1 Emva koko uDavide wabuzisa *kuNdikhoyo wathi: “Ndingaya kuhlala na kwesinye sezixeko zakwaJuda?”UNdikhoyo wathi: “Yiya.”Wabuza uDavide wathi: “Mandiye phi?”Wathi uNdikhoyo: “Yiya eHebron.”
2 Wahamba ke uDavide kunye nabafazi bakhe ababini uAhinowam waseYizereli kunye noAbhigeli owayengumhlolokazi kaNabhali waseKarmele.
3 Wahamba nawo amadoda akhe uDavide, aya kuhlala neentsapho zawo kummandla waseHebron.
4 Afika ke amadoda akwaJuda, eze kumthambisa uDavide apho eHebron ukuba abe ngukumkani wakwaJuda.Zithe zakufika kuDavide iindaba zokuba abantu baseJabheshe eGiliyadi bamngcwabile uSawule,
5 wathumela izigidimi kubo, wathi: “Wanga uNdikhoyo anganithamsanqela ngesenzo esihle sokubonakalisa intembeko ngokungcwaba inkosi yenu uSawule.
6 Ubenga uNdikhoyo anganiphatha ngobubele nangokunyaniseka. Nam ke ndiza kuniphatha kakuhle ngenxa yale nto niyenzileyo.
7 Ze niqine, ningoyiki ngenxa yokuba inkosi yenu uSawule ingasekho. Abantu bakwaJuda bandithambisile ndaba ngukumkani wabo.”
8 Umphathi wemikhosi kaSawule uAbhinere, unyana kaNere, wabaleka nonyana kaSawule uIshbhoshete, waya naye eMahanayim ngaphesheya kweJordan.
9 Wafika apho uAbhinere wamisela uIshbhoshete waba ngukumkani ophethe imimandla yaseGiliyadi, kwa-Ashere, eYizereli, kwaEfrayim, nakwaBhenjamin, nditsho elakwaSirayeli liphela.
10 Waba ngukumkani xa emashumi mane ubudala uIshbhoshete unyana kaSawule, walawula iminyaka yamibini.Isizwe sakwaJuda sona sasiphantsi kukaDavide.
11 Wasilawula ehlala eHebron iminyaka yaba sixhenxe neenyanga ezintandathu.
12 Kwasuka uAbhinere eMahanayim, ehamba namaphakathi kaIshbhoshete, baya kwidolophu iGibheyon.
13 Ngasechibini laseGibheyon bahlangana noJowabhi, owayezalwa nguZeruya. UJowabhi wayehamba namanye amaphakathi kaDavide. Bahlala phantsi bonke, elinye iqela likweli cala lechibi, elinye likweliya.
14 Wavakala uAbhinere esithi kuJowabhi: “Makhe sithelekise abafana, bakhuphisane ngokulwa sibukele.”UJowabhi wathi: “Kulungile, mabenze!”
15 Kwasuka ishumi elinambini labafana limele uIshbhoshete unyana kaSawule ngakwicala lakwaBhenjamin, baqubisana neshumi elinambini labafana becala likaDavide.
16 Umfana ngamnye wayebamba lowo akhuphisana naye entloko, amgwaze ngekrele ephangweni. Loo nto ke yatsho bafa kunye bonke. Loo ndawo ke eGibheyon kuthiwa yiHelekati-hazurim.
17 Kwavuka idabi elibi ngaloo mini, uAbhinere neqela lakwaSirayeli boyiswa ngamadoda ecala likaDavide.
18 Babelapho oonyana abathathu bakaZeruya: uJowabhi, noAbhishayi, kunye noAsayeli. Yayingengomendu kuAsayeli, wayeyimbabala.
19 Wasuka wangqala ngqo ngoAbhinere emleqa.
20 Akuthi krwaqu ngasemva uAbhinere wabona uAsayeli, wathi: “Ingaba nguwe lowo, Asayeli?”“Ndim kanye,” utshilo uAsayeli.
21 UAbhinere wathi: “Sukusukela mna, mfondini. Leqa, naliya ijoni, uthathe amaxhoba lawo liwaphetheyo.” Akayihoyanga loo nto yena uAsayeli, wasuka wee ngcembe emva koAbhinere.
22 Uphindile uAbhinere wathi kuAsayeli: “Mfondini, ndithi ndiyeke; sukundisukela. Ufuna ndide ndikwenzakalise? Khona ndingajongana njani nomntakwenu uJowabhi?”
23 Kodwa wala uAsayeli. Usuke uAbhinere wabinza ngasemva, wamthi gobho esiswini ngomkhonto, watsho waya kugqobhozela emqolo loo mkhonto. Wajuba wawa uAsayeli, wafela kuloo ndawo. Wonke umntu osondela kuloo ndawo wayefele kuyo uAsayeli, wayefika eme nematha.
24 Kwasuka uJowabhi noAbhishayi, bamsukela uAbhinere. Kuthe kwakuhlwa bafika endulini yaseAma ekhangelene neGiya kuloo ndlela ibheka kwinkangala yaseGibheyon.
25 Amadoda akwaBhenjamin ahlanganisana, azibandakanya noAbhinere, ema ndawonye phezu kwenduli.
26 UAbhinere wamemeza wathi kuJowabhi: “Mfondini, liya kudla kude kube nini na ikrele? Akuqondi na wena ukuba le nto iza kugqibela sekukho intiyo phakathi kwethu, ukanti ningabantakwethu? Nakuyeka nini kodwa ukusukelana nathi?”
27 Uphendule ngelithi uJowabhi: “Ekho nje uThixo, inene, ukuba ubungathethanga besiza kunileqa kude kuse.”
28 Wavuthela isigodlo sakhe emva koko uJowabhi, exelela amadoda akhe ukuba ayeke ukuwasukela amaSirayeli. Waphela ke njalo umlo.
29 UAbhinere namadoda akhe bahamba ubusuku bonke, betyhutyha loo ntili yaseJordan. Bayiwela ngengomso iJordan, sebehambe intsasa yonke, baya kugaleleka eMahanayim.
30 Uthe akuwaqokelela amadoda akhe uJowabhi, emva kokusukela amaSirayeli, kwafumaneka kulahleke ishumi elinethoba lamadoda ngaphandle kuka-Asayeli.
31 Iqela likaDavide lona labulala amakhulu amathathu namashumi amathandathu kumadoda akwaBhenjamin awayenoAbhinere.
32 UJowabhi namadoda akhe bawuthatha umzimba ka-Asayeli, baya kuwungcwabela eBhetelehem kumangcwaba akowabo. Emva koko bahamba ubusuku bonke, bada baya kutsho eHebron xa kumpondo zankomo ngengomso.