2 USamuweli 3

3 ¹Impi phakathi kwendlu kaSawule nendlu kaDavide yaqhubeka isikhathi eside. UDavide waya eqina ngokuqhubekayo, kanti indlu kaSawule yaya ibuthakathaka ngokwengeziwe. ²UDavide wazalelwa amadodana eHebroni. Izibulo lakhe kwaba ngu-Amnoni, onina kwakungu-Ahinowamu waseJizreyeli; ³eyesibili yakhe, uKhileyabi, ozalwa ngu-Abhigayili umfelokazi kaNabali waseKarmeli; eyesithathu, ngu-Abhisalomu, indodana kaMahakha, indodakazi kaThalimayi inkosi yaseGeshuri; ⁴eyesine, ngu-Adoniya indodana kaHagithi; eyesihlanu, nguShefathiya indodana ka-Abhithali; ⁵eyesithupha, ngu-Ithreyamu, ozalwa ngu-Egila umkaDavide. Yiwo lawo amadodana kaDavide awazalelwa eHebroni.

U-Abhineri Uhlangana noDavide

⁶Ngesikhathi sempi phakathi kwendlu kaSawule nendlu kaDavide, u-Abhineri waqhubeka eziqinisa esikhundleni sakhe endlini kaSawule. ⁷USawule wayenesancinza esasibizwa ngokuthi uRisipa, indodakazi ka-Aya. U-Ishi-boshethi wathi ku-Abhineri: “Kungani ulale nesancinza sikababa?”

⁸U-Abhineri, ethukuthele kakhulu ngamazwi ka-Ishi-boshethi, wathi: “Ngabe ngiyikhanda lenja elithembekile kuJuda na? Namuhla ngilokhu ngibonisa ukwethembeka endlini kayihlo uSawule, nakubafowabo nabangani bakhe, futhi angikunikelanga kuDavide. Kodwa manje ungibeka icala ngenxa yalona wesifazane! ^a a v8 'Ikhanda lenja' kwakuyisithuko sasendulo esichaza umtengisi ongelusizo noma isitha. ⁹UBaba wethu makenze okunjalo ku-Abhineri, ngisho nokwengeziwe, uma ngingenzeli uDavide lokho uBaba wethu akufungela kuye, ¹⁰ukususa umbuso endlini kaSawule nokumisa isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavide phezu kuka-Israyeli naphezu kukaJuda, kusukela eDani kuze kube seBherishebha.”

¹¹U-Ishi-boshethi akabange esakwazi ukusho elinye izwi ku-Abhineri, ngokuba wayemesaba.

¹²U-Abhineri wathumela izithunywa kuDavide ezimele yena, zathi: “Lingelikabani izwe? Yenza isivumelwano sakho nami, besekuthi isandla sami sibe nawe ukuletha u-Israyeli wonke kuwe.”

¹³UDavide wathi: “Kulungile; ngizokwenza isivumelwano nawe. Kodwa ngifuna into eyodwa: ngeke ububone ubuso bami ngaphandle kokuthi uqale ulethe uMikhali, indodakazi kaSawule, lapho uza.” ¹⁴UDavide wathumela izithunywa ku-Ishi-boshethi, indodana kaSawule, wathi: “Nginike umkami uMikhali, engamlobola ngamajwabu ayikhulu amaFilisti.”

¹⁵Ngakho u-Ishi-boshethi wathumela wamthatha kumyeni wakhe, uPhaltiyeli indodana kaLayishi. ¹⁶Umyeni wakhe wahamba naye, ekhala emlandela kuze kube seBahurimi. U-Abhineri wabe esethi kuye: “Buyela emuva.” Ngakho wabuyela emuva.

¹⁷U-Abhineri wakhuluma namadoda amakhulu akwa-Israyeli, wathi: “Kade nifisa ukuba uDavide abe yinkosi phezu kwenu. ¹⁸Manje yenzani, ngokuba uBaba wethu wamthembisa uDavide ngokuthi: ‘Ngesandla senceku yami uDavide ngizosindisa isizwe sami u-Israyeli ezandleni zamaFilisti nazo zonke izitha zaso.’”

