Eyesibili EkaSamuyeli 18:1-33
18 UDavida wabala amadoda ayelawo, wasebeka izinduna zamakhulu lezezinkulungwane.+
2 UDavida wehlukanisa amadoda la aba ngamaqembu amathathu. Elinye iqembu lalikhokhelwa nguJowabi,+ elinye likhokhelwa ngumfowabo kaJowabi u-Abhishayi+ indodana kaZeruya,+ njalo elinye lalikhokhelwa ngu-Ithayi+ umGithi. Inkosi yathi: “Lami ngizahamba lani.”
3 Kodwa amadoda la athi: “Akumelanga uhambe+ lathi ngoba nxa singabaleka abasoze bazihluphe ngathi, lanxa kungafa ingxenye yamadoda esilawo abasoze babe lendaba. Wena ulingana labethu abangu-10 000.+ Yikho kungcono ukuthi usincedise usedolobheni.”
4 Inkosi yaphendula yathi: “Ngizakwenza lokho elikubona kungcono.” Ngakho inkosi yama eduze legedi ledolobho futhi wonke amadoda aphuma ngamakhulu langezinkulungwane.
5 Inkosi yakhuluma loJowabi lo-Abhishayi lo-Ithayi yathi: “Liyiphathe kuhle indodana yami u-Abhisalomu ngoba ngiyayithanda.”+ Wonke amadoda ayizwa inkosi itshela zonke izinduna ukuthi zimphathe njani u-Abhisalomu.
6 Amadoda la asuka aya egangeni ayadibana labako-Israyeli. Impi yalwelwa eguswini lako-Efrayimi.+
7 Abako-Israyeli+ banqotshwa zinceku zikaDavida+ futhi kwabulawa abantu abanengi ngalelolanga. Kwafa amadoda angu-20 000.
8 Impi yasabalala kuwo wonke umango lowo njalo ngalelolanga igusu laqeda amadoda amanengi ukwedlula lawo ayebulewe ngenkemba.
9 U-Abhisalomu wazibona esekhangelane lezinceku zikaDavida. Wayegade imbongolo* futhi yathi idlula ngaphansi kwengatsha eziminyeneyo zesihlahla esikhulu, ikhanda lakhe labanjelwa wasala elenga emoyeni, yona yaqhubeka ihamba.
10 Enye indoda yambona yasisiyatshela uJowabi+ yathi: “Ngibone u-Abhisalomu elenga esihlahleni esikhulu.”
11 UJowabi waphendula indoda le wathi: “Manje nxa umbonile kungani ungazange uhle umbulale khonapho? Bengizathaba ngikunike izinhlamvu zesiliva ezilitshumi lebhanti.”
12 Kodwa indoda le yathi kuJowabi: “Lanxa benginganikwa izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-1 000, bengingasoze ngiphakamise isandla sami ngibulale indodana yenkosi ngoba siyizwile inkosi ikhuluma lawe lo-Abhishayi lo-Ithayi isithi, ‘Lonke kumele linanzelele kungabi lomuntu othinta indodana yami u-Abhisalomu.’+
13 Ngabe angilalelanga ngambulala, lokho bekuzacina kufikile endlebeni zenkosi futhi lawe ubungasoze ungivikele.”
14 UJowabi wasesithi: “Angisoze ngidlalise isikhathi ngikhuluma lawe!” Ngakho wathatha imitshoko emithathu wagwaza u-Abhisalomu enhliziyweni esaphila elenge esihlahleni.
15 Amadoda alitshumi ayethwala izikhali zikaJowabi abuya afika amqedisa+ u-Abhisalomu.
16 UJowabi wasetshaya uphondo, amadoda ayexotshanisa abako-Israyeli aphenduka. UJowabi wawatshela ukuthi ame ukulwa.
17 Athatha u-Abhisalomu amphosela egodini elikhulu abuthelela inqumbi yamatshe+ phezu kwakhe. Wonke amadoda ako-Israyeli abaleka aya emizini yawo.
