1Kulwa emkhatsini wendlu yakaSawula neyakaDavide kwachubeka sikhatsi lesidze. Davide wakhula wachubeka kuba nemandla, kantsi indlu yakaSawula yachubeka kuba butsakatsaka.
Emadvodzana aDavide
2Emadvodzana Davide lawatalelwa eHebroni ngulawa:
Litubulo lakhe bekungu-Amnoni ku-Ahinowami waseJezreyeli.
3Yesibili bekunguKhileyabi, umsa wa-Abigayili, umfelokati waNabali waseKhameli. Yesitsatfu bekungu-Absalomu, umsa waMakha, indvodzakati yaThalmayi, inkhosi yaseGeshuri. 4Yesine bekungu-Adoniya, umsa waHagithi. Yesihlanu bekunguShefathiya, umsa wa-Abitali. 5Yesitfupha bekunguJithreyamu ku-Egla, umkakhe.
Bonkhe laba batalelwa Davide eHebroni.
Kutihlanganisa kwa-Abneri naDavide
6Ngesikhatsi semphi leyayisemkhatsini wendlu yakaSawula nendlu yakaDavide, Abneri yena abechubeka nekucinisa sikhundla sakhe endlini yaSawula.
7Sawula abenesingani, libito laso kunguRispha, indvodzakati ya-Aya. Ishboshethi wabuta Abneri, watsi: “Ulaleleni nesingani sababe?”
8Abneri watfukutsela wabilelana ngenca yalenkhulumo ya-Ishboshethi, waphendvula watsi: “Ucabanga kutsi mine ngikhonta Juda yini? Lamuhla loku mine ngihlonipha indlu yeyihlo, Sawula, nemndeni wakhe kanye nebangani bakhe. Angikaze ngikunikele esandleni saDavide. Noko manje sewungibeka licala macondzana nalomfati! 9Shangatsi Nkulunkulu angangiphatsa kabuhlungu mine Abneri, nangingamenteli Davide loko Simakadze lametsembisa kona ngesifungo, 10esuse bukhosi endlini yaSawula, bese umisa Davide esihlalweni sebukhosi kutsi abuse etikwa-Israyeli naJuda, kusukela kaDani kuye kufike eBherisheba.” 11Ishboshethi akazange aphindze abe nesibindzi sekukhuluma lelinye livi ku-Abneri, ngobe abesamesaba.
12Abneri watfumela titfunywa takakhe kuDavide, tafike tatsi: “Labani lelive? Yenta nami sivumelwane, mine ngitakusita ekubuyiseni wonkhe Israyeli kutsi abe ngakuwe.”
13Davide watsi: “Kulungile, ngitasenta nawe sivumelwane. Kodvwa kunye lengikufuna kuwe: Ungeti lapha embikwami, nawungakaletsi Mikhali, indvodzakati yaSawula, nawuta kutangibona.” 14Davide watfumela titfunywa ku-Ishboshethi, umsa waSawula, wamtjela, watsi: “Letsa umkami Mikhali, lengamtsatsa ngekumkhokhela likhulu lemajwabu emaFilisti.”
15Ngako Ishboshethi wakhipha umlayeto kutsi atsatfwe endvodzeni yakhe Phaltiyeli, umsa waLayishi. 16Lendvodza yakhe yahamba naye, ikhala emvakwakhe yonkhe indlela, kwaze kwaba nguseBhahurimu. Abneri wakhuluma kuyo watsi: “Ncandzeka, ubuyele ekhaya!” Yancandzeka-ke lendvodza.
17Abneri wakhuluma nebaholi baka-Israyeli, watsi: “Sesikhatsi lesidze seloku nifuna kubeka Davide kutsi abe yinkhosi yenu. 18Manje kwenteni loko! Ngobe Simakadze wetsembisa Davide watsi: ‘Ngenceku yami Davide ngiyakwephula sive sonkhe sema-Israyeli esandleni semaFilisti nasetandleni tato tonkhe titsa taso.’ ”
19Abneri waphindze wakhuluma yena cobo lwakhe kubakaBhenjamini. Wabe sewuya eHebroni kuyawutjela Davide konkhe Israyeli nendlu yakaBhenjamini lababekufuna.
