1Ipi hlangana nendlu kaSawula nendlu kaDavida yathatha isikhathi eside. UDavida waya ngokuya akhula emandleni, indlu kaSawula yaya ngokuya iphelelwa mamandla.Amadodana kaDavida
2UDavida wabelethelwa amadodana eRhebroni: Izibulo lakhe ku-Arhinowami weJizriyela bekungu-Amnoni; 3yesibili nguKiliyabu ku-Abigeyili umfelokazi kaNabhali weKarameli; yesithathu kungu-Absalomu kuMakha, indodakazi kaTalimayi ikosi yeGetjhuri; 4yesine ngu-Adoniya kuRhagithi; yesihlanu kunguTjhefathiya ku-Abitala; 5yesithandathu kunguYitriyamu, emfazini kaDavida u-Egila.
U-Abineri uzihlanganisa noDavida
6Ngesikhathi kusekhona ipi phakathi kwendlu kaSawula nendlu kaDavida, u-Abineri waqinisa isikhundla sakhe endlini kaSawula. 7USawula gade anomngena, ibizo lawo bekunguRitsipha indodakazi ka-Aya. U-Itjhi-Bhotjhethi wabuza u-Abineri wathi: “Ungeneleni emabhayini nekhohlo lakababa na?”
8U-Abineri wasilingeka khulu ngombuzo ka-Itjhi-Bhotjhethi, bewaphendula wathi: “Udlumbana bona mina ngikhotha uJuda na? Kusukela ekuthomeni ngithembekile endlini kayihlo uSawula, nakubafowabo nebakhozini bakhe, nawe akhange ngikunikele kuDavida. Alo, wena namhlanje ungibeka umlandu ngomfazi tle! 9UZimu uyangizwa, dumbana ngife mina Abineri, nangingenzi njengombana uSomnini athembisa uDavida, wathi, 10‘Ngizokususa umbuso endlini kaSawula, ngijamise isihlalo sobukhosi bakaDavida phezu kwaka-Israyeli noJuda, kusukela kwaDani ngetlhagwini bekube seBheritjheba ngesewula.’ ”
11U-Itjhi-Bhotjhethi akhange asaba nesibindi sokukhupha ilizwi ku-Abineri ngombana gade amesaba.
12U-Abineri wathumela iinthunywa zakhe kuDavida bona zifike zithi: “Inarha le akusingeyakho yoke na? Wena yenza isivumelwano nami, mina ngizakusiza ukubuyisa woke u-Israyeli bona abe ngakuwe.”
13UDavida wathi: “Kulungile, ngizakwenza isivumelwano nawe. Kodwana kunye engikufuna kuwe: Ungezi kimapha, nawungezi noMikali indodakazi kaSawula, lokha nawuzongibona.”
14UDavida wathumela iinthunywa ku-Itjhi-Bhotjhethi, wathi: “Nginikela umkami uMikali, engazizuzela yena ngekhulu lamajwabu wamaFilista.”
15Nje-ke u-Itjhi-Bhotjhethi wakhupha umyalo bona uMikali asuswe emyeninakhe uPaltiyeli umsa kaLayitjhi. 16UPaltiyeli wakhamba nomkakhe, wamlandela ngemuva indlela yoke alila, bekwaba seBharhurimu. Yeke u-Abineri wathi kuye: “Buyela ekhaya!” Wajika-ke.
17Kuthe kusesenjalo, u-Abineri wakhuluma nabaphathi bakwa-Israyeli wathi: “Sekusikhatjhana nifuna ukubeka uDavida bona abe yikosenu. 18Yeke, kwenzeni-ke lokho! Angithi uSomnini wathembisa uDavida wathi, ‘Ngencekwami uDavida ngizakusindisa abantu bami u-Israyeli ezandleni zamaFilista nezandleni zezitha zabo zoke.’ ”
19U-Abineri waya ngokwakhe wayokukhuluma nebakwaBhenjamini. Kwathi emva kwalokho waziyela yena kuDavida eRhebroni, wamhlebela uDavida bonyana woke u-Israyeli nendlu yoke yakwaBhenjamini bayavuma bona abe yikosi. 20U-Abineri wafika namadoda amatjhumi amabili kuDavida eRhebroni. UDavida wabenzela umgidi.
