Eyesibili EkaSamuyeli 14:1-33
14 UJowabi indodana kaZeruya+ wakwazi ukuthi inkosi yayisifisa ukubona u-Abhisalomu.+
2 Ngakho uJowabi wathumela abantu eThekhowa+ ukuthi bayebiza omunye owesifazana owayehlakaniphile, wasesithi kuye: “Ngicela wenze angathi kulomuntu omlilelayo, ugqoke izigqoko zokulila futhi ungagcobi amafutha.+ Kumele wenze angathi ungowesifazana oselesikhathi eside elilela umuntu owafayo,
3 ubusuhamba uyekhuluma lenkosi uyitshele amazwi engizakutshela wona.” UJowabi watshela owesifazana lo lokho okwakufanele akutsho.
4 Owesifazana waseThekhowa waya enkosini waguqa wakhangela phansi, wasesithi: “Awu nkosi, ngicela ungincede!”
5 Inkosi yaphendula yathi: “Kwenzenjani?” Owesifazana wasesithi: “Ngingumfelokazi, ngafelwa ngumkami.
6 Incekukazi yakho yayilamadodana amabili. Alwa ngesikhathi esegangeni futhi kwakungelamuntu owayengawalamula. Enye yacina isibulele umfowabo.
7 Khathesi bonke emulini sebengivukela besithi, ‘Mlethe lapha lowo owabulala umfowabo simbulale ngenxa yokuthi wabulala umfowabo.+ Akulandaba ukuthi kuzasala kungelandlalifa.’ Bangambulala bazabe sebecitshe inhlansi yethemba* engilalo njalo umkami uzasala engelamntwana, ibizo lakhe litshabalale emhlabeni.”
8 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: “Buyela emzini wakho, ngizalulungisa udaba lwakho.”
9 Owesifazana waseThekhowa wasephendula inkosi wathi: “Awu nkosi yami, icala kaletheswe mina lendlu kababa kodwa inkosi lesihlalo sayo sobukhosi khona kube msulwa.”
10 Inkosi yathi kuye: “Nxa kungaba lomuntu ophinda akhulume lawe ngendaba le umlethe kimi, kasoze akuhluphe futhi.”
11 Kodwa yena wathi: “Ngicela inkosi ikhumbule uJehova uNkulunkulu wayo ukuze isihlobo esifuna ukuphindisela+ singahlaseli umntanami simbulale.” Inkosi yasimphendula yathi: “Ngifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo,+ indodana yakho ayisoze ibulawe.”*
12 Owesifazana wasesithi: “Ngicela uvumele incekukazi yakho ikhulume okunye lenkosi yayo.” Inkosi yathi: “Khuluma.”
13 Owesifazana wathi: “Kungani inkosi ikhethe ukwenza into enjengaleyi ebantwini bakaNkulunkulu?+ Phela nxa ikhuluma kanje izibeka icala ngoba ayikayibizi indodana yayo eyayixotshayo.+
14 Sizakufa siphele sibili, sibe njengamanzi achithelwe phansi angeke aphinde abuthwe. Kodwa uNkulunkulu yena kasoze abulale muntu futhi usecabangisisile ngokuthi kungani lowo oxotshiweyo kungamelanga ehlukaniswe laye kokuphela.
15 Ngibuye lapha ngazokhuluma lenkosi yami ngoba abantu bangenze ngesaba. Yikho inceku yakho ithe, ‘Kungcono ngiyekhuluma lenkosi, engxenye ingasamukela isicelo sesigqili sayo.
16 Mhlawumbe inkosi izangilalela ikhulule isigqili sayo esandleni somuntu ofuna ukutshabalalisa mina lendodana yami engisele layo, asisuse elifeni esaliphiwa+ nguNkulunkulu.’
17 Ngakho incekukazi yakho ithe, ‘Kwangathi ilizwi lenkosi yami lingangiduduza.’ Phela inkosi yami injengengilosi kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, iyenelisa ukwehlukanisa okuhle lokubi. Sengathi uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho angaba lawe.”