20Ngesikhatsi Abneri, labehamba nalamadvodza langema-20, efika kuDavide eHebroni, Davide wamlungiselela lidzili yena kanye nalamadvodza labehamba nawo. 21Abneri wakhuluma kuDavide, watsi: “Ngicela kutsi ngihambe khona nyalo inkhosi yami ngiyihlanganisele Israyeli wonkhe, khona sitekwenta sivumelwane kanye nawe, nekutsi utewubusa etikwako konkhe lokufisako.” Ngako Davide wase uhambisa Abneri; wahamba ngekuthula.
Kubulawa kwa-Abneri
22Kwatsi kusenjalo, emabutfo aDavide anaJowabe efika aphuma ekuhlaseleni eta nemphango lenyenti. Kodvwa Abneri abesangekho kuDavide eHebroni, ngobe Davide abesamhambisile, naye wahamba ngekuthula. 23Watsi kube Jowabe nemabutfo onkhe labehambe nawo efike, watjelwa kutsi Abneri, umsa waNeri, abete enkhosini, nenkhosi yamhambisa ngekuthula.
24Ngako Jowabe wahamba waya enkhosini, wafike watsi: “Wenteni? Buka, Abneri ufike lapha. Umyekeleleni ahambe? Manje sewuhambile! 25Nawe uyamati Abneri, umsa waNeri; abetele kutakukuyenga nekubukisisa kuphuma nekungena kwakho, kuze atekuhlolisisa kahle konkhe lokwentekako.”
26Jowabe wesuka lapho watfumela titfunywa talandzela Abneri, tamncandza tambuyisa asasemtfonjeni waseSira. Kodvwa Davide abengakwati loko. 27Watsi kube Abneri efike eHebroni, Jowabe wamdvonsela nganhlanye esangweni, kwaba shangatsi kukhona lafuna kutsi akukhulume ngasemasitseleni. Khona lapho, wabe sewumgwaza esiswini, wafa. Ngako Abneri wabulawelwa kutsi naye abebulale Asaheli, umnakaboJowabe.
28Emvakwaloko, watsi kube Davide eve ngaloku, watsi: “Mine nembuso wami embikwaSimakadze anginalo licala lengati ya-Abneri, umsa waNeri. 29Shangatsi licala lengati yakhe lingaba setikwenhloko yaJowabe kanye nendlu yeyise! Shangatsi indlu yaJowabe ingete yahlala ingenaye umuntfu lonesilondza lesincincako nome lonalokusabulephelo, nome lohamba ngetimboko, nome lobulawa ngenkemba, nome loswele kudla.”
30Ngako boJowabe na-Abishayi bakhokha sibhongo ngekubulala Abneri, ngobe abebulele umnakabo Asaheli eGibeyoni.
Kungcwatjwa kwa-Abneri
31Davide wakhuluma kuJowabe nakubo bonkhe bantfu lababelapho, watsi: “Klebhulani timphahla tenu nembatse emasaka, nihambe nendlule embikwa-Abneri.” Davide, inkhosi, naye cobo lwakhe wahamba emvakweluhlaka lwemngcwabo wa-Abneri. 32Abneri bamngcwaba eHebroni, inkhosi yakhala yadzatimula ethuneni la-Abneri; nebantfu bonkhe bakhala.
33Inkhosi yahlabela sililo sa-Abneri, yatsi:
“Abneri bekufanele yini afe njengemuntfu losilima?
34Tinyawo takho betingakaboshwa,
netandla takho tingakankinkwa.
Uwele phansi wafa
njengemuntfu lobulewe tigelekece.”
Sive sonkhe saphindza samkhalela futsi.
35Base bayefika kutawucela Davide kutsi sale asadla kusesemini, kodvwa Davide watsatsa sifungo, watsi: “Shangatsi Nkulunkulu angangishaya ngife, nangingadla lilanga lisengakashoni!”
36Bonkhe bantfu bakubona loko bajabula; empeleni, konkhe lokwakwentiwa yinkhosi kwabajabulisa. 37Ngako ngalelo langa bonkhe bantfu nesive sonkhe sema-Israyeli sakwati kutsi inkhosi yayingazange ifake sandla ekubulaweni kwa-Abneri, umsa waNeri.
38Inkhosi yakhuluma kulamadvodza ayo, yatsi: “Utsi niyabona nje kutsi lamuhla kufe umbusi longumuntfu lomkhulu ka-Israyeli? 39Lamuhla mine nome sengigcotjiwe, kodvwa angikacini, lamadvodzana aSeruya atidlova. Shangatsi Simakadze angamkhokhisa lomubi ngetento takhe letimbi!”
