U-Ahithofeli noHushayi Baluleka u-Absalomu
U-Ahithofeli unxusa ukuba inkosi ekhathele ihlaselwe ngokushesha namhlanje ebusuku; uHushayi uphikisa ngokubambezela okuthophayo, futhi u-Absalomu uthatha iseluleko esibi kakhulu — ngokuba uBaba wethu wayehlose ukuchitha iseluleko esihle sika-Ahithofeli. Izindaba zifika kuDavide ngomthombo ombozwe. U-Ahithofeli uya ekhaya, ahlelisise indlu yakhe, azilengise.
17 1U-Ahithofeli wathi ku-Absalomu: “Mangikhethe amadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, ngisuke kusihlwa namuhla ngixoshe uDavide. 2Ngizomhlasela esadiniwe ebuthakathaka, ngimethuse, bese bonke abantu bakhe bebaleka; khona-ke ngizobulala inkosi kuphela. 3Ngizobuyisela bonke abantu kuwe. Lowo muntu oyedwa omfunayo—ukufa kwakhe kusho ukuthi wonke umuntu uyabuya, futhi bonke abantu bayakuba nokuthula.”
4Leli cebo labonakala lilihle ku-Absalomu nakubo bonke abadala bakwa-Israyeli. 5U-Absalomu wathi: “Biza noHushayi umArki, sizwe ukuthi naye uthini.”
6Kwathi uHushayi efika kuye, u-Absalomu wathi: “U-Ahithofeli weluleke kanje. Kufanele yini senze lokho akushoyo? Uma kungenjalo, khuluma wena.”
7UHushayi wathi ku-Absalomu: “Iseluleko u-Ahithofeli asinikezile asilihle ngalesi sikhathi. 8UHushayi wanezela: “Uyawazi uyihlo namadoda akhe—amaqhawe anolaka, njengebhere eliphucwe imidlwane yalo endle. Uyihlo uyiqhawe elinekhono; ngeke alale namabutho.” 9Ngisho manje ucashile emgodini noma kwenye indawo. Uma amanye amadoda akho ewa kuqala, noma ngubani ozwayo uyothi, ‘Amadoda ka-Absalomu ahlatshiwe!’ 10Khona-ke ngisho neliqhawe elinesibindi kunawo wonke, elinenhliziyo enjengenhliziyo yengonyama, liyoncibilika ngokwesaba, ngokuba wonke u-Israyeli uyazi ukuthi uyihlo uyiqhawe nokuthi labo abanaye banesibindi. 11Ngakho-ke nakhu engikweluleka ngakho: buthela wonke u-Israyeli kuwe, kusukela eDani kuze kube seBheri-Sheba, abaningi njengesihlabathi solwandle, bese uya empini wena uqobo. 12Siyomfica noma ngabe ukuphi, simehlele njengamazolo emhlabeni, singashiyi ephila yena noma noyedwa wamadoda akhe. 13Uma ehlehlela emzini, wonke u-Israyeli uyoletha khona izintambo, bese siwuhudulela esigodini kuze kungasali ngisho netshenyana.”
14U-Absalomu nawo wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli bathi: “Iseluleko sikaHushayi umArki singcono kunesika-Ahithofeli.” Ngokuba uBaba wethu wayenqumile ukuchitha iseluleko esihle sika-Ahithofeli, ukuze uBaba wethu amehlisele inhlekelele u-Absalomu.
15UHushayi watshela abapristi uZadoki no-Abhiyathari: “Nakhu u-Ahithofeli akweluleke ngakho u-Absalomu nabadala bakwa-Israyeli, futhi nakhu mina engikweluleke ngakho. 16Manje thumela izwi ngokushesha kuDavide uthi: ‘Ungahlali kusihlwa namuhla emazibukweni asehlane; wela nakanjani, funa inkosi nabo bonke abantu abanayo baginywe.’”
17UJonathani no-Ahimahasi babelinde e-Eni-Rogeli; incekukazi yayihamba iyobatshela, bona bebe sebehamba bayotshela inkosi uDavide, ngokuba babengeke babonwe bengena emzini. 18Kodwa insizwa yababona yatshela u-Absalomu. Ngakho bobabili baphuthuma bafika endlini yendoda eyayiseBhahurimi, eyayinomthombo egcekeni layo, behlela kuwo. 19Umkayendoda wendlala isembozo emlonyeni womthombo wasakaza amabele phezu kwawo, ukuze kungabonwa lutho. 20Kwathi izinceku zika-Absalomu zifika kowesifazane endlini, zabuza: “Baphi o-Ahimahasi noJonathani?” Wathi: “Bawele umfudlana.” Amadoda acinga, angatholanga muntu, abuyela eJerusalema.
21Emva kokuba behambile, bobabili bakhuphuka emthonjeni bahamba bayobikela inkosi uDavide. Bathi kuye: “Sukuma uwele amanzi ngokushesha, ngokuba u-Ahithofeli ucebe kanje ngokumelene nawe.”
22Ngakho uDavide nabo bonke ababenaye basukuma bawela iJordani. Kwathi sekusa, kwakungasekho noyedwa owayengakaweli.
23Kwathi u-Ahithofeli ebona ukuthi iseluleko sakhe asilandelwanga, wabophela isihlalo kumbongolo wakhe wagoduka waya emzini wakibo. Walungisa indlu yakhe, wabe esezilengisa. Wafa wangcwatshwa ethuneni likayise.
24UDavide wafika eMahanayimi, kuyilapho u-Absalomu ewela iJordani enawo wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli eceleni kwakhe. 25U-Absalomu wayebeke u-Amasa phezu kwempi esikhundleni sikaJowabe. Uyise ka-Amasa kwakungu-Ithra umIsrayeli, owayeshade no-Abigayili indodakazi kaNahashi, udadewabo kaZeruya, unina kaJowabe. 26U-Israyeli no-Absalomu bamisa izinkambu ezweni laseGileyadi.
27Kwathi uDavide efika eMahanayimi, uShobi indodana kaNahashi waseRaba lama-Amoni, noMakiri indodana ka-Amiyeli waseLo-Debari, noBarizilayi umGileyadi waseRogelimi, 28baletha imibhede, imicengezi, nezitsha zobumba, kanye nokolweni, ibhali, impuphu, amabele akhanzingiwe, ubhontshisi, udali, 29uju, amasi, izimvu, noshizi wezinkomo, ukuba uDavide nabantu bakhe badle, ngokuba bathi: “Abantu balambile, bakhathele, bomile ehlane.”
