1 Apho eGiligali kwakukho itshijolo elithile lomfo ogama linguShebha, unyana kaBhikri wesizwe sakwaBhenjamin. Wasuka wabetha isigodlo sakhe, wamemelela esithi: “Asinasahlulo kuDavide, singenalifa kunyana kaJese. Elowo makaye endlwini yakhe, maSirayeli!”
2 Ke onke amadoda akwaSirayeli amshiya uDavide, alandela uShebha unyana kaBhikri, kodwa wona amaJuda asala noDavide, amlandela ukusuka eJordan ada aya kutsho naye eJerusalem.
3 Wathi uDavide akufika komkhulu eJerusalem, wawathatha lawo maqadi akhe alishumi ayesele ejonge ikomkhulu, wathi makajongwe ngabalindi. Wayebondla, kodwa akabuyanga ahlangane nabo, bahlala ubomi bobuhlolokazi bonke ubomi babo.
4 UDavide wathi kuAmasa: “Wabize amadoda akwaJuda eze apha zingadlulanga iintsuku ezintathu.”
5 Wahamba uAmasa, esiya kubiza amaJuda, kodwa akabuya ngosuku awayemiselwe lona ngukumkani.
6 Uvakele esithi ukumkani kuAbhishayi: “Phofu uyaqonda na ukuba uShebha unyana kaBhikri uza kusenzela ingxwaba-ngxwaba nangaphezu koAbhasalom. Hamba nala madoda omkhosi wam, nimlandele engekayi kwiidolophu ezinqatyisiweyo, asithele emehlweni ethu.”
7 Asuka ke amadoda ebutho likaJowabhi, nabalindi abangamaKreti namaPleti, nawo onke amagorha, anduluka eJerusalem, alanda ekhondweni likaShebha unyana kaBhikri.
8 Bathi bakufika ngakwelaa liwa laseGibheyon, bahlangana noAmasa. UJowabhi wayegaxele ezedabi, ikrele lisesingxobeni, sibotshelelwe ebhantini. Uthe akusondela lawa elo krele.
9 UJowabhi wathi kuAmasa: “Uphila njani, mfo wethu?” Wamthi nqaku ngentshebe uAmasa ngesokunene isandla sakhe, eza kumanga.
10 UAmasa wayengalilumkelanga ikrele elalisesandleni sikaJowabhi, wamhlaba ngalo esiswini, wamkhupha amathumbu. Wafa kwangoko, akwafuneka ukuba abuye amhlabe uJowabhi.Basuka apho uJowabhi nomntakwabo uAbhishayi bangena endleleni, belandela uShebha unyana kaBhikri.
11 Enye kulaa madoda ayehamba noJowabhi yasala imi ngakweso sidumbu sika-Amasa, ikhwaza isithi: “Indoda engakwicala likaJowabhi noDavide mayilandele uJowabhi.”
12 Isidumbu sika-Amasa esasilijaja ligazi sasiqungquluze phakathi endleleni. Loo ndoda yathi yakubona amadoda afika eme apho, yasirhuqela entsimini eso sidumbu, yasigquma ngengubo.
13 Emva koko ke wonke umntu walandela uJowabhi, kuzingelwa uShebha unyana kaBhikri.
14 UShebha wawutyhutyha wonke ummandla wezizwe zakwaSirayeli, wada waya kutsho kwidolophu iAbhele-bhete-mahaka, elandelwa nguwo wonke umzi wakwaBhikri.
15 UJowabhi nomkhosi wakhe bamngqinga uShebha apho eAbhele-bhete-mahaka. Benza amanqwanqwa ngomhlaba okuqabela udonga lwangaphandle, bemba ngaphantsi kodonga, befuna ukuluwisa.
16 Kweso sixeko kwakukho umfazi owayehlakaniphile. Wamemeza engaphakathi, wathi: “Khawuphulaphule apha. Nceda undibizele uJowabhi; ndifuna ukuthetha naye.”
17 Efikile uJowabhi, wabuza loo mfazi wathi: “UnguJowabhi?”Wathi: “Ewe, ndinguye.”Umfazi lowo wathi kuye: “Khawuphulaphule ke, mhlekazi, oko isicakazana sakho sikuthethayo.”Yena wathi: “Ewe, qhuba, ndimamele.”
18 Umfazi lowo wathi: “Kudala kwakudla ngokuthiwa: ‘Yiya kwidolophu iAbhele, uye kuvisa khona.’ Yayisenziwa ke loo nto.
19 Le yidolophu exolileyo nethembekileyo kwaSirayeli; kutheni ke ngoku uyidiliza nje, utshabalalisa isixeko esingunozala kuSirayeli? Ngani ukuba ufune ukucima isixeko esililifa *likaNdikhoyo?”
20 Waphendula uJowabhi wathi: “Hayi, andingeke ndisidilize isixeko senu ndisicime.
21 Asiyiyo injongo yam leyo. Kukho umfo okuthiwa nguShebha, unyana kaBhikri wakweleentaba kwaEfrayim; nguye oqale olu dushe ngokuvukela ukumkani uDavide. Mkhupheni ngaphandle; ndosiyeka esi sixeko.”“Kulungile, intloko yakhe soyijula ngaphandle kodonga,” utshilo loo mfazi.
22 Wabuyela kubemi balapho necebo lakhe, bamnqumla intloko uShebha, bayijula ngaphandle kodonga kuJowabhi. Wasivuthela isigodlo, amadoda akhe ayeka ukusihlasela isixeko, agoduka. Wenjenjeya noJowabhi ukubuyela kukumkani eJerusalem.
23 Umphathi-mkhosi wakwaSirayeli yayinguJowabhi. Abalindi bakakumkani uDavide abangamaKreti namaPleti umphathi wabo yayinguBhenaya unyana kaJoyada.
24 UAdoram yena wayephethe abo benza umsebenzi ngokunyanzelwa; uYoshafati yena, unyana ka-Ahiludi, wayengumgcini-manqaku,
25 uSheva ingunobhala, ababingeleli inguZadoki noAbhiyatare.
26 UIra waseJayire wayengomnye wababingeleli bakaDavide.