1 AMakhosi 1

1 ¹Inkosi uDavida yayisikhulile, isindala ngeminyaka. Bayembesa ngezingubo, kodwa yayingafudumali. ²Izinceku zakhe zathi kuyo: “Mayikufunelwe inkosi yami intombi nto esencane ukuba ikhonze inkosi, iyinakekele. Mayilale esifubeni sakho, ukuze inkosi yami ifudumale.” ³Bafuna intombi enhle ezweni lonke lakwa-Israyeli, bathola u-Abhishagi waseShunemi, bamyisa enkosini. ⁴Le ntombi yayinhle kakhulu. Yaba ngumnakekeli wenkosi, yayikhonza, kodwa inkosi ayizange ihlangane nayo.

U-Adoniya Uzama Ukuthatha Isihlalo Sobukhosi

⁵U-Adoniya indodana kaHagiti waziphakamisa, ethi: “Mina ngiyakuba yinkosi,” wazitholela izinqola, abagibeli bamahhashi, namadoda angamashumi amahlanu ukuba agijime phambi kwakhe. ⁶Uyise wayengakaze amthethise nanini, ethi: “Wenzeleni lokhu?” Naye wayemuhle kakhulu, ezalwa emva kuka-Abhisalomu. ⁷Wabonisana noJowabe indodana kaSeruya no-Abhiyathari umpristi, ababesekela u-Adoniya bemsiza. ⁸Kodwa uZadoki umpristi, noBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, noNathani umprofethi, noShimeyi, noReyi, namaqhawe kaDavida babengahlangani no-Adoniya.

⁹U-Adoniya wahlaba izimvu, nezinkabi, nezinkomo ezikhuluphele ngaseTsheni laseZoheleti eduze kwe-Eni Rogeli, wamema bonke abafowabo, amadodana enkosi, nazo zonke izikhulu zasebukhosini bakwaJuda. ¹⁰Kodwa akamemanga uNathani umprofethi, noBhenaya, namaqhawe, noSolomoni umfowabo.

¹¹UNathani wabuza uBhatsheba unina kaSolomoni, wathi: “Awuzwanga yini ukuthi u-Adoniya indodana kaHagiti usebusa, kanti inkosi yethu uDavida ayazi? ¹²Manje woza, ake ngikweluleke, ukuze usindise ukuphila kwakho kanye nokuphila kwendodana yakho uSolomoni. ¹³Hamba ngokushesha enkosini uDavida, uthi kuyo: ‘Nkosi yami, awufunganga yini encekwini yakho, wathi: “USolomoni indodana yakho uyakubusa emva kwami, ahlale esihlalweni sami sobukhosi”? Pho, kungani u-Adoniya esebusa?’ ¹⁴Kuthi usakhuluma lapho nenkosi, mina ngizakungena ngemva kwakho, ngiqinise amazwi akho.”

¹⁵UBhatsheba wangena enkosini egumbini layo—yayisindala kakhulu, u-Abhishagi waseShunemi eyikhonza. ¹⁶UBhatsheba wakhothama wakhuleka enkosini, inkosi yathi: “Ufunani?”

¹⁷Wathi kuyo: “Nkosi yami, wena ngokwakho wafunga encekwini yakho ngoBaba wakho, wathi: ‘USolomoni indodana yakho uyakubusa emva kwami, ahlale esihlalweni sami sobukhosi.’ ¹⁸Kodwa manje u-Adoniya usuyinkosi, kanti wena, nkosi yami, awukwazi lokhu. ¹⁹Uhlabe izinkabi, nezinkomo ezikhuluphele, nezimvu eziningi, wamema onke amadodana enkosi, no-Abhiyathari umpristi, noJowabe induna yempi, kodwa akammemanga uSolomoni inceku yakho. ²⁰Nkosi yami, amehlo abo bonke abakwa-Israyeli akuwe, ukuba ubatshele ukuthi ubani oyakuhlala esihlalweni senkosi yami sobukhosi emva kwayo. ²¹Uma kungenjalo, lapho inkosi yami isilele koyise, mina nendodana yami uSolomoni siyakuthathwa njengabanecala.”

²²Esakhuluma nenkosi, kwafika uNathani umprofethi. ²³Batshela inkosi bathi: “Nangu uNathani umprofethi.” Wangena wakhothamela inkosi, ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi.

²⁴UNathani wathi: “Nkosi yami, ingabe ushilo yini ukuthi: ‘U-Adoniya uyakubusa emva kwami, ahlale esihlalweni sami sobukhosi’? ²⁵Namuhla wehlile wahlaba izinkabi, nezinkomo ezikhuluphele, nezimvu eziningi, wamema onke amadodana enkosi, nezinduna zempi, no-Abhiyathari umpristi. Bayadla bayaphuza phambi kwakhe, bememeza bethi: ‘Makaphile inkosi u-Adoniya!’ ²⁶Kodwa mina nceku yakho, noZadoki umpristi, noBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, nenceku yakho uSolomoni—u-Adoniya akasimemanga. ²⁷Ingabe inkosi yami ikuyalile lokhu ingazitshelanga izinceku zayo ukuthi ubani oyakuhlala esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi emva kwayo?”