18 Ngesikhathi u-Abhisalomu esaphila wayemise insika esigodini senkosi,+ esithi: “Mina angilandodana ezakwenza ibizo lami lihlale likhunjulwa.”+ Ngakho insika le wayinika ibizo lakhe futhi ibizwa ngokuthi yiSikhumbuzo Sika-Abhisalomu kuze kube lamuhla.
19 U-Ahimazi+ indodana kaZadokhi wathi kuJowabi: “Ngicela ungivumele ngigijime ngiyebikela inkosi okwenzakeleyo ngoba uJehova uyenzele okuhle wayikhulula ezitheni zayo.”+
20 UJowabi wamphendula wathi: “Awusoze uyebika lutho lamuhla, uzabika ngelinye ilanga. Lamuhla awusoze uyebika okwenzakeleyo ngoba kufe indodana yenkosi.”+
21 UJowabi wasetshela indoda engumKhushi+ wathi: “Hamba uyetshela inkosi lokho okubonileyo.” UmKhushi wakhothama phambi kukaJowabi wasesuka egijima.
22 U-Ahimazi indodana kaZadokhi waphinda wakhuluma loJowabi wathi: “Loba kunjalo ngicela ungivumele ngigijime ngilandele umKhushi.” Kodwa uJowabi wathi: “Kambe uyabe usiya ngaphi ndodana yami wena ungelambiko ozawubika?”
23 U-Ahimazi waphinda wathi: “Loba kunjalo ngivumela ngigijime.” Ngakho uJowabi wathi kuye: “Gijima!” U-Ahimazi wagijima ngendlela eya esigabeni seJodani wacina esemedlule umKhushi.
24 UDavida wayehlezi phakathi kwamagedi edolobho amabili.+ Umlindi+ wakhwela ephahleni lwegedi elalisemdulini. Wakhangela wabona umuntu ethutsha egijima eyedwa.
25 Umlindi wamemeza watshela inkosi. Inkosi yasisithi: “Nxa eyedwa kutsho ukuthi ulombiko azowubika.” Umuntu lo wathi eseseduze,
26 umlindi wabona omunye umuntu esiza egijima, wasememeza umlindi wegedi wathi: “Kulomunye futhi oza egijima eyedwa!” Inkosi yathi: “Laye uza lombiko.”
27 Umlindi wathi: “Ngibona angathi ophambili ugijima njengo-Ahimazi+ indodana kaZadokhi.” Inkosi yathi: “Lowo ngumuntu olungileyo futhi ubuya lezindaba ezinhle.”
28 U-Ahimazi wamemeza inkosi wathi kuyo: “Konke kuhamba kuhle!” Waseguqa phambi kwenkosi wakhothamisa ikhanda wathi: “Kadunyiswe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, onikele esandleni senkosi yami+ abantu abayihlamukeleyo!”
29 Kodwa inkosi yathi: “Indodana yami u-Abhisalomu yona injani?” U-Ahimazi waphendula wathi: “Ngibone kulesiphithiphithi ngesikhathi uJowabi ethuma inceku yenkosi lenceku yakho, kodwa angibonanga ukuthi bekusenzakalani.”+
30 Ngakho inkosi yathi: “Suka uyekuma laphaya.” U-Ahimazi wasuka wayakuma eceleni.
31 UmKhushi wafika+ wasesithi: “Inkosi yami kayilalele umbiko lo: Lamuhla uJehova ukwenzele okuhle ngokukukhulula esandleni salabo ababekuhlamukele.”+
32 Kodwa inkosi yathi kumKhushi: “Indodana yami u-Abhisalomu yona injani?” UmKhushi wasephendula wathi: “Kwangathi zonke izitha zenkosi yami labo bonke abakuhlamukelayo befuna ukukulimaza bangaba njengo-Abhisalomu!”+
33 Inkosi yakhathazeka kakhulu yaqansa yaya endlini esephahleni lwegedi yakhala. Yayihamba ikhala isithi: “Ndodana yami Abhisalomu, ndodana yami! Ndodana yami Abhisalomu! Ngabe kufe mina kulokuthi kufe wena Abhisalomu ndodana yami, ndodana yami!”+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Le yinyamazana ezalwa libhiza lobabhemi.
