To The Word – Day 82

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.”

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.

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.

₁U-Ahithofeli wathi futhi ku-Abisalomu: “Mangikhethe manje abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, ngisuke ngimxoshe uDavide ngalobu busuku, ₂ngimfikele ekhathele, eyethile, ngimesabise; bonke abantu abanye bayakubaleka, ngibulale inkosi kuphela, ₃ngibuyisele kuwe bonke abantu; umuntu omfunayo unjengokungathi bonke babuyile; bonke abantu bayakuba nokuthula.” ₄Leli zwi lamjabulisa u-Abisalomu nawo onke amalunga akwa-Israyeli.

₅Wayesethi u-Abisalomu: “Mawumbize noHushayi umArki, sizwe okusemlonyeni wakhe naye.” ₆UHushayi esefikile ku-Abisalomu, u-Abisalomu wakhuluma kuye, wathi: “U-Ahithofeli ukhulume kanjalo; siyakwenza njengokusho kwakhe na? Uma kungenjalo, khuluma wena.”

₇UHushayi wathi ku-Abisalomu: “Isiluleko u-Ahithofeli eluleke ngaso manje asisihle.” ₈Wathi futhi uHushayi: “Uyamazi uyihlo nabantu bakhe ukuthi bangamaqhawe nokuthi bacasukile ezinhliziyweni zabo njengebhere* elaphucwe amazinyane alo endle; uyihlo uyindoda yempi, akayikuhlala nabantu. ₉Bheka, manje ucashile emgodini noma kwenye indawo; kuyakuthi lapho esebafikela ekuqaleni nje, okuzwayo athi: ‘Abantu abalandela u-Abisalomu banqotshiwe;’ ₁₀naye onesibindi, onhliziyo yakhe injengenhliziyo yengonyama, uyakuphela amandla, ngokuba wonke u-Israyeli uyazi ukuthi uyihlo uyiqhawe, nabanaye bangamadoda anamandla.

₁₁“Ngalokho ngiyaluleka ukuba wonke u-Israyeli abuthane kuwe, kusukela kwaDani kuze kufike eBeri Sheba, ngangesihlabathi esingasolwandle ngobuningi, wena uqobo lwakho uye empini. ₁₂Sesiyakumfikela endaweni ethile lapho engatholakala khona, simehlele njengokuwela kwamazolo emhlabathini; kuyena nabantu bonke abanaye asiyikushiya noyedwa. ₁₃Noma engena emzini, wonke u-Israyeli uyakuyisa amagoda kulowo muzi, siwuhudulele emfuleni, kungabe kusafunyanwa khona netshana elilodwa.”

₁₄U-Abisalomu nabantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Isiluleko sikaHushayi umArki singcono kunesiluleko sika-Ahithofeli.” Ngokuba uJehova wayenqumile ukuba kushafiswe isiluleko esihle sika-Ahithofeli, ukuze uJehova amehlisele u-Abisalomu okubi.

₁₅UHushayi wayesethi kuSadoki naku-Abiyathara abapristi: “U-Ahithofeli weluleka u-Abisalomu namalunga akwa-Israyeli kanje nakanje; mina ngeluleke kanje nakanje. ₁₆Ngalokho thumelani masinyane nimtshele uDavide ukuthi: ‘Ungahlali ngasemazibukweni asehlane ngalobu busuku, kepha uwele nokuwela, funa inkosi igwinywe kanye nabantu bonke abanayo.’ ”

₁₇OJonathani no-Ahimahasi babehlala e-Eni Rogeli; incekukazi yayizinge ibatshela; bona bahamba bayibikela inkosi uDavide ukuba bangabonwa behamba beya emzini. ₁₈Kepha umfana wababona, wamtshela u-Abisalomu; base beshesha, bahamba bobabili, bafika endlini yomuntu waseBahurimi owayenomthombo egcekeni lakhe; behlela khona. ₁₉Owesifazane wathatha isimbozo, wasendlala phezu komlomo womthombo, weneka umqhazulo kuso, kungaziwa lutho.

₂₀Zase zifika izinceku zika-Abisalomu kowesifazane endlini, zathi: “Baphi o-Ahimahasi noJonathani na?”

Owesifazane wathi kuzo: “Bawuwele umfudlana.” Sezibafunile zingabatholanga, zabuyela eJerusalema.

₂₁Kwathi sezimukile, baphuma emthonjeni, baya bayitshela inkosi uDavide, bathi kuDavide: “Sukani, nisheshe niwele amanzi, ngokuba u-Ahithofeli weluleke kanjalo ngani.” ₂₂UDavide wayesesuka nabo bonke abantu ababe naye, bawela iJordani; ngasekuseni akusalanga noyedwa ongaliwelanga iJordani.

₂₃Lapho u-Ahithofeli ebona ukuthi isiluleko sakhe asilandelwanga, wayibophela imbongolo yakhe, wasuka, waya ekhaya emzini wakhe, wayala ngendlu yakhe, waziphanyeka, wafa, wembelwa ethuneni likayise.

