2 USamuyeli 20 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ukuhlamuka kukaSheba

¹ Kwakukhona lapho umuntu omubi, ibizo lakhe linguSheba indodana kaBikiri wakoBenjamini; wakhalisa uphondo wathi: Kasilasabelo kuDavida, kasilalifa endodaneni kaJese; hambani lonke emathenteni enu, Israyeli.

² Bonke abantu bakoIsrayeli basebemonyuka kuDavida, balandela uSheba indodana kaBikiri; kodwa abantu bakoJuda balandela inkosi yabo kusukela eJordani kwaze kwaba seJerusalema.

³ UDavida wafika endlini yakhe eJerusalema; wathatha abanye abafazi bakhe abalitshumi ayebatshiye ukuba balinde indlu, wababeka endlini ukuba balindwe, wabanika ukudla, kodwa kangenanga labo endlini. Bavalelwa kwaze kwaba lusuku lokufa kwabo, behlala njengabafelwakazi.

⁴ Inkosi yasisithi kuAmasa: Ngibuthanisela abantu bakoJuda, ubuye ngensuku ezintathu.

⁵ UAmasa wasehamba ukubuthanisa uJuda, kodwa waphuza kwaze kwadlula isikhathi asimiselweyo.

⁶ UDavida wasesithi kuAbishayi: USheba indodana kaBikiri isizakwenza okubi kakhulu ukudlula okukaAbisalomu; thatha inceku zenkosi yakho, uxotshane laye, funa azuze imizi ebiyelweyo, aphunyuke.

⁷ UAbishayi walandelwa nguJowabi, lamaKerethi lamaPelethi ayengabalindi, lamaqhawe wonke, baphuma eJerusalema ukuxotshana loSheba indodana kaBikiri.

⁸ Lapho sebeselitsheni elikhulu eliseGibeyoni, uAmasa wafika ukubahlangabeza. UJowabi wayegqoke isigqoko sempi, phezu kwaso kukhona ibhanti elilomhedla usesikhwameni sawo, libotshelwe okhalweni lwakhe, umhedla wawa esahamba.

⁹ UJowabi wathi kuAmasa: Usaphila, mfowethu na? UJowabi wabamba uAmasa ngesilevu ngesandla sakhe sokunene ukuba amange.

¹⁰ Kodwa uAmasa wayengawuboni umhedla owawuphethwe nguJowabi; uJowabi wasemgwaza ngawo emzimbeni, wathululela phansi imibilini yakhe, wafa engamphindanga. UJowabi loAbishayi umfowabo baxotshana loSheba indodana kaBikiri.

¹¹ Omunye wabantu bakaJowabi wema phansi kukaAmasa, wathi: Omthandayo uJowabi, longokaDavida, kalandele uJowabi.

¹² UAmasa walala egazini lakhe phakathi komgwaqo. Wonke umuntu odlulayo, nxa embona, wema; nxa lowomuntu ebona ukuba bonke abantu bayema, wamgiqa uAmasa, wamsusa emgwaqweni, wamusa egangeni, waphosela ingubo phezu kwakhe.

¹³ Esesusiwe emgwaqweni, bonke abantu badlula bamlandela uJowabi ukuba baxotshane loSheba indodana kaBikiri.

¹⁴ USheba wadabula kuzo zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli, waze wafika eAbeli laseBeti‐Mahaka; wonke amaBikiri abuthana amlandela ukuyangena emzini.

¹⁵ Bonke abantu ababeloJowabi bafika, bamvimbezela eAbeli laseBeti‐Mahaka; bawakhela idundulu umuzi, bemba umduli wawo ukuba bawudilizele phansi.

¹⁶ Kwasekumemeza owesifazana ohlakaniphileyo emi phezu komthangala phakathi komuzi wathi: Zwanini, bo! Ake lithi kuJowabi kasondele lapha, kengikhulume laye.

¹⁷ Wasesondela; owesifazana wathi: Nguwe uJowabi na? Yena wathi: Nginguye. Wasesithi kuye: Ake uzwe amazwi encekukazi yakho. Yena wathi: Ngilalele.

¹⁸ Wasesithi: Endulo babejwayele ukuthi: Ake babuze iseluleko eAbeli; besebeyiqeda indaba.

¹⁹ Umuzi wakithi ulokuthula uthembekile ukwedlula eminye; futhi unjengonina koIsrayeli. Ufunelani ukuwuchitha na? Uzadilizelani okweNkosi uNkulunkulu na?

²⁰ UJowabi wasephendula esithi: Atshi bo! kakube khatshana lami ukuba ngidilize loba ngichithe.

²¹ Kakunjalo; kodwa umuntu wasezintabeni zakoEfrayimi, uSheba indodana kaBikiri ibizo lakhe, uphakamisele isandla sakhe enkosini uDavida; nginikani yena kuphela, ngizasuka emzini. Owesifazana wasesithi kuJowabi: Ikhanda lakhe lizaphoselwa kuwe ngaphezu komduli.

²² Owesifazana wasesiya ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe ebantwini bonke. Basebemquma ikhanda uSheba indodana kaBikiri, baliphosela ngaphandle kuJowabi. Yena wakhalisa uphondo, impi yonke yahlakazeka kulowomuzi, bonke baya emakhaya abo. UJowabi wabuyela enkosini eJerusalema.

²³ UJowabi wayephethe yonke impi yakoIsrayeli; uBenaya indodana kaJehoyada wayephethe amaKerethi lamaPelethi ayengabalindi;

²⁴ uAdoniramu wayephethe izibhalwa; uJehoshafati indodana kaAhiludi wayengumbhali;

²⁵ uSheva wayengumabhalane; uZadoki loAbiyatha babengabapristi;

²⁶ uIra waseJayiri laye wayengumpristi kaDavida.