Eyesibili KaSamuweli 16:1-23
16 Lapho uDavide eqeda ukudlula esiqongweni, + wazithela kuZiba + isikhonzi sikaMefibhosheti + ezomhlangabeza ehamba nezimbongolo ezimbili eziboshelwe zithwele izinkwa ezingu-200, amakhekhe amagilebhisi omisiwe angu-100, amakhekhe ezithelo zasehlobo* angu-100 nembiza enkulu yewayini. +
2 Inkosi yathi kuZiba: “Kungani ungilethele lezi zinto?” UZiba waphendula wathi: “Izimbongolo ngezokuba kugibele abendlu yenkosi, isinkwa nezithelo zasehlobo ngokwezinsizwa ukuba zidle, iwayini ngelokuba okhathele ehlane aphuze.” +
3 Inkosi yase ithi kuye: “Iphi indodana* yenkosi yakho?” + UZiba waphendula wathi enkosini: “Ihleli eJerusalema, ngoba ithe, ‘Namuhla indlu ka-Israyeli izobuyisela ubukhosi bukababa kimi.’ ” +
4 Inkosi yathi kuZiba: “Konke obekungokukaMefibhosheti sekungokwakho.” + UZiba wathi: “Ngiyakhothama phambi kwakho. Kwangathi ngingathola umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami.” +
5 Lapho iNkosi uDavide ifika eBhahurimi, kwaphuma umuntu womndeni wendlu kaSawule, uShimeyi + indodana kaGera, wayithuka inkosi njengoba esondela. +
6 Wayejikijela uDavide nazo zonke izinceku zeNkosi uDavide ngamatshe, nabo bonke abantu namadoda angamaqhawe ayengakwesokudla nangakwesobunxele sakhe.
7 Yilokhu uShimeyi ayekusho njengoba ethuka inkosi: “Hamba la, hamba, wena muntu onecala legazi, le nto engelusizo lwalutho!
8 UJehova ulibuyisele kuwe lonke icala legazi lendlu kaSawule obuse esikhundleni sakhe njengenkosi, kodwa uJehova unikela ubukhosi esandleni sika-Absalomu indodana yakho. Manje wehlelwe inhlekelele, ngoba ungumbulali!” +
9 U-Abhishayi indodana kaZeruya + wathi enkosini: “Kungani le nja efile + kufanele yethuke inkosi yami? + Ngicela ungivumele ngiwele ngishumpule ikhanda lakhe.” +
10 Kodwa inkosi yathi: “Ngihlanganiseni nani, madodana kaZeruya? + Myekeni angithuke, + ngoba uJehova uthe kuye, + ‘Thuka uDavide!’ Ngakho ubani okufanele athi, ‘Uyenzelani le nto?’ ”
11 UDavide wathi ku-Abhishayi nakuzo zonke izinceku zakhe: “Nansi indodana yami, igazi lami, ifuna ukuphila kwami, + kuthiwani-ke ngomuntu wakwaBhenjamini! + Myekeni angithuke, ngoba uJehova uthe akenze kanjalo!
12 Mhlawumbe uJehova uzokubona ukuhlupheka kwami, + bese uJehova engenzela okuhle esikhundleni senhlamba engithukwa ngayo namuhla.” +
13 Ngemva kokusho lokho uDavide namadoda ayekanye naye baqhubeka behla ngomgwaqo kuyilapho uShimeyi egudla intaba elinganisene naye, emthuka, + emjikijela ngamatshe emthela nangothuli oluningi.
14 Ekugcineni inkosi nabo bonke abantu ababenayo bafika bekhathele lapho babeya khona, ngakho baphumula.
15 Phakathi naleso sikhathi u-Absalomu nawo wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli bafika eJerusalema, u-Ahithofeli + wayekanye naye.
16 Lapho uHushayi + umArikhi, + umngane kaDavide, efika ku-Absalomu, uHushayi wathi ku-Absalomu: “Mana njalo nkosi! + Mana njalo nkosi!”
17 U-Absalomu waphendula wathi kuHushayi: “Ingabe yile ndlela obonisa ngayo uthando oluqotho kumngane wakho? Kungani ungahambanga nomngane wakho?”
18 Ngakho uHushayi wathi ku-Absalomu: “Cha, ngingasohlangothini lwalowo okhethwe nguJehova nalesi sizwe kanye nawo wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli. Ngizohlala naye.
19 Ngiyaphinda ngithi, Ngubani okufanele ngimkhonze? Akufanele yini ngikhonze indodana yakhe? Njengoba nje ngamkhonza uyihlo, kanjalo nawe ngizokukhonza.” +
20 U-Absalomu wayesethi ku-Ahithofeli: “Ake ungicebise. *+ Senzenjani?”
21 U-Ahithofeli wathi ku-Absalomu: “Lala nezancinza zikayihlo + azishiye ngemuva ukuba zinakekele indlu. *+ Lapho wonke u-Israyeli ezwa ukuthi wenze le nto wadelela uyihlo, labo abakusekelayo bazoma isibindi.”
22 Ngakho bagxumekela u-Absalomu itende phezu kwendlu, *+ u-Absalomu walala nezancinza zikayise + kubuka wonke u-Israyeli. +
23 Ngalezo zinsuku iseluleko sika-Ahithofeli + sasibhekwa njengezwi elivela* kuNkulunkulu weqiniso. Yileyo ndlela uDavide no-Absalomu ababesihlonipha ngayo sonke iseluleko esivela ku-Ahithofeli.
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Ikakhulu amakhiwane mhlawumbe nezithelo zesundu.
^ Noma, “umzukulu.”
^ Noma, “ungeluleke.”
^ Noma, “isigodlo.”
^ Noma, “ophahleni.”
^ Noma, “sasinjengokungathi umuntu ubuza.”
