Eyesibini KaSamuweli 18:1-33
18 UDavide wawabala amadoda awayekunye naye waza wabeka phezu kwawo umphathi wamawaka nomphathi wamakhulu.+
2 Wathumela inxalenye yesithathu ikhokelwa nguYowabhi,*+ inxalenye yesithathu ikhokelwa ngumntakwabo Yowabhi, uAbhishayi,+ unyana kaTseruya,+ nenye inxalenye yesithathu ikhokelwa nguItayi+ umGati. Ukumkani wathi kula madoda: “Nam ndiza kuphuma nani.”
3 Wona athi: “Sukuphuma,+ kuba ukuba sinokubaleka, abazukuba naxesha lethu, nokuba ihafu yethu ingafa, abazukuzikhathaza ngathi, kuba wena ulingana nabayi-10 000 kuthi.+ Ngoko bekuya kuba ngcono ukuba ungasithumelela uncedo usesixekweni.”
4 Ukumkani wathi kubo: “Loo nto niyibona ilungile ndiza kuyenza.” Wema ecaleni kwegeyithi, yaye onke amadoda aphuma ngokwamakhulu namawaka.
5 Ukumkani wayalela uYowabhi, uAbhishayi noItayi, esithi: “Nimphathe kakuhle umfana uAbhisalom, nenzele mna.”+ Onke amadoda eva xa ukumkani eyalela bonke abaphathi ngoAbhisalom.
6 Amadoda aphuma esiya endle, eyokulwa namaSirayeli. Idabi laba kwihlathi lakwaEfrayim.+
7 Abantu bakwaSirayeli+ boyiswa ngabakhonzi bakaDavide+ ibe kwabulawa abantu abaninzi ngaloo mini. Bebonke, yaba ngamadoda ayi-20 000.
8 Idabi lasasazeka kuyo yonke loo ngingqi. Futhi, ihlathi ladla abantu abangakumbi kunabo badliwa likrele ngaloo mini.
9 Ekugqibeleni uAbhisalom wazibona sele ejongene nezicaka zikaDavide. Wayekhwele imeyile, yaza loo meyile yangena phantsi kwamasebe ashinyeneyo omthi omkhulu, intloko yakhe yabambeka kuwo, wajinga emoyeni,* yona imeyile awayeyikhwele yaqhubeka ihamba.
10 Umntu owayibonayo le nto wayokuxelela uYowabhi wathi:+ “Jonga! Ndibone uAbhisalom ejinga emthini omkhulu.”
11 UYowabhi wathi kule ndoda: “Ukuba umbonile, kutheni ungamxabelanga kwalapho awe emhlabeni? Bendiza kukupha amaqhosha esilivere alishumi nebhanti.”
12 Kodwa loo ndoda yathi kuYowabhi: “Nokuba bendinokunikwa amaqhosha esilivere ayi-1 000, bendingenakuze ndolulele isandla sam kunyana kakumkani, kuba simvile ukumkani xa eyalela wena, uAbhishayi noItayi, esithi, ‘Nokuba ngubani na kuni, nize nimkhusele umfana, uAbhisalom.’+
13 Ukuba bendingathobelanga ndaza ndambulala, ebengasoze angayazi loo nto ukumkani, ibe nawe lo ubungazukundikhusela.”
14 UYowabhi wathi: “Andizukuchitha xesha ngawe apha!” Wathatha imikhonto* yamithathu, wahlaba uAbhisalom entliziyweni ngoxa esaphila, esekuloo mthi mkhulu.
15 Emva koko, izicaka ezilishumi ezazithwala izixhobo zikaYowabhi, zeza zaza zamxabela wade wafa uAbhisalom.+
16 Ngoko uYowabhi wavuthela uphondo, aza amadoda abuya ekuleqeni amaSirayeli. UYowabhi wawanqanda.
17 Bamthatha ke uAbhisalom, bamphosa emngxunyeni omkhulu osehlathini baza bamogquma ngemfumba enkulu yamatye.+ Onke amaSirayeli abalekela emakhayeni awo.
18 Ngoxa uAbhisalom wayesaphila, wathatha intsika wazimisela yona kwiNtlambo* KaKumkani,+ kuba wathi: “Andinanyana ukuze agcine igama lam.”+ Loo ntsika wayithiya ngegama lakhe, yaye ibizwa ngokuba liLitye Lesikhumbuzo Lika-Abhisalom unanamhla oku.