21U-Abineri wathi kuDavida: “Kosami, yithi ngikhambe ngiyokubiza woke u-Israyeli ahlangane ekosinamapha ukuze enze isivumelwano nekosi bese ikosi ibusa phezu kwenarha yoke eyithandako.”
Nje-ke, uDavida walayelisana no-Abineri; bahlukana ngokuthula.
U-Abineri uyabulawa
22Khonokho ngemva kobana u-Abineri ahlukene noDavida ngokuthula eRhebroni, kwafika uJowabi neviyo lakaDavida. Bebabuya ukuyokusahlela, beza nepango enengi. 23Kwathi bona uJowabi namabutho woke agade anaye bafike, watjelwa kwathiwa: “Kazi u-Abineri umsa kaNeri gade eze ekosini, ikosi imlisile wakhamba, bahlukana ngokuthula.”
24Nje-ke uJowabi waya ekosini wafese wathi: “Yendoda! Walisa inyoni yaphapha? Qala u-Abineri gade akuwapha. Alo, umliseleni akhambe? Ukhambile-ke! 25Uyamazi u-Abineri umsa kaNeri loya, gade azele ukuzozihlolisa nokuzokuqala imikhambakho ukuze afunyane koke okwenzako.”
26Kuthe bona uJowabi ahlukane noDavida, wathumela iinthunywa zalandela u-Abineri, zambuyisa asele asemthonjeni womunga. Kodwana uDavida gade angazi litho ngalokho. 27Kwathi lokha u-Abineri nafika eRhebroni, uJowabi wamdosela ngeqadi kwesango, yaba sengathi uyokukhuluma naye ngemsitheleni. Khonapho, wamhlaba emathunjini wafa. Lokhu wakwenza abuyiselela ukufa komfowabo u-Asayeli.
28Emva kokobana kwenzekile lokho, uDavida wezwa, bewathi: “Bekube nini nanini, mina nombuswami, asinamlandu phambi kwakaSomnini ngeengazi zaka-Abineri umsa kaNeri. 29Kwanga iingazi zakhe zingawela ezandleni zakaJowabi nendlini yoke kayise! Kwanga indlu kaJowabi ingeze yahlala inganamuntu onenjovela, olunyiweko, onekhwekhwe, orholopheleko nofela epini nanyana otlhoga ukudla.” 30(Vele uJowabi nomnakwabo u-Abitjhayi babulala u-Abineri ngombana naye wabulala u-Asayeli umfowabo epini eGibiyoni.)
31Yeke uDavida wathi kuJowabi nebantwini boke agade anabo: “Tlebhulani izambatho zenu nembathe iinzilo nikhambe nilila phambi kwaka-Abineri.”
Ikosi uDavida ngekwayo yakhamba ngemva komkghadi. 32Bangcwaba u-Abineri eRhebroni. Ikosi uDavida yahlaba isililo ethuneni laka-Abineri, nabantu boke balila nayo. 33Ikosi yakhalela ingoma yesililo ngo-Abineri, yathi:
“Abineri, ufeleni njengesidlhadlha?
34Izandla zakho bezingakabotjhwa,
neenyawo zakho zingakakinatwa.
Uwe njengomuntu owa phambi kwabantu abakhohlakeleko.”
Isizwe soke sarhahlawula ngo-Abineri.
35Yeke boke abantu beza bancenga uDavida bona adle intwanyana kusesemini; kodwana uDavida wenza isifungo wathi: “NgoZimu ngiqinisile ngithi, akunanto engizayinuka ilanga lingakatjhingi.” 36Boke abantu bakubona lokho bathaba; yoke into eyenziwa yikosi yabathabisa tle. 37Nje-ke mhlokho boke abantu, iye u-Israyeli woke wazi bona ikosi gade inganasandla ekubulaweni kwaka-Abineri umsa kaNeri.
38Ikosi uDavida yathi eviyweni layo: “Kuyabonakala bonyana kuwe ikosana nomuntu omkhulu kwa-Israyeli namhlanjesi. 39Nanyana ngiyikosi ezesweko namhlanje, nokho ngisesebuthakathaka kobana ngingajamelana namadodana kaTseruya. USomnini uzakubuyisela umenzi wesono njengokwezenzo zakhe ezimbi.”
