3Kwakukhona-ke impi isikhathi eside phakathi kwendlu kaSawuli lendlu kaDavida; kodwa uDavida waya eqina, kodwa indlu kaSawuli yaya isiba buthakathaka.

Amadodana kaDavida

2 Kwasekuzalelwa uDavida amadodana eHebronia; lezibulo lakhe lalinguAmnoni kaAhinowama umJizereyelikazib; 3 leyesibili yakhe yayinguKileyabi kaAbigayili umkaNabali umKharmeli; eyesithathu yayinguAbisalomu indodana kaMahaka indodakazi kaTalimayi, inkosi yeGeshuric; 4 leyesine yayinguAdonija indodana kaHagithid; leyesihlanu yayinguShefathiya indodana kaAbithali; 5 leyesithupha yayinguIthereyamu kaEgila, umkaDavida. Laba bazalelwa uDavida eHebroni.

Ukuvumelana kukaDavida loAbhineri

6 Kwasekusithi kuselempi phakathi kwendlu kaSawuli lendlu kaDavida, uAbhineri waziqinisa endlini kaSawuli. 7 Njalo uSawuli wayelomfazi omncane, obizo lakhe lalinguRizipha indodakazi kaAyae; uIshiboshethi wasesithi kuAbhineri: Ungeneleni emfazini omncane kababaf? 8 UAbhineri wasethukuthela kakhulu ngenxa yamazwi kaIshiboshethi, wathi: Ngilikhanda lenja yini mina ongokaJuda? Lamuhla ngenzela indlu kaSawuli uyihlo umusa, kubafowabo, lakubangane bakhe, kangikunikelanga esandleni sikaDavida, ukuthi ungibeka icala ngowesifazana lamuhlag? 9 UNkulunkulu enze njalo kuAbhinerih, engezelele ngokunjalo kuye, ngeqiniso, njengoba iNkosi ifungile kuDavida, qotho, ngizakwenza njalo kuyei, 10 ukudlulisa umbuso usuka endlini kaSawuli, lokumisa isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavida phezu kukaIsrayeli laphezu kukaJuda, kusukela koDani kuze kufike eBherishebhaj. 11 Njalo wayengelakumphendula uAbhineri ngalizwi futhi, ngoba wayemesaba.

12 UAbhineri wasethuma izithunywa kuDavida esikhundleni sakhe, esithi: Ngelikabani ilizwe? Esithi: Yenza isivumelwano sakho lami; khangela-ke, isandla sami sizakuba lawe ukuphendulela uIsrayeli wonke kuwe. 13 Wasesithi: Kulungile; mina ngizakwenza isivumelwano lawe, kodwa yinye into engiyifuna kuwe, ngeyokuthi kawuyikubona ubuso bamik, ngaphandle kokuthi ulethe kuqala uMikhali indodakazi kaSawuli, lapho usizabona ubuso bamil. 14 UDavida wasethuma izithunywa kuIshiboshethi indodana kaSawuli, esithi: Nginika umkami uMikhali engamgana ngamajwabu aphambili alikhulu amaFilistim. 15 UIshiboshethi wasethumela, wamthatha endodeni yakhe, kuPalitiyeli indodana kaLayishin. 16 Kodwa indoda yakhe yahamba laye, ihamba ikhala inyembezi ngemva kwakhe kwaze kwaba seBahurimio. UAbhineri wasesithi kuyo: Hamba, buyela. Yasibuyela.

17 UAbhineri wasesiba lenkulumo labadala bakoIsrayeli esithi: Ngezikhathi ezidlulileyo lalifuna uDavida ukuthi abe yinkosi phezu kwenu. 18 Khathesi-ke, kwenzeni, ngoba iNkosi ikhulumile ngoDavida ukuthi: Ngesandla senceku yami uDavida ngizakhulula abantu bami uIsrayeli esandleni samaFilisti lesandleni sazo zonke izitha zabop. 19 UAbhineri wasekhuluma futhi endlebeni zakoBhenjaminiq; uAbhineri njalo wasesiyakhuluma endlebeni zikaDavida eHebroni konke okwakukuhle emehlweni akoIsrayeli lemehlweni endlu yonke yakoBhenjamini. 20 Ngakho uAbhineri wafika kuDavida eHebroni elamadoda angamatshumi amabili; uDavida wasesenzela uAbhineri lamadoda ayelaye idili. 21 UAbhineri wasesithi kuDavida: Ngizasukuma ngihambe, ngibuthanise uIsrayeli wonke enkosini yami, inkosi, ukuze benze isivumelwano lawer, lokuthi ubuse kukho konke umphefumulo wakho okufisayos. UDavida waseyekela uAbhineri ukuthi ahambe, wasehamba ngokuthula.

