Ukufa kukaAbisalomu

18UDavida wasebala abantu ababelaye, wabeka phezu kwabo izinduna zezinkulungwane lenduna zamakhulu. 2 UDavida wasethuma ingxenye yesithathu yabantu ngaphansi kwesandla sikaJowabi, lengxenye yesithathu ngaphansi kwesandla sikaAbishayi indodana kaZeruya, umfowabo kaJowabi, lengxenye yesithathu ngaphansi kwesandla sikaIthayi umGitia. Inkosi yasisithi ebantwini: Lami ngizaphuma lokuphuma kanye lanib. 3 Kodwa abantu bathi: Kawuyikuphuma. Ngoba uba sibaleka lokubaleka, kabayikusinaka; kumbe uba kusifa ingxenye yethu, kabayikuba landaba lathi. Kanti khathesi wena ulingana lenkulungwane ezilitshumi zethu; ngakho-ke kungcono ukuthi ube lusizo lwethu usemzinic. 4 Inkosi yasisithi kibo: Lokho okulungileyo emehlweni enu ngizakwenza. Inkosi yasisima eceleni kwesango; bonke abantu basebephuma ngamakhulu langezinkulungwane. 5 Inkosi yasibalaya oJowabi loAbishayi loIthayi, isithi: Liliphathe kahle ijaha, uAbisalomu, ngenxa yami. Njalo bonke abantu bezwa lapho inkosi ilaya zonke izinduna indaba kaAbisalomu.

6 Abantu basebephumela egangeni ukuyakulwa bemelene loIsrayeli; njalo impi yayiseguswini lakoEfrayimid. 7 Abantu bakoIsrayeli basebetshaywa lapho phambi kwenceku zikaDavida, kwasekusiba khona ukubulala okukhulu ngalolosuku - abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili. 8 Ngoba impi yahlakazeka khona ebusweni belizwe lonke, njalo igusu ladla abantu abanengi ngalolosuku okwedlula labo inkemba eyabadlayo.

9 UAbisalomu wasehlangana lenceku zikaDavida. Njalo uAbisalomu wayegade imbongolo; kwathi imbongolo ifika ngaphansi kwengatsha ezihlangeneyo zesihlahla se-okhi elikhulu, ikhanda lakhe laselibambelela esihlahleni se-okhi; waselenga phakathi kwamazulu lomhlaba, njalo imbongolo engaphansi kwakhe yedlulae. 10 Umuntu othile wasebona, watshela uJowabi wathi: Khangela, ngibone uAbisalomu elenga esihlahleni se-okhi. 11 UJowabi wasesithi kulowomuntu omtshelayo: Khangela-ke, umbonile, kungani-ke ungamtshayelanga emhlabathini khonapho? Bengizakunika inhlamvu ezilitshumi zesilivaf lebhantig elilodwa. 12 Kodwa lowomuntu wathi kuJowabi: Loba bengingemukela1 ezandleni zami inhlamvu eziyinkulungwane zesiliva, bengingayikwelulela isandla sami endodaneni yenkosih, ngoba ezindlebeni zethu inkosi yakulaya wena loAbishayi loIthayi isithi: Nanzelelani, loba ngubani, angathinti ijaha uAbisalomui. 13 Uba bengenze inkohliso ngempilo yami, ngoba kakulalutho olucatshela inkosi, lawe ubuzazimisa umelene lami. 14 UJowabi wasesithi: Kangiyikulibala ngokunjalo lawe. Wasethatha imikhonto emithathu esandleni sakhe, wamgwaza uAbisalomu enhliziyweni esaphila, phakathi kwesihlahla se-okhi. 15 Njalo amajaha alitshumi ayethwala izikhali zikaJowabi, amzingelezela amtshaya uAbisalomu ambulala. 16 UJowabi wasevuthela uphondo, abantu basebebuya ekuxotshaneni loIsrayeli, ngoba uJowabi wabamisa abantu. 17 Basebemthatha uAbisalomu, bamphosela emgodini omkhulu eguswini, babeka phezu kwakhe inqwaba enkulu kakhulu yamatshej; uIsrayeli wonke wasebaleka, ngulowo lalowo waya ethenteni lakhek.

