UDavide Ubala U-Israyeli NoJuda
1Intukuthelo kaSimakade yabuye yamvuthela u-Israyeli. Wamvusa uDavide ukuba amelane naye, ngokuthi kuye: “Hamba ubale u-Israyeli noJuda.”
2Inkosi yathi kuJowabe, umkhuzi wempi, owayenaye: “Hamba uye kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli kusukela kwaDani kuze kufike eBheri Sheba; nibale abantu ukuze ngazi ukuthi bangaki.”
3UJowabe wathi enkosini: “USimakade uNkulunkulu wakho angenezela kubantu kuphindwe kayikhulu phezu kwalokhu abayikho, ikubone lokho ngamehlo inkosi yami, inkosi, isakwazi ukubona. Kodwa kungani inkosi yami, inkosi ifuna ukwenza lokhu na?”
4Nokho-ke inkosi yayikhulume yaqokothisa kuJowabe, umkhuzi wempi, ngakho-ke laphumelela izwi layo. UJowabe nezikhulu zempi baphuma phambi kwenkosi, bahamba bayobala abantu bakwa-Israyeli.
5Bawela iJordani, bakanisa e-Aroweri ngakwesokunene somuzi ophakathi nomhosha wakwaGadi, ngaseJazeri. 6Bafika kwaGileyadi, naseThahethimi Hodeshi, bedlulela kwaDani Jahani. Basuka lapho baya naseSidoni, 7baze bayofika enqabeni eseThire, nakuyo yonke imizi yamaHivi namaKhanani. Baphuma lapho balibangisa ngaseningizimu yakwaJuda, eBheri Sheba.
8Sebelihambe lonke izwe, baze bafika eJerusalema sekuphele izinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye nezinsuku ezingama-20.
9UJowabe walethula enkosini inani nomumo wabantu ababebaliwe: kwa-Israyeli kwakunamadoda ayizi-800 000 anamandla ayehlome ngenkemba. KwaJuda kunamadoda ayizi-500 000.
USimakade Uthumela Ubhubhane Kwa-Israyeli
10UDavide wahlabeka enhliziyweni emveni kokuba esebabalile abantu, wathi kuSimakade: “Ngonile kakhulu ngalokhu engikwenzileyo. Kepha manje, Simakade, siza uthethelele isiphambeko esenziwe yinceku yakho, ngokuba yenze ubuwula obukhulu.”
11Lapho uDavide evuka ekuseni, kwafika izwi likaSimakade kumphrofethi uGadi, umboni kaDavide, lathi: 12“Hamba ukhulume kuDavide, uthi: ‘Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Ngikubekela izinto ezintathu, khetha ibe yinye phakathi kwazo, ukuba ngikwenzele yona.” ’ ”
13UGadi wafika kuDavide wambikela, wathi kuye: “Izofika yini kuwe: iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala ezweni lakini, noma izinyanga ezintathu ubaleka ezitheni eziyobe zilokhu zikuxoshile, noma izinsuku ezintathu zobhubhane ezweni lakini na? Manje-ke, cabangisisisa, unqume ukuthi mpendulo yini engizokuyibuyisela kongithumileyo.”
14UDavide wayesethi kuGadi: “Nginosizi kakhulu; kungcono siwele esandleni sikaSimakade, ngokuba umusa wakhe mkhulu. Kepha mangingaweli neze esandleni somuntu.”
15USimakade wayesethumela ubhubhane kwa-Israyeli kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba yisikhathi esinqunyiweyo. Kwafa abantu abayizi-70 000 kusukela kwaDani kuze kufike eBheri Sheba. 16Lapho ingelosi yelula isandla sayo ukuba ibhubhise iJerusalema, uSimakade wazisola ngalobo bubi, wayimisa ingelosi eyayibhubhisa abantu, wathi: “Sekwanele.”
Ingelosi kaSimakade yayisesibuyeni sika-Arawuna, umJebusi.
17Lapho uDavide eyibona ingelosi eyayibulala abantu, wathi kuSimakade: “Bheka, yimi engonile, ngenza okubi, kodwa lezi zimvu zenzeni na? Isandla sakho masibe phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa.”
UDavide Wakhela USimakade I-althare Esibuyeni
18UGadi wafika kuDavide ngalolo lusuku, wathi: “Yenyuka wakhele uSimakade i-althare esibuyeni sika-Arawuna umJebusi.”
19UDavide wenyuka njengokusho kukaGadi nanjengokuyala kukaSimakade. 20U-Arawuna walunguza, wabona inkosi nezinceku zayo beza kuye; waphuma, wayikhothamela inkosi, wayesethi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini.
21Wathi u-Arawuna: “Kungani ukuba inkosi yami, inkosi, ize encekwini yayo na?”
UDavide wathi: “Ngize ukuzothenga kuwe isibuya, khona ngizokwakhela uSimakade i-althare, ukuze lolu bhubhane lunqamuke kubantu.”
22U-Arawuna wayesethi kuDavide: “Inkosi yami, inkosi, mayisithathe, inikele ngalokho ekubona kukuhle emehlweni ayo. Bheka, nazi izinkabi zomnikelo wokushiswa, izibhulo, namajoka ezinkabi kungaba yizinkuni. 23Konke nkosi, u-Arawuna ukunika inkosi.”
U-Arawuna wabuye wathi enkosini: “USimakade uNkulunkulu wakho makakwamukele.”
24Inkosi yathi ku-Arawuna: “Qha, kumele ngikuthenge nokukuthenga, ngikukhokhele inani elithile. Angiyukunikela kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wami ngeminikelo yokushiswa engeyesihle.”
UDavide wayesethenga isibuya nezinkabi ngamashekeli esiliva angama-50. 25UDavide wamakhela lapho uSimakade i-althare, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yokuthula. USimakade wakuzwa ukunxusa kwakhe, enxusela izwe, ubhubhane lwanqamuka kwa-Israyeli.