¹⁹U-Abhineri wakhuluma noBhenjamini futhi, wabe eseya eHebroni ukuyotshela uDavide konke u-Israyeli nayo yonke indlu kaBhenjamini okwakuvumelene ngokukwenza. ²⁰Lapho u-Abhineri efika kuDavide eHebroni enamadoda angamashumi amabili, uDavide wenzela u-Abhineri namadoda akhe idili. ²¹U-Abhineri wathi kuDavide: “Ake ngihambe ngiyoqoqela u-Israyeli wonke enkosini yami inkosi, ukuze benze isivumelwano nawe, wena ubuse phezu kwakho konke inhliziyo yakho ekufisayo.” Ngakho uDavide wamukisa u-Abhineri, wahamba ngokuthula.

UJowabi Ubulala u-Abhineri

²²Khona manjalo izinceku zikaDavide noJowabi babuya ekuhlaseleni benempango eningi. Kodwa u-Abhineri wayengekho noDavide eHebroni, ngokuba uDavide wayemmukisile, wahamba ngokuthula. ²³Lapho uJowabi nayo yonke impi yakhe befika, watshelwa ukuthi: “U-Abhineri indodana kaNeri weze enkosini, yona yamukisa, wahamba ngokuthula.”

²⁴Ngakho uJowabi waya enkosini, wathi: “Wenzeni? U-Abhineri ube efikile kuwe—kungani umukisile, manje usehambile? ²⁵Uyazi ukuthi u-Abhineri indodana kaNeri weze ukuzokukhohlisa, ukuze azi ukuhamba kwakho nakho konke okwenzayo.”

²⁶Lapho uJowabi ephuma kuDavide, wathumela izithunywa ukulandela u-Abhineri, ezambuyisa emthonjeni waseSira. Kodwa uDavide wayengazi lutho. ²⁷Lapho u-Abhineri ebuyela eHebroni, uJowabi wamdonsela eceleni ngaphakathi kwesango sengathi uzokhuluma naye ngasese, wamgwaza khona esiswini. Wafa—ngenxa yegazi lika-Asaheli umfowabo kaJowabi. ²⁸Kamuva, lapho uDavide ezwa, wathi: “Mina nombuso wami asinacala kuze kube phakade phambi kukaBaba wethu ngegazi lika-Abhineri indodana kaNeri. ²⁹Malehlele ekhanda likaJowabi nakuyo yonke indlu kayise! Makungasweleki endlini kaJowabi umuntu ophethwe umopho noma isifo sesikhumba, ozimelela ngodondolo, owela ngenkemba, noma oswela ukudla.” ³⁰Ngakho uJowabi nomfowabo u-Abhishayi babulala u-Abhineri ngenxa yokuba wayebulele umfowabo u-Asaheli empini yaseGibeyoni.

UDavide Ulilela u-Abhineri

³¹UDavide wathi kuJowabi nakubo bonke abantu ababenaye: “Dabulani izingubo zenu, nigqoke indwangu yamasaka, nililele u-Abhineri.” Inkosi uDavide yahamba ngemuva kwethala lesidumbu. ³²Bammbela u-Abhineri eHebroni, inkosi yakhala kakhulu ethuneni lakhe, nabo bonke abantu bakhala. ³³Inkosi yahlabelela lesi sililo ngo-Abhineri: “Kufanele yini ukuba u-Abhineri afe njengokufa kwesiwula? ³⁴Izandla zakho zazingaboshiwe, izinyawo zakho zazingafakwanga emaketangeni. Wawa njengokuwa komuntu phambi kwababi.” Bonke abantu baphinda bamlilela.

³⁵Base bonke abantu befika ukuncenga uDavide ukuba adle okuthile kusesemini, kodwa uDavide wafunga wathi: “UBaba wethu makenze kanjalo kimi, ngisho nokubi kakhulu, uma ngingcamula isinkwa noma noma yini enye ngaphambi kokushona kwelanga!”

³⁶Bonke abantu bakuqaphela lokhu, bakuthokozela; konke inkosi eyakwenzayo kwabathokozisa bonke abantu. ³⁷Ngakho ngalolo suku bonke abantu nawo wonke u-Israyeli bazi ukuthi inkosi yayingakuhlosile ukufa kuka-Abhineri indodana kaNeri. ³⁸Inkosi yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Anazi yini ukuthi inkosana nendoda enkulu iwile namuhla kwa-Israyeli? ³⁹Namuhla, noma ngiyinkosi egcotshiwe, ngibuthakathaka, kanti la madoda, amadodana kaSeruya, anzima kakhulu kimi. UBaba wethu makamphindisele lowo owenza okubi ngokubi kwakhe.”