₂₄UDavide wayesefika eMahanayimi. U-Abisalomu waliwela iJordani, yena nabo bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli kanye naye. ₂₅U-Abisalomu wabeka u-Amasa phezu kwempi esikhundleni sikaJowabe. U-Amasa wayeyindodana yomuntu ogama lakhe lalingu-Itira umIsrayeli, owangena ku-Abigali indodakazi kaNahashi, udadewabo kaSeruya unina kaJowabe. ₂₆O-Israyeli no-Abisalomu bamisa ezweni lakwaGileyadi.

₂₇Kwathi uDavide esefikile eMahanayimi, uShobi indodana kaNahashi waseRaba labantwana bakwa-Amoni, noMakiri indodana ka-Amiyeli waseLo Debari, noBarizilayi wakwaGileyadi waseRogelimi ₂₈baletha amacansi, nemicengezi, nezitsha zebumba, nokolweni, nebhali,* nempuphu notshwele, nobhontshisi, nembumba, nenhlosa, ₂₉nezinyosi, namangqanga, nezimvu, noshizi* wezinkomo kuDavide nabantu ababe naye ukuba badle, ngokuba bathi: “Abantu balambile, bakhathele, bomile ehlane.”

₁UDavide wabala abantu ababe naye, 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 sika-Ithayi 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 no-Abishayi no-Ithayi, yathi: “Anoyiphatha kahle insizwa ngenxa yami, ngisho u-Abisalomu.” Bonke abantu bezwa, lapho inkosi iyaleza zonke izinduna ngo-Abisalomu.

₆Base bephumela endle ukulwa no-Israyeli, kwaliwa ehlathini lakwa-Efrayimi. ₇Abantu bakwa-Israyeli banqotshwa lapho phambi kwezinceku zikaDavide, kwakukhona ukubulalana okukhulu ngalolo suku, abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili. ₈Ngokuba impi yahlakazeka khona ezweni lonke, ihlathi laqeda abantu abaningi ngalolo suku kunabadliwa yinkemba.

₉U-Abisalomu wasuka wahlangana nezinceku zikaDavide. U-Abisalomu wayekhwele umnyuzi* wakhe, umnyuzi wangena phansi kwehlozi le-oki,* ikhanda lakhe labambelela e-okini, waphakanyiselwa emkhathini wezulu nomhlaba; umnyuzi obuphansi kwakhe wadlula.

₁₀Umuntu othile wakubona, wamtshela uJowabe, wathi: “Bheka, ngibone u-Abisalomu ephanyekekile e-okini.”*

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 no-Abishayi no-Ithayi ukuthi: ‘Yilondeni insizwa u-Abisalomu.’ ₁₃Uma bengisebenzile inkohliso ngokuphila kwakhe, njengokuba kungekho nto efihlwa enkosini, nawe uqobo ngabe umelene nami.”

₁₄Wayesethi uJowabe: “Anginakulibala kanje nawe.” Wathatha imikhonto emithathu ngesandla sakhe, wambhokoda u-Abisalomu enhliziyweni esezwa, ephakathi kwe-oki.* ₁₅Izinsizwa eziyishumi ezaziphethe izikhali zikaJowabe zamzungeza, zamshaya u-Abisalomu, zambulala.

₁₆UJowabe wayesebetha icilongo, abantu babuya ekumxosheni u-Israyeli, ngokuba uJowabe wabagodla abantu. ₁₇Bamthatha u-Abisalomu, bamlahla emgodini omkhulu ehlathini, babeka phezu kwakhe inqwaba enkulu kakhulu yamatshe; bonke abakwa-Israyeli, kwaba yilowo nalowo, babalekela ematendeni abo.

₁₈U-Abisalomu esekhona wayethathe insika, wazimisela yona esiGodini seNkosi, ngokuba wathi: “Anginandodana yokukhumbuzela igama lami.” Wayiqamba insika ngegama lakhe; ithiwa isikhumbuzo sika-Abisalomu kuze kube namuhla.

₁₉U-Ahimahasi indodana kaSadoki wayesethi: “Ake ngigijime, ngiyibikele inkosi ukuthi uJehova uyiphindisele ezitheni zayo.”

₂₀UJowabe wathi kuye: “Awuyikuba ngumbiki wendaba namuhla, kepha uyakubika ngolunye usuku; namuhla awuyikubika lutho, ngokuba indodana yenkosi ifile.”

₂₁Wayesethi uJowabe kumKushe: “Hamba, uyitshele inkosi okubonileyo.” UmKushe wamkhothamela uJowabe, wagijima.

₂₂U-Ahimahasi 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 u-Ahimahasi 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 u-Ahimahasi, wathi enkosini: “Bayede!” Wakhothama phambi kwenkosi ebhekise phansi ubuso bakhe, wathi: “Makabongwe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, onikele abantu abaphakamisela isandla sabo enkosini yami, inkosi.”

₂₉Inkosi yathi: “Isahlezi kahle insizwa u-Abisalomu na?”

U-Ahimahasi 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 u-Abisalomu na?”

UmKushe wathi: “Izitha zenkosi yami, inkosi, nabo bonke abakuvukelayo ukukulimaza mababe njengaleyo nsizwa.”

₃₃Yayisidabuka kakhulu inkosi, yakhuphukela ekamelweni elingaphezu kwesango, yakhala; isahamba yathi: “Hhawu, ndodana yami Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami Abisalomu! Sengathi nga ngifile esikhundleni sakho, Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!”