USAMUWELI II 20

₁Kwakukhona umuntu omubi ogama lakhe lalinguSheba indodana kaBikri umBenjamini; wabetha icilongo, wathi: Asinasabelo kuDavide, asinafa endodaneni kaJese; yiyani nonke ematendeni enu, Israyeli.

₂Bonke abantu bakwaIsrayeli base benyuka bengasamlandeli uDavide, bamlandela uSheba indodana kaBikri; kepha abantu bakwaJuda babambelela enkosini yabo kusukela eJordani kuze kube-seJerusalema.

₃UDavide wafika endlini yakhe eJerusalema; inkosi yathatha abesifazane abayishumi, izancinza zayo, eyayibashiyile ukuba bayilinde indlu, yababeka endlini yokulindela, yabapha ukudla, kepha ayingenanga kubo. Base bevalelwe kwaze kwaba-sosukwini lokufa kwabo, behlezi njengabafelokazi.

₄Yayisithi inkosi kuAmasa: Ngibuthele abantu bakwaJuda ngezinsuku ezintathu, ube-khona nawe.

₅Wayesehamba uAmasa ukubutha uJuda, kepha walibala phezu kwesikhathi asinqunyelweyo.

₆Wayesethi uDavide kuAbishayi: Manje uSheba indodana kaBikri uyakwenza okubi kakhulu kithi kunoAbisalomu; thatha wena izinceku zenkosi yakho, umxoshe, funa azitholele imizi ebiyelweyo, asiphunyuke.

₇Emva kwakhe kwaphuma amadoda kaJowabe, namaKhereti namaPheleti, namaqhawe onke; baphuma eJerusalema ukuba bamxoshe uSheba indodana kaBikri.

₈Besesetsheni elikhulu eliseGibeyoni, uAmasa wafika ukubahlangabeza. UJowabe wayebhincé isambatho sakhe sokulwa ayelokhu esigqoka; kusona lalikhona ibhande* elinenkemba emgodleni wayo elaligaxwé okhalweni lwakhe; yawa esehamba.

₉UJowabe wayesethi kuAmasa: Usaphila, mfowethu, na? UJowabe wambamba uAmasa ngesilevu ngesandla sakhe sokunene ukuba amange.

₁₀Kodwa uAmasa akayinakanga inkemba eyayisesandleni sikaJowabe; wamgwaza ngayo esiswini, wachithela izibilini zakhe emhlabathini; wafa engamphindanga. OJowabe noAbishayi umfowabo bamxosha uSheba indodana kaBikri.

₁₁Kwema ngakuye enye yezinsizwa zikaJowabe, yathi: Omthanda uJowabe nongokaDavide mabamlandele uJowabe.

₁₂UAmasa wahuquzela egazini lakhe phakathi nomendo. Lapho lomuntu ebona ukuthi bonke abantu bema, wamgudluza uAmasa emendweni, wamyisa ensimini, waphonsa ingubo phezu kwakhe, lapho ebona ukuthi bonke abadlula ngakuye bema.

₁₃Esesusiwe emendweni, abantu bonke badlula bamlandela uJowabe ukuba bamxoshe uSheba indodana kaBikri.

₁₄Wadabula izizwe zonke zakwaIsrayeli, waze wafika eAbela, naseBeti-Mahakha, nakuwo onke amaBeri; babuthana bamxosha nakhona.

₁₅Bafika bamvimbezela eAbela laseBeti-Mahakha, banqwabela iduli ngasemzini elema ngasodongeni; abantu bonke ababenoJowabe babhidliza ugange ukuba luwe.

₁₆Kwase kumemeza owesifazane ohlakaniphileyo esemzini, wathi: Zwanini! Zwanini! Ake nithi kuJowabe: Sondela lapho ukuba ngikhulume nawe.

₁₇Wasondela kuye; owesifazane wayesethi: Wena unguJowabe na? Wathi: Nginguye. Wayesethi kuye: Yizwa amazwi encekukazi yakho. Wathi: Ngiyezwa.

₁₈Wathi-ke: Endulo babevama ukukhuluma ngokuthi: Kuyakubuzwa nokubuzwa eAbela. Base beqeda.

₁₉Mina ngingowokuthula nothembekileyo kwaIsrayeli; wena ufuna ukuchitha umuzi nonina kwaIsrayeli; uyakuligwinyelani ifa likaJehova na?

₂₀UJowabe waphendula wathi: Makube-kude, makube-kude nami ukuba ngigwinye noma ngichithe.

₂₁Akunjalo, kepha umuntu wasezintabeni zakwaEfrayimi, nguSheba indodana kaBikri igama lakhe, uphakamisele isandla sakhe ngasenkosini, kuDavide; nginikeni yena kuphela, khona ngiyakusuka emzini. Wayesethi owesifazane kuJowabe: Bheka, ikhanda lakhe liyakuphonswa kuwe ngaphandle kogange.

₂₂Owesifazane wayeseya ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe kubantu bonke. Bamnquma uSheba indodana kaBikri ikhanda, baliphonsa kuJowabe. Yena wabetha icilongo, bahlakazeka kulowomuzi, baya, kwabayilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe. UJowabe wabuyela eJerusalema enkosini.

₂₃UJowabe wayesephezu kwempi yonke yakwaIsrayeli; uBenaya indodana kaJehoyada wayephezu kwamaKhereti namaPheleti;

₂₄uAdoramu wayephethe imali; uJehoshafati indodana ka-Ahiludi wayengumabhalana.

₂₅USheva wayengumbhali; oSadoki noAbiyathara babengabapristi;

₂₆uIra umJayiri wayengumpristi kaDavide.