Eyesibili EkaSamuyeli 16:1-23
16 UDavida wathi esanda kwedlula esiqongweni sentaba,+ kwathutsha uZibha+ isisebenzi sikaMefibhoshethi+ ezohlangana laye. Wayelabobabhemi ababili njalo ngamunye wayebotshelwe isihlalo emhlane. Babethwele izinkwa ezingu-200, lamakhekhe angu-100 enziwe ngamagilebisi awonyisiweyo, lamanye amakhekhe angu-100 enziwe ngezithelo zehlobo* kanye lembiza enkulu yewayini.+
2 Inkosi yathi kuZibha: “Ngezani izinto zonke lezi?” UZibha wathi: “Obabhemi bazagadwa ngabemuli yenkosi, isinkwa lezithelo zehlobo yikudla kwamadoda ahamba lenkosi, futhi iwayini ngelalabo abazabe sebediniwe enkangala.”+
3 Inkosi yasisithi: “Ingaphi indodana yenkosi yakho?”+ UZibha waphendula inkosi wathi: “Isele eJerusalema ngoba ithe, ‘Lamuhla abantu bako-Israyeli bazabuyisela kimi ubukhosi bukababa.’”+
4 Inkosi yasisithi kuZibha: “Konke okukaMefibhoshethi sekungokwakho.”+ UZibha wathi: “Ngiyazehlisa phambi kwakho, kwangathi ngingathola umusa kuwe nkosi yami.”+
5 INkosi uDavida yathi ifika eBhahurimi, kwathutsha isihlobo sikaSawuli okuthiwa nguShimeyi,+ indodana kaGera. Indoda le yayilokhu isondela ihamba ibathethisa.+
6 UShimeyi wayephosa amatshe ejikijela uDavida lazo zonke izinceku zakhe, labo bonke abantu kanye lamadoda alamandla ayengakwesokudla lakwesenxele sakhe.
7 UShimeyi wayethethisa uDavida esithi: “Hamba wena mbulali! Muntu ongelancedo!
8 UJehova usekujezisa ngenxa yokubulala abantu bendlu kaSawuli, lowo wena owathatha isikhundla sakhe waba yinkosi. Khathesi uJehova usethethe ubukhosi wabunika u-Abhisalomu indodana yakho. Uhlupho seluze lwakufica ngoba ungumbulali!”+
9 U-Abhishayi indodana kaZeruya+ wathi enkosini: “Kambe inja le efileyo+ isingathethisa inkosi yami?+ Ngicela ungivumele ngiyemquma ikhanda.”+
10 Kodwa inkosi yathi: “Kanti kulihlupha ngani lokhu lina madodana kaZeruya?+ Myekeleni angithethise+ ngoba uJehova umtshele+ wathi, ‘Thethisa uDavida!’ Manje ngubani ongambuza ukuthi ukwenzelani khonokho?”
11 UDavida wasesithi ku-Abhishayi lakuzo zonke izinceku zakhe: “Indodana yami engayizalayo ifuna ukungibulala,+ manje kuthiwani ngomuntu lo wakoBhenjamini?+ Myekeleni angithethise ngoba nguJehova omtshele ukuthi enze njalo!
12 Mhlawumbe uJehova uzakubona ukuhlupheka kwami,+ futhi uJehova uzangibuyisela ngokuhle esikhundleni sokuthethiswa lokhu engikwenziwe lamuhla.”+
13 UDavida lamadoda ayelaye baqhubeka behamba ngomgwaqo, uShimeyi yena wayehamba esekele intaba, eqondane loDavida. Wayehamba ebathethisa,+ ebajikijela ngamatshe futhi ebathela ngenhlabathi.
14 Ngemva kwesikhathi inkosi labo bonke abantu bafika lapho ababesiya khona sebediniwe, yikho baphumula.
15 Ngalesosikhathi u-Abhisalomu lawo wonke amadoda ako-Israyeli ayelaye bafika eJerusalema futhi u-Ahithofeli+ wayehamba labo.
16 UHushayi+ um-Arikhi+ umngane kaDavida waya ku-Abhisalomu wafika wathi kuye: “Kayibe lempilo ende inkosi! Kayibe lempilo ende inkosi!”+
17 U-Abhisalomu wasesithi kuHushayi: “Lokhu yikho yini ukuthanda umngane wakho? Kungani ungahambanga lomngane wakho?”
18 UHushayi waphendula wathi: “Mina ngisekela lowo okhethwe nguJehova labantu laba kanye labantu bonke bako-Israyeli. Nguye engizahlala laye.
19 Ngiyaphinda futhi ngithi kanti ngubani okumele ngibe yinceku yakhe? Angithi kumele ngibe yinceku yendodana yakhe? Ngizakuba yinceku yakho,+ njengoba nje bengiyinceku kayihlo.”
20 U-Abhisalomu wasesithi ku-Ahithofeli: “Ake ungicebise.+ Kuyini okumele sikwenze?”
21 U-Ahithofeli wathi ku-Abhisalomu: “Lala labafazi bakayihlo beceleni,+ labo abatshiye bekhangele umuzi wakhe.*+ Bonke abantu bazathi bekuzwa lokhu bakwazi ukuthi uyihlo usekuzonda kakhulu futhi bonke abakusekelayo bazaqina.”
22 Ngakho bafakela u-Abhisalomu itende ephahleni,+ u-Abhisalomu waselala labafazi bakayise beceleni+ phambi kwabo bonke abantu bako-Israyeli.+
23 Ngalezonsuku icebo elalivela ku-Ahithofeli+ lalingathi lilizwi elivela kuNkulunkulu weqiniso. UDavida lo-Abhisalomu babewaqakathekisa kakhulu wonke amacebo ka-Ahithofeli.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Izithelo lezi kwakungabe kungezomkhiwa lezesihlahla selala.
^ Kumbe, “isigodlo sakhe.”
