3 izikhulu zama-Amon zathi kuHanun inkosi yazo: “Ucinga ukuba ngaba uDavide lo unika imbeko kuyihlo ngokuthumela la madoda kuwe, esithi eze kukukhuza? Ayikho loo nto! La madoda ngoongcothoza; athunywe nguDavide ukuza kuhlola esi sixeko ukuze akwazi ukusibhukuqa.”
4 UHanun wasuka wawabamba loo madoda kaDavide, wawagugula iindevu icala elinye, nezambatho zawo wazigumpula embindini kwaya kuthi xhaxhe ezimpundwini, waza ke wawandulula.
5 Uthe ke uDavide akuxelelwa ngoko kwenzekileyo, wathumela izigidimi, zawahlangabeza loo madoda, kuba kaloku ayehlaziswe gqitha. Ukumkani wathi: “Hlalani eJeriko, ningabuyi de zikhule iindevu.”
6 Ke kaloku ama-Amon aqonda ukuba amkhubekisile uDavide, aza aya kuqesha amashumi amabini amawaka amadoda omkhosi ahamba ngeenyawo kuma-Aram kwimimandla yaseBhete-rehobhi naseZobha. Kukumkani waseMahaka aqesha iwaka lamadoda, laza ishumi elinambini lamawaka laqeshwa eTobhi.
7 Akuyiva loo nto uDavide wakhupha uJowabhi nomkhosi wonke wamagorha.
8 Ama-Amon aphuma akha uhlelo lokulwa ngasesangweni lesixeko. Ama-Aram aseZobha nawaseRehobhi, namadoda aseTobhi naseMaka, athi gingqi odwa phaya ethafeni.
9 Ke kaloku uJowabhi wabona ukuba uphahlwe ngumkhosi ngaphambili nangasemva. Ngoko ke wakhetha awona mabutho aphambili kwaSirayeli, wawamisa ajongana nama-Aram.