Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli 25:1-44
25 Ngemva kwesikhathi uSamuyeli+ wafa futhi bonke abantu bako-Israyeli babuthana ukuze bamlilele njalo bamngcwabe emzini wakhe eRama.+ UDavida wasuka waya enkangala yasePharani.
2 Kwakulendoda yaseMawoni+ eyayisebenzela eKhameli.*+ Indoda le yayinothe kakhulu, ilezimvu ezingu-3 000 lembuzi ezingu-1 000. Ngalesosikhathi yayigela izimvu zayo eKhameli.
3 Ibizo layo kwakuthiwa nguNabhali+ futhi yayingumKhalebhi,+ umkayo yena kwakuthiwa ngu-Abhigeli.+ U-Abhigeli wayehlakaniphile njalo emuhle, kodwa uNabhali wayelesihluku futhi elemikhuba emibi.+
4 UDavida wathi esenkangala wezwa ukuthi uNabhali ugela izimvu.
5 Ngakho uDavida wathuma amadoda alitshumi, wathi kuwo: “Hambani eKhameli. Nxa lingafika kuNabhali limtshele ukuthi ngiyambingelela,
6 beselisithi, ‘Kwangathi ungaphila isikhathi eside futhi ube lokuthula wena lemuli yakho kanye lakho konke olakho.
7 Ngizwa kuthiwa ugela izimvu zakho. Ngesikhathi abelusi bakho belathi asizange sibalimaze+ futhi akulalutho olwabalahlekelayo sonke isikhathi beseKhameli.
8 Buza abelusi bakho bazakutshela. Kwangathi ungaba lomusa emadodeni engiwathume kuwe njengoba efike ngesikhathi senjabulo. Ngicela uphe izinceku zakho lendodana yakho uDavida loba yini olayo.’”+
9 Ngakho amadoda ayehamba loDavida aya kuNabhali afika amtshela konke okwakukhulunywe nguDavida. Athi eqeda ukukhuluma,
10 uNabhali waphendula wathi: “Ungubani uDavida futhi ingubani indodana kaJese? Phela lezinsuku izinceku ezinengi zibalekela amakhosi azo.+
11 Kambe ngingathatha isinkwa sami lamanzi ami lenyama engiyihlabele izisebenzi ezigela izimvu zami nginike okungabantu okungaziwayo lokuthi kuvela ngaphi?”
12 Amadoda ayethunywe nguDavida abuyela kuye afika amtshela wonke amazwi la.
13 UDavida wahle wathi emadodeni ayehamba lawo: “Lonke hlomani ngezinkemba zenu!”+ Ngakho wonke ahloma ngezinkemba, loDavida laye wathatha eyakhe. UDavida wahamba lamadoda angaba ngu-400, angu-200 asala elinde impahla.
14 Kusenjalo enye inceku yatshela u-Abhigeli umkaNabhali yathi: “UDavida uthume izithunywa zivela enkangala ukuthi zizobingelela inkosi yethu kodwa yona izitshingele yazithethisa.+
15 Amadoda la asiphatha kuhle kakhulu. Awazange asilimaze futhi akulalutho olwasilahlekelayo ngesikhathi silawo egangeni.+
16 Ayenjengomduli osivikelayo ebusuku lemini sonke isikhathi silawo siselusa izimvu.
17 Yikho cabangisisa ubone ongakwenza ngoba lokhu kuzayilethela umonakalo omkhulu inkosi kanye lemuli yayo yonke.+ Akulamuntu ongakhuluma layo ngoba ayilancedo.”+
18 U-Abhigeli+ wahle wathatha izinkwa ezingu-200, lembiza ezimbili ezinkulu zewayini, lezimvu ezinhlanu ezihlinziweyo, lamabele akhanzingiweyo angamaseya* amahlanu, lamakhekhe angu-100 enziwe ngamagilebisi awonyisiweyo kanye lamakhekhe amakhiwane angu-200. Konke lokhu wakufaka phezu kwabobabhemi.+
19 Wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe: “Hambani, mina ngizalilandela.” Kodwa kamtshelanga lutho umkakhe uNabhali.
20 U-Abhigeli wathi esegade ubabhemi wakhe njalo esesithele ngentaba, kwathutsha uDavida lamadoda ayehamba lawo besiza ngendlela leyo, wahlangana labo.
21 UDavida wayelokhu esithi: “Ngasebenzela into engekhoyo ngivikela yonke impahla yomuntu lo enkangala. Akulalutho lwakhe olwalahlekayo+ kodwa yena ungibuyisela ngokubi.+
22 UNkulunkulu kazijezise kakhulu izitha zikaDavida* nxa ngingatshiya owesilisa oyedwa emzini wakhe ephila kuze kube sekuseni.”
23 U-Abhigeli wathi ebona uDavida wehla masinyane phezu kukababhemi waguqa phansi phambi kukaDavida, ubuso bakhe buthe mbo emhlabathini.
24 Ngemva kwalokho wasondela kuDavida wawela enyaweni zakhe wasesithi: “Nkosi yami icala kaletheswe mina. Vumela incekukazi yakho ikhulume lawe futhi ulalele amazwi encekukazi yakho.
