Ukubhujiswa KweZikilagi
1Kwathi ngosuku lwesithathu lapho uDavide nabantu bakhe befika eZikilagi, bathola ukuthi ama-Amaleki ayehlasele eNegevu naseZikilagi, alinqoba, alishisa ngomlilo. 2Ayethumbe nabesifazane ababelapho, kusukela kwabancane kuya kwabadala, awaze abulala muntu, abaqhuba, ahamba nabo.
3Lapho uDavide nabantu bakhe befika emzini, bheka, wawushiswe ngomlilo; omkabo, amadodana abo, namadodakazi abo bethunjiwe. 4UDavide nabantu ababenaye badazuluka, bakhala, baze baphelelwa ngamandla okulila. 5Bobabili omkaDavide, u-Ahinohama waseJizreyeli no-Abhigayili, umkaNabali waseKharimeli, babethunjiwe. 6UDavide wayekhathazekile kakhulu, ngoba abantu base bebhunga ngokumkhanda ngamatshe, lokhu izinhliziyo zabo bonke abantu zazinomunyu, ngenxa yamadodana namadodakazi abo. Kepha uDavide wathola amandla kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wakhe.
7UDavide wathi ku-Abhiyathara, umphristi, indodana ka-Ahimeleki: “Ake ulethe kimi ingubo yamahlombe.”
U-Abhiyathara wayiletha ingubo yamahlombe kuDavide. 8UDavide wabuza kuSimakade, wathi: “Ngilixoshe yini lelo viyo na? Ngiyakulifica yini na?”
Wamphendula wathi: “Lixoshe, uyakulifica impela, bese ubakhulula bonke.”
9UDavide wahamba nabantu abangama-600 ababenaye, waze wafika emfudlaneni iBhesori, lapho kwakukhona insali. 10UDavide waqhubeka nokuwaxosha ama-Amaleki yena nabantu abangama-400, kodwa abangama-200 basala ngemuva, ngoba babekhathele ukuba bangawela umfudlana iBhesori.
11Bafumana umuntu waseGibhithe endle, bamthatha bamyisa kuDavide. Bamnika isinkwa, wadla, bamnika namanzi, waphuza. 12Bamnika ucezu lwesigaxa samakhiwane, nezigaxa ezimbili zamagilebhisi omisiwe, wadla, ayesebuyela kuye amandla akhe, lokhu wayengakaze adle sinkwa noma aphuze manzi izinsuku ezintathu nobusuku obuthathu.
13UDavide wathi kuye: “Ungokabani na? Uvelaphi?”
Wathi: “Ngiyinsizwa yaseGibhithe, inceku yomAmaleki, kodwa inkosi yami yangishiya, ngokuba ngase nginezinsuku ezintathu ngigula. 14Sasihlasele ngaseNegevu eKherethi, nakwaJuda, naseningizimu kaKhalebhu, salishisa ngomlilo iZikilagi, langqongqa.”
15UDavide wathi kuyo: “Ungangehlisela kulelo viyo labahlaseli?”
Yathi: “Uma ufunga kimi phambi kukaNkulunkulu ukuthi awuyukungibulala noma ungibuyisele enkosini yami; ngizokwehlisela kulabo bahlaseli.”
16Yayisimehlisela kubo. Bheka, babehlakazeke indawo yonke; bedla, bephuza, besina ngenxa yempango ababeyidle ezweni lamaFilisti nakwaJuda. 17UDavide wababulala kusukela ekushoneni kwelanga kwaze kwahlwa ngakusasa, akuphunyukanga muntu kubo ngaphandle kwezinsizwa ezingama-400 ezagibela amakameli, zabaleka. 18UDavide wakukhulula kanjalo konke okwakuthathwe ngama-Amaleki, wabakhulula nomkakhe bobabili. 19Akukho namunye owasilela, omncane noma omkhulu, amadodana namadodakazi, impango noma okunye nje ababezithathele khona. UDavide wakubuyisa konke. 20UDavide waphanga zonke izimvu nezinkomo. Abantu bakuqhuba phambili, enye imfuyo yalandela ngemuva, babehamba bethi: “Le yimpango kaDavide.”
21UDavide wafika kulabo abangama-200 abangakwazanga ukumlandela ngenxa yokukhathala, wayebashiye ngasemfudlaneni iBhesori; baphuma bayohlangabeza uDavide nabantu ababenaye. UDavide wasondela kubo, wababingelela. 22Izikhohlakali nabangenamsebenzi walutho kulabo bantu ababehambe noDavide, bathi: “Ngenxa yokuba bengahambanga nathi, asiyukubanika lutho empangweni esiyikhululile, kuphela ukuba bathathe abafazi babo nezingane zabo bahambe.”
23Wayesethi uDavide: “Aniyukwenza kanjalo, bafowethu, ngalokho esikuphiwe nguSimakade osilondolozile, walinikela esandleni sethu iviyo elasihlasela. 24Ngubani oyakunilalela kule ndaba na? Ngokuba njengesabelo salowo owehlele empini siyakuba njalo nesabelo salowo owasala nempahla; bayakwabelwa ngokulinganayo.”
25Kwenzeka kanjalo kusukela ngalolo lusuku kuqhubeka, wakwenza lokho kwaba yisimiso nomthetho kwa-Israyeli kuze kube namuhla.
26UDavide esefikile eZikilagi, wathumela enye impango kumalunga akwaJuda nakubangani bakhe, wathi: “Bhekani, nasi isipho senu esiyimpango ethathwe ezitheni zikaSimakade.”
27Wabathumelela abaseBhethele, abaseRamothi eNegevu, abaseJathiri, 28 abase-Aroweri, abaseSifimothi, abase-Eshithemowa, 29abaseRakhali, abasemizini yamaJerameli, abasemizini yamaKheni, 30abaseHorma, abaseBhori Ashani, abase-Athakhi, 31abaseHebhroni, nabasezindaweni zonke lapho uDavide luqobo nabantu bakhe babejwayele ukuhambela khona.
