2 USamuweli 3

₁Kwaba khona ukulwa isikhathi eside phakathi kwendlu kaDavide nendlu kaSawule. UDavide wadlondlobala ngamandla, kodwa indlu kaSawule yaya ngokuya iba ntekenteke.

₂UDavide ngesikhathi eseHebhroni, omkakhe bamzalela amadodana; izibulo lakhe kwakungu-Amnoni, ezalwa ngu-Ahinohama waseJizreyeli. ₃Eyesebili kwaba nguKhileyabhi ku-Abhigayili, umkaNabali waseKharimeli. Eyesithathu kwaba ngu-Absalomu, indodana kaMahakha, indodakazi kaThalimayi, inkosi yaseGeshuri. ₄Eyesine kwaba ngu-Adoniya, indodana kaHagithi; eyesihlanu kwaba nguShefathiya, indodana ka-Abhithali. ₅Eyesithupha kwaba ngu-Ireyamu, ezalwa ngu-Egila, umkaDavide. Wonke lawo madodana kaDavide azalelwa eHebhroni.

₆Ngesikhathi kusekhona ukulwa phakathi kwendlu kaSawule nendlu kaDavide, u-Abhineri wayekhulisa amandla akhe endlini kaSawule. ₇USawule wayenesancinza, igama laso kunguRizpha, indodakazi ka-Ayiya. U-Ishi Bhoshethi wathi ku-Abhineri: “Usingeneleni isancinza sikababa na?”

₈Lawo mazwi ka-Ishi Bhoshethi amthukuthelisa kakhulu u-Abhineri, wayesethi: “Kanti mina ngiyikhanda lenja kuJuda yini na? Kuze kube namuhla, ngisalokhu ngikhombisa ukwethembeka kwabendlu kayihlo uSawule, kubafowabo nakubangani bakhe, angikaze ngikunikele esandleni sikaDavide. Manje usungibeka icala ngalo wesifazane! ₉UNkulunkulu makenze kanjalo ku-Abhineri, enezele futhi, uma ngingenzi kuDavide njengalokhu uSimakade efungile kuye, ₁₀ukuba kuthathwe umbuso endlini kaSawule, kumiswe isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavide, phezu kuka-Israyeli naphezu kukaJuda, kusukela kwaDani kuze kufike eBheri Sheba.”

₁₁U-Ishi Bhoshethi akazange amphendule futhi u-Abhineri nangelilodwa izwi, ngoba wayemesaba.

₁₂U-Abhineri wathumela izithunywa esikhundleni sakhe kuDavide, zayothi kuye: “Ngelikabani leli lizwe na? Yenza isivumelwano nami; bheka, isandla sami siyakuba nawe ukuba ngimlethe kuwe wonke u-Israyeli.”

₁₃Wathi: “Kulungile, ngizokwenza isivumelwano nawe, kodwa kunento eyodwa nje engiyifuna kuwe: ukuba ungalokothi uvele phambi kwami uma ungalethi uMikhali, indodakazi kaSawule, ngesikhathi uzongibona.”

₁₄UDavide wathumela izithunywa ku-Ishi Bhoshethi, indodana kaSawule, wathi: “Nginike umkami uMikhali, engamkhokhela ngamajwabu amaFilisti ayikhulu.”

₁₅U-Ishi Bhoshethi wathumela ukuba ayolandwa kumyeni wakhe uPhalithiyeli, indodana kaLayishi. ₁₆Umyeni wakhe wahamba naye, ekhala emlandela, waze wayofika eBhahurimi. U-Abhineri wayesethi kuye: “Hamba, phindela ekhaya!”

Wenza kanjalo, wabuyela emuva.

₁₇U-Abhineri wakhuluma namalunga akwa-Israyeli, wathi: “Ngesikhathi esidlulileyo benifuna ukuba uDavide abe yinkosi yenu, anibuse. ₁₈Manje-ke yenzani lokho, ngokuba uSimakade ukhulumile kuDavide, wathi: ‘Ngenceku yami uDavide, ngiyobasindisa abantu bami, u-Israyeli, emandleni amaFilisti nakuzo zonke izitha zabo.’ ”

₁₉U-Abhineri wakhuluma futhi nabakwaBhenjamini; wayesuka eyotshela uDavide eHebhroni ngakho konke okuhle u-Israyeli nabo bonke abendlu yakwaBhenjamini ababezimisele ukukwenza.

