UDavida ubala abantu

21USathane wasesukuma emelana loIsrayelia, wavusa uDavida ukuthi abale uIsrayelib. 2 Ngakho uDavida wathi kuJowabi lakubabusi babantu: Hambani libale uIsrayeli kusukela eBherishebha kuze kufike koDani, lilethe kimi ukuze ngazi inani labo. 3 UJowabi wasesithi: INkosi kayandise ebantwini bayo njengoba benjalo ngokulikhulu. Nkosi yami, nkosi, abasizo bonke yini izinceku zenkosi yami? Inkosi yami ikufunelani lokhu? Izakuba licala ngani kuIsrayelic? 4 Kodwa ilizwi lenkosi laba lamandla phezu kukaJowabi. Ngakho uJowabi waphuma, wahambahamba phakathi kukaIsrayeli wonke; wafika eJerusalema.

5 UJowabi wasenika uDavida inani lokubalwa kwabantu. Njalo wonke uIsrayeli wayengamadoda azinkulungwane ezizinkulungwane lezinkulungwane ezilikhulu ahwatsha inkembad; loJuda wayengamadoda azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amane lamatshumi ayisikhombisa ahwatsha inkembae. 6 Kodwa uLevi loBhenjamini kababalanga phakathi kwabo, ngoba ilizwi lenkosi lalinengeka kuJowabif. 7 Njalo kwaba kubi emehlweni kaNkulunkulu mayelana lalindaba; ngakho wamtshaya uIsrayeli. 8 UDavida wasesithi kuNkulunkulu: Ngonile kakhulu ngoba ngenze linto. Kodwa khathesi, ake wedlulise ububi benceku yakho, ngoba ngenze ngobuthutha obukhulu.

9 INkosi yasikhuluma kuGadi umboni kaDavida isithi: 10 Hamba ukhulume kuDavida uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Mina ngikubekela okuthathu; zikhethele okunye kukho engizakwenza kuwe. 11 UGadi wasefika kuDavida wathi kuye: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Zikhethele: 12 Kumbe iminyaka emithathu yendlala; loba inyanga ezintathu uqedwa ebusweni bezitha zakho lenkemba yezitha zakho ikufice; kumbe insuku ezintathu inkemba yeNkosi, ngitsho umatshayabhuqe wesifo, elizweni, lengilosi yeNkosi ichitha kuwo wonke umngcele wakoIsrayeli. Ngakho-ke bona ukuthi yimpendulo bani engizayibuyisela kongithumileyog. 13 UDavida wasesithi kuGadi: Ngicindezelwe kakhulu; ake ngiwele esandleni seNkosi, ngoba izisa zayo zinengi kakhulu; kodwa kangingaweli esandleni somuntu.

14 Ngakho iNkosi yathuma umatshayabhuqe wesifo koIsrayeli; kwasekusiwa abantu abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa. 15 UNkulunkulu wasethuma ingilosi eJerusalema ukuyibhubhisa; njalo isayibhubhisa, iNkosi yabona yazisola ngalobobubi, yasisithi kuyo ingilosi ebhubhisayo: Kwanele, khathesi buyisa isandla sakho. Ingilosi yeNkosi yayimi-ke ebaleni lokubhulela likaOrinani umJebusi. 16 UDavida wasephakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona ingilosi yeNkosi imi phakathi komhlaba lamazulu lenkemba yayo ehwatshiweyo esandleni sayo iyelulele phezu kweJerusalema. UDavida labadala begqoke-ke amasaka bathi mbo ngobuso baboh. 17 UDavida wasesithi kuNkulunkulu: Kakusimi yini othe kababale abantu? Yebo yimi owonileyo owenze okubi sibili. Kodwa lezizimvu zenzeni? Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, isandla sakho ake sibe phezu kwami laphezu kwendlu kababa, kodwa hatshi phezu kwabantu bakho ukuthi bahlutshwe.

18 Ingilosi yeNkosi yasisithi kuGadi katshele uDavida ukuthi uDavida kenyuke ayekwakhela iNkosi ilathi ebaleni lokubhulela likaOrinani umJebusii. 19 UDavida wasesenyuka ngelizwi likaGadi alikhuluma ngebizo leNkosi. 20 UOrinani enyemukula wabona ingilosi; lamadodana akhe amane ayelaye acatsha. UOrinani wayebhula-ke ingqoloyi. 21 UDavida esefika kuOrinani, uOrinani wakhangela wambona uDavida, waphuma ebaleni lokubhulela, wakhothamela uDavida ngobuso emhlabathini. 22 UDavida wasesithi kuOrinani: Nginika indawo yebala lokubhulela ukuze ngakhele iNkosi ilathi kuyo; nginike yona ngemali egcweleyo, ukuze inhlupheko imiswe ebantwini. 23 UOrinani wasesithi kuDavida: Zithathele, inkosi yami inkosi kayenze okuhle emehlweni ayo; khangela, ngiyanika inkabi zibe yiminikelo yokutshiswa, lezimbulo zibe zinkuni, lengqoloyi ibe ngumnikelo wokudla. Ngiyanika konkej. 24 Kodwa inkosi uDavida yathi kuOrinani: Hatshi, kodwa ngizathenga lokuthenga ngemali egcweleyo; ngoba kangiyikuthathela iNkosi okwakho, loba nginikele iminikelo yokutshiswa ngaphandle kwentengo. 25 UDavida wasemnika uOrinani ngaleyondawo amashekeli* angamakhulu ayisithupha egolide ngesisindok. 26 UDavida waseyakhela khona iNkosi ilathi, wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula, wayibiza iNkosi; yasimphendula ngomlilo ovela emazulwini phezu kwelathi lomnikelo wokutshiswal. 27 INkosi yasilaya ingilosi; yasibuyisela inkemba yayo esikhwameni sayo.

Ukukhethwa kwendawo yethempeli

28 Ngalesosikhathi uDavida esebonile ukuthi iNkosi imphendule ebaleni lokubhulela likaOrinani umJebusi, wanikela khona imihlatshelo. 29 Ngoba ithabhanekele leNkosi uMozisi ayelenze enkangala lelathi lomnikelo wokutshiswa ngalesosikhathi kwakusendaweni ephakemeyo eGibeyonim. 30 Kodwa uDavida wayengelakho ukuhamba phambi kwalo ukudinga uNkulunkulun, ngoba wethuswa yinkemba yengilosi yeNkosio.