1 Kwakukhona umuntu omubi ogama lakhe lalinguSheba indodana kaBikri umBenjamini; wabetha icilongo, wathi: “Asinasabelo kuDavide, asinafa endodaneni kaJese; yiyani nonke ematendeni enu, Israyeli.”
2 Bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli base benyuka bengasamlandeli uDavide, bamlandela uSheba indodana kaBikri; kepha abantu bakwaJuda babambelela enkosini yabo kusukela eJordani kuze kube seJerusalema.
3 UDavide wafika endlini yakhe eJerusalema; inkosi yathatha abesifazane abayishumi, izancinza zayo, eyayibashiyile ukuba bayilinde indlu, yababeka endlini yokulindela, yabapha ukudla, kepha ayingenanga kubo. Base bevalelwe kwaze kwaba sosukwini lokufa kwabo, behlezi njengabafelokazi.
4 Yayisithi inkosi ku-Amasa: “Ngibuthele abantu bakwaJuda ngezinsuku ezintathu, ube khona nawe.”
5 Wayesehamba u-Amasa ukubutha uJuda, kepha walibala phezu kwesikhathi asinqunyelweyo.
6 Wayesethi uDavide ku-Abishayi: “Manje uSheba indodana kaBikri uyakwenza okubi kakhulu kithi kuno-Abisalomu; thatha wena izinceku zenkosi yakho, umxoshe, funa azitholele imizi ebiyelweyo, asiphunyuke.”
7 Emva kwakhe kwaphuma amadoda kaJowabe, namaKhereti namaPheleti, namaqhawe onke; baphuma eJerusalema ukuba bamxoshe uSheba indodana kaBikri.
8 Besesetsheni elikhulu eliseGibeyoni, u-Amasa wafika ukubahlangabeza. UJowabe wayebhince isambatho sakhe sokulwa ayelokhu esigqoka; kusona lalikhona ibhande* elinenkemba emgodleni wayo elaligaxwe okhalweni lwakhe; yawa esehamba.
9 UJowabe wayesethi ku-Amasa: “Usaphila, mfowethu, na?” UJowabe wambamba u-Amasa ngesilevu ngesandla sakhe sokunene ukuba amange.
10 Kodwa u-Amasa akayinakanga inkemba eyayisesandleni sikaJowabe; wamgwaza ngayo esiswini, wachithela izibilini zakhe emhlabathini; wafa engamphindanga. OJowabe no-Abishayi umfowabo bamxosha uSheba indodana kaBikri.
11 Kwema ngakuye enye yezinsizwa zikaJowabe, yathi: “Omthanda uJowabe nongokaDavide mabamlandele uJowabe.”
12 U-Amasa wahuquzela egazini lakhe phakathi nomendo. Lapho lo muntu ebona ukuthi bonke abantu bema, wamgudluza u-Amasa emendweni, wamyisa ensimini, waphonsa ingubo phezu kwakhe, lapho ebona ukuthi bonke abadlula ngakuye bema.
13 Esesusiwe emendweni, abantu bonke badlula bamlandela uJowabe ukuba bamxoshe uSheba indodana kaBikri.
14 Wadabula izizwe zonke zakwa-Israyeli, waze wafika e-Abela, naseBeti Mahakha, nakuwo onke amaBeri; babuthana bamxosha nakhona.
15 Bafika bamvimbezela e-Abela laseBeti Mahakha, banqwabela iduli ngasemzini elema ngasodongeni; abantu bonke ababe noJowabe babhidliza ugange ukuba luwe.
16 Kwase kumemeza owesifazane ohlakaniphileyo esemzini, wathi: “Zwanini! Zwanini! Ake nithi kuJowabe: ‘Sondela lapho ukuba ngikhulume nawe.’ ”
17 Wasondela kuye; owesifazane wayesethi: “Wena unguJowabe na?”Wathi: “Nginguye.”Wayesethi kuye: “Yizwa amazwi encekukazi yakho.”Wathi: “Ngiyezwa.”
18 Wathi-ke: “Endulo babevama ukukhuluma ngokuthi: ‘Kuyakubuzwa nokubuzwa e-Abela.’ Base beqeda.
19 Mina ngingowokuthula nothembekileyo kwa-Israyeli; wena ufuna ukuchitha umuzi nonina kwa-Israyeli; uyakuligwinyelani ifa likaJehova na?”
20 UJowabe waphendula wathi: “Makube kude, makube kude nami ukuba ngigwinye noma ngichithe.
21 Akunjalo, kepha umuntu wasezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, nguSheba indodana kaBikri igama lakhe, uphakamisele isandla sakhe ngasenkosini, kuDavide; nginikeni yena kuphela, khona ngiyakusuka emzini.”Wayesethi owesifazane kuJowabe: “Bheka, ikhanda lakhe liyakuphonswa kuwe ngaphandle kogange.”
22 Owesifazane wayeseya ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe kubantu bonke. Bamnquma uSheba indodana kaBikri ikhanda, baliphonsa kuJowabe. Yena wabetha icilongo, bahlakazeka kulowo muzi, baya, kwaba yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe. UJowabe wabuyela eJerusalema enkosini.
23 UJowabe wayesephezu kwempi yonke yakwa-Israyeli; uBenaya indodana kaJehoyada wayephezu kwamaKhereti namaPheleti;
24 u-Adoramu wayephethe imali; uJehoshafati indodana ka-Ahiludi wayengumabhalana.
25 USheva wayengumbhali; oSadoki no-Abiyathara babe ngabapristi;
26 u-Ira umJayiri wayengumpristi kaDavide.