1Ke kaloku kwaba lixesha elide kukho imfazwe phakathi kwendlu kaSawule nendlu kaDavide. Lo gama iphelelwayo indlu kaSawule, ekaDavide yona yayisiya iqina ngokuqina.
Oonyana bakaDavide
2EHebron uDavide wazala oonyana. Izibulo yayinguAmnon, ezalwa nguAhinowam waseYizereli; 3kuze owesibini uKiliyabhu, ezalwa nguAbhigeli umhlolokazi owashiywa nguNabhali waseKarmele; ibe nguAbhasalom owesithathu, owayezelwe nguMahaka intombi kaTalemayi ukumkani waseGeshuri; 4kulandele owesine uAdoniya, ezalwa nguHagiti; kuze owesihlanu uShefatiya, ezalwa nguAbhitali; 5kugqibele owesithandathu uItram, owazalwa nguEgla umka-Davide. Ngabo abo ke oonyana uDavide awabazala eHebron.
UAbhinere ungenelela kuDavide
6Ngexesha kuliwayo yile mizi mibini, okaSawule nokaDavide, kwicala likaSawule uAbhinere wayezandisela iwonga. 7Ke kaloku uSawule wayenenkazana enguRizpa intombi ka-Aya, kwaza ngenye imini unyana kaSawule uIshbhoshete wathi kuAbhinere: “Yini na ukuba ulale nenkazana kabawo?”
8Wangcangcazela ngumsindo uAbhinere ngenxa yala mazwi kaIshbhoshete, waza wathi: “Hi, mfondini, undenza inja kwaJuda! Uthi ingandim ojikela uSawule ngasemva? Unanamhla oku umzi kaSawule, uyihlo, ndisathembekile kuwo, kubantakwabo, nakumahlakani akhe; andikawungcatshi kuDavide, kodwa naku wena namhla undityhola ngomntu obhinqileyo! 9Inene, makandohlwaye uThixo, nokuba kuqatha kangakanani na, ukuba andimncedisi uDavide ekuzuzeni izinto ezathenjiswa *nguNdikhoyo kuye! 10Ndiza kumncedisa ukuhlutha ulawulo kwindlu kaSawule, kungene uDavide esihlalweni, alawule kwaSirayeli nakwaJuda, ukususela kwaDan kuse eBheshebha.” 11Akabuyanga awuvule owakhe umlomo uIshbhoshete, kuba wayemoyika uAbhinere.
12UAbhinere wathumela izigidimi kuDavide ukumthethela, esithi: “Hi bethu, ngaba lelikabani na eli lizwe? Ukuba thina sithe senza imvumelwano, ndokunceda, amaSirayeli onke ndiwagayele kwicala lakho.”
13UDavide wathi: “Kulungile, kodwa ndosenza nawe isivumelwano kuphela ngaphantsi kwalo mqathango: kufuneka uze apha kum noMikali intombi kaSawule.”
14Emva koko uDavide uthumele isigidimi kuIshbhoshete unyana kaSawule, wathi: “Ndikhululele umkam endamlobola ngamajwabu amaFilistiya alikhulu.”
15UIshbhoshete wathi makaye kulandwa uMikali kwaPaltiyeli unyana kaLayishe, umyeni wakhe wesibini. 16Suka uPaltiyeli walandela umfazi, ehamba elila njalo ukuya kutsho eBhawurim. Wathi kuye uAbhinere: “Jika! Uya phi?” Wajika wagoduka uPaltiyeli.
17Ke kaloku uAbhinere wabhekisa kumadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli, wathi: “Kudala ninqwenela ukulawulwa nguDavide. 18Nali ke ngoku elo thuba. Ze nikhumbule ukuba nguNdikhoyo owathi kuDavide: ‘Sisicaka sam uDavide endiya kukhulula abantu bam amaSirayeli ngaso kumaFilistiya nakuzo zonke iintshaba zabo.’ ” 19Waya nakwaBhenjamin uAbhinere, wawubhekisa nakubo lo mlomo. Usuke apho waya kuDavide eHebron, wamchazela ngeembono zabantu bakwaBhenjamin nabakwaSirayeli.
20Kwathi akuya eHebron uAbhinere, ehamba namashumi amabini amadoda, beye kuDavide, bafika behlinzekelwe. 21UAbhinere wathi kuDavide: “Sendikulungele ukuwagayela ngakwicala lakho onke amaSirayeli, mhlekazi, khon' ukuze uvumelane nawo, ube ngukumkani wawo, ulawule phezu kwako konke obe ukade ukunqwenela.” UDavide ke wamndulula uAbhinere, wahamba ngoxolo.
