absalomu.”
22UJowabe wakhothama wathi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini, wayithopha inkosi, wayesethi: “Namuhla inceku yakho iyazi ukuthi ifumene umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, nkosi, lokhu inkosi ilenzile izwi lenceku yayo.”
23Wayesesuka uJowabe wahamba, waya eGeshuri, wambuyisa u-Absalomu eJerusalema. 24Inkosi yathi: “Makaye endlini yakhe, akayukububona ubuso bami.”
Wayeseya u-Absalomu endlini yakhe, akabubona ubuso benkosi.
25Kulo lonke elakwa-Israyeli kwakungekho muntu owayebatshazwa ngobuhle njengo-Absalomu. Wayengenasici, kusukela ematheni onyawo kuya okhakhayini. 26Njalo ekupheleni konyaka wayeliphuca ikhanda lakhe lapho izinwele sezimsinda. Lapho ezilinganisa izinwele zakhe, zaziba ngamashekeli angama-200 ngokwesilinganiso esisemthethweni.
27U-Absalomu wazala amadodana amathathu nendodakazi eyodwa, ayiqamba ngokuthi nguThamari; yayingowesifazane omuhle kakhulu.
28U-Absalomu wahlala eJerusalema iminyaka emibili, engakaze abubone ubuso benkosi. 29U-Absalomu wathumela kuJowabe ukuze amthume enkosini, kodwa uJowabe akavumanga ukuza kuye; waphinda wathumela okwesibili, kepha akavumanga ukuza. 30Wayesethi ezincekwini zakhe: “Niyabona-ke, insimu kaJowabe iseduze neyami, unebhali khona; hambani niyithungele ngomlilo.”
Izinceku zika-Absalomu zayithungela-ke ngomlilo insimu.
31Wayesesuka uJowabe, waya ku-Absalomu endlini yakhe, wathi kuye: “Kungani izinceku zakho zithungele ngomlilo insimu yami na?”
32U-Absalomu wathi kuJowabe: “Ngithumele kuwe, ngathi: ‘Woza lapha ukuze ngikuthume enkosini, uyothi kuyo: “Ngibuyiselweni eGeshuri na? Ngabe kungcono kimi ukuba bengisekhona lapho.” ’
“Ngakho-ke ngicela ukubona ubuso benkosi; uma nginecala, mayingibulale.”
33UJowabe waya enkosini, wayibikela. Inkosi yambiza u-Absalomu, weza kuyo, wakhothama phambi kwayo wathi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini; inkosi yamanga u-Absalomu.
