1 Izinsuku zikaDavide zasondela ekufeni; wayesemyala uSolomoni indodana yakhe, ethi:
2 “Mina sengihamba indlela yawo wonke umhlaba; ngalokho qina, ube yindoda,
3 ugcine isiyalezo sikaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho ukuba uhambe ezindleleni zakhe, ugcine izimiso zakhe, nemiyalo yakhe, nezahlulelo zakhe, nobufakazi bakhe njengokulotshiweyo emthethweni kaMose, ukuze uphumelele kukho konke okwenzayo nakukho konke okubhekayo,
4 ukuze uJehova aqinise izwi lakhe alikhuluma ngami ngokuthi: ‘Uma abantwana bakho begcina indlela yabo ukuba bahambe phambi kwami eqinisweni ngayo yonke inhliziyo yabo nangawo wonke umphefumulo wabo, awuyikuntula muntu -- washo njalo -- esihlalweni sobukhosi sakwa-Israyeli.’
5 “Futhi wena uyazi okwenziwayo kimi nguJowabe indodana kaSeruya, nalokho akwenzayo kuzo izinduna ezimbili zezimpi zakwa-Israyeli, o-Abineri indodana kaNeri no-Amasa indodana kaJetheri, owababulala, wachitha igazi lokulwa ngesikhathi sokuthula, wabeka igazi lokulwa kulo ibhande* lakhe elalisokhalweni lwakhe nasezicathulweni zakhe ezazisezinyaweni zakhe.
6 Yenza njengokuhlakanipha kwakho, ungayehlisi impunga ngokuthula endaweni yabafileyo.
7 “Kepha yiba nomusa kumadodana kaBarizilayi wakwaGileyadi, abe khona phakathi kwabadla ngasetafuleni lakho, ngokuba enza kanjalo kimi mhla ngabalekela u-Abisalomu umfowenu.
8 “Bheka, ukhona nawe uShimeyi indodana kaGera wakwaBenjamini waseBahurimi, owangithuka ngokuthuka okwesabekayo mhla ngiya eMahanayimi; kepha wehla ukungihlangabeza ngaseJordani, ngafunga kuye uJehova ngokuthi: ‘Angiyikukubulala ngenkemba.’
9 Ngalokho ungamyeki abe ngongenacala, ngokuba wena ungumuntu ohlakaniphileyo, uyakwazi okufanele ukuba ukwenze kuye, wehlise impunga endaweni yabafileyo inegazi.”
10 UDavide wayeselala koyise, wembelwa emzini kaDavide.
11 Izinsuku uDavide abusa ngazo phezu kuka-Israyeli zaziyiminyaka engamashumi amane; iminyaka eyisikhombisa wabusa eHebroni, iminyaka engamashumi amathathu nantathu wabusa eJerusalema.
12 USolomoni wayesehlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide uyise; umbuso wakhe waqiniswa kakhulu.
13 Wayesefika u-Adoniya indodana kaHagiti kuBati Sheba unina kaSolomoni. Wathi: “Uze nokuthula na?”Wathi yena: “Yebo, ngize nokuthula.”
14 Wayesethi: “Nginendaba kuwe.”Wathi: “Khuluma.”
15 Wathi-ke: “Uyazi wena ukuthi umbuso wawungowami nokuthi wonke u-Israyeli wabhekisa kimi ubuso bakhe ukuba ngibuse; kepha umbuso usuguquliwe, sewaba ngowomfowethu, ngokuba wawuthola kuJehova.
16 Sengicela into inye kuwe, ungangifulatheli.”Wathi kuye: “Khuluma.”
17 Wayesethi: “Ake ukhulume kuSolomoni inkosi, ngokuba akayikukufulathela wena, ukuba anginike u-Abishagi waseShunemi abe ngumkami.”
18 UBati-Sheba wathi: “Kulungile; ngizakukukhulumela enkosini.”
19 Wayesehamba uBati Sheba, waya enkosini uSolomoni ukuba amkhulumele u-Adoniya kuyo. Inkosi yasukuma ukumhlangabeza, yamkhothamela, yahlala esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi, yambekela unina wenkosi isihlalo, wahlala ngakwesokunene sayo.
20 Wayesethi kuyo: “Nginesicelo sinye nje esincane kuwe; ungangifulatheli.”Inkosi yathi kuye: “Cela-ke, mame ngokuba angiyikukufulathela.”
21 Wathi-ke: “U-Abishagi waseShunemi makanikwe ku-Adoniya umfowenu, abe ngumkakhe.”
22 Inkosi uSolomoni yaphendula, yathi kunina: “Umcelelelani u-Adoniya u-Abishagi waseShunemi na? Mcelele nombuso futhi, ngokuba ungumnewethu; yebo, mcelele yena no-Abiyathara umpristi, noJowabe indodana kaSeruya.”
23 Inkosi uSolomoni yayisifunga uJehova ngokuthi: “UNkulunkulu makenze njalo kimi, enezele futhi, uma u-Adoniya engakhulumanga leli zwi libe ngelokufa kwakhe.
24 Ngalokho, kuphila kukaJehova ongiqinisileyo, wangibeka esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide ubaba, wangenza indlu njengokukhuluma kwakhe; namhla nje uyakubulawa u-Adoniya.”
