1 Ke kaloku kwaba lixesha elide kukho imfazwe phakathi kwendlu kaSawule nendlu kaDavide. Lo gama iphelelwayo indlu kaSawule, ekaDavide yona yayisiya iqina ngokuqina.
2 EHebron uDavide wazala oonyana. Izibulo yayinguAmnon, ezalwa nguAhinowam waseYizereli;
3 kuze owesibini uKiliyabhu, ezalwa nguAbhigeli umhlolokazi owashiywa nguNabhali waseKarmele; ibe nguAbhasalom owesithathu, owayezelwe nguMahaka intombi kaTalemayi ukumkani waseGeshuri;
4 kulandele owesine uAdoniya, ezalwa nguHagiti; kuze owesihlanu uShefatiya, ezalwa nguAbhitali;
5 kugqibele owesithandathu uItram, owazalwa nguEgla umka-Davide. Ngabo abo ke oonyana uDavide awabazala eHebron.
6 Ngexesha kuliwayo yile mizi mibini, okaSawule nokaDavide, kwicala likaSawule uAbhinere wayezandisela iwonga.
7 Ke kaloku uSawule wayenenkazana enguRizpa intombi ka-Aya, kwaza ngenye imini unyana kaSawule uIshbhoshete wathi kuAbhinere: “Yini na ukuba ulale nenkazana kabawo?”
8 Wangcangcazela ngumsindo uAbhinere ngenxa yala mazwi kaIshbhoshete, waza wathi: “Hi, mfondini, undenza inja kwaJuda! Uthi ingandim ojikela uSawule ngasemva? Unanamhla oku umzi kaSawule, uyihlo, ndisathembekile kuwo, kubantakwabo, nakumahlakani akhe; andikawungcatshi kuDavide, kodwa naku wena namhla undityhola ngomntu obhinqileyo!
9 Inene, makandohlwaye uThixo, nokuba kuqatha kangakanani na, ukuba andimncedisi uDavide ekuzuzeni izinto ezathenjiswa *nguNdikhoyo kuye!
10 Ndiza kumncedisa ukuhlutha ulawulo kwindlu kaSawule, kungene uDavide esihlalweni, alawule kwaSirayeli nakwaJuda, ukususela kwaDan kuse eBheshebha.”
11 Akabuyanga awuvule owakhe umlomo uIshbhoshete, kuba wayemoyika uAbhinere.
12 UAbhinere wathumela izigidimi kuDavide ukumthethela, esithi: “Hi bethu, ngaba lelikabani na eli lizwe? Ukuba thina sithe senza imvumelwano, ndokunceda, amaSirayeli onke ndiwagayele kwicala lakho.”
13 UDavide wathi: “Kulungile, kodwa ndosenza nawe isivumelwano kuphela ngaphantsi kwalo mqathango: kufuneka uze apha kum noMikali intombi kaSawule.”
14 Emva koko uDavide uthumele isigidimi kuIshbhoshete unyana kaSawule, wathi: “Ndikhululele umkam endamlobola ngamajwabu amaFilistiya alikhulu.”
15 UIshbhoshete wathi makaye kulandwa uMikali kwaPaltiyeli unyana kaLayishe, umyeni wakhe wesibini.
16 Suka uPaltiyeli walandela umfazi, ehamba elila njalo ukuya kutsho eBhawurim. Wathi kuye uAbhinere: “Jika! Uya phi?” Wajika wagoduka uPaltiyeli.
17 Ke kaloku uAbhinere wabhekisa kumadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli, wathi: “Kudala ninqwenela ukulawulwa nguDavide.
18 Nali ke ngoku elo thuba. Ze nikhumbule ukuba nguNdikhoyo owathi kuDavide: ‘Sisicaka sam uDavide endiya kukhulula abantu bam amaSirayeli ngaso kumaFilistiya nakuzo zonke iintshaba zabo.’ ”
19 Waya nakwaBhenjamin uAbhinere, wawubhekisa nakubo lo mlomo. Usuke apho waya kuDavide eHebron, wamchazela ngeembono zabantu bakwaBhenjamin nabakwaSirayeli.
20 Kwathi akuya eHebron uAbhinere, ehamba namashumi amabini amadoda, beye kuDavide, bafika behlinzekelwe.
21 UAbhinere wathi kuDavide: “Sendikulungele ukuwagayela ngakwicala lakho onke amaSirayeli, mhlekazi, khon' ukuze uvumelane nawo, ube ngukumkani wawo, ulawule phezu kwako konke obe ukade ukunqwenela.” UDavide ke wamndulula uAbhinere, wahamba ngoxolo.
