Eyesibili EkaSamuyeli 19:1-43
19 UJowabi watshelwa ukuthi inkosi iyakhala, ililela u-Abhisalomu.+
2 Ngakho ngalolosuku intokozo yokunqoba yaguquka yaba yikulila ngoba bonke abantu bezwa ukuthi inkosi ililela indodana yayo.
3 Mhlalokho abantu bangena edolobheni benyenya+ angathi ngabantu abalenhloni zokuthi babaleke empini.
4 Inkosi yamboza ubuso bayo yaqhubeka ikhala iqhinqa isililo isithi: “Ndodana yami Abhisalomu! Abhisalomu ndodana yami, ndodana yami!”+
5 UJowabi wangena endlini eyayilenkosi, wasesithi enkosini: “Lamuhla uyangise zonke izinceku zakho ezisindise impilo yakho, lempilo yamadodana akho,+ leyamadodakazi akho,+ leyamakhosikazi akho kanye leyabafazi bakho beceleni.+
6 Uthanda labo abakuzondayo, uzonde labo abakuthandayo. Lamuhla ukwenze kwacaca ukuthi awulandaba lezinduna zakho lezinceku zakho. Ngiyabona ukuthi aluba sonke sifile kwasala u-Abhisalomu ubuzathokoza.
7 Yikho-ke sukuma khathesi uyeqinisa izinceku zakho ngoba ngifunga ngoJehova ukuthi ungayekela ukuphuma, kusiyafika ntambama bonke abantu bayabe sebekutshiyile bahamba. Lokho kuzabe kukubi kakhulu ukwedlula bonke ubunzima obakwehlelayo kusukela usesemutsha kuze kube khathesi.”
8 Ngakho inkosi yasukuma yayahlala egedini ledolobho. Bonke abantu batshelwa ukuthi inkosi isihlezi egedini, basebehamba bayabuthana phambi kwenkosi.
Kodwa abako-Israyeli bona babebalekile baya emizini yabo.+
9 Abantu bonke kuzo zonke izizwana zako-Israyeli babephikisana besithi: “Inkosi yasikhulula ezitheni zethu,+ yasikhulula lasesandleni samaFilisti, kodwa khathesi ibalekile elizweni ngenxa ka-Abhisalomu.+
10 Lo-Abhisalomu esamgcobayo ukuthi asibuse+ ufile empini.+ Manje kungani lingenzi lutho ukuze libuyise inkosi?”
11 INkosi uDavida yathumela ilizwi kuZadokhi+ lo-Abhiyatha+ yathi: “Khulumani labadala bakoJuda+ lithi kubo, ‘Kungani kumele libe ngabokucina ukuletha inkosi endlini yayo? Phela ilizwi elivela kubo bonke abako-Israyeli selifikile enkosini lapho ehlala khona.
12 Lina lingabafowethu futhi siligazi linye.* Manje kungani kumele libe ngabokucina ukuphendukisa inkosi?’
13 U-Amasa+ lithi kuye, ‘Wena uligazi lami.* UNkulunkulu kangijezise kakhulu nxa ngingasoze ngikwenze ube yinduna yebutho lami esikhundleni sikaJowabi.’”+
14 Bonke abantu bakoJuda bayisekela inkosi benhliziyonye basebethumela ilizwi kuyo bathi: “Buya lazo zonke izinceku zakho.”
15 Inkosi yasuka yahamba yaze yayafika kuJodani. Abantu bakoJuda babuya eGiligali+ bezoyihlangabeza ukuze bayichaphise umfula uJodani.
16 UShimeyi+ indodana kaGera umBhenjamini waseBhahurimi, wahle wasuka lamadoda akoJuda esiyahlangabeza iNkosi uDavida.
17 Kwakulamadoda akoBhenjamini angu-1 000 ayehamba loShimeyi. UZibha+ inceku yendlu kaSawuli, lamadodana akhe angu-15 lezisebenzi zakhe ezingu-20 labo basuka masinyane bayalindela inkosi emfuleni uJodani.
18 UZibha wachapha emazibukweni* ukuze ayencedisa abemuli yenkosi ukuchapha njalo enze konke inkosi eyayikufuna. Kodwa inkosi yathi isizachapha umfula uJodani, uShimeyi indodana kaGera wafika wazilahla phansi phambi kwayo,
19 wathi kuyo: “Inkosi yami kayingangibeki icala futhi kayikhohlwe okubi okwenziwa yinceku yayo+ ngelanga inkosi yami eyasuka ngalo eJerusalema. Ngicela inkosi ingakugcini enhliziyweni yayo lokho
20 ngoba inceku yakho iyakwazi ukuthi yaphambanisa. Yikho lamuhla ibe ngeyokuqala kwabendlu kaJosefa ukuzohlangabeza inkosi.”
21 U-Abhishayi+ indodana kaZeruya+ wathi: “Kanti uShimeyi akumelanga abulawe yini? Phela wathethisa ogcotshiweyo kaJehova.”+
22 Kodwa uDavida wathi: “Kanti lokhu kulihlupha ngani lina madodana kaZeruya,+ ukuthi selingaze liphikisane lami? Lamuhla kulomuntu okumele abulawe yini ko-Israyeli? Kambe angikwazi yini ukuthi lamuhla ngiyinkosi yako-Israyeli?”
