USamyela Wesibili 18:1-33
18 Ngemva kwalokho, uDavida wabala abantu ebebanaye bese wabeka iinduna zeenkulungwana neenduna zamakhulu phezu kwabo.+
2 UDavida wabeka ingcenye yesithathu yabantu ngaphasi kwelawulo lakaJowabi,+ enye ingcenye yesithathu ngaphasi kwelawulo lomfowabo kaJowabi u-Abitjhayi+ indodana kaTseruya+ begodu enye ingcenye yesithathu ngaphasi kwelawulo laka-Itayi+ umGathi. Yeke ikosi yathi ebantwini: “Nami ngizokuphuma nani.”
3 Kodwana bathi: “Ungaphumi,+ ngombana nasingabaleka angekhe babe nendaba nathi; nange ingcenye yethu ingahlongakala, angekhe babe nendaba nathi ngombana wena ulingana nabazii-10 000 bethu.+ Yeke kungaba ngcono nawungasithumela isizo elivela edorobheni.”
4 Ikosi yathi kibo: “Nanyana yini ebonakala ilungile kini, ngizoyenza.” Yeke ikosi yajama hlanu kwesango ledorobho, boke abantu baphuma ngamakhulu nangeenkulungwana.
5 Ikosi yanikela uJowabi, u-Abitjhayi no-Itayi umyalo, yathi: “Nilibabalele isokana elingu-Absalomu ngebanga lami.”+ Boke abantu bayizwa ikosi nayinikela zoke iinduna umyalo omalungana no-Absalomu.
6 Abantu baphuma baya emmangweni bayokulwa no-Israyeli, balwela ehlathini lakwa-Efrayimu.+
7 Abantu bakwa-Israyeli+ bahlulwa lapho ziinsebenzi zakaDavida,+ kwaba kukhulu ukurhayila kwamhlokho, kwarhayilwa abantu abazii-20 000.
8 Ipi yarhatjhekela kiso soke isifundeso. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngelangelo, ihlathi larhiribidela abantu abanengi ukudlula isabula.
9 Ekugcineni u-Absalomu wazifumana aqalene neensebenzi zakaDavida. U-Absalomu bekakhamba ngemeyila begodu imeyila leyo yangena ngaphasi kweempande ezimabhombo zomuthi omkhulu, yeke ihlokwakhe yabambeka emthini omkhulu loyo, ngalokho walenga emoyeni khisibe imeyilakhe ihlabela phambili.
10 Umuntu othileko wakubona lokho, wabikela uJowabi+ wathi: “Qala! Ngibone u-Absalomu alenga emthini omkhulu.”
11 UJowabi waphendula umuntu loyo wathi: “Nangabe ukubonile lokho, kubayini ungakhenge umrhayile atatlake phasi khonapho? Yeke bengizokuthabela ukukunikela iimpaparwana zesiliva ezilitjhumi nebhande.”
12 Kodwana umuntu lo wathi kuJowabi: “Ngitjho nanyana benginganikelwa iimpaparwana zesiliva eziyi-1 000, bengeze ngaphakamisela indodana yekosi isandla ngombana siyizwile ikosi nayiyala wena, u-Abitjhayi no-Itayi ithi, ‘Nanyana ungubani, nilibabalele isokana elingu-Absalomu.’+
13 Ngathana akhenge ngilalele ngambulala, indaba leyo beyizokwaziwa yikosi begodu wena bengeze ungivikele.”
14 Yeke uJowabi wathi: “Angekhe ngisazonela isikhathi ngawe!” Yeke wathatha iimpikiri* ezikulu ezintathu wahlaba ngazo u-Absalomu ehliziyweni asaphila, alenga emthini omkhulu.
15 Ngemva kwalokho, abasizi abalitjhumi ebebaphatha iinkhali zakaJowabi beza babetha u-Absalomu ngeenkhali bewahlongakala.+
16 Nje-ke uJowabi wavuthela ipalapala, abantu babuya ekugijimiseni u-Israyeli; uJowabi wabatjela bona balise ukulwa.
17 Bathatha u-Absalomu bamphosela ngemgodini omkhulu esikghweni bese baphosela amatje amanengi phezu kwakhe.+ Woke ama-Israyeli abalekela emizinawo.
