Ahithophel's Counsel

¹U-Ahithofeli wathi futhi ku-Abisalomu: “Mangikhethe manje abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, ngisuke ngimxoshe uDavide ngalobu busuku,

²ngimfikele ekhathele, eyethile, ngimesabise; bonke abantu abanye bayakubaleka, ngibulale inkosi kuphela,

³ngibuyisele kuwe bonke abantu; umuntu omfunayo unjengokungathi bonke babuyile; bonke abantu bayakuba nokuthula.”

⁴Leli zwi lamjabulisa u-Abisalomu nawo onke amalunga akwa-Israyeli.

⁵Wayesethi u-Abisalomu: “Mawumbize noHushayi umArki, sizwe okusemlonyeni wakhe naye.”

⁶UHushayi esefikile ku-Abisalomu, u-Abisalomu wakhuluma kuye, wathi: “U-Ahithofeli ukhulume kanjalo; siyakwenza njengokusho kwakhe na? Uma kungenjalo, khuluma wena.”

⁷UHushayi wathi ku-Abisalomu: “Isiluleko u-Ahithofeli eluleke ngaso manje asisihle.”

⁸Wathi futhi uHushayi: “Uyamazi uyihlo nabantu bakhe ukuthi bangamaqhawe nokuthi bacasukile ezinhliziyweni zabo njengebhere elaphucwe amazinyane alo endle; uyihlo uyindoda yempi, akayikuhlala nabantu.

⁹Bheka, manje ucashile emgodini noma kwenye indawo; kuyakuthi lapho esebafikela ekuqaleni nje, okuzwayo athi: ‘Abantu abalandela u-Abisalomu banqotshiwe;’

¹⁰naye onesibindi, onhliziyo yakhe injengenhliziyo yengonyama, uyakuphela amandla, ngokuba wonke u-Israyeli uyazi ukuthi uyihlo uyiqhawe, nabanaye bangamadoda anamandla.

¹¹“Ngalokho ngiyaluleka ukuba wonke u-Israyeli abuthane kuwe, kusukela kwaDani kuze kufike eBeri Sheba, ngangesihlabathi esingasolwandle ngobuningi, wena uqobo lwakho uye empini.

¹²Sesiyakumfikela endaweni ethile lapho engatholakala khona, simehlele njengokuwela kwamazolo emhlabathini; kuyena nabantu bonke abanaye asiyikushiya noyedwa.

¹³Noma engena emzini, wonke u-Israyeli uyakuyisa amagoda kulowo muzi, siwuhudulele emfuleni, kungabe kusafunyanwa khona netshana elilodwa.”

¹⁴U-Abisalomu nabantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Isiluleko sikaHushayi umArki singcono kunesiluleko sika-Ahithofeli.” Ngokuba uJehova wayenqumile ukuba kushafiswe isiluleko esihle sika-Ahithofeli, ukuze uJehova amehlisele u-Abisalomu okubi.

¹⁵UHushayi wayesethi kuSadoki naku-Abiyathara abapristi: “U-Ahithofeli weluleka u-Abisalomu namalunga akwa-Israyeli kanje nakanje; mina ngeluleke kanje nakanje.

¹⁶Ngalokho thumelani masinyane nimtshele uDavide ukuthi: ‘Ungahlali ngasemazibukweni asehlane ngalobu busuku, kepha uwele nokuwela, funa inkosi igwinywe kanye nabantu bonke abanayo.’ ”

¹⁷OJonathani no-Ahimahasi babehlala e-Eni Rogeli; incekukazi yayizinge ibatshela; bona bahamba bayibikela inkosi uDavide ukuba bangabonwa behamba beya emzini.

¹⁸Kepha umfana wababona, wamtshela u-Abisalomu; base beshesha, bahamba bobabili, bafika endlini yomuntu waseBahurimi owayenomthombo egcekeni lakhe; behlela khona.

¹⁹Owesifazane wathatha isimbozo, wasendlala phezu komlomo womthombo, weneka umqhazulo kuso, kungaziwa lutho.

²⁰Zase zifika izinceku zika-Abisalomu kowesifazane endlini, zathi: “Baphi o-Ahimahasi noJonathani na?” Owesifazane wathi kuzo: “Bawuwele umfudlana.” Sezibafunile zingabatholanga, zabuyela eJerusalema.

²¹Kwathi sezimukile, baphuma emthonjeni, baya bayitshela inkosi uDavide, bathi kuDavide: “Sukani, nisheshe niwele amanzi, ngokuba u-Ahithofeli weluleke kanjalo ngani.”

²²UDavide wayesesuka nabo bonke abantu ababe naye, bawela iJordani; ngasekuseni akusalanga noyedwa ongaliwelanga iJordani.

²³Lapho u-Ahithofeli ebona ukuthi isiluleko sakhe asilandelwanga, wayibophela imbongolo yakhe, wasuka, waya ekhaya emzini wakhe, wayala ngendlu yakhe, waziphanyeka, wafa, wembelwa ethuneni likayise.

²⁴UDavide wayesefika eMahanayimi. U-Abisalomu waliwela iJordani, yena nabo bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli kanye naye.

²⁵U-Abisalomu wabeka u-Amasa phezu kwempi esikhundleni sikaJowabe. U-Amasa wayeyindodana yomuntu ogama lakhe lalingu-Itira umIsrayeli, owangena ku-Abigali indodakazi kaNahashi, udadewabo kaSeruya unina kaJowabe.

²⁶O-Israyeli no-Abisalomu bamisa ezweni lakwaGileyadi.

²⁷Kwathi uDavide esefikile eMahanayimi, uShobi indodana kaNahashi waseRaba labantwana bakwa-Amoni, noMakiri indodana ka-Amiyeli waseLo Debari, noBarizilayi wakwaGileyadi waseRogelimi

²⁸baletha amacansi, nemicengezi, nezitsha zebumba, nokolweni, nebhali, nempuphu notshwele, nobhontshisi, nembumba, nenhlosa,

²⁹nezinyosi, namangqanga, nezimvu, noshizi wezinkomo kuDavide nabantu ababe naye ukuba badle, ngokuba bathi: “Abantu balambile, bakhathele, bomile ehlane.”