23 Inkosi yathi kuShimeyi: “Awusoze ubulawe,” yasifunga kuye.+
24 UMefibhoshethi+ umzukulu kaSawuli laye wabuya ezohlangabeza inkosi. Kusukela ngelanga inkosi eyasuka ngalo kwaze kwaba lilanga eyaphenduka ngalo ngokuthula, kazange ake ageze inyawo zakhe kumbe agele indevu zakhe loba awatshe izigqoko zakhe.
25 Wathi efika eJerusalema ezohlangabeza inkosi, inkosi yambuza yathi: “Kungani ungazange uhambe lami Mefibhoshethi?”
26 UMefibhoshethi waphendula wathi: “Nkosi yami, inceku yami+ yangiqila. Mina ngangiyitshele ukuthi ibophele isihlalo phezu kukababhemi wami ngigade ukuze ngihambe lenkosi njengoba inceku yakho iyisigoga.+
27 Kodwa yona yafika yanginyundisela enkosini yami.+ Loba kunjalo, inkosi yami yona injengengilosi kaNkulunkulu weqiniso. Yikho kayenze loba yini eyibona ifanele.
28 Inkosi yami yayingababulala bonke abendlu kababa, kodwa yathi mina ngizokudla etafuleni yayo.+ Manje kuyini okunye engingakucela enkosini?”
29 Inkosi yamphendula yathi: “Kungani ulokhu ukhuluma kanje? Mina esengikukhethile yikuthi wena loZibha lahlukaniselane insimu.”+
30 UMefibhoshethi wasesithi enkosini: “Kayithathe yonke njengoba inkosi yami iphenduke ngokuthula.”
31 UBhazilayi+ umGiliyadi laye wasuka eRogelimi wabuya eJodani ukuze azophelekezela inkosi aze ayifikise emfuleni uJodani.
32 UBhazilayi wayeseluphele, eseleminyaka engu-80. Ngesikhathi inkosi ihlala eMahanayimi,+ uBhazilayi wayinika ukudla ngoba wayenothe kakhulu.
33 Yikho inkosi yathi kuBhazilayi: “Chapha sihambe sonke, mina ngizakunika ukudla eJerusalema.”+
34 UBhazilayi waphendula wathi: “Mingaki iminyaka engisele layo ngiphila ukuthi sengingaze ngihambe lenkosi eJerusalema?
35 Khathesi sengileminyaka engu-80.+ Ngisenelisa yini ukwehlukanisa phakathi kokuhle lokubi? Kambe engikudlayo lengikunathayo ngisakuzwa ukuthi kunambitheka njani? Angiselazo lendlebe zokulalela abahlabeleli besilisa labesifazana.+ Pho kungani kumele ngingezelele umthwalo enkosini yami?
36 Kungani kumele inkosi inginike umvuzo ongaka? Mina ngibonga ukuthi ngiyiphelekezele inkosi yami yaze yafika emfuleni uJodani.
37 Ngicela uvumele inceku yakho ibuyele ukuze ngiyefela edolobheni lakithi, lapho okulengcwaba likababa lelikamama.+ Nansi inceku yakho uKhimihami,+ nguye ongamthatha uhambe laye, umenzele konke okubona kufanele nkosi yami.”
38 Ngakho inkosi yathi: “UKhimihami uzahamba lami futhi ngizamenzela loba yini oyibona ifanele. Loba yini ozacela ukuthi ngikwenzele yona ngizayenza.”
39 Bonke abantu bachapha uJodani. Inkosi yathi isizachapha yaqabuza uBhazilayi+ yambusisa, uBhazilayi wasebuyela emzini wakhe.
40 Inkosi yathi isichapha isiya eGiligali,+ uKhimihami wahamba layo. Bonke abantu bakoJuda lengxenye yabantu bako-Israyeli bayiphelekezela inkosi.+
41 Ngemva kwalokho wonke amanye amadoda ako-Israyeli aya enkosini afika athi kuyo: “Kungani abafowethu, amadoda akoJuda, bethethe inkosi yethu thina singazi bayichaphisa uJodani labendlu yayo kanye lamadoda ahamba lenkosi?”+
42 Wonke amadoda akoJuda aphendula amadoda ako-Israyeli athi: “Inkosi iyisihlobo sethu.+ Manje lizondeleni? Sake sadla ukudla kwenkosi yini kumbe saphiwa isipho yinkosi?”
43 Kodwa amadoda ako-Israyeli aphendula amadoda akoJuda athi: “Thina siyizizwana ezilitshumi embusweni, yikho silesabelo esikhulu kuDavida ukwedlula lina. Manje kungani lisidelele kangaka? Angithi yithi obekumele sibe ngabokuqala ukuphendukisa inkosi yethu?” Lanxa kunjalo amadoda akoJuda awakhulela ngamazwi amadoda ako-Israyeli.
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “lilithambo lami lenyama yami.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “ulithambo lami lenyama yami.”
^ Izibuko yindawo lapho okuchatshwa khona umfula.
