USheba Uvukela UDavide
1Kwakukhona umuntu ongalungile, ogama lakhe kunguSheba, indodana kaBhikhiri, umBhenjamini. Wasuka wabetha icilongo, wathi: “Asinasabelo kuDavide, asinafa endodaneni kaJese; hambani nonke niye emathendeni enu, Israyeli.”
2Bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli benyuka, ababe besamlandela uDavide, base belandela uSheba, indodana kaBhikhiri. Abantu bakwaJuda babambelela enkosini yabo kusukela eJordani kuze kufike eJerusalema.
3UDavide wafika esigodlweni sakhe eJerusalema; inkosi yathatha abesifazane abalishumi, abayizancinza zayo, eyayibashiyile ukuba banakekele isigodlo, yababeka endlini yokulindela, yabapha ukudla, kepha ayilalanga nabo. Bavalelwa kwaze kwaba lusuku lokufa kwabo, behlezi njengabafelokazi.
4Inkosi yayisithi ku-Amasa: “Hamba uyongiqoqela abantu bakwaJuda ngezinsuku ezintathu, ube khona nawe lapho.”
5U-Amasa wahamba wamqoqa uJuda, kodwa wathatha isikhathi eside kunaleso ayesinqunyelwe.
6Wayesethi uDavide ku-Abhishayi: “USheba, indodana kaBhikhiri, izokwenza kithi umonakalo omkhulu kunalowo ka-Absalomu. Thatha izinceku zenkosi yakho, umxoshe, funa aze azitholele imizi ebiyelweyo, aphele emehlweni.”
7Walandelwa ngamadoda kaJowabe, amaKherethi, amaPhelethi nawo wonke amaqhawe. Baphuma eJerusalema ukuba bamxoshe uSheba, indodana kaBhikhiri.
8Kwathi sebeseduze netshe elikhulu eliseGibheyoni, u-Amasa weza ukuzobahlangabeza. UJowabe wayegqoke isembatho sakhe sempi, ayehlale esigqoka. Kuboshelwe kuso ibhande elinenkemba emgodleni wayo, elibhince okhalo. Ngesikhathi eza phambili, inkemba yawa.
9UJowabe wayesethi ku-Amasa: “Unjani mfowethu?”
UJowabe wabamba u-Amasa isilevu, ngesandla sakhe sokunene, wamanga. 10U-Amasa akayinakanga inkemba eyayiphethwe nguJowabe ngesandla. UJowabe wamgwaza kanye ngayo esiswini, izibilini zakhe zachithekela emhlabathini, wafa ujuqu. Akamphindanga. UJowabe no-Abhishayi, umfowabo, baqhubeka bexosha uSheba, indodana kaBhikhiri.
11Enye yezinsizwa zikaJowabe yaphuma yama ngaku-Amasa, yathi: “Noma ngubani othanda uJowabe nongokaDavide, makalandele uJowabe.”
12U-Amasa wadindiliza egazini lakhe phakathi nendlela. Kuthe lapho lowo muntu ebona ukuthi bonke abantu bafike beme ngaku-Amasa, wayesemgudlula endleleni. Wamyisa ensimini, waphonsa ingubo phezu kwakhe, ngoba wayebabona abantu belokhu bedlula ngakuye bema. 13Esesusiwe u-Amasa endleleni, abantu bonke basuka balandela uJowabe, baxosha uSheba, indodana kaBhikhiri.
14USheba wadabula ezizwaneni zonke zakwa-Israyeli, waze wayofika e-Abhela, eBhethi Mahakha, nakuwo wonke amaBheri, nakhona babuthana bamhubha. 15Impi kaJowabe yafika yavimbezela i-Abheli eBhethi Mahakha. Benza indunduma ngasodongeni, ababezohlasela umuzi bekuyo. Ibutho likaJowabe lashaya ugange ukuze luwe. 16Kwase kumemeza owesifazane ohlakaniphileyo emzini, wathi: “Lalelani! Lalelani! Yishoni kuJowabe nithi: ‘Sondela lapho ukuba ngikhulume nawe.’ ”
17Wasondela kuye; wayesethi owesifazane kuye: “UnguJowabe wena?”
Waphendula wathi: “Nginguye.”
Owesifazane wayesethi: “Ake ulalele amazwi encekukazi yakho.”
Wayesethi: “Ngilalele.”
18Wayesethi owesifazane: “Emandulo babevame ukuthi: ‘Kuyakubuzwa nokubuzwa e-Abhela.’ Bese beyiqeda indaba. 19Mina ngingowokuthula nothembekile kwa-Israyeli. Kungani ufuna ukubhubhisa umuzi ongunina ka-Israyeli na? Yini ufune ukudla ifa likaSimakade na?”
20UJowabe waphendula, wathi: “Makungenzeki, angingabi naso nesifiso sokuba ngidle noma ngibhubhise. 21Akusiyo inhloso yami leyo. Kepha indoda yakwelezintaba kwa-Efrayimi, egama layo nguSheba, indodana kaBhikhiri, ivukele inkosi uDavide; nginikeni yona kuphela ukuze ngihambe ngiwushiye umuzi.”
Owesifazane wathi kuJowabe: “Uyabona-ke, ikhanda lakhe lizophonswa kuwe ngaphandle kogange.”
22Owesifazane waya kubantu, wabatshela ngecebo lakhe eliphusile, nempela balinquma ikhanda likaSheba, indodana kaBhikhiri, baliphonsa ngaphandle kuJowabe. UJowabe wayesebetha icilongo, abantu bahlakazeka bawushiya umuzi, babuyela emathendeni abo. UJowabe waphindela enkosini eJerusalema.
23UJowabe wayesengumkhuzi wayo yonke impi yakwa-Israyeli. UBhenaya, indodana kaJehoyada, wayengamele amaKherethi namaPhelethi. 24U-Adoramu engumgcinimafa, uJehoshafathi, indodana ka-Ahiludi, engumabhalane. 25USheva engunobhala, uZadoki no-Abhiyathara bengabaphristi. 26U-Ira umJayiri engumphristi kaDavide.