OSiba noMefibosheti
1UDavide esedlulile kancane isiqongo sentaba, bheka, kwamhlangabeza uSiba inceku kaMefibosheti enezimbongolo ezimbili eziboshelweyo, zithwele izinkwa ezingamakhulu amabili, nezigaxa eziyikhulu zezithelo zomvini ezomileyo, nezigaxa eziyikhulu zamakhiwane, nemvaba yewayini.
2Inkosi yathi kuSiba: “Uthini ngalezi zinto na?”
Wathi uSiba: “Izimbongolo zingezokukhwelwa ngabantu bendlu yenkosi, izinkwa nezithelo zingezokudliwa, newayini lingelokuphuzwa ngabayethileyo ehlane.”
3Yayisithi inkosi: “Iphi indodana yenkosi yakho na?”
USiba wathi enkosini: “Bheka, ihlezi eJerusalema, ngokuba yathi: ‘Namuhla indlu ka-Israyeli iyakubuyisela kimi umbuso kababa.’ ”
4Yayisithi-ke inkosi kuSiba: “Bheka, kungokwakho konke okwakungokukaMefibosheti.”
Wathi uSiba: “Ngiyakhuleka: mangifumane umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, nkosi.”
UDavide uthukwa nguShimeyi
5Kwathi lapho inkosi uDavide ifika eBahurimi, bheka, kwaphuma khona umuntu womndeni wendlu kaSawule ogama lakhe linguShimeyi indodana kaGera; waphuma, wahamba ethuka. 6Wamphonsa uDavide ngamatshe kanye nezinceku zonke zenkosi uDavide, bonke abantu nawo onke amaqhawe bengasesandleni sakhe sokunene nangakwesokhohlo. 7UShimeyi washo kanje ekuthukeni kwakhe, wathi: “Suka, suka wena muntu wegazi, muntu omubi! 8UJehova ubuyisele phezu kwakho lonke igazi lendlu kaSawule okade ubusa esikhundleni sakhe; uJehova unikele umbuso esandleni sika-Abisalomu indodana yakho; bheka, usubhajiwe ebubini bakho, ngokuba ungumuntu wegazi.”
9U-Abishayi indodana kaSeruya wayesethi enkosini: “Le nja efileyo ingayithukelani inkosi yami, inkosi, na? Mangiye ngiyinqume ikhanda.”
10Yathi inkosi: “Nginamsebenzi muni nani madodana kaSeruya. Njengokuba ethuka, lokhu uJehova eshilo futhi kuye ukuthi: ‘Thuka uDavide,’ ngubani ongasho ukuthi: ‘Ukwenzeleni lokho na?’ ”
11UDavide wayesethi ku-Abishayi nakuzo zonke izinceku zakhe: “Bhekani, indodana yami eyaphuma ezibilinini zami ifuna ukuphila kwami; kakhulu kangakanani lo mBenjamini na? Myekeni, athuke, ngokuba uJehova ukhulumile kuye. 12Mhlawumbe uJehova uyakubheka usizi lwami, angibuyisele okuhle ngokungithuka namuhla.”
13UDavide nabantu bakhe bahamba ngendlela; uShimeyi wahamba eceleni kwentaba malungana naye, wahamba ethuka, wamphonsa ngamatshe, wamthela ngothuli.
OHushayi no-Ahithofeli
14Inkosi nabo bonke abantu ababenayo bafika beyethile; wahlunyelelwa khona.
15U-Abisalomu nabantu bonke, amadoda akwa-Israyeli, bafika eJerusalema, u-Ahithofeli enabo. 16Kwathi lapho uHushayi umArki umngane kaDavide esefikile ku-Abisalomu, uHushayi wathi ku-Abisalomu: “Mana njalo, nkosi; mana njalo, nkosi.”
17U-Abisalomu wayesethi kuHushayi: “Lokhu kungukuthembeka kwakho kumngane wakho na? Awuhambanga ngani nomngane wakho na?”
18Wayesethi uHushayi ku-Abisalomu: “Qha, lo okhethwe nguJehova, nayilaba bantu, nangabantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli, ngiyakuba ngowakhe, ngihlale naye. 19Futhi ngikhonze bani na? Kungabi phambi kwendodana yakhe na? Njengalokho ngakhonza phambi kukayihlo, kanjalo ngiyakuba phambi kwakho.”
20Wayesethi u-Abisalomu ku-Ahithofeli: “Sipheni isiluleko sokuthi siyakwenze njani.”
21Wathi-ke u-Ahithofeli ku-Abisalomu: “Ngena kuzo izancinza zikayihlo azishiyile ukuba zilinde indlu; u-Israyeli wonke uyakuzwa ukuba unengwa nguyihlo, ziqine izandla zabo bonke abanawe.” 22Bammisela u-Abisalomu itende ophahleni lwendlu; u-Abisalomu wangena kuzo izancinza zikayise emehlweni abo bonke abakwa-Israyeli.
23Isiluleko sika-Ahithofeli aluleka ngaso ngalezo zinsuku sasinjengokungathi bekubuzwe kuNkulunkulu; zazinjalo iziluleko zika-Ahithofeli kuDavide naku-Abisalomu.