18 Ngesikhathi u-Absalomu asaphila, wazijamisela isika emRhobeni weKosi,+ ngombana wathi: “Anginandodana ezokuvusa igama lami.”+ Yeke wathiyelela isika leyo ngaye begodu ibizwa ngokuthi siKhumbuzo saka-Absalomu bekube kunamhlanjesi.
19 U-Arhimahatsi+ indodana kaTsadokhi wathi: “Ngibawa ukugijima ngiyokubikela ikosi iindabezi ngombana uJehova uyenzele ubulungiswa ngokuyitjhaphulula emanabenayo.”+
20 Kodwana uJowabi wathi kuye: “Awuzukuba mbikindaba namhlanjesi. Ungazibika iindaba ngelinye ilanga kodwana ingasi namhlanjesi ngombana yindodana yekosi ehlongakeleko.”+
21 Yeke uJowabi wathi kumKutjhe+ othileko: “Khamba uyokutjela ikosi ukuthi uboneni.” Khonokho umKutjhe wakhothama kuJowabi wagijima wakhamba.
22 U-Arhimahatsi indodana kaTsadokhi wabuyelela wathi kuJowabi: “Nanyana kungenzekani, ngibawa nami ungivumele ngigijime ngemva komKutjhe.” Kodwana uJowabi wathi: “Kubayini kufuze ugijime ndodanami nazingekho iindaba ozozibika?”
23 Nanyana kunjalo wathi: “Nanyana kungenzekani, ngivumela ngigijime.” Yeke uJowabi wathi kuye: “Gijima!” U-Arhimahatsi wagijima ngendlela yesifunda seJordani, ekugcineni wadlula umKutjhe.
24 UDavida bekahlezi hlangana namasango+ amabili wedorobho begodu umlindi+ wakhuphukela ephahleni lesango hlanu kweboda. Waqala phezulu wabona umuntu agijima yedwa.
25 Yeke umlindi warhuwelela watjela ikosi. Ikosi yathi: “Nangabe uyedwa, uphethe iindaba.” Njengombana atjhidela kancanikancani,
26 umlindi wabona omunye umuntu agijima. Umlindi warhuwelela umlindisango wathi: “Qala! Kunomunye umuntu ogijima ayedwa!” Ikosi yathi: “Naloyo uphethe iindaba.”
27 Umlindi wathi: “Ngibona ukuthi umuntu wokuthoma ugijima njengo-Arhimahatsi+ indodana kaTsadokhi,” yeke ikosi yathi: “Uyindoda elungileko, uphethe iindaba ezimnandi.”
28 Yeke u-Arhimahatsi warhuwelela ikosi wathi: “Koke kukhamba kuhle!” Khonokho wakhothama ekosini wahloma ihloko phasi. Ngemva kwalokho, wathi: “Akadunyiswe uJehova uZimakho, onikele abantu abavukela ikosami ezandleni zayo!”+
29 Nanyana kunjalo, ikosi yathi: “Koke kukhamba kuhle na ngesokana u-Absalomu?” U-Arhimahatsi waphendula wathi: “Ngibone itjharagano ekulu ngesikhathi uJowabi athuma isisebenzi sekosi nesisebenzi sakho kodwana azange ngazi bona kwenzekani.”+
30 Yeke ikosi yathi: “Tjhidela ngeqadi, jama la.” Watjhidela ngeqadi wajama lapho.
31 Yeke umKutjhe wafika+ wathi: “Ikosami ayamukele nanzi iindaba: Namhlanjesi uJehova wenze ubulungiswa ngokukutjhaphulula esandleni sabo boke abakuvukelako.”+
32 Kodwana ikosi yathi kumKutjhe: “Koke kukhamba kuhle na ngesokana u-Absalomu?” umKutjhe waphendula wathi: “Kwanga amanaba wekosami nabo boke abakuvukeleko bona bakulimaze bangaba njengesokana+ elingu-Absalomu!”
33 Lokho kwayitshwenya khulu ikosi, yakhuphukela elawini elisephahleni phezu kwesango yalila njengombana ikhamba beyithi: “Ndodanami Absalomu, ndodanami, ndodanami Absalomu! Ngathana kuhlongakele mina esikhundleni sakho, Absalomu ndodanami, ndodanami!”+
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Namkha kungenzeka “imisubela; imikhonto.” NgesiHebheru, “iintonga.”
