2 KASAMWELI 20

₁Apho eGiligali kwakukho itshijolo elithile lomfo ogama linguShebha, unyana kaBhikri wesizwe sakwaBhenjamin. Wasuka wabetha isigodlo sakhe, wamemelela esithi: “Asinasahlulo kuDavide, singenalifa kunyana kaJese. Elowo makaye endlwini yakhe, maSirayeli!”

₂Ke onke amadoda akwaSirayeli amshiya uDavide, alandela uShebha unyana kaBhikri, kodwa wona amaJuda asala noDavide, amlandela ukusuka eJordan ada aya kutsho naye eJerusalem.

₃Wathi uDavide akufika komkhulu eJerusalem, wawathatha lawo maqadi akhe alishumi ayesele ejonge ikomkhulu, wathi makajongwe ngabalindi. Wayebondla, kodwa akabuyanga ahlangane nabo, bahlala ubomi bobuhlolokazi bonke ubomi babo.

₄UDavide wathi kuAmasa: “Wabize amadoda akwaJuda eze apha zingadlulanga iintsuku ezintathu.” ₅Wahamba uAmasa, esiya kubiza amaJuda, kodwa akabuya ngosuku awayemiselwe lona ngukumkani.

₆Uvakele esithi ukumkani kuAbhishayi: “Phofu uyaqonda na ukuba uShebha unyana kaBhikri uza kusenzela ingxwaba-ngxwaba nangaphezu koAbhasalom. Hamba nala madoda omkhosi wam, nimlandele engekayi kwiidolophu ezinqatyisiweyo, asithele emehlweni ethu.” ₇Asuka ke amadoda ebutho likaJowabhi, nabalindi abangamaKreti namaPleti, nawo onke amagorha, anduluka eJerusalem, alanda ekhondweni likaShebha unyana kaBhikri.

₈Bathi bakufika ngakwelaa liwa laseGibheyon, bahlangana noAmasa. UJowabhi wayegaxele ezedabi, ikrele lisesingxobeni, sibotshelelwe ebhantini. Uthe akusondela lawa elo krele.

₉UJowabhi wathi kuAmasa: “Uphila njani, mfo wethu?” Wamthi nqaku ngentshebe uAmasa ngesokunene isandla sakhe, eza kumanga. ₁₀UAmasa wayengalilumkelanga ikrele elalisesandleni sikaJowabhi, wamhlaba ngalo esiswini, wamkhupha amathumbu. Wafa kwangoko, akwafuneka ukuba abuye amhlabe uJowabhi.

Basuka apho uJowabhi nomntakwabo uAbhishayi bangena endleleni, belandela uShebha unyana kaBhikri. ₁₁Enye kulaa madoda ayehamba noJowabhi yasala imi ngakweso sidumbu sika-Amasa, ikhwaza isithi: “Indoda engakwicala likaJowabhi noDavide mayilandele uJowabhi.” ₁₂Isidumbu sika-Amasa esasilijaja ligazi sasiqungquluze phakathi endleleni. Loo ndoda yathi yakubona amadoda afika eme apho, yasirhuqela entsimini eso sidumbu, yasigquma ngengubo. ₁₃Emva koko ke wonke umntu walandela uJowabhi, kuzingelwa uShebha unyana kaBhikri.

₁₄UShebha wawutyhutyha wonke ummandla wezizwe zakwaSirayeli, wada waya kutsho kwidolophu iAbhele-bhete-mahaka, elandelwa nguwo wonke umzi wakwaBhikri. ₁₅UJowabhi nomkhosi wakhe bamngqinga uShebha apho eAbhele-bhete-mahaka. Benza amanqwanqwa ngomhlaba okuqabela udonga lwangaphandle, bemba ngaphantsi kodonga, befuna ukuluwisa.

₁₆Kweso sixeko kwakukho umfazi owayehlakaniphile. Wamemeza engaphakathi, wathi: “Khawuphulaphule apha. Nceda undibizele uJowabhi; ndifuna ukuthetha naye.”

₁₇Efikile uJowabhi, wabuza loo mfazi wathi: “UnguJowabhi?”

Wathi: “Ewe, ndinguye.”

Umfazi lowo wathi kuye: “Khawuphulaphule ke, mhlekazi, oko isicakazana sakho sikuthethayo.”

Yena wathi: “Ewe, qhuba, ndimamele.”

₁₈Umfazi lowo wathi: “Kudala kwakudla ngokuthiwa: ‘Yiya kwidolophu iAbhele, uye kuvisa khona.’ Yayisenziwa ke loo nto. ₁₉Le yidolophu exolileyo nethembekileyo kwaSirayeli; kutheni ke ngoku uyidiliza nje, utshabalalisa isixeko esingunozala kuSirayeli? Ngani ukuba ufune ukucima isixeko esililifa *likaNdikhoyo?”

₂₀Waphendula uJowabhi wathi: “Hayi, andingeke ndisidilize isixeko senu ndisicime. ₂₁Asiyiyo injongo yam leyo. Kukho umfo okuthiwa nguShebha, unyana kaBhikri wakweleentaba kwaEfrayim; nguye oqale olu dushe ngokuvukela ukumkani uDavide. Mkhupheni ngaphandle; ndosiyeka esi sixeko.”

“Kulungile, intloko yakhe soyijula ngaphandle kodonga,” utshilo loo mfazi. ₂₂Wabuyela kubemi balapho necebo lakhe, bamnqumla intloko uShebha, bayijula ngaphandle kodonga kuJowabhi. Wasivuthela isigodlo, amadoda akhe ayeka ukusihlasela isixeko, agoduka. Wenjenjeya noJowabhi ukubuyela kukumkani eJerusalem.

₂₃Umphathi-mkhosi wakwaSirayeli yayinguJowabhi. Abalindi bakakumkani uDavide abangamaKreti namaPleti umphathi wabo yayinguBhenaya unyana kaJoyada. ₂₄UAdoram yena wayephethe abo benza umsebenzi ngokunyanzelwa; uYoshafati yena, unyana ka-Ahiludi, wayengumgcini-manqaku, ₂₅uSheva ingunobhala, ababingeleli inguZadoki noAbhiyatare. ₂₆UIra waseJayire wayengomnye wababingeleli bakaDavide.