Ukubalwa kwabantu nokufika kwesifo
1USathane wema ukulwa no-Israyeli, wavusa uDavide ukuba abale u-Israyeli. 2UDavide wayesethi kuJowabe nasezinduneni zabantu: “Hambani nibale u-Israyeli kusukela eBeri Sheba kuze kube kwaDani, 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 le nto na? Iyakuba yicala ngani ku-Israyeli na?”
4Nokho izwi lenkosi lamahlula uJowabe. UJowabe waphuma, wadabula wonke u-Israyeli, wafika eJerusalema. 5UJowabe wanika uDavide umumo wabantu ababaliweyo; wonke u-Israyeli 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 u-Israyeli.
8UDavide wayesethi kuNkulunkulu: “Ngonile kakhulu ngalokho engikwenzileyo; kepha manje, Jehova, mawuthethelele ububi benceku yakho, ngokuba ngintumazele kakhulu.”
9UJehova wayesekhuluma kuGadi, umboni kaDavide, ethi: 10“Hamba 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: 12‘Zikhethele 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 yakwa-Israyeli.’ 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 kuka-Israyeli; kwafa kwa-Israyeli abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa. 15UNkulunkulu wathuma ingelosi eJerusalema ukulichitha; kwathi lapho isalichitha, uJehova wabuka, wazisola ngalobo bubi, wathi engelosini echithayo: “Sekwanele; buyisa isandla sakho.” Ingelosi kaJehova yayimi ngasesibuyeni sika-Orinani 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; ngenze kabi kakhulu, kepha lezi zimvu zenzeni na? Isandla sakho, Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, masibe phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa, singabi phezu kwabantu bakho ukubashaya ngesifo.”
I-altare elisesibuyeni sika-Orinani
18Ingelosi kaJehova yamyala uGadi ukusho kuDavide ukuba uDavide enyuke, amisele uJehova i-altare esibuyeni sika-Orinani umJebusi. 19UDavide wenyuka ngezwi likaGadi alikhulumayo egameni likaJehova.
20U-Orinani waphenduka, wayibona ingelosi; amadodana akhe amane ayenaye acasha. U-Orinani wayebhula ukolweni. 21UDavide esefika ku-Orinani, u-Orinani wabuka, wambona uDavide, waphuma esibuyeni, wakhothamela uDavide, ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi.
22UDavide wathi ku-Orinani: “Nginike indawo yalesi sibuya ukuba ngakhele uJehova i-altare kuyo: uyakunginika yona ngemali epheleleyo ukuba lesi sifo sinqamuke kubantu.”
23U-Orinani 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 ku-Orinani: “Qha, ngiyakukuthenga nokukuthenga ngemali epheleleyo, ngokuba angizukumthathela uJehova okungokwakho, nginikele ngomnikelo wokushiswa ngengikuthole ngeze.”
25UDavide wayesemnika u-Orinani ngendawo amashekeli* angamakhulu ayisithupha egolide ngesisindo. 26UDavide wamakhela khona uJehova i-altare, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yokuthula, wambiza uJehova; wamphendula esezulwini ngomlilo e-altare lomnikelo wokushiswa.
27UJehova wayiyala ingelosi; yabuyisela inkemba yayo emgodleni wayo.
28Ngaleso sikhathi lapho uDavide esebonile ukuthi uJehova umphendulile esibuyeni sika-Orinani umJebusi, wahlaba khona. 29Ngokuba itabernakele* likaJehova alenza uMose ehlane ne-altare lomnikelo wokushiswa kwakusendaweni ephakemeyo eGibeyoni ngaleso sikhathi. 30Kepha uDavide wayengenakuya phambi kwalo ukubuza kuNkulunkulu, ngokuba wagebhezelela inkemba yengelosi kaJehova.
