UTjheba uvukela ikosi
1Kwavela isibhidlamnyanya ekuthiwa nguTjheba umsa kaBhikiri, umBhenjamini, savuthela ipalapala sarhuwelela sathi: “Asinasabelo noDavida, asithintani ndawo nomsa kaJese! Ayigubhe, Israyeli; omunye nomunye etendeni lakhe!”
2Yeke boke abantu bakwa-Israyeli bahlanuka uDavida balandela uTjheba umsa kaBhikiri. Kodwana bakwaJuda bona bahlala nekosabo uDavida ukusuka eJordani bekuyokufika eJerusalema. 3Lokha uDavida nabuyela esigodlweni sakhe eJerusalema, wathatha imingena elitjhumi egade ayitjhiye bonyana yeluse isigodlo wayibeka ngekumbeni egadiweko. Wayondla kodwana azange ayiyame. Kwafanela bonyana ihlale igadwe njalo bekufike isikhathi sokuhlongakala kwayo, iphila inga bahlolokazi.
4Yeke ikosi yathi ku-Amasa: “Biza amadoda wakwaJuda aphelele kimapha emalangeni amathathu ezako; nawe ube khona.”
5Kodwana u-Amasa wathatha isikhathi eside ukubuthelela amadoda wakwaJuda kunegade asibekelwe yikosi. 6Yeke uDavida wathi ku-Abitjhayi: “Nangiqalako nje, uTjheba umsa kaBhikiri lo ungathi uzasidalela umonakalo omnengi khulu kuno-Absalomu. Thatha ibutho lami umlandele; uyangisolisa uzabe afunyane amadorobho anemithangala bese uyasiphunyurha.”
7Yeke ibutho lakaJowabi, amaKereti namaPeleti kanye neengorho zekosi, laphuma lirholwa ngu-Abitjhayi. Laphuma eJerusalema ligijimisa uTjheba umsa kaBhikiri. 8Kwathi lokha nafika edwaleni elikhulu eGibiyoni, u-Amasa wawahlangabeza. UJowabi gade embethe izambatho zakhe zepi, edinini atlinye ibhande elinesabula engemgodlenayo. Uthe natjhidelako, isabula yarhwatjheka ngemgodlenayo. 9UJowabi wathi ku-Amasa: “Kunjani mnakwethu?” Wadosa itjebe ka-Amasa ngesandla sokugoma kwanga ufuna ukumncwanga. 10U-Amasa azange atjheje umukhwa ongesinceleni sakaJowabi, uJowabi wamrharhabula ngawo esiswini, amathumbu achithekela equlwanini. Azange kusaba nesidingo sokobana uJowabi amsike kwesibili bonyana ambulale. UJowabi nomfowabo u-Abitjhayi baragela phambili bagijimisa uTjheba umsa kaBhikiri. 11Enye yamadoda webutho lakaJowabi yajama eqadi kwaka-Amasa yathi: “Nangabe nithanda uJowabi begodu nijame noDavida, landelani uJowabi!”
12U-Amasa wabhudabhudeka eengazini zakhe phakathi kwendlela. Indoda leyo yabona bonyana amabutho akakhambi yarhurhubisela u-Amasa eqadi kwendlela. Kwathi nayilemuka bonyana woke umuntu nafika ku-Amasa uyajama, yambhibha ngengubo. 13Ngemva kobana u-Amasa asusiwe endleleni, boke abantu baragela phambili noJowabi ekugijimiseni uTjheba umsa kaBhikiri.
14UJowabi wadlula hlangana nazo zoke iinkoro zakwa-Israyeli bewafika e-Abela okutjho iBhethe-Mahakha. Woke amaBheri abuthana alandela uJowabi. 15Abalandeli bakaJowabi bafika baragelela uTjheba e-Abela-Bhethe-Mahakha. Bakhamba basakha iinqabo magegana nomthangala ongaphambili wedorobho.
Kwathi lokha nabasalwa nokuwisa umthangala, 16kwavela isihlakaniphi somfazi ngedorobheni sathi: “Yenilalele! Yenilalele! Tjelani uJowabi loyo bonyana akhe avele lapha, ngisafuna ukukhuluma naye.”
17UJowabi wamhlangabeza. Umfazi loyo wathi kuye: “Nguwe uJowabi na?”
Yena wathi: “Iye, uJowabi ngimi lo.”
Umfazi loyo wathi: “Akhe ulalele lokho incekukazakho ekuphathele khona.”
UJowabi wathi: “Khuluma, ngilalele.”
18Waragela phambili umfazi wathi: “Ekadeni kwakuphele kuthiwe, ‘Nawunomraro khamba uye e-Abela uzakurarululwa’. 19Thina sibabantu abangananturhu begodu sithembekile ku-Israyeli. Gadesi wena ulinga ukubhuruza idorobho elingunina wama-Israyeli. Kubayini ufuna ukurhiribidela ilifa lakaZimu na?”
20UJowabi wathi: “Kanti-ke awa! Angeze bengithome, angeze bengithome nakancani ngibhuruze nanyana ngirhiribidele idorobho! 21Awa, abe akusinjalo mma. Into nje phakathi kwenwapha kunesiphehlanturhu esitlhorholoje ikosami uDavida. Sidabuka ngale kombundu enarheni yakwa-Efrayimu, ibizo laso nguTjheba umsa kaBhikiri. Nawunganginikela umrhali loyo, bengiphuma khona nje ngedorobhenapha.”
Umfazi wathi kuJowabi: “Awa yeke, nakunjalo, khona-ke ihlokwanakhe nizayigama ngehla komthangala.”
22Umfazi lo wathumba boke abantu ngeseluleko sakhe. Khonokho bajuqula ihloko kaTjheba umsa kaBhikiri bayijikijela kuJowabi. UJowabi wavuthela ipalapala, amabuthwakhe alitjhiya idorobhelo, aphadlhalala omunye nomunye walunga kwakhe. UJowabi wabuyela ekosini eJerusalema.
Iinkhulu zakaDavida
23UJowabi gade engamele loke ibutho lakwa-Israyeli; uBhenaya umsa kaJehojada engamele amaKereti namaPeleti; 24u-Adoniramu yena gade alawula zemisebenzi; uJehotjhafathi umsa ka-Arhiludi angusosiba; 25uTjheva angumabhalana; uTsadokhi no-Abiyatari kubaphristi; 26kanti u-Ira weJayiri naye gade amphristi kaDavida.