25 Inkosi uSolomoni yayisithumela ngesandla sikaBenaya indodana kaJehoyada: wamsukela; wafa.
26 Inkosi yathi ku-Abiyathara umpristi: “Hamba uye e-Anathoti emasimini akho, lokhu ungowokufa, kepha angiyikukubulala namuhla, ngokuba wawuwuthwala umphongolo weNkosi uJehova phambi kukaDavide ubaba, wahlupheka ngakho konke ubaba ahlupheka ngakho.”
27 USolomoni wayesemxosha u-Abiyathara, angabe esaba ngumpristi kuJehova, ukuba agcwalise izwi likaJehova alikhuluma ngendlu ka-Eli eShilo.
28 Lapho kufika umbiko kuJowabe ngokuba uJowabe -- wayemlandele u-Adoniya noma engamlandelanga u-Abisalomu uJowabe -- wabaleka, waya etendeni likaJehova, wabamba izimpondo ze-altare.
29 Inkosi uSolomoni yatshelwa ukuthi: “UJowabe ubalekele etendeni likaJehova; bheka, ungase-altare.” USolomoni wayesethuma uBenaya indodana kaJehoyada ngokuthi: “Hamba, umsukele.”
30 UBenaya wafika etendeni likaJehova, wathi kuye: “Isho kanje inkosi, ithi: ‘Phuma.’ ”Wathi: “Qha, ngiyakufela lapha.”UBenaya wabuyisela enkosini izwi lokuthi: “Washo njalo uJowabe, wangiphendula kanjalo.”
31 Inkosi yathi kuye: “Yenza njengokusho kwakhe, umsukele, ummbele, ukuba ususe kimi nakuyo indlu kababa igazi elachithwa ngeze nguJowabe.
32 UJehova uyakulibuyisela igazi lakhe ekhanda lakhe, ngokuba wasukela amadoda amabili alungileyo amahle kunaye, wawabulala ngenkemba, ubaba uDavide engazi: u-Abineri indodana kaNeri, induna yempi yakwa-Israyeli, no-Amasa indodana kaJetheri, induna yempi yakwaJuda.
33 Igazi labo liyakubuyela ekhanda likaJowabe nasekhanda lenzalo yakhe kuze kube phakade; kepha kuDavide, nakuyo inzalo yakhe, nakuyo indlu yakhe, nakuso isihlalo sakhe sobukhosi kuyakuba ngukuthula kuze kube phakade, kuvela kuJehova.”
34 Wayesenyuka uBenaya indodana kaJehoyada, wamsukela, wambulala; wembelwa endlini yakhe ehlane.
35 Inkosi yayisimbeka uBenaya indodana kaJehoyada phezu kwempi esikhundleni sakhe; uSadoki umpristi inkosi yambeka esikhundleni sika-Abiyathara.
36 Inkosi yathuma yambiza uShimeyi, yathi kuye: “Zakhele indlu eJerusalema, uhlale khona, ungaphumi lapho ukuya ndawo.
37 Ngokuba mhla uphuma, uwele umfudlana iKidroni, yazisisa ukuthi uyakufa nokufa; igazi lakho liyakuba sekhanda lakho.”
38 Wayesethi uShimeyi enkosini: “Lelo zwi lilungile; inceku yakho iyakwenza njengokusho kwenkosi yami, inkosi.” UShimeyi wahlala eJerusalema izinsuku eziningi.
39 Kwathi ngasekupheleni kweminyaka emithathu izinceku ezimbili zikaShimeyi zabaleka, zaya ku-Akhishi indodana kaMahakha inkosi yaseGati. UShimeyi watshelwa ukuthi: “Bheka, izinceku zakho ziseGati.”
40 Wayesesuka uShimeyi, wabophela imbongolo yakhe, waya eGati ku-Akhishi ukuba afune izinceku zakhe; wahamba uShimeyi, wazibuyisa izinceku zakhe eGati.
41 Kwabikelwa uSolomoni ukuthi uShimeyi wayesukile eJerusalema ukuya eGati nokuthi ubuyile.
42 Inkosi yayisithuma yambiza uShimeyi, yathi kuye: “Angithi ngikufungisile uJehova, ngaqinisa kuwe ukuthi: ‘Mhla uphuma uye nomaphi, yazisisa ukuthi uyakufa nokufa,’ na? Wathi kimi: ‘Izwi engilizwileyo lihle.’
43 Pho, awugcinanga ngani isifungo sikaJehova nomyalo engakuyala ngakho na?”
44 Inkosi yathi futhi kuShimeyi: “Wena uyazi konke okubi okwaziwa yinhliziyo yakho, owakwenza kuDavide ubaba; ngalokho uJehova uyakubuyisela ububi bakho ekhanda lakho.
45 Kepha inkosi uSolomoni iyakubusiswa, nesihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavide siyakuqiniswa phambi kukaJehova kuze kube phakade.”
46 Ngokuyala kwenkosi uBenaya indodana kaJehoyada waphuma wamsukela; wafa. Umbuso wawusulokhu uqiniswa njalo esandleni sikaSolomoni.