1 Tikhronike 21

₁Sathane wavukela sive sema-Israyeli, wabhebhetela Davide kutsi ente lubalo lwawo onkhe ema-Israyeli. ₂Davide watjela Jowabe netindvuna temabutfo, watsi: “Hambani niyewubala ema-Israyeli kulo lonkhe live, kusukela eBherisheba kuze kuyewufika kaDani. Bese niyabuya-ke nitangibikela, khona ngitewuhlala ngati kutsi ema-Israyeli mangakhi.”

₃Kodvwa Jowabe waphendvula watsi: “Shangatsi Simakadze angawandzisa ngalokuphindvwe kalikhulu emabutfo akhe. Nkhosi yami, nkhosi, kungabe kambe bonkhe labo bantfu akusibo bantfu benkhosi yami yini? Inkhosi yami ifunelani kukwenta loko? Ifunelani inkhosi yami kwehlisela licala etikwema-Israyeli?” ₄Noko livi lenkhosi lamehlulekisa Jowabe. Ngako Jowabe wesuka wahamba walidzabula lonkhe laka-Israyeli, wase uyajika ubuyela eJerusalema. ₅Jowabe wabikela inkhosi Davide linani lemadvodza emphi. Kulo lonkhe laka-Israyeli abesi-1 100 000, emadvodza labengabamba inkemba, bese kutsi kulakaJuda abeti-470 000.

₆Kodvwa Jowabe abengakabafaki laba besive sakaLevi nesakaBhenjamini, ngobe abengavumelani nalesento senkhosi. ₇Lesento futsi sasisibi ngisho nasemehlweni aNkulunkulu; ngako Nkulunkulu wawajezisa ema-Israyeli.

₈Davide wase utsi kuNkulunkulu: “Ngonile kakhulu ngekwenta lentfo lenje. Manje sengiyakuncenga, susa licala lenceku yakho. Vele, ngente intfo lebulima kakhulu.”

₉Simakadze watsi kuGadi, umboniswa waDavide: ₁₀“Hamba utjele Davide utsi: ‘Naku lokushiwo nguSimakadze, utsi: Ngikunika tintfo letintsatfu lokumele ukhetse kuto. Khetsa kunye kwato ngitekujezisa ngako.’ ”

₁₁Ngako Gadi waya kuDavide, wafike watsi kuye: “Naku lokushiwo nguSimakadze, utsi: ‘Tikhetsele kwakho: ₁₂iminyaka lemitsatfu yendlala, nome tinyanga letintsatfu solo ukhekhemukiswa titsa takho tikuphetse ngetikhali tikubhokodzela, nome emalanga lamatsatfu enkemba yaSimakadze lekungemalanga esifo lesingujubajece, ingilosi yaNkulunkulu yonakalisa lonkhe lema-Israyeli.’ Manje-ke cabanga kahle, kutsi ngitawufike ngitsini kulona longitfumile.”

₁₃Davide watsi kuGadi: “Ngiselusizini lolukhulu. Angimane ngiwele etandleni taSimakadze, ngobe umusa wakhe mkhulu, kodvwa ungavumi ngiwele etandleni tebantfu.”

₁₄Ngako Simakadze watfumela sifo lesingujubajece esiveni sema-Israyeli; kwafa emadvodza lati-70 000 ka-Israyeli. ₁₅Nkulunkulu watfumela ingilosi kutsi iyewubhubhisa iJerusalema. Kodvwa ingilosi yatsi isakwenta loko, Simakadze wakubona, wadzabuka ngalobusacasaca lobabehlela bantfu bakhe, wase utsi kulengilosi leyayibhubhisa bantfu: “Sekwenele! Susa sandla sakho.” Ngaleso sikhatsi ingilosi yaSimakadze yase ime ngasebaleni lekubhulela kolo laka-Arawuna, umJebhusi.

₁₆Davide watsi ubuka etulu, wabona ingilosi yaSimakadze ime emkhatsini welizulu nemhlaba iphakamise inkemba ngesandla sayo iyibhekise ngaseJerusalema. Davide kanye netimphunga base bembatsa emasaka bawa phansi ngebuso, bakhotsama. ₁₇Davide watsi kuNkulunkulu: “Akusimi yini lengatsi akubalwe emadvodza emphi? Ngimi lengonile ngenta lokubi. Kodvwa laba batimvu nje. Bona-ke boneni? Awu Simakadze, Nkulunkulu wami! Sandla sakho asimane sehlele etikwami ngedvwa kanye nasetikwendlu yami kuphela, kodvwa ungasiyekeli lesifo sehlele esiveni sakho.”

₁₈Ngako ingilosi yaSimakadze yase itjela Gadi kutsi akakhulume naDavide kutsi akakhuphuke ayekwakhela Simakadze lilati, alakhe ebaleni lekubhulela kolo laka-Arawuna, umJebhusi. ₁₉Ngako Davide wakhuphuka alalela livi lelalikhulunywe nguGadi egameni laSimakadze.

₂₀Watsi Arawuna asabhula kolo, watsi uyagucuka wabona ingilosi, bafana bakhe labane lababekanye naye batifihla. ₂₁Davide wasondzela, Arawuna watsi uyabukisisa, wambona Davide, washiya kubhula, wayawukhotsama kuDavide abhekise buso phansi.

₂₂Davide watsi kuye: “Ngiphe lendzawo yakho yekubhulela kolo, kuze ngitekwakha kuyo lilati kuSimakadze, khona kutewuncamuka lesifo lesibulala sive. Ngitsengisele yona ngentsengo lephelele.”

₂₃Arawuna wakhuluma kuDavide, watsi: “Yitsatse. Inkhosi yami, inkhosi, ayente lekutsandzako kuyo. Buka-ke, ngitawunikela ngetinkhomo kutsi tibe ngumnikelo wekushiswa. Letihliphi tekubhula titawuba tinkhuni, nalokolo abe ngumnikelo walokutinhlavu, ngitakupha konkhe loku.”

₂₄Kodvwa inkhosi Davide yaphendvula Arawuna, yatsi: “Cha! Ngifuna kukubhadala ngentsengo lephelele. Ngingeke ngitsatsele Simakadze kulokukwakho, futsi ngeke ngente umhlatjelo ngalengingakakukhokheli lutfo.”

₂₅Ngako Davide wanika Arawuna emakhilogremu egolide labengaba sikhombisa atsenga lelibala lekubhulela kolo. ₂₆Davide wase wakha lilati kuSimakadze kuleyo ndzawo, wenta iminikelo yekushiswa neyebudlelwane, wabita Simakadze; Simakadze waphendvula ngemlilo lowehlela elatini lemnikelo wekushiswa, uvela ezulwini.

₂₇Simakadze wase ukhuluma kulengilosi, ingilosi yabuyisela inkemba yayo esikhwameni sayo. ₂₈Ngaleso sikhatsi Davide asabonile kutsi Simakadze umphendvulile kulelibala lekubhulela kolo laka-Arawuna, umJebhusi, wase unikela ngemihlatjelo khona lapho.

₂₉Lithende laSimakadze lelalakhiwe nguMosi ehlane nelilati lemnikelo wekushiswa, ngaleso sikhatsi kwakusendzaweni lephakeme, eGibeyoni. ₃₀Kodvwa Davide abenganakuhamba embikwalo kutsi ayewubuta kuNkulunkulu, ngobe abesaba inkemba yengilosi yaSimakadze.