UDavida Ufunga Ukuthi USolomoni Uyakubusa

²⁸Inkosi uDavida yaphendula yathi: “Ngibizeleni uBhatsheba.” Wangena phambi kwenkosi, wema phambi kwayo. ²⁹Inkosi yafunga yathi: “Kuphila kukaBaba wethu, owakhulula ukuphila kwami kuzo zonke izinhlupheko, ³⁰njengoba ngakufungela ngoBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngathi uSolomoni indodana yakho uyakubusa emva kwami, ahlale esihlalweni sami sobukhosi esikhundleni sami—ngiyakwenza njalo namuhla.”

³¹UBhatsheba wakhothamisa ubuso bakhe phansi, waguqa phambi kwenkosi, wathi: “Makaphile phakade inkosi yami uDavida!”

³²Inkosi uDavida yathi: “Ngibizeleni uZadoki umpristi, noNathani umprofethi, noBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada.” Beza phambi kwenkosi. ³³Inkosi yathi kubo: “Thathani izinceku zenkosi yenu, nikhwelise indodana yami uSolomoni embongolweni yami, nimehlisele eGihoni. ³⁴UZadoki umpristi noNathani umprofethi bamgcobe khona abe yinkosi phezu kwa-Israyeli; nishaye uphondo, nimemeze nithi: ‘Makaphile inkosi uSolomoni!’ ³⁵Khona-ke nikhuphuke nimlandele, uyakufika ahlale esihlalweni sami sobukhosi, abuse esikhundleni sami, ngokuba ngimmisile ukuba abe ngumbusi phezu kuka-Israyeli noJuda.”

³⁶UBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada waphendula inkosi wathi: “Amen! UBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wenkosi yami, makakuqinise lokho. ³⁷Njengoba uBaba wethu wayenenkosi yami, makabe kanjalo noSolomoni, enze isihlalo sakhe sobukhosi sibe sikhulu kunesihlalo senkosi yami uDavida.”

³⁸Behla uZadoki umpristi, noNathani umprofethi, noBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, namaKhereti namaPeleti, bamkhwelisa uSolomoni embongolweni yenkosi uDavida, bamyisa eGihoni. ³⁹UZadoki umpristi wathatha uphondo lwamafutha etendeni, wamgcoba uSolomoni. Bashaya icilongo, bonke abantu bamemeza bathi: “Makaphile inkosi uSolomoni!”

⁴⁰Bonke abantu bakhuphuka bemlandela, bebetha imitshingo, bethokoza kakhulu, umhlaba waze wavandeka ngomsindo wabo.

⁴¹U-Adoniya nazo zonke izimenywa zakhe bakuzwa lokhu, beseqeda ukudla kwabo. Lapho uJowabe ezwa uphondo, wabuza: “Yini le nhlokomo emzini?”

⁴²Esakhuluma, kwafika uJonathani indodana ka-Abhiyathari umpristi. U-Adoniya wathi: “Ngena—uyindoda eqotho, uletha izindaba ezinhle impela.”

⁴³Kodwa uJonathani wathi ku-Adoniya: “Qha—inkosi yethu uDavida imbekile uSolomoni ukuba abe yinkosi. ⁴⁴Inkosi ithume kanye naye uZadoki umpristi, noNathani umprofethi, noBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, namaKhereti namaPeleti; bamkhwelisa embongolweni yenkosi. ⁴⁵UZadoki umpristi noNathani umprofethi bamgcobile waba yinkosi eGihoni, bakhuphuka besuka lapho bethokoza; umuzi uyahlokoma—yiwo lowo msindo eniwuzwayo. ⁴⁶Phezu kwalokho, uSolomoni usehlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi. ⁴⁷Izinceku zenkosi nazo zafika zazohalalisela inkosi yethu uDavida, zathi: ‘UBaba wakho makenze igama likaSolomoni libe likhulu kunelakho, nesihlalo sakhe sobukhosi sibe sikhulu kunesakho.’ Inkosi yabe isikhothama embhedeni wayo. ⁴⁸Inkosi yaphinda yathi: ‘Makabusiswe uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, onikile namuhla umuntu ozohlala esihlalweni sami sobukhosi, amehlo ami ekubona lokhu.’”

⁴⁹Khona-ke zonke izimenywa zika-Adoniya zethuka kakhulu. Zasukuma zahlakazeka, kwaba yilowo nalowo wahamba ngendlela yakhe. ⁵⁰Kodwa u-Adoniya, esaba uSolomoni, wasukuma wahamba wabamba izimpondo ze-altare. ^a a v50 Ukubamba amagumbi aqhamileyo e-altare kwakuyisenzo sakudala sokufuna isiphephelo—ukunxusa ngokuphelelwa yithemba umusa nokuvikelwa ekubulaweni. ⁵¹USolomoni watshelwa kwathiwa: “U-Adoniya uyakwesaba, usebambe izimpondo ze-altare, ethi: ‘Inkosi uSolomoni mayifunge kimi kuqala ukuthi ngeke iyibulale inceku yayo ngenkemba.’”

⁵²USolomoni wathi: “Uma eyindoda eqotho, akukho ngisho nonwele olulodwa lwakhe oluyakuwela phansi; kodwa uma kutholakala ububi kuye, uzakufa.”

⁵³Inkosi uSolomoni yathumela ukuba abizwe, bamehlisa e-altare. Weza wakhothamela inkosi uSolomoni, uSolomoni wathi kuye: “Hamba uye ekhaya.”