1 Kwathi isikhathi sokuthi uDavida afe sesisondele, walaya indodana yakhe uSolomoni.

2 Wathi, “Sengiseduze ukuyiphetha indlela yemhlabeni. Ngakho qina, zitshengisele ubudoda bakho, 3 unanzelele lokho okufunwa nguThixo uNkulunkulu wakho: Ukuhamba endleleni yakhe, ugcine imilayo leziqondiso zakhe, imithetho yakhe kanye lezilayezelo zayo: Hamba ezindleleni zakhe, ugcine izimiso zakhe leziqondiso zakhe, imithetho yakhe lokulotshiweyo ngokoMthetho kaMosi, ukuze uphumelele kukho konke okwenzayo kanye lalapho oya khona, 4 ngalokho uThixo uzagcina isithembiso sakhe kimi: ‘Nxa isizukulwane sakho sizananzelela izindlela zokuphila kwaso, njalo sizahamba ngobuqotho phambi kwami ngezinhliziyo zaso lasemoyeni waso, awuyikwehluleka uswele indoda ezahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi ko-Israyeli.’

5 Wena ngokwakho uyakwazi ukuthi uJowabi indodana kaZeruya wenzani kimi lekubulaweni kwabalawuli bamabutho ako-Israyeli, u-Abhineri indodana kaNeri lo-Amasa indodana kaJetha. Wababulala, wachitha igazi ngesikhathi sokuthula kwangathi kusempini, ngalokho igazi langcolisa uzwezwe okhalweni lwakhe lenyathelo ezinyaweni zakhe. 6 Yenza lokho obona kufanele kuye, kodwa ikhanda lakhe elimpunga ungavumeli lingcwatshwe ngokuthula.

7 Kodwa ube lomusa emadodaneni kaBhazilayi weGiliyadi babengabanye balabo abazakudla kanye lawe ethaleni lakho. Bona bema kanye lami nxa ngangibalekela umfowenu u-Abhisalomu.

8 Njalo ukhumbule ukuthi, wena ulendodana kaGera uShimeyi ongowakoBhenjamini oweBhahurimi owangithuka kabuhlungu mhla ngisiya kuMahanayimi. Wathi lapho ezongihlangabeza eJodani, ngafunga ngoThixo ngathi: ‘Angiyikukubulala ngenkemba.’ 9 Kodwa loba kunjalo ungabonakana ukuthi umsulwa. Uyindoda elengqondo ekhaliphileyo, kumele ukwazi ozakwenza kuye. Yethula ikhanda lakhe elimpunga liye emangcwabeni ligcwele igazi.”

10 Kwaba yikwedlula kukaDavida esesiya kubokhokho bakhe abafayo wayangcwatshwa eMzini kaDavida. 11 Wayesebuse okweminyaka engamatshumi amane ko-Israyeli, iminyaka eyisikhombisa eHebhroni kwathi engamatshumi amathathu lemithathu eJerusalema. 12 Ngakho uSolomoni wahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikayise uDavida, umbuso wakhe wagxila waqina.

13 Kwathi u-Adonija, indodana kaHagithi, waya kuBhathishebha, unina kaSolomoni. UBhathishebha wambuza wathi, “Kambe uza ngokuthula na?”

Yena waphendula wathi, “Ye, ngokuthula.” 14 Waqhubekela phambili wathi, “Kukhona engifisa ukukutsho kuwe.”

Wathi, “Ungatsho lokho oza ngakho.”

15 “Njengoba usazi ukuthi ubukhosi bebungobami. U-Israyeli ubekhangele ukuthi yimi inkosi yabo. Kodwa izinto seziguqukile, ubukhosi sebuthethwe ngumfowethu, ngoba yena ubuphiwe nguThixo. 16 Pho khathesi ngilesicelo engiza ngaso kuwe. Ungabokwala.”

Waphendula wathi, “Khuluma isikhalazo sakho.”

17 Yena waqhubekela phambili wathi, “Ngicelela inkosi uSolomoni anginike u-Abhishagi umShunami ukuze abe ngumkami, ngiyazi ngeke ale kuwe.”

18 UBhathishebha waphendula wathi, “Yebo kambe, ngizakukhulumela ngikubike enkosini.”

19 Kwathi uBhathishebha esiyakhulumela u-Adonija enkosini uSolomoni, inkosi yaphakama yamhlangabeza yamkhothamela yasihlala esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi. Yathi kabalethele unina isihlalo sesikhosini, unina wasehlala esandleni sayo sokudla.

20 Unina wathi, “Ungabokwala, ngilesicelo esincane engizasethula kuwe.”

Inkosi yaphendula yathi, “Cela mama, angiyikukuncitsha, angikwaleli.”

21 Unina wasesithi, “Yekela u-Abhishagi umShunami abe ngumfazi womfowenu u-Adonija.”

22 INkosi uSolomoni ephendula unina wathi, “Kungani ucelela u-Adonija u-Abhishagi umShunami? Kuyafanana lokuthi umcelela ubukhosi, kanti njalo yena ngokwakhe umnewethu umdala kulami kanye laku-Abhiyathari umphristi loJowabi indodana kaZeruya!”

