2 USamuyeli 24 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UDavida ubala abantu

¹ Lwabuya lwamvuthela uIsrayeli ulaka lweNkosi, wabavusela uDavida ngokuthi: Hamba uyebala uIsrayeli loJuda.

² Ngakho inkosi uDavida yathi kuJowabi lakubaphathi bempi ababelaye: Hambani ezizweni zonke zakoIsrayeli, kusukela koDani kuze kube seBerisheba, libale abantu ukuba ngazi ukuthi banganani.

³ Kodwa uJowabi wasesithi enkosini: Loba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ingabandisa abantu baphindwe ngokulikhulu, lenkosi uDavida iphile ize ikubone lokhu, lokho kungayithokozisa ngani na?

⁴ Kodwa inkosi yamlaya uJowabi lezinduna zempi ukuba balalele ilizwi layo. Ngakhoke uJowabi lezinduna zempi baphuma enkosini ukuba babale abantu bakoIsrayeli.

⁵ Bachapha iJordani, baqalisa eAroweri, lasemzini ophakathi kwesihotsha, baqonda koGadi, badlulela eJazeri.

⁶ Basebefika eGileyadi laseKadeshi elizweni lamaHethi; bayafika koDani, basuka koDani baqonda eSidoni,

⁷ bayafika enqabeni yaseTire lasemizini yonke yamaHivi lamaKanani; baphuma baya eNegebi yakoJuda eBerisheba.

⁸ Sebedabule lonke ilizwe, bafika eJerusalema ekupheleni kwenyanga ezificamunwemunye lensuku ezingamatshumi amabili.

⁹ UJowabi waseyinika inkosi inani labantu abangaphuma impi; koIsrayeli kwakukhona amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu aficaminwembili; amadoda akoJuda ayeyizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amahlanu.

¹⁰ UDavida wahlabeka enhliziyweni emva kokubala kwakhe abantu. Wathi eNkosini: Ngonile kakhulu ngalokho engikwenzileyo. Ngakho, Nkosi, ngiyakuncenga, akuthethelele ububi benceku yakho, ngoba ngenzile ubuthutha obukhulu.

¹¹ Kwathi uDavida esevukile ekuseni, kwafika ilizwi leNkosi kumprofethi uGadi, umboni kaDavida, lathi:

¹² Hamba uyetshela uDavida ukuthi iNkosi ithi: Ngikubekela izinto ezintathu; khetha enye kuzo ukuba ngiyenze kuwe.

¹³ UGadi wasefika kuDavida, wamtshela wathi: Kufike kuwe yini iminyaka emithathu yendlala elizweni lakini, loba ubalekele izitha zakho inyanga ezintathu zixotshana lawe; ingabe kube khona umkhuhlane okwensuku ezintathu elizweni lakini na? Ake ucabange, ubone ukuba yimpendulo bani engizayibuyisela kongithumileyo.

¹⁴ UDavida wasesithi kuGadi: Ngisebunzimeni obukhulu; kungcono ukuba ngiwele esandleni seNkosi, ngoba umusa wayo mkhulu, kulokuba ngiwele esandleni somuntu.

¹⁵ Ngakho iNkosi yasithumela umkhuhlane kuIsrayeli, kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba sesikhathini esimisiweyo; kwafa abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa kusukela koDani kwaze kwaba seBerisheba.

¹⁶ Lapho isithunywa siselulela isandla eJerusalema ukulibhubhisa, iNkosi uNkulunkulu yazisola ngalobobubi, yathi kuso isithunywa esasibhubhisa abantu: Yekela! Sekwanele. Isithunywa seNkosi sasisesizeni sikaAruwana waseJebusi.

¹⁷ UDavida wasekhuluma eNkosini lapho ebona isithunywa esasibulala abantu, wathi: Khangela, yimi engonileyo, isono ngesami; pho, lezizimvu zenzeni na? Isandla sakho kasibe phezu kwami laphezu kwendlu kababa.

¹⁸ UGadi wafika kuDavida ngalolosuku, wathi kuye: Hamba, wakhele iNkosi ialtare esizeni sikaAruwana waseJebusi.

¹⁹ UDavida wasehambake njengokutsho kukaGadi, lanjengokulaya kweNkosi.

²⁰ Kwathi lapho uAruwana elunguza, wabona inkosi uDavida lenceku zayo besiza kuye; waphuma, wakhuleka kuyo ethe mbo ngobuso phansi.

²¹ UAruwana wathi: Kungani ukuba inkosi yami ize encekwini yayo na? UDavida wathi: Ukuba ngithenge kuwe isiza, ngiyakhele iNkosi ialtare, ukuze umkhuhlane udede ebantwini.

²² UAruwana wasesithi kuDavida: Inkosi yami ingathatha inikele ngalokho ekubona kufanele; nanzi inkabi zeminikelo yokutshiswa, nanzi lezimbulo lamajogwe enkabi kube zinkuni.

²³ UArawana wayinika inkosi konke lokhu; wathi kuyo: INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho kayikwamukele.

²⁴ Kodwa inkosi yathi kuAruwana: Atshi bo, ngizakukuthenga kuwe ngenani elithile; kangiyikunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa eNkosini uNkulunkulu wami engangibizanga lutho. UDavida wasesithenga isiza lenkabi ngamashekeli esiliva angamatshumi amahlanu.

²⁵ UDavida wayakhela khona iNkosi ialtare, wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula. INkosi yakuzwa ukukhulekelwa kwelizwe, umkhuhlane waphela koIsrayeli.