1 Kwathi emva kwalokho uDavide wabuza kuJehova, wathi: “Ngenyukele yini komunye wemizi yakwaJuda na?”UJehova wathi kuye: “Yenyuka.”Wathi uDavide: “Ngenyukelephi na?”Wathi: “EHebroni.”
2 Wayesenyukela khona uDavide nabafazi bakhe ababili, o-Ahinohama waseJizreyeli no-Abigayili umkaNabali waseKarmeli.
3 Abantu bakhe ababe noDavide wabenyusa, kwaba yilowo nalowo nomuzi wakhe; bahlala emizaneni yaseHebroni.
4 Bafika abantu bakwaJuda, bamgcoba khona uDavide abe yinkosi yendlu yakwaJuda.Bamtshela uDavide ukuthi: “Abantu baseJabeshi Gileyadi yibo abammbela uSawule.”
5 UDavide wayesethuma izithunywa kubantu baseJabeshi Gileyadi, wathi kubo: “Manibusiswe nguJehova, ngokuba nenzile lowo musa kuyo inkosi yenu, uSawule, nammbela.
6 Manje uJehova makanenzele umusa neqiniso, nami nginibuyisele lowo musa, ngokuba niyenzile leyo nto.
7 Ngalokho maziqine izandla zenu, nibe nesibindi, ngokuba uSawule inkosi yenu ufile; indlu yakwaJuda ingigcobile ngibe yinkosi yayo.”
8 U-Abineri indodana kaNeri induna yempi kaSawule wayethathile u-Ishi Bosheti indodana kaSawule, wamwelisela eMahanayimi,
9 wambeka inkosi kwaGileyadi, nakuma-Ashurimi, naseJizreyeli, nakwa-Efrayimi noBenjamini, nakwa-Israyeli wonke.
10 U-Ishi Bosheti indodana kaSawule wayeneminyaka engamashumi amane ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa phezu kuka-Israyeli; wabusa iminyaka emibili. Kepha indlu yakwaJuda yamlandela uDavide.
11 Isikhathi uDavide eyinkosi ngaso eHebroni phezu kwendlu yakwaJuda sasiyiminyaka eyisikhombisa nezinyanga eziyisithupha.
12 U-Abineri indodana kaNeri nezinceku zika-Ishi Bosheti indodana kaSawule baphuma eMahanayimi, baya eGibeyoni.
13 UJowabe indodana kaSeruya nezinceku zikaDavide baphuma bahlangana ngasechibini laseGibeyoni; bahlala phansi, abanye ngalapha kwechibi, abanye ngalapho kwechibi.
14 U-Abineri wathi kuJowabe: “Ake zisuke izinsizwa, ziqakulizane phambi kwethu.”UJowabe wathi: “Mazisuke.”
15 Zase zisuka, zawela ngamanani, eziyishumi nambili kwaBenjamini naku-Ishi Bosheti indodana kaSawule, neziyishumi nambili ziyizinceku zikaDavide.
16 Zabambana ngekhanda, zagwaza ngenkemba ohlangothini lwezimelene nazo, zawa kanyekanye; ngalokho leyo ndawo yabizwa ngokuthi iHelikati Hasurimi eliseGibeyoni.
17 Kwakuyimpi enzima ngalolo suku; u-Abineri wahlulwa kanye nabantu bakwa-Israyeli phambi kwezinceku zikaDavide.
18 Amadodana amathathu kaSeruya ayelapho, oJowabe, no-Abishayi, no-Asaheli; u-Asaheli wayenezinyawo ezilula njengensephe.
19 U-Asaheli wamxosha u-Abineri; ekuhambeni kwakhe akachezukanga ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo ekumlandeleni u-Abineri.
20 U-Abineri wabheka emuva, wathi: “Ungu-Asaheli na?”Wathi: “Yimi.”
21 U-Abineri wayesethi kuye: “Chezukela ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesokhohlo, ubambe enye yezinsizwa, uthathe izikhali zakhe.” Kepha u-Asaheli akavumanga ukuchezuka ekumlandeleni.
22 U-Abineri wabuye wathi ku-Asaheli: “Chezuka ekungilandeleni; yini ukuba ngikucekele phansi na? Ngingaphakamisa kanjani ubuso bami ngakuJowabe umfowenu na?”
23 Wala nokho ukuchezuka; ngalokho u-Abineri wamgwaza esiswini ngesidunu somkhonto, waze waphuma emuva umkhonto; wawela khona, wafela khona lapho; kwathi bonke abafika endaweni u-Asaheli awele kuyo wafa, bema.
24 Kepha oJowabe no-Abishayi bamxosha u-Abineri; ilanga lashona befike ngasegqumeni lase-Ama elingaphambi kweGiya ngasendleleni yasehlane laseGibeyoni.
25 Abantwana bakwaBenjamini babuthana emva kuka-Abineri, baba yiviyo linye, bema esiqongweni segquma elithile.
26 U-Abineri wayesememeza kuJowabe, wathi: “Inkemba iyakudla njalonjalo na? Awazi yini ukuthi kuyakuba khona umunyu ekugcineni na? Koze kube nini ungabayali abantu ukuba babuye ekubalandeleni abafowabo na?”
27 UJowabe wathi: “Kuphila kukaNkulunkulu, uma ubungakhulumanga, ngempela abantu bonke bebeyakube sebenyukile kusasa ekuxosheni abafowabo.”
28 UJowabe wayesebetha icilongo; bonke abantu bema, ababe besamxosha u-Israyeli, futhi ababe besalwa.
29 U-Abineri nabantu bakhe badabula i-Araba bonke lobo busuku, bawela iJordani, badabula lonke iBitroni, bafika eMahanayimi.
30 UJowabe wabuya ekumxosheni u-Abineri; lapho esebuthile bonke abantu, kwasilala kuzo izinceku zikaDavide abantu abayishumi nesishiyagalolunye no-Asaheli.
31 Kepha izinceku zikaDavide zazibulele abakwaBenjamini nabaka-Abineri, kwafa abantu abangamakhulu amathathu namashumi ayisithupha.
32 Bamthatha u-Asaheli, bammbela ethuneni likayise elaliseBethlehema. UJowabe nabantu bakhe bahamba ubusuku bonke, kwasa beseHebroni.