Indlala yeminyaka emithathu
1Kwaba-khona indlala ezinsukwini zikaDavide iminyaka emithathu ngokulandelana; uDavide wafuna ubuso bukaJehova. UJehova wathi: Kungenxa kaSawule nangenxa yendlu yakhe yegazi, ngokuba wabulala abaseGibeyoni.
2Inkosi yayisibiza abaseGibeyoni, yakhuluma kubo — abaseGibeyoni babengesibo abantwana bakwaIsrayeli, beyinsali yama-Amori; abantwana bakwaIsrayeli babefungile kubo; uSawule wafuna ukubabulala ngokushisekela kwakhe abantwana bakwaIsrayeli nabakwaJuda; —
3wathi-ke uDavide kwabaseGibeyoni: Nginenzele-ntoni na? Ngingenza ukubuyisana ngantoni ukuba nibusise ifa likaJehova na?
4AbaseGibeyoni bathi kuye: Akundaba yesiliva negolide noSawule nendlu yakhe, futhi akundaba yokubulala umuntu kwaIsrayeli. Wathi: Enikushoyo ngiyakunenzela khona.
5Bathi enkosini: Umuntu owasibulalayo waceba ngathi ukuba sichithwe singasali phakathi kwemikhawulo yakwaIsrayeli,
6masinikwe abantu abayisikhombisa bamadodana akhe, sibaphanyeke kuJehova eGibeya likaSawule, okhethiweyo kaJehova. Inkosi yathi: Ngiyakuninika bona.
7Kepha inkosi yamyeka uMefibosheti indodana kaJonathani kaSawule ngenxa yesifungo sikaJehova esasiphakathi kwabo, phakathi kukaDavide noJonathani indodana kaSawule.
8Kepha inkosi yathatha amadodana kaRispa indodakazi ka-Aya ayewazalele uSawule, oArimoni noMefibosheti; namadodana ayisihlanu kaMikhali indodakazi kaSawule ayewazalele uAdriyeli indodana kaBarizilayi umMeholati;
9wabanikela ezandleni zabaseGibeyoni, babaphanyeka entabeni phambi kukaJehova, bawa labo abayisikhombisa kanyekanye; babulawa ngesikhathi sokuvuna ezinsukwini zokuqala ngasekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwebhali*.
10URispa indodakazi ka-Aya wathatha indwangu yamasaka, wazendlalela yona edwaleni, kusukela ekuqaleni kokuvuna kuze kuthelwe phezu kwabo amanzi asezulwini; akavumelanga izinyoni zezulu ukuba zihlale phezu kwabo emini, nezilwane zasendle ebusuku.
11Kwabikelwa uDavide ukuthi uRispa indodakazi ka-Aya, isancinza sikaSawule, wenzeni.
12UDavide waya wathatha amathambo kaSawule namathambo kaJonathani indodana yakhe kubantu baseJabeshi-Gileyadi ababewebile esigcawini saseBeti-Shani, lapho amaFilisti ayebaphanyeké khona, mhla amaFilisti embulala uSawule eGilibowa.
13Wenyusa lapho amathambo kaSawule namathambo kaJonathani indodana yakhe; baqoqa amathambo ababephanyekiwe.
14Bawembela amathambo kaSawule noJonathani indodana yakhe ezweni lakwaBenjamini eSela ethuneni likaKishi uyise; benza konke okuyalezwé yinkosi. Ngasemuva uNkulunkulu wancengwa ngenxa yezwe.
Ukulwa kwamaFilisti
15AmaFilisti abuye aphaka impi noIsrayeli; uDavide wehla, izinceku zakhe zinaye, balwa namaFilisti; uDavide waphela amandla.
16UIshibi-Benobi wabantwana bamaRefa osisindo somkhonto wakhe sasingamashekeli* angamakhulu amathathu ethusi, ebhincé inkemba entsha, wathi uyakumbulala uDavide.
17Kepha uAbishayi indodana kaSeruya wamsiza, wamshaya umFilisti wambulala. Base befunga kuye abantu bakaDavide, bathi: Awusayikuphuma impi nathi, funa ucime isibani sakwaIsrayeli.
18Kwathi emva kwalokho kwabuye kwavuka impi namaFilisti eGobi khona uSibekayi umHushati wabulala uSafi owayengowamadodana amaRefa.
19Kwabuye kwaba-khona impi namaFilisti eGobi; uElihanani indodana kaJahari-Oregimi waseBetlehema wabulala uGoliyati umGiti oluthi lomkhonto wakhe lwalunjengogongolo lomaluki.
20Kwabuye kwaba-khona impi eGati, lapho kwakukhona umuntu omude owayeneminwe eyisithupha esandleni nezinzwani eziyisithupha onyaweni, kungamashumi amabili nane kukonke; naye wazalwa yiRefa.
21Wameyisa uIsrayeli; ngalokho uJonathani indodana kaShimeyi umfowabo kaDavide wambulala.
22Labo bobane bazalwa ngamaRefa eGati; bawa ngesandla sikaDavide nangesandla sezinceku zakhe.
