AmaSirayeli Amlilela uSamuweli

UNabhali wathuka amadoda kaDavide emva kokuba egade abalusi bakhe, waza uDavide wabhinqa ikrele lakhe ukuze abulale yonke indoda esendlwini. UAbhigali wakhwela wehla neziphiwo zokutya, wamthomalalisa: uBawo wethu umnqanda etyaleni legazi endleleni yakhe esinga ebukhosini. Wafa uNabhali.

Isahluko 25.

Wafa uSamuweli, baza bonke amaSirayeli ahlanganisana ukuba ammbambazelele, amngcwaba ekhayeni lakhe eRama. Waza uDavide wasuka wehla waya entlango yaseParan.

Kwakukho indoda eseMahon, eyayinempahla eKarmele. Yayisisityebi esikhulu kakhulu: amawaka amathathu eegusha newaka lebhokhwe. Yayicheba iigusha zayo eKarmele. Igama laloo ndoda belinguNabhali, elomfazi wayo belinguAbhigali. Wayenengqiqo emhle, kodwa indoda yayilukhuni, ikhohlakele ngokwenza kwayo, iyingumKalebhi. Esentlango uDavide weva ukuba uNabhali ucheba iigusha zakhe. UDavide wathuma amadodana alishumi, wathi kuwo: “Nyukani niye eKarmele. Niye kuNabhali, nimbulise egameni lam. Nothi kuye: ‘Makadle ubomi wena. Uxolo malube kuwe, uxolo malube kwindlu yakho, uxolo malube kuko konke onako.’ Ndiyeva ukuba unabachebi. Abalusi bakho babenathi; asibaphethanga kakubi nganto, bengalahlekelwanga nto lonke ixesha eKarmele. Buza amadodana akho, aya kukuxelela. Ngoko makafumane ubabalo emehlweni akho amadodana am, kuba size ngomhla womthendeleko. Khawunike oko unokukwenza kubakhonzi bakho nakuDavide unyana wakho.”

Afika amadodana kaDavide, athetha onke la mazwi kuNabhali egameni likaDavide, aza alinda.

Waphendula uNabhali abakhonzi bakaDavide, wathi: “Ngubani na uDavide? Ngubani lo nyana kaYese? Baninzi abakhonzi namhla abaqhawula umkhala ezinkosini zabo. Ndingathini ukuthabatha isonka sam nenyama endiyixhelele abachebi bam, namanzi am, ndiwanike amadoda endingaziyo apho avela khona?”

Abuya ke amadodana kaDavide, amxelela onke la mazwi, akufika kuye.

Wathi uDavide kumadoda akhe: “Makanxibe elowo ikrele lakhe!” Wanxiba ke elowo ikrele lakhe, naye uDavide. Banyuka emva kukaDavide amadoda angathi angamakhulu amane; amakhulu amabini asala nempahla.

Elinye lamadodana lamxelela uAbhigali umkaNabhali, lathi: “UDavide uthume abathunywa bevela entlango ukuba babulise inkosi yethu, yabagxekana. La madoda abesilungele kakhulu. Akazanga asiphatha kakubi, singalahlekelwanga nto lonke ixesha sihambahamba nawo emasimini. Aba ludonga ngeenxa zonke kuthi ebusuku nasemini, lonke ixesha sinawo sisalusa iigusha. Ngoku yazi ubone into omelwe ukuyenza, kuba intlekele imiselwe inkosi yethu nendlu yayo iphela. Ikhohlakele kangangokuba akukho mntu unokuthetha nayo.”

UAbhigali wakhawuleza wathabatha amakhulu amabini ezonka, neentsuba ezimbini zewayini, neegusha ezihlanu ezilungisiweyo, namakhweba angangeelitha ezilishumi elinesithoba, nekhulu lezicumba zeerasintyisi, namakhulu amabini ezicumba zamakhiwane, wawabeka emaesileni. Wathi kubakhonzi bakhe: “Ndandulelani; ndiya kunilandela.” Kodwa indoda yakhe uNabhali akamxelelanga nto. Ekhwele e-esileni lakhe, esihla ngomendo osithekileyo wentaba, wadibana noDavide namadoda akhe besihla besiza ngakuye.

UDavide ebesithi: “Ndayigcinela ngelize yonke into yale ndoda entlango—ayizange ilahleke nanye into yayo—kodwa yena uyandibuyekeza ububi ngokuhle. UBawo wethu makenze oku kwiintshaba zikaDavide, aqokele, ukuba ndithe ndashiya nanye indoda ephilileyo kubo bonke abangabakhe kude kuse.”

