1 Wabuya wavutha umsindo *kaNdikhoyo ngakumaSirayeli, waza waxhokonxa uDavide ukuchasana nawo, esithi: “Yiya uwabale amaSirayeli namaJuda.”
2 UDavide ukumkani uyalele uJowabhi umphathi-mkhosi owayekunye naye, wathi: “Zibale zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli, ukususela kwaDan kuse eBheshebha, khon' ukuze ndilazi inani labantu.”
3 Ke yena uJowabhi wathi kukumkani: “Ngamana uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho wabandisa kalikhulu abantu, aze amehlo enkosi yam ukumkani ayibone loo nto. Kodwa ke, nkosi yam mhlekazi, ngani ukuba ufune ukwenza into enje?”
4 Kambe ke ilizwi likakumkani laboyisa ooJowabhi nabaphathi-mkhosi, baza ke bahamba bamshiya ukumkani, baya kubala uluntu lwakwaSirayeli.
5 Bawuwela umlambo iJordan, baya kuqalisa emazantsi eArohere kwisixeko esasisembindini wentlambo kummandla wakwaGati. Besuka apho baya emantla weYazere,
6 bedlulela eGiliyadi nakummandla waseTatim-hodeshe, baya kutsho kwaDan-yahan, benjenjeya ukusa eSidon.
7 Besuka apho bajonga emazantsi kwidolophu yaseTire eyayinqatyisiwe, baya badlulela nakuzo zonke iidolophu zamaHivi namaKanana, baya kugqibela ngeBheshebha ekumzantsi welakwaJuda.
8 Babuyela eJerusalem emva kweenyanga ezilithoba namashumi amabini eentsuku, sele belityhutyhile lonke elo lizwe.
9 UJowabhi ke wamchazela ukumkani inani lamadoda akulungeleyo ukubhaliswa emkhosini. KwaSirayeli yaba ngamakhulu asibhozo amawaka amadoda akwaziyo ukusebenzisa ikrele, kwaza kwaJuda yaba ngamakhulu amahlanu amawaka.
10 Kusuke kwathi akuba elwenzile olo balo uDavide wangenwa kukuba nomva-ndedwa. Waza ke wazibika kuNdikhoyo wathi: “Ndenze into embi gqitha ngesi senzo, Ndikhoyo. Ngoko ke ndiyakubongoza, bususe ubutyala bam, mna sicaka sakho. Ndenze into yobutyhakala.”
11 Ekuvukeni kukaDavide ngentsasa elandelayo ilizwi likaNdikhoyo laliselifikile *kumshumayeli uGadi, imboni kaDavide, lisithi:
12 “Hamba uye kuthi kuDavide: ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Ndikubekela izinto ezintathu. Khetha ibe nye kuzo, ndize ke mna ndikwenze loo nto.’ ”
13 UGadi ke waya kuDavide, wafika wamxelela esithi: “Khetha phakathi kweminyaka esixhenxe yendlala ezweni lakho, okanye iinyanga ezintathu ubalekana neentshaba zakho xa zona zikusukela, okanye iintsuku ezintathu kukho isibetho sikabhubhani ezweni lakho. Cingisisa ugqibe, undinike impendulo emandiyise kulowo undithumileyo.”
14 UDavide waphendula wathi kuGadi: “Ndisengxakini enkulu. Kodwa ke kubhetele siwele ezandleni zikaNdikhoyo, kuba inkulu inceba yakhe. Ewe, andikunqweneli ukuwela ezandleni zabantu.”
15 Ngoko ke uNdikhoyo wathumela isibetho sikabhubhani kwaSirayeli. Saqalisa kwangentsasa yangaloo mini, kwada kwaya kutsho kwelaa xesha wayelimisele. Kwafa amashumi asixhenxe amawaka abantu ukusukela kwaDan kuye kutsho eBheshebha.
16 Kwathi xa isithunywa sikaNdikhoyo sasisolula isandla siza kutshabalalisa iJerusalem, uNdikhoyo wazijika iimbono zakhe ngenxa yaloo ntlekele, waza wathi kwisithunywa esasitshabalalisa abantu: “Kwanele! Sirhoxise isandla sakho.” Oku kwenzeke xa kanye isithunywa sasingakwisanda sokubhula sika-Aravena umJebhusi.
17 Akusibona uDavide eso sithunywa sasibhubhisa abantu, wathi kuNdikhoyo: “Ndim owonileyo wenza ubugwenxa. Aba bantu bona banjengeegusha; akukho nto bayenzileyo. Isandla sakho masohlwaywe mna kunye nomzi kabawo.”
18 Kwangaloo mini uGadi waya kuDavide, wathi kuye: “Hamba uye kwakhela uNdikhoyo iqonga lamadini esandeni sokubhula sika-Aravena umJebhusi.”
19 Ngoko ke uDavide waya wayenza loo nto ayiyalelwe nguGadi ngokomlomo kaNdikhoyo.
20 Wathi akukhangela uAravena, wabona ukumkani esiza kuye ehamba namaphakathi akhe. Waphuma uAravena, wakhahlela ejongise ubuso emhlabeni phambi kokumkani.
21 Waza uAravena wathi: “Kungani ukuba ukumkani inkosi yam eze kwisicaka sakhe?”Waphendula ukumkani uDavide wathi: “Ndize kuthenga esaa sanda sokubhula sakwakho, ndize ndakhele kuso uNdikhoyo iqonga lamadini, khon' ukuze isibetho sikabhubhani sinqamke ebantwini.”
22 Wathi uAravena kuDavide: “Inkosi yam ukumkani mayithathe konke okukholekileyo kuyo, yenze idini. Naziya iinkabi zeenkomo zokwenza idini elitshiswayo. Naziya nezileyi zokubhula kunye needyokhwe zokwenziwa iinkuni.
23 Zonke ezi zinto, mhlekazi, uAravena uzinika ukumkani.” Waza waqhuba uAravena wathi kukumkani: “Ubenga uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho angakwamkela.”
24 Kambe ke ukumkani uphendule uAravena wathi: “Ngunotshe lowo! Ndiza kulihlawula ixabiso lazo. Andingekhe ndinikele kuNdikhoyo amadini atshiswayo ngento endingadlekanga ngayo.” UDavide wasithenga ke eso sanda sokubhula kunye neenkabi zeenkomo ngexabiso elingamashumi amahlanu eesiliva.
25 UDavide ke wakhela uNdikhoyo iqonga lamadini apho, waza wenza amadini atshiswayo kunye nawobudlelwana. Wakuva uNdikhoyo ukuthandazelwa kwelizwe, satsho saphela isibetho sikabhubhani kwaSirayeli.