23 Ngakho inkosi uSolomoni yasifunga ngoThixo yathi: “Kungani uNkulunkulu angangijezisa mina, loba kabuhlungu kanganani, nxa u-Adonija engasahlawulanga ngokufela lesisicelo esinje! 24 Khathesi-ke, ngeqiniso likaThixo ophilayo, yena kanye ongibeke wangizinzisa esihlalweni sobukhosi bukababa uDavida wangidalela indlu yesikhosini njengokuthembisa kwakhe, u-Adonija uzabulawa lamhlanje!” 25 Ngakho iNkosi uSolomoni yakhipha ilizwi yathuma uBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, lakanye wamlahla phansi u-Adonija kwahle kwaba yikufa kwakhe.

26 Ku-Abhiyathari umphristi iNkosi yathi, “Buyela emasimini akho e-Anathothi. Kufanele ufe kodwa angiyikukubulala khathesi, ngoba wathwala ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo Wobukhosi phambi kukababa uDavida waba kanye lobaba esebunzimeni.” 27 Ngakho uSolomoni wasusa u-Abhiyathari esihlalweni sobuphristi bukaThixo, kwagcwaliseka lelolizwi likaThixo alikhuluma eShilo ekhuluma ngendlu ka-Eli.

28 UJowabi ekuzweni lelilizwi, njengoba yena wayekade ebambene lo-Adonija engazange enze lokho lo-Abhisalomu, wabalekela ethenteni likaThixo wafika wadumela impondo ze-alithare. 29 Inkosi uSolomoni yatshelwa ukuthi uJowabi ubalekele ethenteni likaThixo lapha afike wazisondeza e-alithareni. Ngalokho uSolomoni wathi kuBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, “Hamba uyemtshaya umbhuqe.”

30 Lakanye uBhenaya wangena ethenteni likaThixo wathi kuJowabi, “Inkosi ithi, ‘Phuma phandle!’ ”

Kodwa yena waphendula wathi, “Angiphumi, ngizafela khonapha.”

UBhenaya wayabika enkosini wathi, “Yiyonale indlela angiphendule ngayo uJowabi.”

31 Ngalokho inkosi yathi kuBhenaya, “Yenza njengokutsho kwakhe. Umtshaye umbhuqe, uhle umngcwabe, ukuze ungigeze mina kanye lendlu kababa kulowomlandu wegazi elingelacala elachithwa nguJowabi. 32  UThixo uzamjezisa ngegazi alichithayo, ngoba wahlasela wabulala amadoda amabili ngenkemba ubaba inkosi uDavida engakwazi. Bobabili u-Abhineri indodana kaNeri, umlawuli wamabutho ako-Israyeli, kanye lo-Amasa indodana kaJetha, umlawuli wamabutho akoJuda, babengamadoda angcono beqotho kulaye. 33 Kungani umlandu waleligazi labo ungahlala phezu kukaJowabi labenzalo yakhe kuze kube nini lanini. Kodwa inkosi uDavida lenzalo yakhe, lendlu yakhe lesihlalo sobukhosi sakhe, angathi ingehlelwa yikuthula okungapheliyo kukaThixo.”

34 UBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada wakhwela wafika wamtshaya uJowabi wambulala wayangcwatshwa esiqintini sakhe enkangala. 35 Inkosi yabeka uBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada ukuba abe ngumlawuli webutho esikhundleni sikaJowabi kwathi esikhundleni sika-Abhiyathari yabeka uZadokhi umphristi.

36 Ngakho inkosi yathi kayibizelwe uShimeyi yasisithi kuye. “Zakhele indlu eJerusalema uhlale khonale, kodwa ungayi ndawo. 37 Mhla uzake usuke uchaphe uye eziHotsheni zeKhidironi, uhle wazi ngeqiniso ukuthi uzakufa, igazi lakho lizabizwa phezu kwakho.”

38 UShimeyi wayiphendula inkosi wathi, “Lokho okutshoyo kuqondile. Inceku yakho izakwenza njengoba inkosi yayo itshilo.” Ngakho uShimeyi wahlala eJerusalema isikhathi eside.

39 Kodwa kwathi sekwedlule iminyaka emithathu, izigqili zikaShimeyi ezimbili zabalekela ku-Akhishi indodana kaMahakha, inkosi yeGathi, njalo uShimeyi watshelwa ukuthi, “Izigqili zakho ziseGathi.” 40 Ekuzwa lokhu, wethesa ubabhemi wakhe waya ku-Akhishi eGathi esiyadinga izigqili zakhe. Ngakho uShimeyi wabuya lazo izigqili zakhe evela eGathi.

41 USolomoni esetsheliwe ukuthi uShimeyi wayesuke eJerusalema waya eGathi waze waphenduka, 42 inkosi yambiza uShimeyi yathi kuye, “Angizange ngikufungise ngoThixo njalo ngakuqonqonsela ukuthi, ‘Mhla uzake usuke uye kwenye indawo uhle wazi ukuthi ngempela uzakufa na?’ Ngalesosikhathi wathi kimi, ‘Okutshoyo kuqotho. Ngizalalela.’ 43 Pho kungani ungagcinanga isifungo sakho kuThixo ulalele isiqondiso engakunika sona?”

44 Inkosi njalo yathi kuShimeyi, “Uyakwazi enhliziyweni yakho konke ukona owakwenza kubaba uDavida. Khathesi uThixo uzakujezisa ngokona kwakho. 45 Kodwa iNkosi uSolomoni izabusiswa, isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavida sizahlala siqinile ngokuzinza phambi kukaThixo kuze kube nini lanini.”

46 Ngakho yakhupha isiqondiso kuBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada, yena waphuma wafika wamnqonda uShimeyi wamlahla phansi wahle wambulala.

Ngalokho ubukhosi basebusezandleni zikaSolomoni ngokugcweleyo.