2 uSamuweli 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 bakwa-Israyeli 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 ku-Amasa: “Ngibuthele abantu bakwaJuda ngezinsuku ezintathu, ube khona nawe.” ₅Wayesehamba u-Amasa ukubutha uJuda, kepha walibala phezu kwesikhathi asinqunyelweyo.

₆Wayesethi uDavide ku-Abishayi: “Manje uSheba indodana kaBikri uyakwenza okubi kakhulu kithi kuno-Abisalomu; 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, u-Amasa wafika ukubahlangabeza. UJowabe wayebhince isambatho sakhe sokulwa ayelokhu esigqoka; kusona lalikhona ibhande* elinenkemba emgodleni wayo elaligaxwe okhalweni lwakhe; yawa esehamba.

₉UJowabe wayesethi ku-Amasa: “Usaphila, mfowethu, na?” UJowabe wambamba u-Amasa ngesilevu ngesandla sakhe sokunene ukuba amange. ₁₀Kodwa u-Amasa akayinakanga inkemba eyayisesandleni sikaJowabe; wamgwaza ngayo esiswini, wachithela izibilini zakhe emhlabathini; wafa engamphindanga. OJowabe no-Abishayi umfowabo bamxosha uSheba indodana kaBikri.

₁₁Kwema ngakuye enye yezinsizwa zikaJowabe, yathi: “Omthanda uJowabe nongokaDavide mabamlandele uJowabe.” ₁₂U-Amasa wahuquzela egazini lakhe phakathi nomendo. Lapho lo muntu ebona ukuthi bonke abantu bema, wamgudluza u-Amasa 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 zakwa-Israyeli, waze wafika e-Abela, naseBeti Mahakha, nakuwo onke amaBeri; babuthana bamxosha nakhona. ₁₅Bafika bamvimbezela e-Abela laseBeti Mahakha, banqwabela iduli ngasemzini elema ngasodongeni; abantu bonke ababe noJowabe 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 e-Abela.’ Base beqeda. ₁₉Mina ngingowokuthula nothembekileyo kwa-Israyeli; wena ufuna ukuchitha umuzi nonina kwa-Israyeli; uyakuligwinyelani ifa likaJehova na?”

₂₀UJowabe waphendula wathi: “Makube kude, makube kude nami ukuba ngigwinye noma ngichithe. ₂₁Akunjalo, kepha umuntu wasezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, 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 kulowo muzi, baya, kwaba yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe. UJowabe wabuyela eJerusalema enkosini.

₂₃UJowabe wayesephezu kwempi yonke yakwa-Israyeli; uBenaya indodana kaJehoyada wayephezu kwamaKhereti namaPheleti; ₂₄u-Adoramu wayephethe imali; uJehoshafati indodana ka-Ahiludi wayengumabhalana. ₂₅USheva wayengumbhali; oSadoki no-Abiyathara babe ngabapristi; ₂₆u-Ira umJayiri wayengumpristi kaDavide.