Ukubalwa kwabantu
1Intukuthelo kaJehova yabuye yavuthela uIsrayeli, wamvusa uDavide ngabo ngokuthi: Hamba ubale uIsrayeli noJuda.
2Inkosi yathi kuJowabe induna yempi eyayinaye: Hamba ezizweni zonke zakwaIsrayeli kusukela kwaDani kuze kube-seBeri-Sheba, nibale abantu ukuba ngiwazi umumo wabantu.
3Wayesethi uJowabe enkosini: UJehova uNkulunkulu wakho makenezele kubantu kuphindwe kayikhulu phezu kwalokhu abayikho, kubonwe ngamehlo enkosi yami, inkosi; kepha inkosi yami, inkosi, yenamelelani lento na?
4Nokho izwi lenkosi lamahlula uJowabe nezinduna zempi. UJowabe nezinduna zempi baphuma ebusweni benkosi ukuba babale abantu bakwaIsrayeli.
5Bawela iJordani, bamisa eAroweri ngakwesokunene komuzi ophakathi nesigodi sakwaGadi ngaseJazeri;
6base befika kwaGileyadi nasezweni laseTahetimi-Hodishi; bafika naseDani-Jahani nangaseSidoni,
7bafika enqabeni yaseTire, nasemizini yonke yamaHivi namaKhanani; baphuma baya nangaseningizimu kwaJuda eBeri-Sheba.
8Sebedabulé izwe lonke bafika eJerusalema ngasekupheleni kwezinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye nezinsuku ezingamashumi amabili.
9UJowabe wayesenika inkosi umumo wabantu ababaliweyo; kwaba-khona kwaIsrayeli amadoda anamandla ayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisishiyagalombili ahloma inkemba; amadoda akwaJuda ayeyizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisihlanu.
10UDavide wahlabeka enhliziyweni emva kokuba esebabalile abantu. UDavide wathi kuJehova: Ngonile kakhulu ngalokho engikwenzileyo; kepha manje, Jehova, mawuthethelele ububi benceku yakho, ngokuba ngintumazele kakhulu.
11Wathi ukuba uDavide avuke ekuseni, kwafika izwi likaJehova kumprofethi uGadi umboni kaDavide lokuthi:
12Hamba ukhulume kuDavide ngokuthi: UJehova usho kanje, uthi: Ngiyakubekela izinto ezintathu; khetha enye kuzo ukuba ngikwenzele yona.
13UGadi wayesefika kuDavide, wamtshela, wathi kuye: Kufike kuwe yini iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala ezweni lakini, noma ubalekele izitha zakho izinyanga ezintathu zisakuxosha, noma kube-khona izinsuku ezintathu zesifo ezweni lakini na? Manje cabanga, ubone ukuthi yiliphi izwi engiyakulibuyisela kongithumileyo.
14Wayesethi uDavide kuGadi: Nginosizi kakhulu; masiwele esandleni sikaJehova, ngokuba umusa wakhe mkhulu; kepha esandleni somuntu mangingaweli kuso.
15UJehova wayesethuma isifo phezu kukaIsrayeli kusukela ekuseni kuze kubesesikhathini esinqunyiweyo; kwafa abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa kusukela kwaDani kuze kube-seBeri-Sheba.
16Lapho ingelosi yelula isandla sayo kulo iJerusalema ukulichitha, uJehova wazisola ngalobobubi, wathi engelosini eyachitha abantu: Sekwanele; buyisa isandla sakho. Ingelosi kaJehova yayisesibuyeni sika-Arawuna umJebusi.
17UDavide wathi kuJehova, lapho eyibona ingelosi eyayibabulala abantu: Bheka, mina ngonile, ngenzile okubi; kepha lezizimvu zenzeni na? Isandla sakho masibe-phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa.
Ialtare elisesibuyeni sika-Arawuna
18UGadi wafika ngalolosuku kuDavide, wathi kuye: Yenyuka, ummisele uJehova ialtare esibuyeni sika-Arawuna umJebusi.
19UDavide wenyuka njengokusho kukaGadi nanjengokuyala kukaJehova.
20UArawuna walunguza, wabona inkosi nezinceku zayo beza kuye; uArawuna waphuma, wakhothama phambi kwenkosi, ubuso bakhe bubheké phansi.
21Wathi uArawuna: Kungani ukuba inkosi yami, inkosi, ifikile encekwini yayo na? UDavide wathi: Ukuba ngithenge kuwe isibuya, ngimakhele uJehova ialtare, ukuze lesisifo sinqamuke kubantu.
22Wayesethi uArawuna kuDavide: Inkosi yami, inkosi, mayithathe, inikele ngokuhle emehlweni ayo; bheka, nazi izinkabi zomnikelo wokushiswa, nezibhulo, nezinto zokubophela izinkabi zibe-yizinkuni;
23konke, nkosi, uArawuna uyakunika inkosi. UArawuna wayesethi enkosini: UJehova uNkulunkulu wakho makakwamukele.
24Inkosi yathi kuArawuna: Qha, ngiyakukuthenga nokukuthenga ngenani elithile; angiyikunikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa kuJehova uNkulunkulu wami engeyesihle. UDavide wayesethenga isibuya nezinkabi ngamashekeli* angamashumi ayisihlanu esiliva.
25UDavide wamakhela khona uJehova ialtare, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yokuthula. UJehova wancengwa ngenxa yezwe, isifo sanqamuka kwaIsrayeli.