22 Emva koko kwafika amadoda kaDavide, ehamba noJowabhi, evela kunqoloba, eze namaxhoba amaninzi. Wayeselemkile eHebron uAbhinere emva kokundululwa kwakhe ngoxolo nguDavide.
23 Akufika uJowabhi, kunye nomkhosi awayehamba nawo, waxelelwa kwathiwa: “UAbhinere ebeze kubona ukumkani, yaye ukumkani umndulule ngoxolo.”
24 UJowabhi wasuka waya kukumkani, wafika wathi: “Yintoni le uyenzileyo? Uyabona, uAbhinere ebeze kuwe! Kutheni le nto umyekileyo ahambe? Ngoku umkile!
25 Wazi kakuhle ukuba uAbhinere into kaNere ebeze kukukhohlisa; ubeze kugqala le nto uqamele ngayo nayo yonke enye into oyenzayo.”
26 Uthe uJowabhi ukusuka kwakhe kuDavide wathuma amadoda, esithi makaye kulanda uAbhinere. Amlanda ke kwelaa qula laseSira. Wayengazi nto kambe uDavide ngalo mbandela.
27 Ukufika kwakhe eHebron uAbhinere, uJowabhi wambizela bucala ngasesangweni, ngokungathi uza kuthetha naye ngasese. Bathe beselapho suka uJowabhi wamhlaba uAbhinere esiswini, wafa. Waba ke njalo uJowabhi uyaliphindezela igazi lomntakwabo uAsayeli owabulawa nguAbhinere.
28 Luthe lakufika ezindlebeni zikaDavide udaba lokugwintwa kuka-Abhinere, wavakala esithi: “Mna kunye nabantu abaphantsi kwam simsulwa kubugebenga obenziwe kuAbhinere unyana kaNere, nkqu *uNdikhoyo uyayazi loo nto.
29 Isiqalekiso sale ntlekele masihlele uJowabhi nomzi wakowabo. Makusoloko kukho umntu onegcushuwa, iqhenqa, osimelela ngenduku, okanye owa edabini, nesilambi.”
30 Kwaba njalo ke ukuphindezela ukufa kuka-Asayeli edabini laseGibheyon. Kwaphindezelwa nguJowabhi kunye nomntakwabo uAbhishayi.
31 Emva koko uDavide wathi kuJowabhi kwakunye nabantu bonke ababenaye: “Zikrazuleni izambatho zenu, ninxibe amarhonya, nimzilele uAbhinere.”Kumngcelele womngcwabo ukumkani uDavide ngenkqu wayelandela idlaka.
32 Wangcwatyelwa eHebron uAbhinere. Ukumkani walila ezimathontsi apho engcwabeni lika-Abhinere, batsho bonke abantu balila nabo.
33 Kuloo mngcwabo ka-Abhinere ukumkani uDavide wavuma ingoma yesililo ethi:“Yini na ukuwa njengesidenge, Abhinere?
34 Izandla zakho bezingabotshwanga;iinyawo zakho bezingaqanyangelwanga.Kum ingathi uwiswe bubugwinta bamatshijolo.”Baqala emva ukugixa abantu.
35 Bonke abantu babemcenga yonke loo mini uDavide, ukuba kubekho into ayityayo, kodwa uDavide wafunga esithi: “Makandohlwaye uThixo, nokuba kuqatha kangakanani na, ukuba ndithe, lingekatshoni ilanga, ndangcamla isonka nokuba yiyiphi na enye into etyiwayo.”
36 Abantu baba nomgqalisela ngale nto, yabakholisa; ewe, yonke into awayenzayo ukumkani yabakholisa.
37 Kwacaca ngaloo mini kumaSirayeli ephela ukuba ukumkani wayengazani konke nokufa kuka-Abhinere unyana kaNere.
38 Wavakala ukumkani ebhekisa kumaphakathi akhe esithi: “Niyaqonda phofu ukuba yinkokheli kwanengangalala le iwileyo namhlanje kwaSirayeli?
39 Ndiziva ndityhafile mna namhlanje, ngoku kanye ndingukumkani othanjisiweyo. Aba bafo bangoonyana bakaZeruya baziindlongo-ndlongo, mna bayandixaka. Akwaba uNdikhoyo angamohlwaya umenzi wobubi ngendlela emfaneleyo.”