Ukubulawa kukaIshiboshethi

4Lapho isizwile indodana kaSawuli ukuthi uAbhineri ufele eHebroni, izandla zakhe zaba buthakathaka, loIsrayeli wonke wakhathazekaa. 2 Njalo indodana kaSawuli yayilamadoda amabili ayeyizinduna zamaviyo; ibizo lenye lalinguBahana, lebizo lenye linguRekabi, amadodana kaRimoni, umBherothi, wabantwana bakoBhenjaminib. Ngoba iBherothi layo yayibalelwa koBhenjamini; 3 lamaBherothi abalekelac eGithayimid, aba ngabahlali njengabezizwe khona kuze kube lamuhla.

4 UJonathani indodana kaSawuli wayelendodana eyayiyisilima enyawenie. Yayileminyaka emihlanu ekufikeni kombiko ngoSawuli loJonathani uvela eJizereyelif; lomlizane wayo wayithatha, wabaleka; kwasekusithi ekuphangiseni kwakhe ukubaleka, yawa yaba yisilima. Lebizo layo lalinguMefiboshethi. 5 Lamadodana kaRimoni, umBherothi, uRekabi loBahana, ahamba, ekutshiseni kwelanga afika endlini kaIshiboshethi, owayelele embhedeni emini enkulu. 6 Bona bangena endlini phakathi kungathi bathatha ingqoloyi, bamtshaya kubambo lwesihlanug; uRekabi loBahana umfowabo basebebaleka. 7 Ngoba bengena endlini, wayelele embhedeni wakhe endlini yakhe yokulala, bamtshaya, bambulala, bamquma ikhanda; bathatha ikhanda lakhe, bahamba ngendlela yamagceke ubusuku bonkeh. 8 Basebelisa ikhanda likaIshiboshethi kuDavida eHebroni. Bathi enkosini: Khangela, ikhanda likaIshiboshethi indodana kaSawuli, isitha sakho ebesidinga impilo yakho; iNkosi inike impindiselo lamuhla enkosini yami, inkosi, kuSawuli lakuyo inzalo yakhei.

9 Kodwa uDavida wabaphendula uRekabi loBahana umfowabo, amadodana kaRimoni umBherothi, wathi kubo: Kuphila kukaJehovaj, ohlenge umphefumulo wami kuyo yonke inhluphekok, 10 lapho owangibikelayo esithi: Khangela, uSawuli ufile; njalo enjengomthwali wendaba ezinhle emehlweni akhe, ngamxhakalaza, ngambulala eZikilagi, kulokuthi ngimvuzele indaba ezinhlel. 11 Pho kangakanani, lapho abantu ababi bebulele umuntu olungileyo endlini yakhe esembhedeni wakhe; ngakho-ke angiyikubiza yini igazi lakhe esandleni senu, ngilisuse emhlabenim? 12 UDavida waselaya amajahan, ababulala, aquma izandla zabo lenyawo zabo, abaphanyeka echibini leHebroni. Kodwa athatha ikhanda likaIshiboshethi, alingcwaba engcwabeni likaAbhineri eHebronio.