Ukugwintwa kuka-Abhinere
22Emva koko kwafika amadoda kaDavide, ehamba noJowabhi, evela kunqoloba, eze namaxhoba amaninzi. Wayeselemkile eHebron uAbhinere emva kokundululwa kwakhe ngoxolo nguDavide. 23Akufika uJowabhi, kunye nomkhosi awayehamba nawo, waxelelwa kwathiwa: “UAbhinere ebeze kubona ukumkani, yaye ukumkani umndulule ngoxolo.”
24UJowabhi wasuka waya kukumkani, wafika wathi: “Yintoni le uyenzileyo? Uyabona, uAbhinere ebeze kuwe! Kutheni le nto umyekileyo ahambe? Ngoku umkile! 25Wazi kakuhle ukuba uAbhinere into kaNere ebeze kukukhohlisa; ubeze kugqala le nto uqamele ngayo nayo yonke enye into oyenzayo.”
26Uthe uJowabhi ukusuka kwakhe kuDavide wathuma amadoda, esithi makaye kulanda uAbhinere. Amlanda ke kwelaa qula laseSira. Wayengazi nto kambe uDavide ngalo mbandela. 27Ukufika kwakhe eHebron uAbhinere, uJowabhi wambizela bucala ngasesangweni, ngokungathi uza kuthetha naye ngasese. Bathe beselapho suka uJowabhi wamhlaba uAbhinere esiswini, wafa. Waba ke njalo uJowabhi uyaliphindezela igazi lomntakwabo uAsayeli owabulawa nguAbhinere.
28Luthe lakufika ezindlebeni zikaDavide udaba lokugwintwa kuka-Abhinere, wavakala esithi: “Mna kunye nabantu abaphantsi kwam simsulwa kubugebenga obenziwe kuAbhinere unyana kaNere, nkqu *uNdikhoyo uyayazi loo nto. 29Isiqalekiso sale ntlekele masihlele uJowabhi nomzi wakowabo. Makusoloko kukho umntu onegcushuwa, iqhenqa, osimelela ngenduku, okanye owa edabini, nesilambi.”
30Kwaba njalo ke ukuphindezela ukufa kuka-Asayeli edabini laseGibheyon. Kwaphindezelwa nguJowabhi kunye nomntakwabo uAbhishayi.
Ukungcwatywa kuka-Abhinere
31Emva koko uDavide wathi kuJowabhi kwakunye nabantu bonke ababenaye: “Zikrazuleni izambatho zenu, ninxibe amarhonya, nimzilele uAbhinere.”
Kumngcelele womngcwabo ukumkani uDavide ngenkqu wayelandela idlaka. 32Wangcwatyelwa eHebron uAbhinere. Ukumkani walila ezimathontsi apho engcwabeni lika-Abhinere, batsho bonke abantu balila nabo.
33Kuloo mngcwabo ka-Abhinere ukumkani uDavide wavuma ingoma yesililo ethi:
“Yini na ukuwa njengesidenge, Abhinere?
34Izandla zakho bezingabotshwanga;
iinyawo zakho bezingaqanyangelwanga.
Kum ingathi uwiswe bubugwinta bamatshijolo.”
Baqala emva ukugixa abantu.
35Bonke abantu babemcenga yonke loo mini uDavide, ukuba kubekho into ayityayo, kodwa uDavide wafunga esithi: “Makandohlwaye uThixo, nokuba kuqatha kangakanani na, ukuba ndithe, lingekatshoni ilanga, ndangcamla isonka nokuba yiyiphi na enye into etyiwayo.” 36Abantu baba nomgqalisela ngale nto, yabakholisa; ewe, yonke into awayenzayo ukumkani yabakholisa. 37Kwacaca ngaloo mini kumaSirayeli ephela ukuba ukumkani wayengazani konke nokufa kuka-Abhinere unyana kaNere.
38Wavakala ukumkani ebhekisa kumaphakathi akhe esithi: “Niyaqonda phofu ukuba yinkokheli kwanengangalala le iwileyo namhlanje kwaSirayeli? 39Ndiziva ndityhafile mna namhlanje, ngoku kanye ndingukumkani othanjisiweyo. Aba bafo bangoonyana bakaZeruya baziindlongo-ndlongo, mna bayandixaka. Akwaba uNdikhoyo angamohlwaya umenzi wobubi ngendlela emfaneleyo.”