₂₀U-Abhineri wafika kuDavide eHebhroni namadoda angama-20. UDavide wamenzela idili u-Abhineri namadoda ayenawo. ₂₁U-Abhineri wathi kuDavide: “Mangihambe ngiyoqoqa wonke u-Israyeli eze enkosini yami, inkosi, ukuze enze isivumelwano nawe, ubuse phezu kwakho konke njengalokhu kufisa inhliziyo yakho.”

UDavide wamkhulula u-Abhineri, wahamba ngokuthula.

₂₂Khona lapho, kwafika izinceku zikaDavide noJowabe zibuya kohlasela, ziphethe impango eningi. U-Abhineri wayesesukile kuDavide eHebhroni, kwazise wayesemhambise ngokuthula. ₂₃Esefikile uJowabe nawo wonke amabutho ayehambe nawo, bamtshela uJowabe, bathi: “U-Abhineri, indodana kaNeri, ubeze enkosini, inkosi imdedele, wahamba ngokuthula.”

₂₄UJowabe waya enkosini wathi kuyo: “Ukwenzeleni lokhu na? Bheka, u-Abhineri ubefikile kuwe; umyekeleni wahamba ngokuthula na? ₂₅Uyazi ukuthi u-Abhineri, indodana kaNeri, ubeze ukuzokukhohlisa, nokwazi ukuphuma nokungena kwakho, nokuthi akwazi konke okwenzayo.”

₂₆UJowabe, esephumile phambi kukaDavide, wathumela izithunywa emva kuka-Abhineri, zambuyisa esengasemthonjeni eSira, kodwa uDavide wayengazi ngalokho. ₂₇U-Abhineri esebuyele eHebhroni, uJowabe wambizela eceleni ngasesangweni ukuze akhulume naye ngasese. Wamgwaza esiswini wafela lapho, ngenxa yegazi lika-Asaheli umfowabo.

₂₈Kwathi kamuva uDavide wakuzwa lokho, wathi: “Mina nombuso wami asinacala kuSimakade kuze kube phakade ngegazi lika-Abhineri, indodana kaNeri. ₂₉Igazi lakhe malibe phezu kwekhanda likaJowabe nakubo bonke abendlu kayise: makungahlali kungekho endlini yakhe ocucuzayo, onochoko, ozimelelayo ngodondolo, ofa ngenkemba, noswela isinkwa.”

₃₀UJowabe no-Abhishayi, umfowabo, bambulala u-Abhineri, ngoba wayebulele umfowabo, u-Asaheli, empini eGibheyoni.

₃₁UDavide wathi kuJowabe nakubantu bonke ababenaye: “Klebhulani izingubo zenu, nibhince indwangu eyisaka, nilile phambi kuka-Abhineri.”

Inkosi uDavide yalandela uhlaka. ₃₂U-Abhineri wangcwatshwa eHebhroni. Inkosi yadazuluka, yakhala ngasethuneni lika-Abhineri, nabantu bonke bakhala.

₃₃Inkosi yamlilela u-Abhineri, yathi:

₃₅Abantu bonke bafika bamncenga uDavide ukuba adle isinkwa kusesemini, kodwa uDavide wafunga wathi: “Makenze kanjalo kimi uNkulunkulu, enezele futhi, uma ngidla isinkwa noma okunye lingakashoni ilanga.”

₃₆Bonke abantu bakubona lokho, kwaba kuhle emehlweni abo, konke eyakwenzayo inkosi kwathandeka kubo bonke abantu. ₃₇Ngalolo lusuku bonke abantu nawo wonke u-Israyeli bakuqonda ukuthi inkosi yayingenasandla ekubulaweni kuka-Abhineri, indodana kaNeri.

₃₈Inkosi yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Anazi yini ukuthi kufe umholi nomuntu omkhulu kwa-Israyeli namuhla na? ₃₉Nami ngibuthakathaka namuhla nakuba ngigcotshiwe ukuba ngibe yinkosi; laba bantu, amadodana kaZeruya, abalawuleki; uSimakade makaphindisele kulowo owenza okubi njengokwenza kwakhe okubi.”