19 UAhimahatse+ unyana kaTsadoki, wathi: “Ndiyakucela ndivumele ndibaleke ndiyokuxelela ukumkani ezi ndaba, kuba uYehova umenzele ubulungisa ngokumkhulula kwiintshaba zakhe.”+
20 UYowabhi wathi kuye: “Awuzukuba ngumchazi weendaba namhlanje. Unokuzichaza ngenye imini iindaba, kodwa namhlanje awuzukuchaza zindaba, kuba ngunyana kakumkani ngokwakhe oswelekileyo.”+
21 Emva koko uYowabhi wathi kumKushe:+ “Hamba uyokuxelela ukumkani into oyibonileyo.” UmKushe waqubuda kuYowabhi waza wabaleka.
22 UAhimahatse unyana kaTsadoki waphinda wathi kuYowabhi: “Nokuba kwenzeka ntoni, ndiyacela nam ndivumele ndibaleke emva komKushe.” UYowabhi wathi: “Kutheni kufuneka ubaleke nyana wam, kungekho zindaba unokuzixela?”
23 Yena wathi: “Nokuba kwenzeka ntoni, ndivumele ndibaleke.” UYowabhi wathi kuye: “Baleka!” Waza uAhimahatse wabaleka ngendlela enqumla kwingingqi yaseYordan.* Wade ekugqibeleni wamdlula umKushe.
24 UDavide wayehleli phakathi kweegeyithi zesixeko ezimbini,+ waza unogada+ waya eluphahleni lwegeyithi engaseludongeni. Waphakamisa amehlo akhe waza wabona indoda ebaleka yodwa.
25 Ngoko unogada wakhwaza waza waxelela ukumkani. Ukumkani wathi: “Ukuba iyodwa iphethe iindaba.” Njengokuba yayisondela,
26 unogada wabona nenye indoda ibaleka. Wakhwaza unogada wasegeyithini esithi: “Nantso nenye indoda ibaleka yodwa!” Ukumkani wathi: “Nayo izisa iindaba.”
27 Unogada wathi: “Le ndoda yokuqala ibaleka njengoAhimahatse+ unyana kaTsadoki,” ngoko ukumkani wathi: “Uyindoda elungileyo, ibe uza neendaba ezimnandi.”
28 UAhimahatse wakhwaza kukumkani wathi: “Kuhle!” Emva koko, waqubuda kukumkani ubuso bakhe bujonge emhlabeni. Wathi: “Makabongwe uYehova uThixo wakho, onikezele ngamadoda avukele* inkosi yam ukumkani!”+
29 Ukumkani wathi: “Ngaba yonke into ihamba kakuhle kumfana uAbhisalom?” UAhimahatse wathi: “Ndibone isiphithiphithi esikhulu ngokuya uYowabhi ebethumela isicaka sikakumkani, nam lo isicaka sakho, kodwa bendingazi ukuba ibiyeyantoni.”+
30 Ukumkani wathi: “Bhekela, yima apha.” Ngoko wabhekela, wema apho.
31 UmKushe wafika+ wathi: “Inkosi yam ukumkani mayamkele ezi ndaba: Namhlanje uYehova wenze ubulungisa ngokukukhulula esandleni sabo bonke abo balwa nawe.”+
32 Kodwa ukumkani wathi kumKushe: “Ngaba yonke into ihamba kakuhle kumfana uAbhisalom?” UmKushe wathi: “Kwanga zonke iintshaba zenkosi yam ukumkani nabo bonke abo balwa nawe ukuze bakwenzakalise, bangaba njengaloo mfana!”+
33 Le nto yamphazamisa ukumkani waza wenyuka waya kwigumbi eliseluphahleni phezu kwegeyithi walila, ibe njengoko wayehamba wayesithi: “Nyana wam Abhisalom, nyana wam, nyana wam Abhisalom! Akwaba bekufe mna endaweni yakho, Abhisalom nyana wam, nyana wam!”+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “iphantsi kwesandla sikaYowabhi.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “waphakathi kwamazulu nomhlaba.”
^ Okanye kusenokwenzeka, “iintolo.” Ngokoqobo, “imiphini.”
^ Okanye “kwiThafa LikaKumkani.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “yesithili saseYordan.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “aphakamise isandla sawo.”
