2 USamuweli 14

14 ¹UJowabi, indodana kaZeruya, wabona ukuthi inhliziyo yenkosi yayilangazelela u-Absalomu. ²UJowabi wathumela eThekhowa waletha owesifazane ohlakaniphileyo evela khona. Wathi kuye: “Ngicela wenze sengathi uyalila: gqoka izingubo zokuzila, ungazigcobi ngamafutha, wenze njengowesifazane oselilele abafileyo izinsuku eziningi. ³Uye enkosini, usho la mazwi kuyo.” UJowabi wawafaka la mazwi emlonyeni wakhe.

⁴Owesifazane waseThekhowa weza enkosini, wawa ngobuso phansi emhlabathini embonga, wathi: “Ngisize, nkosi!”

⁵Inkosi yambuza: “Kwenzenjani?” Wathi: “Ngingumfelokazi; umyeni wami ushonile.

⁶Incekukazi yakho yayinamadodana amabili. Alwa endle, kungekho owawalamulayo, enye yabulala enye. ⁷Wonke umndeni usuvukele incekukazi yakho, uthi: ‘Khipha lowo oshaye umfowabo; sizambulala ngenxa yomfowabo ambulele, sibhubhise nendlalifa.’ Bafuna ukucima ilangabi lami lokugcina, bangasishiyeli umyeni wami igama noma ozosala emhlabeni.”

⁸Inkosi yathi kowesifazane: “Goduka ekhaya, mina ngizokhipha imiyalo ngenxa yakho.”

⁹Owesifazane waseThekhowa wathi enkosini: “Nkosi yami, nkosi, icala malibe phezu kwami nasendlini kababa; inkosi nesihlalo sayo sobukhosi mabangabi nacala.”

¹⁰Inkosi yathi: “Noma ngubani okhuluma kuwe, mlethe kimi—ngeke aphinde akuthinte.”

¹¹Wathi: “Ngicela inkosi ikhumbule uBaba wakho, ukuze umphindiseli wegazi angabe esenezela egazini elichithekileyo, nendodana yami ingabhujiswa.” Yathi: “Kuphila kukaBaba wethu, akukho ngisho nonwele olulodwa lwekhanda lendodana yakho oluzowela emhlabathini.” ^a a v11 Umphindiseli wegazi wayeyisihlobo esasinikwe ngokwesiko umsebenzi wokubulala umbulali welungu lomndeni.

¹²Owesifazane wathi: “Ngicela incekukazi yakho ikhulume izwi enkosini yami, nkosi.” Yathi: “Khuluma.”

¹³Owesifazane wathi: “Pho kungani uhlele lokhu ngokumelene nabantu bakaBaba wethu? Ngokukhuluma lokhu, inkosi izigweba yona, ngokuba ayimbuyisanga lowo wayo oxoshiweyo. ¹⁴Impela sizakufa, njengamanzi achithekele emhlabathini angeke aphinde abuthwe. Kodwa uBaba wethu akayithathi impilo—uhlela izindlela ukuze abaxoshiweyo bangavinjelwa kuye. ^b b v14 Ngisho nalapha, uBaba wethu uboniswa eceba izindlela zokubuyisela ekhaya lowo oxoshiweyo esikhundleni sokuthatha impilo — yona le nhliziyo ejaha wonke umuntu odingisiweyo ukuba abuyele kuye. ¹⁵Manje ngizile ukuzosho lokhu enkosini yami, nkosi, ngoba abantu bangethusa. Incekukazi yakho yacabanga: ‘Ake ngikhulume enkosini; mhlawumbe izakwenza isicelo sencekukazi yayo. ¹⁶Mhlawumbe inkosi izalalela ikhulule incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu obezonquma mina nendodana yami efeni likaBaba wethu.’” ¹⁷Incekukazi yakho yacabanga: “Izwi lenkosi yami, inkosi, malilethe ukuphumula, ngokuba inkosi yami, inkosi, injengengelosi kaBaba wethu, eyahlukanisa okuhle nokubi. UBaba wakho makabe nawe.”

¹⁸Inkosi yathi kowesifazane: “Ungangifihleli lutho engikubuza lona.” Wathi: “Inkosi yami, inkosi, mayikhulume.”

¹⁹Inkosi yabuza: “Isandla sikaJowabi yiso esingemuva kwakho konke lokhu?” Owesifazane waphendula: “Ngokuphila kwakho, nkosi yami, nkosi, akekho ongaphambukela ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesokhohlo kulokho inkosi yami, inkosi, ekushilo. Inceku yakho uJowabi inginikile umyalo; nguye ofake wonke la mazwi emlonyeni wencekukazi yakho.

²⁰Inceku yakho uJowabi ikwenzile lokhu ukuze iguqule indlela izinto ezibukeka ngayo. Kodwa inkosi yami ihlakaniphile njengengelosi kaBaba wethu, eyazi konke okusezweni.”

²¹Inkosi yabe isithi kuJowabi: “Kulungile, ngizakwenza lokhu. Hamba, ubuyise insizwa u-Absalomu.”

²²UJowabi wawa ngobuso phansi emhlabathini, wakhothama, wayibusisa inkosi. “Namuhla inceku yakho iyazi ukuthi ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, nkosi,” washo, “ngokuba inkosi isenzile isicelo senceku yayo.”

²³Ngakho uJowabi wasukuma waya eGeshuri, wabuyisa u-Absalomu eJerusalema. ²⁴Inkosi yathi: “Makaye endlini yakhe, kodwa angabuboni ubuso bami.” Ngakho u-Absalomu waya endlini yakhe, akabubonanga ubuso benkosi. ²⁵Kuwo wonke u-Israyeli wayengekho owayedunyiswa ngobuhle njengo-Absalomu; kusukela ematheni onyawo lwakhe kuze kufike esihlokweni sekhanda lakhe, wayengenasici. ²⁶Njalo lapho ephuca ikhanda lakhe—wayeliphuca minyaka yonke, ngoba laliba nzima kuye—wayezikala izinwele zekhanda lakhe: cishe amaphawundi amahlanu ngesilinganiso sasebukhosini. ²⁷U-Absalomu wazalelwa amadodana amathathu, nendodakazi egama layo kwakunguThamari. Wayengowesifazane omuhle.

²⁸U-Absalomu wahlala eJerusalema iminyaka emibili egcwele engabuboni ubuso benkosi. ²⁹U-Absalomu wathumela ukubiza uJowabi ukuze amncengele enkosini, kodwa uJowabi wenqaba ukuza kuye. Waphinda wathumela okwesibili, kodwa uJowabi waqhubeka enqaba ukuza. ³⁰U-Absalomu wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Bhekani, insimu kaJowabi ingenele neyami, futhi unebhali khona. Hambani, niyishise.” Ngakho izinceku zika-Absalomu zayishisa insimu.

³¹UJowabi wasukuma, waya endlini ka-Absalomu, wabuza: “Kungani izinceku zakho zithungele insimu yami ngomlilo?”

³²U-Absalomu waphendula uJowabi: “Ngakuthumela izwi, ngathi: ‘Woza lapha, ukuze ngikuthume ukuba ubuze inkosi ukuthi kungani ngaphuma eGeshuri—ngabe kungcono ukube ngasala khona.’ Manje ake ngibubone ubuso benkosi; uma nginecala ngalutho, akangibulale.”

³³UJowabi waya enkosini wayitshela. Inkosi yambiza u-Absalomu, wangena wakhothama ngobuso bakhe phansi emhlabathini phambi kwayo. Inkosi yabe isimanga u-Absalomu.