UJowabi ubulala uAbhineri

22 Khangela-ke, izinceku zikaDavida loJowabi bafika bevela ekuhlaseleni beza belempango enkulu. Kodwa uAbhineri wayengekho kuDavida eHebroni, ngoba wayemyekele ukuthi ahambe, wahamba ngokuthula. 23 Esefikile uJowabi lebutho lonke elalilaye, bamtshela uJowabi besithi: UAbhineri indodana kaNeri ubefikile enkosini, imyekele wahamba; wahamba ngokuthula. 24 UJowabi wasesiya enkosini, wathi: Wenzeni? Khangela, uAbhineri ubefikile kuwe; pho, umyekeleleni ukuthi ahambe, wahamba lokuhamba? 25 Uyamazi uAbhineri indodana kaNeri ukuthi ulande ukukukhohlisa, lokwazi ukuphuma kwakho lokungena kwakho, lokwazi konke okwenzayot. 26 Esephumile uJowabi kuDavida wathuma izithunywa ukulandela uAbhineri, ezambuyisa emthonjeni weSira; kodwa uDavida wayengakwazi lokho. 27 UAbhineri esebuyile eHebroni, uJowabi wamphambulela eceleni phakathi kwesango ukuze akhulume laye ngaseseu; wasemtshaya lapho kubambo lwesihlanu waze wafa, ngenxa yegazi likaAsaheli umfowabov.

28 Kwathi uDavida esekuzwile emva kwalokho wathi: Mina lombuso wami kasilacala phambi kweNkosi kuze kube nininini ngegazi likaAbhineri indodana kaNeri. 29 Kalihlale phezu kwekhanda likaJowabi lendlini yonke kayisew. Kakungaqunywa endlini kaJowabi ogobhozayox, kumbe umlepheroy, kumbe odondolozelayo, kumbe owa ngenkemba, kumbe oswela ukudlaz. 30 Ngokunjalo uJowabi loAbishayi umfowabo bambulala uAbhineri, ngoba wayebulele umfowabo uAsaheli eGibeyoni empinia.

31 UDavida wasesithi kuJowabi lakubo bonke abantu ababelaye: Dabulani izigqoko zenub, libhince amasaka, lilile phambi kukaAbhineric. Inkosi uDavida yasilandela ithala. 32 UAbhineri basebemngcwabela eHebroni; inkosi yasiphakamisa ilizwi layo yakhala inyembezi engcwabeni likaAbhineri, labantu bonke bakhala inyembezi. 33 Inkosi yamenzela uAbhineri isililod yathi: Afe uAbhineri njengokufa kwesithutha yinie? 34 Izandla zakho bezingabotshwanga, lenyawo zakho bezingafakwanga emaketaneni; njengowela phambi kwabantu ababi uwile. Bonke abantu basebephinda bemkhalela inyembezi. 35 Bonke abantu basebesiza ukumenza uDavida ukuthi adle ukudla kuseseminif; kodwa uDavida wafunga esithi: Kenze njalo uNkulunkulu kimi engezelele ngokunjalog, uba nginambitha ukudla loba okunye nje lingakatshoni ilangah. 36 Kwathi bonke abantu bekunanzelela, kwaba kuhle emehlweni abo; njengakho konke eyakwenzayo inkosi, kwaba kuhle emehlweni abo bonke abantu. 37 Ngoba bonke abantu loIsrayeli wonke bazi ngalolosuku ukuthi kwakungeyisikho okwenkosi ukubulala uAbhineri indodana kaNeri. 38 Inkosi yasisithi encekwini zayo: Kalazi yini ukuthi kuwe induna lomkhulu koIsrayeli lamuhla? 39 Lami lamuhla ngibuthakathaka, njalo ngigcotshwe ngaba yinkosi; lalamadoda, amadodana kaZeruyai, alukhuni kulamij. INkosi izavuza umenzi wobubi njengobubi bakhek.