18 UAbisalomu esaphila wayethethe wazimisela insikal esesigodini senkosim, ngoba wathi: Angilandodana yokwenza ukuthi ibizo lami likhunjulwe. Wabiza leyonsika ngebizo lakhe. Yabizwa ngokuthi, isikhumbuzo sikaAbisalomu, kuze kube lamuhlan.

19 UAhimahazi indodana kaZadokio wasesithi: Ake ngigijime, ngiyibikele inkosi ukuthi iNkosi iyiphindisele esandleni sezitha zayo. 20 Kodwa uJowabi wathi kuye: Kawusumbiki wendaba lamuhla, kodwa uzazibika izindaba ngolunye usuku; lamuhla kawuyikubika izindaba, ngenxa yokuthi indodana yenkosi ifile. 21 UJowabi wasesithi kumKhushi: Hamba uyebikela inkosi okubonileyo. UmKhushi wamkhothamela uJowabi, wagijimap. 22 UAhimahazi indodana kaZadoki wabuya wasephinda wathi kuJowabi: Loba kunjani, ake ngigijime lami ngimlandele umKhushi. Kodwa uJowabi wathi: Uzagijimelani, mntanami, lokhu ungelambiko ongawuletha? 23 Kodwa loba kunjani, kangigijime. Wasesithi kuye: Gijimaq. Wasegijima uAhimahazi ngendlela yemagcekeni, wamdlula umKhushir.

24 UDavida wayehlezi-ke phakathi kwamasango womabili; umlindi wasesiya ephahleni lwesango emdulini, waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona, khangela-ke, umuntu egijima yedwas. 25 Umlindi wasememeza watshela inkosi. Yasisithi inkosi: Uba eyedwa ulombiko emlonyeni wakhe. Wasehamba weza esondela. 26 Umlindi wasebona omunye umuntu egijima; umlindi wabiza umlindisango wathi: Khangela, omunye umuntu ugijima yedwa. Inkosi yasisithi: Laye lo uletha izindaba. 27 Umlindi wasesithi: Ngibona ukugijima kowokuqala kunjengokugijima kukaAhimahazi indodana kaZadokit. Inkosi yasisithi: Lo ngumuntu olungileyo, uza lendaba ezinhleu. 28 UAhimahazi wasememeza wathi enkosini: Ukuthula! Wasekhothamela inkosi ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini wathi: Kayibusiswe iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, enikele abantu abaphakamisa isandla sabo enkosini yami, inkosi. 29 Inkosi yasisithi: Kuhle yini ngejaha, ngoAbisalomu? UAhimahazi wasesithi: Ngibone isiphithiphithi esikhulu lapho uJowabi ethuma inceku yenkosi lenceku yakho, kodwa kangazanga ukuthi kuyini. 30 Inkosi yasisithi: Buyela eceleni, ume lapho. Wasebuyela eceleni wema. 31 Khangela-ke, umKhushi wafika, umKhushi wathi: Yemukela imibiko, nkosi yami, nkosi! Ngoba iNkosi ikuphindisele lamuhla esandleni salabo bonke abakuvukelayov. 32 Inkosi yasisithi kumKhushi: Kuhle yini ngejaha, ngoAbisalomu? UmKhushi wasesithi: Kungathi izitha zenkosi yami, inkosi, labo bonke abakuvukelayo ngobubi bangaba njengalelojahaw.

33 Yasikhathazeka kakhulu inkosi, yenyukela endlini ephezulu yesango, yakhala inyembezix, isahamba yakhuluma kanje: Ndodana yami Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami, Abisalomu! Kungathi ngabe kufe mina endaweni yakho, Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yamiy!