1 Ke kaloku izizwe zakwaSirayeli zonke zahlanganisana kuDavide eHebron, zathi: “Mhlekazi, siyazalana; sikwaligazi lakho.
2 Phambili phaya, ngokuya uSawule ebesengukumkani, amaSirayeli ayekhokelwa nguwe xa aya emfazweni. *UNdikhoyo wathi kuwe: ‘Wena uya kuba ngumalusi wabantu bam amaSirayeli, ube ngumlawuli wabo.’ ”
3 Aya kufika ke onke amadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli kukumkani uDavide eHebron, waza ukumkani wanqophisana nawo phaya eHebron phambi koNdikhoyo, aza ke amthambisa uDavide waba ngukumkani wamaSirayeli.
4 Ukuqala kwakhe ukulawula uDavide wayemashumi mathathu ubudala. Ulawule iminyaka engamashumi amane.
5 Waba minyaka isixhenxe neenyanga ezintandathu ephethe kwaJuda, ehlala eHebron. Waphatha kwaSirayeli nakwaJuda ehlala eJerusalem iminyaka engamashumi mathathu anantathu.
6 Ke kaloku ukumkani uDavide wanduluka nomkhosi wakhe ukuya kuhlasela amaJebhusi awayemi eJerusalem. AmaJebhusi athi kuDavide: “Akunakuze ungene apha wena! Kwaiimfama neziqhwala ezi zingakujika!” Kaloku ayesithi: “UDavide akangeke abe nako ukutyhoboza.”
7 Kambe ke uDavide wasuka wayithimba inqaba iZiyon, isixeko sikaDavide.
8 Wavakala esithi uDavide ngaloo mini: “Ukuba kukho umntu ozimisele ukuwoyisa la maJebhusi aziintshaba zam makanyuke ngalaa msele wamanzi ungaphantsi komhlaba, aye kubulala eziya ‘ziqhwala neemfama’!” (Savela apho isaci esithi: “Iimfama neziqhwala azinakungena endlwini kaNdikhoyo.”)
9 Waya kuhlala apho ke kuloo nqaba uDavide, waza wayibiza ngokuba sisixeko sikaDavide. Wakha isixeko sayijikeleza, esiza nganeno ukusukela kungqameko.
10 Waya esomelela ngokomelela, kuba kaloku uNdikhoyo uThixo onamandla onke wayenaye.
11 Ukumkani uHiram waseTire wathumela izigidimi kuDavide, ziphethe izibonda zomsedare, zihamba nabachweli kunye neengcibi zamatye, zaza zamakhela ibhotwe uDavide.
12 Ke uDavide waqonda ukuba uNdikhoyo umzinzisile wangukumkani kwaSirayeli, eqonda nokuba uNdikhoyo ulawulo lwakhe uluphakamisile ngenxa yabantu bakhe amaSirayeli.
13 Ukufika kwakhe eJerusalem, evela eHebron, uDavide waphinda wathatha abanye abafazi namaqadi, waza ke wazala abanye oonyana neentombi.
14 Nanga amagama abantwana bakhe abazalelwe eJerusalem: nguShamuwa, uShobhabhi, uNatan, uSolomon,
15 uIbhare, uElishuwa, noNifege, noYafiya,
16 uElishama, noEliyada, kunye noElifelete.
17 Zakuvakala kumaFilistiya iindaba zokuba uDavide uthanjiswe waba ngukumkani wakwaSirayeli, akhupha umkhosi wawo, emfuna. Uthe akuyiva loo nto uDavide wemka waya kuhlala kwindawo eyinqaba.
18 Afika ke amaFilistiya, ema kwintili yamaRafa,
19 waza uDavide wabuzisa *kuNdikhoyo wathi: “Kufuneka ndiwahlasele na amaFilistiya? Ngaba uza kuwanikela esandleni sam na?”UNdikhoyo wathi kuDavide: “Ewe, wahlasele; inene, ndowanikela esandleni sakho amaFilistiya.”
20 Wasuka ke uDavide, wenjenjeya ukuya eBhali-perazim, apho wafika wawoyisa amaFilistiya. Wavakala esithi: “Njengokutyhoboza kwamanzi uNdikhoyo wenjenjalo ukuzikhukulisa iintshaba zam ngaphambi kwam.” Ngoko ke loo ndawo kwathiwa yiBhali-perazim.
21 Ke kaloku amaFilistiya azishiya apho izithixo zawo, bazithatha ooDavide bemka nazo.
22 AmaFilistiya aphinda enyuka aya kulaa ntili yamaRafa, ema kuyo,
23 waza uDavide wabuzisa kuNdikhoyo kwakhona, ke yena uNdikhoyo wathi kuye: “Sukuya ngqo kuwo, koko warhawule, uwahlasele uvela ngasemva kwawo phaya ngakwimithi yebhalsam.
24 Uze uthi nje ukuba uve isingqisho phaya kwiincopho zemithi yebhalsam, uphume ngokukhawuleza, kuba yoba ngumqondiso wokuba uNdikhoyo uhamba phambi kwakho, uza kuwuqwakanisa umkhosi wamaFilistiya.”
25 UDavide ke wenza ngokomyalelo kaNdikhoyo, wawuvuthulula umkhosi wamaFilistiya ukusuka eGebha kuye kutsho eGezere.