1 Kwaba khona indlala ezinsukwini zikaDavide iminyaka emithathu ngokulandelana; uDavide wafuna ubuso bukaJehova. UJehova wathi: “Kungenxa kaSawule nangenxa yendlu yakhe yegazi, ngokuba wabulala abaseGibeyoni.”
2 Inkosi yayisibiza abaseGibeyoni, yakhuluma kubo, abaseGibeyoni babengesibo abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, beyinsali yama-Amori; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babefungile kubo; uSawule wafuna ukubabulala ngokushisekela kwakhe abantwana bakwa-Israyeli nabakwaJuda;
3 wathi-ke uDavide kwabaseGibeyoni: “Nginenzele ntoni na? Ngingenza ukubuyisana ngantoni ukuba nibusise ifa likaJehova na?”
4 AbaseGibeyoni bathi kuye: “Akundaba yesiliva negolide noSawule nendlu yakhe, futhi akundaba yokubulala umuntu kwa-Israyeli.”Wathi: “Enikushoyo ngiyakunenzela khona.”
5 Bathi enkosini: “Umuntu owasibulalayo waceba ngathi ukuba sichithwe singasali phakathi kwemikhawulo yakwa-Israyeli,
6 masinikwe abantu abayisikhombisa bamadodana akhe, sibaphanyeke kuJehova eGibeya likaSawule, okhethiweyo kaJehova.”Inkosi yathi: “Ngiyakuninika bona.”
7 Kepha inkosi yamyeka uMefibosheti indodana kaJonathani kaSawule ngenxa yesifungo sikaJehova esasiphakathi kwabo, phakathi kukaDavide noJonathani indodana kaSawule.
8 Kepha inkosi yathatha amadodana kaRispa indodakazi ka-Aya ayewazalele uSawule, o-Arimoni noMefibosheti; namadodana ayisihlanu kaMikhali indodakazi kaSawule ayewazalele u-Adriyeli indodana kaBarizilayi umMeholati;
9 wabanikela ezandleni zabaseGibeyoni, babaphanyeka entabeni phambi kukaJehova, bawa labo abayisikhombisa kanyekanye; babulawa ngesikhathi sokuvuna ezinsukwini zokuqala ngasekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwebhali.*
10 URispa indodakazi ka-Aya wathatha indwangu yamasaka, wazendlalela yona edwaleni, kusukela ekuqaleni kokuvuna kuze kuthelwe phezu kwabo amanzi asezulwini; akavumelanga izinyoni zezulu ukuba zihlale phezu kwabo emini, nezilwane zasendle ebusuku.
11 Kwabikelwa uDavide ukuthi uRispa indodakazi ka-Aya, isancinza sikaSawule, wenzeni.
12 UDavide waya wathatha amathambo kaSawule namathambo kaJonathani indodana yakhe kubantu baseJabeshi Gileyadi ababewebile esigcawini saseBeti Shani, lapho, amaFilisti ayebaphanyeke khona, mhla amaFilisti embulala uSawule eGilibowa.
13 Wenyusa lapho amathambo kaSawule namathambo kaJonathani indodana yakhe; baqoqa amathambo ababephanyekiwe.
14 Bawembela amathambo kaSawule noJonathani indodana yakhe ezweni lakwaBenjamini eSela ethuneni likaKishi uyise; benza konke okuyalezwe yinkosi. Ngasemuva uNkulunkulu wancengwa ngenxa yezwe.
15 AmaFilisti abuye aphaka impi no-Israyeli; uDavide wehla, izinceku zakhe zinaye, balwa namaFilisti; uDavide waphela amandla.
16 U-Ishibi Benobi wabantwana bamaRefa osisindo somkhonto wakhe sasingamashekeli* angamakhulu amathathu ethusi, ebhince inkemba entsha, wathi uyakumbulala uDavide.
17 Kepha u-Abishayi indodana kaSeruya wamsiza, wamshaya umFilisti wambulala. Base befunga kuye abantu bakaDavide, bathi: “Awusayikuphuma impi nathi, funa ucime isibani sakwa-Israyeli.”
18 Kwathi emva kwalokho kwabuye kwavuka impi namaFilisti eGobi; khona uSibekayi umHushati wabulala uSafi owayengowamadodana amaRefa.
19 Kwabuye kwaba khona impi namaFilisti eGobi; u-Elihanani indodana kaJahari Oregimi waseBetlehema wabulala uGoliyati umGiti oluthi lomkhonto wakhe lwalunjengogongolo lomaluki.
20 Kwabuye kwaba khona impi eGati, lapho kwakukhona umuntu omude owayeneminwe eyisithupha esandleni nezinzwani eziyisthupha onyaweni, kungamashumi amabili nane kukonke; naye wazalwa yiRefa.
21 Wameyisa u-Israyeli; ngalokho uJonathani indodana kaShimeyi umfowabo kaDavide wambulala.
22 Labo bobane bazalwa ngamaRefa eGati; bawa ngesandla sikaDavide nangesandla sezinceku zakhe.