25 Ngicela inkosi yami ingazihluphi ngoNabhali ngoba kalancedo.+ Lebizo lakhe limfanele, unguNabhali* futhi kalangqondo. Kodwa incekukazi yakho yona ayizange iwabone amadoda owathumileyo.
26 Khathesi nkosi yami, ngifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo, ngifunge langawe, uJehova nguye okunqandileyo+ ukuthi ungabi lecala lokubulala abantu+ lokuthi ungaphindiseli ngesandla sakho. Kwangathi izitha zenkosi yami lalabo abafuna ukuyilimaza bangaba njengoNabhali.
27 Nkosi yami, ngicela uvume ukuthi isipho lesi+ incekukazi yakho ekuphathele sona siphiwe amadoda ahamba lenkosi yami.+
28 Ngicela uxolele icala lencekukazi yakho. Phela uJehova uzakwenzela inkosi yami indlu ezahlala isikhathi eside+ ngoba inkosi yami ilwa izimpi zikaJehova+ futhi ayikaze yenze okubi kuzo zonke izinsuku zayo.+
29 Nxa umuntu angavukela inkosi yami ayixotshanise efuna ukuyibulala, uJehova uNkulunkulu wayo uzagoqela impilo yayo esikhwameni sokuphila, kodwa impilo yezitha zayo uzayiphosela khatshana njengamatshe aphoswe ngesavutha.
30 UJehova uzathi eseyenzele inkosi yami zonke izinto ezinhle azithembisayo futhi eseyibeke yaba ngumkhokheli wabako-Israyeli,+
31 inkosi yami ayisoze ibe lesazela loba izisole enhliziyweni yayo ngoba iyabe ingelacala lokubulala abantu kungelasizatho lelokuphindisela ngesandla sayo.+ Nxa uJehova eseyenzele okuhle inkosi yami, ngicela ikhumbule incekukazi yayo.”
32 UDavida wathi ku-Abhigeli: “Kadunyiswe uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli okuthumileyo lamuhla ukuthi uzongihlangabeza!
33 Kwangathi ungabusiswa ngenxa yokuhlakanipha kwakho, futhi ubusiswe ngenxa yokuthi unginqandile lamuhla ukuthi ngingabi lecala lokubulala abantu+ lelokuphindisela ngesandla sami.
34 Ngifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli onginqandileyo ukuthi ngingakulimazi,+ ngabe awubuyanga masinyane ukuzohlangana lami,+ bekuzakusa kungasela ngitsho loyedwa owesilisa oseleyo emzini kaNabhali.”+
35 UDavida wathatha lokho u-Abhigeli ayemphathele khona wasesithi kuye: “Hamba ngokuthula emzini wakho. Ngikuzwile okukhulumileyo futhi ngizakwenza okucelileyo.”
36 U-Abhigeli wasesuka wabuyela kuNabhali wamthola ezidlela angathi yinkosi endlini yakhe. Wayethabile futhi edakwe engazazi. U-Abhigeli kazange amtshele lutho kwaze kwaba sekuseni.
37 UNabhali wathi evuka ekuseni utshwala sebuphelile ekhanda, umkakhe wamtshela okwakwenzakele. Uthe ekuzwa lokho inhliziyo yakhe yahle yaba njengeyomuntu ofileyo, umzimba wonke woma qha angathi lilitshe.
38 Ngemva kwensuku ezingaba litshumi uJehova wamtshaya uNabhali wafa.
39 UDavida wathi esizwa ukuthi uNabhali ufile wathi: “Kadunyiswe uJehova ongenele indaba+ yokuyangiswa kwami nguNabhali+ futhi onqande inceku yakhe ukuthi ingenzi okubi!+ UJehova umjezisile uNabhali ngenxa yokubi abekwenza!”* Ngemva kwalokho uDavida wathumela ilizwi ecela u-Abhigeli ukuthi abe ngumkakhe.
40 Izinceku zikaDavida zafika ku-Abhigeli eKhameli zathi kuye: “UDavida usithume ukuthi sizokuthatha ube ngumkakhe.”
41 U-Abhigeli wahle wasukuma wazilahla phansi wasesithi: “Ngizimisele ukuba yisigqilikazi esizagezisa inyawo+ zezinceku zenkosi yami.”
42 Wasesukuma masinyane wagada ubabhemi wakhe futhi izincekukazi zakhe ezinhlanu zamlandela zihamba ngemva kwakhe. U-Abhigeli+ wahamba lezithunywa zikaDavida, wafika waba ngumkakhe.
43 UDavida wayethethe lo-Ahinowami+ waseJeziriyeli.+ Bobabili abesifazana laba baba ngamakhosikazi akhe.+
44 USawuli wayeseyendisele indodakazi yakhe uMikhali+ umkaDavida kuPhalithi+ indodana kaLayishi waseGalimi.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Lapha kutshiwo idolobho lakoJuda hatshi intaba iKhameli.
^ Iseya yayilingana lamalitha angu-7,33. Khangela iSengezo ku-B14.
^ Ezinye inguqulo zithi, “kamjezise kakhulu uDavida.”
^ Ibizo leli litsho ukuthi, “Isithutha” kumbe “Ongelangqondo.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “ubuyisele ububi bukaNabhali ekhanda lakhe.”
