IZIKRONIKE I 21

₁USathane wema ukulwa noIsrayeli, wavusa uDavide ukuba abale uIsrayeli.

₂UDavide wayesethi kuJowabe nasezinduneni zabantu: Hambani nibale uIsrayeli kusukela eBeri-Sheba kuze kubekwaDani, nilethe umumo wabo kimi ukuba ngiwazi.

₃UJowabe wathi: UJehova makenezele kubantu bakhe, kuphindwe kayikhulu phezu kwalokhu abayikho; kepha, nkosi yami, nkosi, abasizo izinceku zenkosi yami bonke na? Inkosi yami ifunelani lento na? Iyakuba-yicala ngani kuIsrayeli na?

₄Nokho izwi lenkosi lamahlula uJowabe. UJowabe waphuma, wadabula wonke uIsrayeli, wafika eJerusalema.

₅UJowabe wanika uDavide umumo wabantu ababaliweyo; wonke uIsrayeli wayeyizinkulungwane eziyinkulungwane nezinkulungwane eziyikhulu abahloma inkemba; uJuda wayeyizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane namashumi ayisikhombisa.

₆Kepha oLevi noBenjamini akababalanga phakathi kwabo, ngokuba izwi lenkosi lalinengekile kuJowabe.

₇Kwaba-kubi emehlweni kaNkulunkulu; ngalokho washaya uIsrayeli.

₈UDavide wayesethi kuNkulunkulu: Ngonile kakhulu ngalokho engikwenzileyo; kepha manje, Jehova, mawuthethelele ububi benceku yakho, ngokuba ngintumazele kakhulu.

₉UJehova wayesekhuluma kuGadi umboni kaDavide, ethi:

₁₀Hamba ukhulume kuDavide ngokuthi: UJehova usho kanje, uthi: Ngiyakubekela izinto ezintathu; khetha enye kuzo ukuba ngikwenzele yona.

₁₁UGadi wayesefika kuDavide, wathi kuye: UJehova usho kanje, uthi:

₁₂Zikhethele noma indlala yeminyaka emithathu, noma ukuchithwa yizitha zakho izinyanga ezintathu uficwa yinkemba yezitha zakho, noma izinsuku ezintathu zenkemba kaJehova nesifo ezweni, ingelosi kaJehova ichithe emikhawulweni yonke yakwaIsrayeli; manje zibonele izwi engiyakulibuyisela kongithumileyo.

₁₃UDavide wathi kuGadi: Nginosizi kakhulu; mangiwele esandleni sikaJehova, ngokuba umusa wakhe mkhulu kakhulu; kepha esandleni somuntu mangingaweli kuso.

₁₄UJehova wayesethuma isifo phezu kukaIsrayeli; kwafa kwaIsrayeli abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa.

₁₅UNkulunkulu wathuma ingelosi eJerusalema ukulichitha; kwathi lapho isalichitha, uJehova wabuka, wazisola ngalobobubi, wathi engelosini echithayo: Sekwanele; buyisa isandla sakho. Ingelosi kaJehova yayimi ngasesibuyeni sikaOrinani umJebusi.

₁₆UDavide wayesephakamisa amehlo akhe, wayibona ingelosi kaJehova imi emkhathini womhlaba nezulu, inenkemba ehoshiweyo esandleni sayo, yelulelwe phezu kweJerusalema. UDavide namalunga bembethe izindwangu zamasaka bawa ngobuso babo.

₁₇UDavide wathi kuNkulunkulu: Akusimi yini owayaleza ukuba abantu babalwe na? Yimina engonileyo; ngenzé kabi kakhulu, kepha lezizimvu zenzeni na? Isandla sakho, Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, masibe-phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa, singabi-phezu kwabantu bakho ukubashaya ngesifo.

₁₈Ingelosi kaJehova yamyala uGadi ukusho kuDavide ukuba uDavide enyuke, amisele uJehova ialtare esibuyeni sikaOrinani umJebusi.

₁₉UDavide wenyuka ngezwi likaGadi alikhulumayo egameni likaJehova.

₂₀UOrinani waphenduka, wayibona ingelosi; amadodana akhe amane ayenaye acasha. UOrinani wayebhula ukolweni.

₂₁UDavide esefika kuOrinani, uOrinani wabuka, wambona uDavide, waphuma esibuyeni, wakhothamela uDavide, ubuso bakhe bubheké phansi.

₂₂UDavide wathi kuOrinani: Nginike indawo yalesisibuya ukuba ngakhele uJehova ialtare kuyo; uyakunginika yona ngemali epheleleyo ukuba lesisifo sinqamuke kubantu.

₂₃UOrinani wathi kuDavide: Zithathele yona; inkosi yami, inkosi, mayenze okuhle emehlweni ayo; bheka, ngiyakupha izinkabi zibe-ngezeminikelo yokushiswa, nezibhulo zibe-yizinkuni, nokolweni abe-ngumnikelo wempuphu; ngikunika konke.

₂₄Inkosi uDavide yathi kuOrinani: Qha, ngiyakukuthenga nokukuthenga ngemali epheleleyo, ngokuba angizukumthathela uJehova okungokwakho, nginikele ngomnikelo wokushiswa ngengikutholé ngeze.

₂₅UDavide wayesemnika uOrinani ngendawo amashekeli* angamakhulu ayisithupha egolide ngesisindo.

₂₆UDavide wamakhela khona uJehova ialtare, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yokuthula, wambiza uJehova; wamphendula esezulwini ngomlilo ealtare lomnikelo wokushiswa.

₂₇UJehova wayiyala ingelosi; yabuyisela inkemba yayo emgodleni wayo.

₂₈Ngalesosikhathi lapho uDavide esebonile ukuthi uJehova umphendulile esibuyeni sikaOrinani umJebusi, wahlaba khona.

₂₉Ngokuba itabernakele* likaJehova alenza uMose ehlane nealtare lomnikelo wokushiswa kwakusendaweni ephakemeyo eGibeyoni ngalesosikhathi.

₃₀Kepha uDavide wayengenakuya phambi kwalo ukubuza kuNkulunkulu, ngokuba wagebhezelela inkemba yengelosi kaJehova.