Eyesibili EkaSamuyeli 3:1-39
3 Impi eyayiphakathi kwabendlu kaSawuli labendlu kaDavida yaqhubeka okwesikhathi eside futhi uDavida wayelokhu esiba lamandla,+ kodwa abendlu kaSawuli babelokhu bephela amandla.+
2 Ngesikhathi leso uDavida eseHebroni+ waba lamadodana. Izibulo lakhe kwakungu-Amnoni+ ayemzalelwe ngu-Ahinowami+ waseJeziriyeli.
3 Indodana yakhe yesibili kwakunguKhileyabi ayemzalelwe ngu-Abhigeli+ umfelokazi kaNabhali waseKhameli. Eyesithathu kwakungu-Abhisalomu+ ayemzalelwe nguMahakha indodakazi kaThalimayi+ inkosi yaseGeshuri.
4 Eyesine kwakungu-Adonija+ indodana kaHagithi, eyesihlanu kunguShefathiya indodana ka-Abhithali.
5 Eyesithupha kwakungu-Ithereyamu ayemzalelwe ngumkakhe u-Egila. La yiwo amadodana uDavida aba lawo ngesikhathi eseHebroni.
6 Ngesikhathi impi eyayiphakathi kwabendlu kaSawuli labendlu kaDavida iqhubeka, u-Abhineri+ wayelokhu eqinisa isikhundla sakhe endlini kaSawuli.
7 USawuli wayelomunye umfazi okwakuthiwa nguRizipha+ owayeyindodakazi ka-Ayiya. Ngemva kwesikhathi u-Ishi-bhoshethi+ wathi ku-Abhineri: “Kungani ulale lomkababa?”+
8 U-Abhineri wazonda wabila esizwa amazwi ka-Ishi-bhoshethi, wathi: “Ngilikhanda lenja yakoJuda yini mina? Kuze kube lamuhla bengilokhu ngilothando oluqotho kwabendlu kayihlo uSawuli lakubafowabo labangane bakhe futhi wena angikunikelanga esandleni sikaDavida, kodwa lamuhla nguwe osungibeka icala ngenxa yowesifazana nje kuphela.
9 UNkulunkulu kangijezise kakhulu nxa ngingasenzelanga uDavida lokho uJehova afunga kuye+ ukuthi uzamenzela khona,
10 ukuthi uzasusa umbuso endlini kaSawuli aqinise isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavida, abesebusa abantu bako-Israyeli labakoJuda kusukela koDani kuze kuyefika eBheri-shebha.”+
11 U-Ishi-bhoshethi wathula zwi wangamphenduli u-Abhineri ngoba wayemesaba.+
12 U-Abhineri wahle wathuma izithunywa kuDavida wathi: “Kanti ilizwe lonke leli ngelikabani? Yenza isivumelwano lami, mina ngizakwenza konke okusemandleni ami ukuze bonke abantu bako-Israyeli bakusekele.”+
13 UDavida wasephendula wathi: “Kulungile, ngizakwenza isivumelwano lawe. Into nje engiyicela kuwe yikuthi ungazami ukubona ubuso bami uze ulethe kimi uMikhali+ indodakazi kaSawuli. Ubuye laye nxa usuzongibona.”
14 Ngemva kwalokho uDavida wathuma izithunywa ku-Ishi-bhoshethi+ indodana kaSawuli wathi zifike zithi: “Nginika umkami uMikhali, engamlobola ngamajwabu ezitho zamaFilisti+ angu-100.”
15 Ngakho u-Ishi-bhoshethi wathi uMikhali kayethathwa kumkakhe uPhalithiyeli+ indodana kaLayishi.
16 Kodwa umkakhe wayelokhu emlandela ehamba ekhala baze bayafika eBhahurimi.+ U-Abhineri wasesithi kuye: “Buyela!” Ngakho wabuyela emuva.
17 Kusenjalo u-Abhineri wathumela ilizwi ebadaleni bako-Israyeli wathi: “Sekulesikhathi lifuna ukuthi uDavida abe yinkosi yenu.
18 Khathesi-ke yenzani okumele likwenze ngoba uJehova wathi kuDavida: ‘Ngizasindisa abantu bami bako-Israyeli esandleni samaFilisti lasezitheni zabo zonke ngisebenzisa inceku yami uDavida.’”+
19 U-Abhineri wasekhuluma labantu bakoBhenjamini.+ Waphinda waya kuDavida eHebroni wayakhuluma laye ensitha ukuze amtshele lokho abako-Israyeli labo bonke abakoBhenjamini ababekuvumelene.
20 U-Abhineri wafika kuDavida eHebroni elamadoda angu-20 futhi uDavida wabenzela idili.
21 U-Abhineri wasesithi kuDavida: “Nkosi yami, ngicela ungivumele ngihambe ngiyebuthanisa bonke abako-Israyeli ukuze benze isivumelwano lawe. Lapho-ke uzabusa phezu kwakho konke okufunayo.” Yikho uDavida wamvumela u-Abhineri ukuthi ahambe ngokuthula.