18 Inkosi yathi kowesifazana: “Ngicela ukubuza, ungangifihleli lutho.” Owesifazana wathi: “Inkosi yami kayikhulume.”
19 Inkosi yabuza yathi: “NguJowabi yini okuthume ukuthi uzokhuluma konke lokhu?”+ Owesifazana waphendula wathi: “Ngiyafunga phambi kwakho* nkosi yami, uqinisile. Ngithunywe nguJowabi inceku yakho futhi nguye otshele incekukazi yakho konke ekukhulumileyo.
20 UJowabi inceku yakho wenze lokhu ukuze atshintshe izinto, kodwa inkosi yami ihlakaniphe njengengilosi kaNkulunkulu weqiniso futhi yazi konke okwenzakala elizweni.”
21 Ngakho inkosi yathi kuJowabi: “Kulungile, ngizakwenza njalo.+ Hamba uyemthatha u-Abhisalomu.”+
22 UJowabi uthe esizwa lokho wazilahla phansi, walala ubuso bakhe bukhangele phansi, wasebonga inkosi wathi: “Lamuhla inceku yakho isikwazi ukuthi ithole umusa kuwe nkosi yami, ngoba inkosi isikwenzile lokho inceku yayo ebikucela.”
23 Ngemva kwalokho uJowabi wasuka waya eGeshuri+ wayathatha u-Abhisalomu wamletha eJerusalema.
24 Kodwa inkosi yathi: “Kabuyele endlini yakhe, angisoze ngimvumele ukuthi angibone.” Yikho u-Abhisalomu waya endlini yakhe futhi kazange ayibone inkosi.
25 Ko-Israyeli kwakungelandoda enhle njengo-Abhisalomu. Wayebatshazwa kakhulu, engelasici kusukela phansi konyawo kuze kuyefika ekhanda.
26 Ikhanda lakhe wayeligela ekupheleni komnyaka ngoba inwele zakhe zaziyabe sezimsinda. Wayesithi angagela, inwele zakhe zibe yisilinganiso samashekheli angu-200* nxa kusetshenziswa isilinganiso selitshe lesikhosini.*
27 U-Abhisalomu wayelamadodana amathathu+ lendodakazi eyodwa okwakuthiwa nguThamari. UThamari wayemuhle kakhulu.
28 U-Abhisalomu wahlala eJerusalema okweminyaka emibili egcweleyo kodwa kazange ayibone inkosi.+
29 Ngakho u-Abhisalomu wabiza uJowabi efuna ukumthuma enkosini kodwa uJowabi kazange abuye. Wambiza futhi okwesibili kodwa uJowabi waphinda wala ukubuya.
30 U-Abhisalomu wacina etshela izisebenzi zakhe wathi: “Insimu kaJowabi iseceleni kweyami futhi ulime ibhali. Hambani liyeyithungela ngomlilo.” Izisebenzi zika-Abhisalomu zahamba zayatshisa insimu kaJowabi ngomlilo.
31 UJowabi wasuka waya endlini ka-Abhisalomu wathi kuye: “Izisebenzi zakho zitshiseleni insimu yami?”
32 U-Abhisalomu wasephendula uJowabi wathi: “Ngikuthumele ilizwi ngathi kuwe, ‘Woza ngikuthume enkosini uyebuza ukuthi ngasukelani eGeshuri.+ Phela kwakuzaba ngcono ngabe ngazihlalela khona. Khathesi ngicela ukubona inkosi, ingibulale nxa ngilecala.’”
33 Ngakho uJowabi waya enkosini wafika wayitshela. Inkosi yasibiza u-Abhisalomu wafika waguqa phambi kwayo, waselala ubuso bakhe bukhangele phansi. Inkosi yasimqabuza u-Abhisalomu.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Lapha kutshiwo ithemba lokuthi uzakuba lezizukulwane.
^ Kumbe, “akula ngitsho lolulodwa unwele lwendodana yakho oluzawela phansi.”
^ Kumbe, “Ngifunga ngokuphila kwakho.”
^ Kumbe, “zibe ngamakhilogremu angaba ngu-2,3.” Khangela iSengezo ku-B14.
^ Lapha kungabe kutshiwo isilinganiso esasihlala esigodlweni kumbe ishekheli yesikhosini eyayingafanani leshekheli eyayisetshenziswa ngabantu.
