UDavide uyinkosi kwaJuda; uIshi-Bosheti uyinkosi kwaIsrayeli
1Kwathi emva kwalokho uDavide wabuza kuJehova, wathi: Ngenyukele yini komunye wemizi yakwaJuda na? UJehova wathi kuye: Yenyuka. Wathi uDavide: Ngenyukelephi na? Wathi: EHebroni.
2Wayesenyukela khona uDavide nabafazi bakhe ababili, oAhinohama waseJizreyeli noAbigayili umkaNabali waseKarmeli.
3Abantu bakhe ababenoDavide wabenyusa, kwaba-yilowo nalowo nomuzi wakhe; bahlala emizaneni yaseHebroni.
4Bafika abantu bakwaJuda, bamgcoba khona uDavide abe-yinkosi yendlu yakwaJuda.
Bamtshela uDavide ukuthi: Abantu baseJabeshi-Gileyadi yibo abammbela uSawule.
5UDavide wayesethuma izithunywa kubantu baseJabeshi-Gileyadi, wathi kubo: Manibusiswe nguJehova, ngokuba nenzile lowomusa kuyo inkosi yenu, uSawule, nammbela.
6Manje uJehova makanenzele umusa neqiniso, nami nginibuyisele lowomusa, ngokuba niyenzile leyonto.
7Ngalokho maziqine izandla zenu, nibe-nesibindi, ngokuba uSawule inkosi yenu ufile; indlu yakwaJuda ingigcobile ngibe-yinkosi yayo.
8UAbineri indodana kaNeri induna yempi kaSawule wayethathile uIshi-Bosheti indodana kaSawule, wamwelisela eMahanayimi,
9wambeka inkosi kwaGileyadi, nakuma-Ashurimi, naseJizreyeli, nakwaEfrayimi noBenjamini, nakwaIsrayeli wonke.
10UIshi-Bosheti indodana kaSawule wayeneminyaka engamashumi amane ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa phezu kukaIsrayeli; wabusa iminyaka emibili. Kepha indlu yakwaJuda yamlandela uDavide.
11Isikhathi uDavide eyinkosi ngaso eHebroni phezu kwendlu yakwaJuda sasiyiminyaka eyisikhombisa nezinyanga eziyisithupha.
Ukulwa kukaIshi-Bosheti noDavide. Impi yaseGibeyoni
12UAbineri indodana kaNeri nezinceku zikaIshi-Bosheti indodana kaSawule baphuma eMahanayimi, baya eGibeyoni.
13UJowabe indodana kaSeruya nezinceku zikaDavide baphuma bahlangana ngasechibini laseGibeyoni; bahlala phansi, abanye ngalapha kwechibi, abanye ngalapho kwechibi.
14UAbineri wathi kuJowabe: Ake zisuke izinsizwa, ziqakulizane phambi kwethu. UJowabe wathi: Mazisuke.
15Zase zisuka, zawela ngamanani, eziyishumi nambili kwaBenjamini nakuIshi-Bosheti indodana kaSawule, neziyishumi nambili ziyizinceku zikaDavide.
16Zabambana ngekhanda, zagwaza ngenkemba ohlangothini lwezimelene nazo, zawa kanyekanye; ngalokho leyondawo yabizwa ngokuthi iHelikati-Hasurimi eliseGibeyoni.
17Kwakuyimpi enzima ngalolosuku; uAbineri wahlulwa kanye nabantu bakwaIsrayeli phambi kwezinceku zikaDavide.
18Amadodana amathathu kaSeruya ayelapho, oJowabe, noAbishayi, noAsaheli; uAsaheli wayenezinyawo ezilula njengensephe.
19UAsaheli wamxosha uAbineri; ekuhambeni kwakhe akachezukanga ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo ekumlandeleni uAbineri.
20UAbineri wabheka emuva, wathi: UnguAsaheli na? Wathi: Yimi.
21UAbineri wayesethi kuye: Chezukela ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesokhohlo, ubambe enye yezinsizwa, uthathe izikhali zakhe. Kepha uAsaheli akavumanga ukuchezuka ekumlandeleni.
22UAbineri wabuye wathi kuAsaheli: Chezuka ekungilandeleni; yini ukuba ngikucekele phansi na? Ngingaphakamisa kanjani ubuso bami ngakuJowabe umfowenu na?
23Wala nokho ukuchezuka; ngalokho uAbineri wamgwaza esiswini ngesidunu somkhonto, waze waphuma emuva umkhonto; wawela khona, wafela khona-lapho; kwathi bonke abafika endaweni uAsaheli awele kuyo wafa, bema.
24Kepha oJowabe noAbishayi bamxosha uAbineri; ilanga lashona befiké ngasegqumeni laseAma elingaphambi kweGiya ngasendleleni yasehlane laseGibeyoni.
25Abantwana bakwaBenjamini babuthana emva kuka-Abineri, baba-yiviyo linye, bema esiqongweni segquma elithile.
26UAbineri wayesememeza kuJowabe, wathi: Inkemba iyakudla njalonjalo na? Awazi yini ukuthi kuyakuba-khona umunyu ekugcineni na? Koze kube-nini ungabayali abantu ukuba babuye ekubalandeleni abafowabo na?
27UJowabe wathi: Kuphila kukaNkulunkulu, uma ubungakhulumanga, ngempela abantu bonke bebeyakube sebenyukile kusasa ekuxosheni abafowabo.
28UJowabe wayesebetha icilongo; bonke abantu bema, ababe besamxosha uIsrayeli, futhi ababe besalwa.
29UAbineri nabantu bakhe badabula iAraba bonke lobobusuku, bawela iJordani, badabula lonke iBitroni, bafika eMahanayimi.
30UJowabe wabuya ekumxosheni uAbineri; lapho esebuthile bonke abantu, kwasilala kuzo izinceku zikaDavide abantu abayishumi nesishiyagalolunye noAsaheli.
31Kepha izinceku zikaDavide zazibulele abakwaBenjamini nabaka-Abineri, kwafa abantu abangamakhulu amathathu namashumi ayisithupha.
32Bamthatha uAsaheli, bammbela ethuneni likayise elaliseBetlehema. UJowabe nabantu bakhe bahamba ubusuku bonke, kwasa beseHebroni.