22 Khonokho nje uJowabi lezinceku zikaDavida bafika bevela hlasela futhi babethumbe impahla enengi kakhulu. U-Abhineri wayesesukile kuDavida eHebroni ngoba uDavida wayemvumele ukuthi ahambe ngokuthula.
23 UJowabi+ wathi efika lebutho lonke elalihambe laye watshelwa ukuthi u-Abhineri+ indodana kaNeri+ wayefike enkosini lokuthi inkosi yayimvumele ukuthi ahambe ngokuthula.
24 Ngakho uJowabi waya enkosini wafika wathi: “Kuyini okwenzileyo? U-Abhineri ufikile kuwe. Kungani umyekele wahamba ngokuthula? Khangela khathesi usehle waphunyuka.
25 Uyamazi u-Abhineri indodana kaNeri. Ubelande ukuzokuqila nje lokuzokuhlolisisa ukuze akwazi konke okwenzayo lendawo oya kuzo.”
26 Ngakho uJowabi wasuka kuDavida wasethuma izithunywa ukuthi zilandele u-Abhineri. Zamphendukisa esesemgodini waseSira, kodwa uDavida wayengazi lutho ngakho.
27 U-Abhineri wathi efika eHebroni,+ uJowabi wamthatha waya laye egedini esithi bayekhuluma bebodwa. Kodwa bathi befika lapho uJowabi wagwaza u-Abhineri esiswini wambulala+ ngenxa yokuthi wayebulele umfowabo u-Asaheli.+
28 UDavida wathi ekuzwa lokho wathi: “Mina lombuso wami simsulwa phambi kukaJehova kuze kube nini lanini. Asilacala ngokubulawa+ kuka-Abhineri indodana kaNeri.
29 Icala leli kaliphendukele ekhanda likaJowabi+ lakuyo yonke indlu kayise. Kwangathi endlini kaJowabi kungahlala kulendoda ephuma ubomvu ezithweni zayo zensitha+ loba elobulephero+ kumbe esebenza esigodweni sokuphotha uhali.* Akungasweleki muntu ozabulawa yinkemba kumbe oswela ukudla.”+
30 UJowabi lomfowabo u-Abhishayi+ babulala u-Abhineri+ ngenxa yokuthi wayebulele umfowabo u-Asaheli empini+ eGibhiyoni.
31 UDavida wathi kuJowabi lakubo bonke abantu ababelaye: “Dabulani izigqoko zenu ligqoke izembatho zamasaka likhalele u-Abhineri.” INkosi uDavida yona yayilandela labo ababethwele uhlaka* olwalulesidumbu.
32 U-Abhineri bamngcwaba eHebroni. Inkosi yakhala yasiqhinqa isililo ethuneni lika-Abhineri futhi labantu bonke bakhala.
33 Yahlabela ingoma yokulila ikhalela u-Abhineri isithi:
“Kambe u-Abhineri usengaze afe njengomuntu ongelangqondo?
34 Izandla zakho bezingabotshwanga,Lenyawo zakho bezingafakwanga izankosi.
Ubulawe angathi ngumuntu ebulawa yizigebenga.”+
Abantu bonke bathi besizwa lokho bakhala futhi.
35 Ngemva kwesikhathi ilanga lingakatshoni, bonke beza kuDavida bezomnika isinkwa sokumduduza, kodwa uDavida wafunga wathi: “UNkulunkulu kangijezise kakhulu nxa ngingadla isinkwa kumbe okunye+ nje ilanga lingakatshoni!”
36 Abantu bonke bakunanzelela lokho futhi bathokoza. Kwabathokozisa sibili njengakho konke okwakusenziwa yinkosi.
37 Ngakho ngalelolanga bonke abantu bakaDavida labo bonke abako-Israyeli bakwazi ukuthi inkosi ayisiyo eyayithe u-Abhineri indodana kaNeri abulawe.+
38 Inkosi yasisithi ezincekwini zayo: “Alikwazi yini ukuthi lamuhla kufe umkhokheli lomuntu oqakathekileyo ko-Israyeli?+
39 Lanxa ngigcotshwe ukuthi ngibe yinkosi,+ lamuhla ngiphele amandla. Amadodana kaZeruya+ alesihluku esibi.+ Kwangathi uJehova angaphindisela emuntwini owenza okubi, aphindisele ngalokho okuhambelana lezenzo zakhe ezimbi.”+
Amabala angaphansi
^ Lapha kungabe kutshiwo indoda eyisigoga engenelisiyo ukwenza imisebenzi yamadoda.
^ Lapha kutshiwo umbheda okwakubekwa kuwo isidumbu.