Akubona uDavide, uAbhigali wakhawuleza wehla e-esileni lakhe, wawa ngobuso phambi kwakhe, waqubuda emhlabeni. Wawa ezinyaweni zakhe, wathi: “Malibe phezu kwam ndedwa ityala, nkosi yam. Khawuvumele umkhonzazana wakho athethe kuwe; phulaphula amazwi omkhonzazana wakho. Musa, nkosi yam, ukuyihoya le ndoda ikhohlakeleyo uNabhali, kuba injengegama layo—uNabhali lithetha ukuthi sisidenge, ubudenge bukuye. Ke mna, mkhonzazana wakho, andiwabonanga amadodana athunywe yinkosi yam. Ngoku, nkosi yam, ngokuba ehleli nje uBawo wethu, nawe uhleli nje: ekubeni uBawo wethu ekunqande ekuphalazeni igazi nasekuziphindezeleleni ngesandla sakho, mazibe njengoNabhali iintshaba zakho nabo bonke abafuna ukuyonakalisa inkosi yam. Ngoku lo mnikelo awuzisileyo umkhonzazana wakho enkosini yam makanikwe amadodana alandela inkosi yam. Xolela ukreqo lomkhonzazana wakho, kuba uBawo wethu uya kuyenzela ngenene inkosi yam indlu emiyo, ngokuba inkosi yam ilwa iimfazwe zikaBawo wethu. Makungafunyanwa bugwenxa kuwe yonke imihla yobomi bakho. Ukuba umntu uthe wavuka ukukusukela nokufuna ubomi bakho, ubomi benkosi yam boqiniselwa esiqhumeni sabaphilileyo kunye noBawo wakho; ke bona ubomi beentshaba zakho uya kubuzulumbela njengokuphuma embeleni wendwayimba. Xa uBawo wethu ethe wayenzela inkosi yam konke okuhle akuthembisileyo ngayo, wayenza umlawuli phezu kwamaSirayeli, inkosi yam ayiyi kuba nabuhlungu nakuba netyala ngokuphalaza igazi ngelize, nangokuziphindezelela yona. Ke, xa uBawo wethu athe wayiphatha kakuhle inkosi yam, mkhumbule umkhonzazana wakho.”

Wathi uDavide kuAbhigali: “Makabongwe uBawo wethu, uThixo kaSirayeli, othe wakuthuma namhla ukuba undikhawulele. Masibongwe isigqibo sakho esihle, ubongwe nawe, ondinqande namhla ekuphalazeni igazi nasekuziphindezeleleni ngesandla sam. Ngokuba ehleli nje uBawo wethu, uThixo kaSirayeli, ondinqande ekukwenzeni kakubi—ukuba ubungakhawulezanga ukundikhawulela, bekungayi kusala nendoda inye yakwaNabhali kude kuse.”

UDavide wathabatha esandleni sakhe oko akuzisileyo, wathi kuye: “Goduka ngoxolo. Khangela, ndilivile izwi lakho, ndasamkela isicelo sakho.”

Akufika uAbhigali kuNabhali, wayesenza umthendeleko endlwini yakhe onjengowokumkani. Intliziyo yakhe yayichwayithile, enxila kakhulu, waza akamxelela nto kwada kwasa. Kusasa, yakumka iwayini kuNabhali, umfazi wakhe wamxelela yonke into. Intliziyo yakhe yafa ngaphakathi kuye, waba njengelitye. Kwakuba ziintsuku ezilishumi, uBawo wethu wambetha uNabhali, wafa.

Akuva uDavide ukuba uNabhali ufile, wathi: “Makabongwe uBawo wethu, olibambeleyo ityala lam ngesingcikivo endasiviswa nguNabhali, wawunqanda umkhonzi wakhe ebubini. UBawo wethu ububuyisele ububi bukaNabhali entlokweni yakhe.” Waza uDavide wathumela ilizwi ecela uAbhigali ukuba abe ngumfazi wakhe.

Abakhonzi bakaDavide bafika kuAbhigali eKarmele, bathi kuye: “UDavide usithume ukuba sikuthabathe ube ngumfazi wakhe.”

Wavuka, waqubuda, ubuso bakhe busemhlabeni, wathi: “Nangu umkhonzazana wakho, elungele ukukhonza nokuhlamba iinyawo zabakhonzi benkosi yam.” UAbhigali wakhawuleza walungiselela, wakhwela e-esileni lakhe, enamantombazana akhe amahlanu, walandela abathunywa bakaDavide, waba ngumkakhe. UDavide wayemzekile kananjalo uAhinowam waseYizereli, ngoko bobabini baba ngabafazi bakhe. USawule wayeyinikile intombi yakhe uMikali, umkaDavide, kuPaltiyeli unyana kaLayishe, waseGalim.