2 USamuweli 17

₁U-Ahithofeli wathi ku-Absalomu: “Ake ngiqoke amadoda ayizi-12 000, ngizosuka ngimlandele uDavide ngabo bona lobu busuku. ₂Ngizomfica ekhathele, nezandla zakhe zingenamandla, ngizomthelekela, abantu bonke abanaye babaleke, bese ngibulala inkosi, yona nje kuphela. ₃Ngiyakubabuyisa kuwe bonke abantu. Uma ubulala oyedwa nje lo omfunayo, bonke abantu bayakuba nokuthula.”

₄Leli lizwi lamjabulisa u-Absalomu nawo wonke amalunga akwa-Israyeli.

₅Wayesethi u-Absalomu: “Mawumbize noHushayi, umArikhi, sizwe ukuthi yena uthini.”

₆UHushayi wafika ku-Absalomu, u-Absalomu wathi kuye: “U-Ahithofeli ukhulume lokhu, senze njengokusho kwakhe na? Uma kungenjalo, sitshele-ke ukuthi wena uthini.”

₇UHushayi wathi ku-Absalomu: “Iseluleko akweluleke ngaso ngalesi sikhathi u-Ahithofeli, asisihle neze.”

₈UHushayi wabuye wathi: “Uyazi ukuthi uyihlo nabantu bakhe bangamaqhawe, nokuthi bacasukile ezinhliziyweni, bafana nebhele elephucwe amazinyane alo ehlane. Uyihlo uyindoda yempi, akasoze alala lapho kulele khona abantu. ₉Bheka, manje ucashe emgodini noma kwenye indawo. Kuyothi lapho amabutho ethu eqala ukubathelekela, umuntu oyokuzwa uyothi: ‘Abantu abalandela u-Absalomu babulewe.’ ₁₀Ngisho nonesibindi, onenhliziyo enjengeyengonyama, uyophelelwa ngamandla ngenxa yokwesaba, ngokuba wonke u-Israyeli uyazi ukuthi uyihlo uyiqhawe, nabantu ahamba nabo bangamaqhawe anamandla.

₁₁“Nasi iseluleko sami sokuthi u-Israyeli wonke makaqoqelwe kuwe kusukela kwaDani kuze kufike eBheri Sheba, ube mningi ngangesihlabathi sasolwandle ngobuningi, bese umhola wena uye naye empini. ₁₂Siyakumhlasela noma kuphi lapho siyomfica khona, simthelekele kuhle kwamazolo ehlela emhlabathini; akanakuphunyuka, yena nabo bonke abanaye. ₁₃Uma ebalekela emzini, wonke u-Israyeli uyakuphonsa izintambo kulowo muzi, siwuhudulele emfuleni, kungabe kusafunyanwa khona netshe nje elilodwa.”

₁₄U-Absalomu nabantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Iseluleko sikaHushayi, umArikhi, singcono kuneseluleko sika-Ahithofeli.”

Ngokuba uSimakade wayenqumile ukuba kubhuntshe iseluleko esihle sika-Ahithofeli, ukuze uSimakade amehlisele okubi u-Absalomu.

₁₅UHushayi wayesethi kuZadoki no-Abhiyathara, abaphristi: “U-Ahithofeli umeluleke kanje kanje u-Absalomu namalunga akwa-Israyeli. Mina ngabeluleka kanje nakanje. ₁₆Ngakho-ke phuthumani nithumele kuDavide, nimbikele nithi: ‘Ungahlali ngasemazibukweni ehlane ngalobu busuku; wela nokuwela, funa inkosi ibhujiswe nabo bonke abantu abanayo lapho.’ ”

₁₇UJonathani no-Ahimahasi babehlala e-Eni Rogeli; incekukazi yayivame ukuya ibatshele, bese bona bewedlulisela umbiko enkosini uDavide, babekwenza lokhu ngendlela yokuba bangabonwa muntu behamba beya emzini. ₁₈Kepha mfana mumbe wababona, wayeseyobotha ku-Absalomu, base beshesha, bahamba bobabili, bafika endlini yomuntu waseBhahurimi owayenomthombo egcekeni lakhe; behlela khona. ₁₉Owesifazane wathatha isivalo, wasibeka phezu komlomo womthombo, weneka umgqakazo kuso; kwakungazi muntu ngalokho.

₂₀Izinceku zika-Absalomu zafika kowesifazane endlini, zathi: “Baphi o-Ahimahasi noJonathani na?”

Owesifazane waphendula wathi kuzo: “Bawele umfudlana.”

Lapho sezibathungathe zancama, zasuka zabuyela eJerusalema.

₂₁Kwathi sezihambile, baphuma emthonjeni, bahamba bayoyibikela inkosi uDavide, bathi: “Sukani, niwele umfula ngokushesha, ngokuba u-Ahithofeli weluleke kanje ngani.”

₂₂UDavide, nabo bonke abantu ababe naye, basuka bawela iJordani. Kwathi kusa, kwabe kungekho namunye owayesasele engaliwelanga iJordani.

₂₃Kuthe lapho u-Ahithofeli ebona ukuthi iseluleko sakhe asilandelwanga, wabophela imbongolo yakhe, wasuka, wabuyela ekhaya, emzini wakhe. Wafika khona wahlela izindaba zomuzi wakhe, wayesezilengisa, wafa, wangcwatshwa ethuneni likayise.

₂₄UDavide wahamba waze wafika eMahanayimi, kodwa u-Absalomu nabo bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli bawela iJordani. ₂₅U-Absalomu wabeka u-Amasa ukuba ahole impi esikhundleni sikaJowabe. U-Amasa kwakuyindodana yendoda yakwa-Israyeli okuthiwa ngu-Ithira, owayengene u-Abhigayili, indodakazi kaNahashi, udadewabo kaZeruya, unina kaJowabe. ₂₆Abakwa-Israyeli no-Absalomu bakanisa kwaGileyadi.

₂₇Kwathi ukuba uDavide afike eMahanayimi; uShobi, indodana kaNahashi waseRabha kwa-Amoni, uMakhiri, indodana ka-Amiyeli waseLo Debhari, noBharizilayi, umGileyadi, waseRogelimi, ₂₈bamlethela amacansi, imicengezi, izitsha zebumba, ubhontshisi, ukolo, ibhali, impuphu, utshwele, imbumba, inhlosa, ₂₉uju, izaqheqhe, izimvu, noshizi, bakuletha kuDavide nakubantu ababenaye ukuze badle, ngokuba bathi: “Abantu balambile, bakhathele, futhi bomile ehlane.”