Impi kaDavide noAbisalomu
1UDavide wabala abantu ababenaye, wabeka phezu kwabo izinduna zezinkulungwane nezinduna zamakhulu.
2UDavide wamukisa abantu, inxenye yesithathu iphansi kwesandla sikaJowabe, nenxenye yesithathu iphansi kwesandla sika-Abishayi indodana kaSeruya, umfowabo kaJowabe, nenxenye yesithathu iphansi kwesandla sikaIthayi umGiti. Inkosi yathi kubantu: Nami ngiyakuphuma nokuphuma nani.
3Kepha abantu bathi: Awuyikuphuma, ngokuba uma sibaleka, abayikusinakekela; noma kufa inxenye yethu, abayikusikhathalela, kepha wena unjengezinkulungwane eziyishumi zethu; ngalokho kuhle ukuba usisize usemzini.
4Yayisithi inkosi kubo: Okuhle emehlweni enu ngiyakukwenza. Inkosi yema ngaseceleni kwesango, bonke abantu baphuma ngamakhulu nangezinkulungwane.
5Inkosi yabayaleza oJowabe noAbishayi noIthayi, yathi: Anoyiphatha kahle insizwa ngenxa yami, ngisho uAbisalomu. Bonke abantu bezwa, lapho inkosi iyaleza zonke izinduna ngoAbisalomu.
6Base bephumela endle ukulwa noIsrayeli, kwaliwa ehlathini lakwaEfrayimi.
7Abantu bakwaIsrayeli banqotshwa lapho phambi kwezinceku zikaDavide, kwakukhona ukubulalana okukhulu ngalolosuku, abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili.
8Ngokuba impi yahlakazeka khona ezweni lonke, ihlathi laqeda abantu abaningi ngalolosuku kunabadliwa yinkemba.
Ukufa kuka-Abisalomu nokukhala kukaDavide
9UAbisalomu wasuka wahlangana nezinceku zikaDavide. UAbisalomu wayekhwele umnyuzi* wakhe, umnyuzi wangena phansi kwehlozi leoki*, ikhanda lakhe labambelela eokini, waphakanyiselwa emkhathini wezulu nomhlaba; umnyuzi obuphansi kwakhe wadlula.
10Umuntu othile wakubona, wamtshela uJowabe, wathi: Bheka, ngiboné uAbisalomu ephanyekile eokini*.
11UJowabe wathi kumuntu omtshelileyo: Bheka, ukubonile, awumjuqanga ngani khona, awele phansi, na? Nga ngikunikile izinhlamvu eziyishumi zesiliva nebhande*.
12Wathi-ke umuntu kuJowabe: Noma bengiyakukhokhelwa izinhlamvu eziyinkulungwane zesiliva esandleni sami, nokho bengingayikuselulela isandla sami endodaneni yenkosi, ngokuba ezindlebeni zethu inkosi yakuyala wena noAbishayi noIthayi ukuthi: Yilondeni insizwa uAbisalomu.
13Uma bengisebenzile inkohliso ngokuphila kwakhe, njengokuba kungekhonto efihlwa enkosini, nawe uqobo ngabe umelene nami.
14Wayesethi uJowabe: Anginakulibala kanje nawe. Wathatha imikhonto emithathu ngesandla sakhe, wambhokoda uAbisalomu enhliziyweni esezwa, ephakathi kweoki*.
15Izinsizwa eziyishumi ezaziphethe izikhali zikaJowabe zamzungeza, zamshaya uAbisalomu, zambulala.
16UJowabe wayesebetha icilongo, abantu babuya ekumxosheni uIsrayeli, ngokuba uJowabe wabagodla abantu.
17Bamthatha uAbisalomu, bamlahla emgodini omkhulu ehlathini, babeka phezu kwakhe inqwaba enkulu kakhulu yamatshe; bonke abakwaIsrayeli, kwabayilowo nalowo, babalekela ematendeni abo.
18UAbisalomu esekhona wayethathé insika, wazimisela yona esiGodini seNkosi, ngokuba wathi: Anginandodana yokukhumbuzela igama lami; wayiqamba insika ngegama lakhe; ithiwa isikhumbuzo sika-Abisalomu kuze kube-namuhla.
19UAhimahasi indodana kaSadoki wayesethi: Ake ngigijime, ngiyibikele inkosi ukuthi uJehova uyiphindisele ezitheni zayo.
20UJowabe wathi kuye: Awuyikubangumbiki wendaba namuhla, kepha uyakubika ngolunye usuku; namuhla awuyikubika-lutho, ngokuba indodana yenkosi ifile.
21Wayesethi uJowabe kumKushe: Hamba, uyitshele inkosi okubonileyo. UmKushe wamkhothamela uJowabe, wagijima.
22UAhimahasi indodana kaSadoki wabuye wathi kuJowabe: Noma kanjani, ake ngigijime nami, ngimlandele umKushe. Kepha uJowabe wathi: Uyakugijimelani wena-mntanami, lokhu kungekho-mvuzo wombiko kuwe, na?
23Wathi: Noma kanjani, ake ngigijime. Wathi kuye: Gijima. Wayesegijima uAhimahasi ngendlela yasethafeni, wamdlula umKushe.
24UDavide wayehlezi emkhathini wamasango omabili; umlindi wakhuphukela ophahleni lwesango ngasogangeni, waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabheka, nanguya umuntu egijima eyedwa.
25Umlindi wamemeza, wayitshela inkosi. Yathi inkosi: Uma eyedwa, unombiko emlonyeni wakhe. Wayelokhu esondela njalo.
26Umlindi wayesebona omunye umuntu egijima; umlindi wabiza umlindisango, wathi: Bheka, omunye umuntu ugijima eyedwa. Inkosi yathi: Naye uletha umbiko.
27Umlindi wayesethi: Ngibona kungathi ukugijima kowokuqala kunjengokugijima kuka-Ahimahasi indodana kaSadoki. Yathi inkosi: Ngumuntu omuhle yena; uletha umbiko omuhle.
28Wayesememeza uAhimahasi, wathi enkosini: Bayede! Wakhothama phambi kwenkosi ebhekisé phansi ubuso bakhe, wathi: Makabongwe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, onikele abantu abaphakamisela isandla sabo enkosini yami, inkosi.
29Inkosi yathi: Isahlezi kahle insizwa uAbisalomu na? UAbimahasi wathi: Ngabona isixuku sabantu, lapho uJowabe inceku yenkosi ethuma inceku yakho, kepha angazanga ukuthi kuyini.
30Inkosi yathi: Gudluka, ume lapho. Wagudluka, wema.
31Bheka, wayesefika umKushe; umKushe wathi: Ngumbiko, nkosi yami, nkosi, ngokuba uJehova ukuphindisele namuhla kubo bonke abakuvukelayo.
32Inkosi yathi kumKushe: Isahlezi kahle insizwa uAbisalomu na? UmKushe wathi: Izitha zenkosi yami, inkosi, nabo bonke abakuvukelayo ukukulimaza mababe-njengaleyonsizwa.
33Yayisidabuka kakhulu inkosi, yakhuphukela ekamelweni elingaphezu kwesango, yakhala; isahamba yathi: Hawu, ndodana yami Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami Abisalomu! Sengathi nga ngifile esikhundleni sakho, Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!
