1 Ke kaloku uSathana wavukela uSirayeli ngokuxhokonxa uDavide ukuze awabale amaSirayeli.
2 UDavide wathetha noJowabhi nabanye abaphathi bomkhosi, wathi kubo: “Yiyani kubala amaSirayeli, niqale eBheshebha, nime kwaDan. Nakugqiba ke nize nindinike ingxelo, ukuze ndilazi inani lawo.”
3 Ke yena uJowabhi wathi: “Ngamana *uNdikhoyo wabandisa kalikhulu abantu bakhe. Mhlekazi kumkani, asingobakho bonke na aba bantu? Ngani ke, mhlekazi, ukuba ufune ukwenza into enje? Ngani ukuba umhlekazi azisele uSirayeli ityala?”
4 Kambe ke ilizwi likakumkani lamoyisa uJowabhi, waza wemka uJowabhi wamtyhutyha wonke uSirayeli, kamva ke wabuyela eJerusalem.
5 Inani lamadoda omkhosi walixela kuDavide. KuSirayeli ephela yayisisigidi esinekhulu lamawaka, amadoda akwaziyo ukusebenzisa ikrele, kwakunye namakhulu amane anamashumi asixhenxe amawaka kwelakwaJuda.
6 Kambe ke uJowabhi akambalanga uLevi noBhenjamin, kuba kaloku umyalelo kakumkani wawulumeza kuye.
7 Ewe, lo myalelo wawumbi nakuThixo, ngoko ke wasuka wawohlwaya amaSirayeli.
8 UDavide wathi kuThixo: “Ewe, ndenze into embi gqitha ngesi senzo. Ngoko ke ndiyakubongoza bususe ubutyala bam, mna sicaka sakho. Ndenze into yobutyhakala.”
9 UNdikhoyo wathetha nomshumayeli kaDavide uGadi, wathi:
10 “Yiya kuDavide, uthi: ‘Nanga amazwi kaNdikhoyo,’ uthi ndithi makakhethe kwizinto ezintathu, ukuze ndikwazi ukuthatha amanyathelo.”
11 UGadi waya ke kuDavide, wafika wathi: “Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi khetha into amakakwenze yona:
12 iminyaka emithathu yembalela, okanye iinyanga ezintathu zinivuthulula ziniwisa ngamakrele azo iintshaba zenu, kungenjalo ke ibe ziintsuku ezintathu uNdikhoyo ethumele isithunywa sakhe ukuze sifake ubhubhani kuwo wonke umhlaba wakwaSirayeli. Cingisisa undinike impendulo emandiyise kulowo undithumileyo.”
13 UDavide waphendula wathi kuGadi: “Ndisengxakini enkulu. Kodwa ke kubhetele ndiwele ezandleni zikaNdikhoyo, kuba inkulu inceba yakhe. Ewe, andikunqweneli ukuwela ezandleni zabantu.”
14 Ngoko ke uNdikhoyo wathumela isibetho sikabhubhani kwaSirayeli, kwaza kwafa amadoda angamashumi asixhenxe amawaka.
15 UThixo wathumela isithunywa sakhe ukuze sitshabalalise iJerusalem, kodwa ke sithe sisawenza loo msebenzi, uNdikhoyo wathi akuyibona loo ntlekele suka wazijika iimbono zakhe, wasinqanda ukuze singabatshabalalisi abantu, wathi: “Kwanele, sirhoxise isandla sakho!” Oku kwenzeke xa kanye isithunywa eso sasimi ngasesandeni sokubhula sika-Aravena umJebhusi.
16 Wathi akukhangela uDavide wasibona isithunywa sikaNdikhoyo, simi phakathi kwezulu nomhlaba, siphethe ikrele ngesandla, silijongise eJerusalem. Ke uDavide namadoda amakhulu banxiba ezirhwexayo, bakhahlela bawa emhlabeni.
17 UDavide wathi kuThixo: “Indim nje othe makabalwe amadoda omkhosi! Ewe kaloku, ndim owonileyo ndenza okugwenxa. Aba bantu bona banjengeegusha; akukho nto bayenzileyo. Hayi, Ndikhoyo, Thixo wam, isandla sakho masohlwaye mna kunye nomzi kabawo; ke yena lo bhubhani sukumyeka abatshabalalise abantu bakho.”
18 Isithunywa sikaNdikhoyo sathetha noGadi, sathi makaye kuxelela uDavide ukuba makakhele uNdikhoyo iqonga lamadini kwesiya sanda sokubhula sika-Aravena umJebhusi.
19 Ngoko ke uDavide waya ngokwelo lizwi lalithethwe nguGadi egameni likaNdikhoyo.
20 Uthe esabhula ingqolowa uAravena waguquka, wabona isithunywa sikaThixo, baza oonyana bakhe abane ababekunye naye bazimela.
21 Wathi akuvela uDavide, uAravena wambona, waza wemka apho esandeni sokubhula, wamhlangabeza, wakhahlela ejongise ubuso emhlabeni phambi koDavide.
22 UDavide wathi kuye: “Ndinike lo mhlaba sikuwo esi sanda sokubhula, ukuze ndakhele uNdikhoyo iqonga lamadini, khon' ukuze isibetho sikabhubhani sinqamke ebantwini. Ndithengisele wona ngexabiso lawo.”
23 Wathi uAravena kuDavide: “Kulungile, ungawufumana. Inkosi yam ukumkani mayenze ngokubona kwayo; mna ke ndiza kunikela ngeenkabi zeenkomo zokwenza amadini atshiswayo, izileyi zokubhula zoba ziinkuni. Ndonikela nangengqolowa yokwenza umnikelo weenkozo; zonke ezo zinto ndozikhupha.”
24 Kambe ke ukumkani uDavide uphendule uAravena wathi: “Ngunotshe lowo! Ndiza kulihlawula lonke ixabiso lazo. UNdikhoyo andinakumnika izinto zakho, ndingayi kwenza mnikelo nadini litshiswayo ngento endingadlekanga ngayo.”
25 Ngoko ke uDavide wahlawula uAravena amakhulu amathandathu eegolide ngeso sanda sokubhula.
26 UDavide ke wakhela uNdikhoyo iqonga lamadini apho, waza wenza amadini atshiswayo kunye nawobudlelwana. Wanqula uNdikhoyo, waza ke yena waphendula ngokuthobela umlilo ezulwini kwelo qonga lamadini.
27 UNdikhoyo ke wathetha naso isithunywa eso, saza salifaka esingxotyeni salo ikrele laso.
28 Ngelo xesha ke uDavide akuqonda ukuba uNdikhoyo umphendule apho kweso sanda sokubhula sika-Aravena umJebhusi, wasuka wanikela amadini apho kuso.
29 Ngelo xesha ke isibingelelo sikaNdikhoyo esasenziwe nguMosis entlango kunye neqonga lamadini atshiswayo sasisendaweni ephakamileyo yonqulo eGibheyon.
30 Kambe ke uDavide akayanga kubuzisa khona kuThixo, kuba kaloku wayesoyika ikrele lesithunywa sikaNdikhoyo.