1 ImiLando 21 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UDavida ubala abantu

¹ USathane wamelana loIsrayeli, wavusa uDavida ukuba abale abakoIsrayeli.

² Ngakho uDavida wathi kuJowabi lakubaphathi bempi: Hambani liyebala uIsrayeli kusukela eBerisheba kuze kufike koDani, libuye lizebika kimi ukuba ngazi ukuthi banganani.

³ Kodwa uJowabi wasesithi enkosini: Loba uNkulunkulu engabandisa abantu baphindwe ngokulikhulu, inkosi kayiyikuba lokhu iyinkosi labantu bonke beyizinceku zayo na? Pho, ikufunelani lokhu na? Izakwehliselani icala phezu kukaIsrayeli na?

⁴ Kodwa inkosi yamlaya uJowabi ukuba alalele ilizwi layo. Ngakho wasephuma uJowabi, wadabula phakathi kwawo wonke uIsrayeli; wabuyela eJerusalema,

⁵ wanika uDavida inani labantu abahlomileyo abalamandla. Kulo lonke lakoIsrayeli kwakukhona amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezizinkulungwane lezinkulungwane ezilikhulu; koJuda kwakulezinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amane lamatshumi ayisikhombisa.

⁶ Kodwa kawabalanga amaLevi labakoBenjamini, ngoba uJowabi wayengavumelani lomlayo wenkosi.

⁷ Kodwa lokho kwaba kubi kuNkulunkulu, wamshaya uIsrayeli.

⁸ UDavida wathi kuNkulunkulu: Ngonile kakhulu ngalokho engikwenzileyo. Ngakho ngiyakuncenga, akuthethelele ububi benceku yakho, ngoba ngenzile ubuthutha obukhulu.

⁹ INkosi yakhuluma kuGadi umboni kaDavida yathi:

¹⁰ Hamba uyetshela uDavida ukuthi iNkosi ithi: Ngikubekela izinto ezintathu; khetha enye kuzo ukuba ngiyenze kuwe.

¹¹ UGadi wasefika kuDavida wathi kuye: INkosi ithi: Zikhethele okufunayo,

¹² iminyaka emithathu yendlala, loba ukuhlutshwa yizitha zakho okwenyanga ezintathu lokuhlaselwa yimpi yazo, ingabe insuku ezintathu zokuhlaselwa ngumkhonto weNkosi oletha umkhuhlane elizweni lesithunywa seNkosi siletha ukuchitheka kulo lonke ilizwe lakoIsrayeli. Ake ucabange, ubone ukuba yimpendulo bani engizayibuyisela kongithumileyo.

¹³ UDavida wasesithi kuGadi: Ngisebunzimeni obukhulu; kungcono ukuba ngiwele esandleni seNkosi, ngoba umusa wayo mkhulu, kulokuba ngiwele esandleni somuntu.

¹⁴ Ngakho iNkosi yasithumela umkhuhlane koIsrayeli, kwafa abantu abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa.

¹⁵ UNkulunkulu wathumela isithunywa eJerusalema ukulibhubhisa; kodwa kwathi sesizakulibhubhisa, iNkosi yabuye yazisola ngalobobubi ebizakubenza; yasisithi kuso isithunywa esibhubhisayo: Yekela! Sekwanele. Isithunywa seNkosi sasisesizeni sikaOrnani waseJebusi.

¹⁶ UDavida waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona isithunywa seNkosi simi phezulu emoyeni siphethe umhedla, siwelulele phezu kweJerusalema. UDavida labadala bathi mbo ngobuso phansi begqoke izambatho zokulila.

¹⁷ UDavida wathi kuNkulunkulu: Kakusimi yini othe kakubalwe abantu, lowonileyo wenza okubi kakhulu na? Kodwa lezizimvu zenzeni na? Isandla sakho, Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, kasibe phezu kwami laphezu kwendlu kababa, ungawehliseli umkhuhlane phezu kwabantu bakho.

¹⁸ Isithunywa seNkosi satshela uGadi ukutshela uDavida ukuba aye esizeni sikaOrnani waseJebusi, akhele khona iNkosi ialtare.

¹⁹ UDavida wasehambake njengokutsho kukaGadi ngebizo leNkosi.

²⁰ UOrnani wayebhula amabele, lapho enyemukula wabona isithunywa; yena lamadodana akhe amane bacatsha.

²¹ Kwathi lapho uDavida efika, uOrnani wambona, waphuma esizeni, wakhuleka kuDavida ethe mbo ngobuso phansi.

²² UDavida wathi kuOrnani: Ngithengisela isiza sakho ukuba ngakhele kuso iNkosi ialtare, ungithengisele sona ngentengo yaso epheleleyo ukuze umkhuhlane udede ebantwini.

²³ UOrnani wasesithi kuDavida: Sithathe, inkosi yami yenze lokho ekubona kulungile kuyo; khangela, ngiyakunika lezinkabi zibe yiminikelo yokutshiswa, lezimbulo zokubhula zibe zinkuni, lamabele abe ngumnikelo wempuphu. Ngiyakunika konke lokhu.

²⁴ Kodwa inkosi uDavida yathi: Atshi bo, kodwa ngizakuthenga ngentengo yaso epheleleyo; kangiyikunikela eNkosini okungokwakho, loba nginikele iminikelo yokutshiswa engangibizanga lutho.

²⁵ UDavida wasemhlawula uOrnani amashekeli egolide angamakhulu ayisithupha ngaleyondawo.

²⁶ Wayakhela khona iNkosi ialtare, wanikela phezu kwalo iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula, wakhuleka eNkosini, yona yamphendula ngomlilo ovela ezulwini, wavutha phezu kwealtare lomnikelo wokutshiswa.

²⁷ INkosi yasilaya isithunywa, sawubuyisela umhedla esambeni sawo.

Ukukhethwa kwendawo yethempeli

²⁸ Kwathi lapho uDavida ebona ukuba iNkosi imphendule esizeni sikaOrnani waseJebusi, wanikela khona imihlatshelo.

²⁹ Ngoba iTabernakeli leNkosi uMose ayelenze enkangala lealtare lomnikelo wokutshiswa ngalesosikhathi kwakusendaweni ephakemeyo yokukhonzela eGibeyoni;

³⁰ kodwa uDavida wahluleka ukuya khona ukubuza kuNkulunkulu khona, ngoba wayesesaba umhedla wesithunywa seNkosi.