1 Intukuthelo kaJehova yabuye yavuthela u-Israyeli, wamvusa uDavide ngabo ngokuthi: “Hamba ubale u-Israyeli noJuda.”
2 Inkosi yathi kuJowabe induna yempi eyayinaye: “Hamba ezizweni zonke zakwa-Israyeli kusukela kwaDani kuze kube seBeri Sheba, nibale abantu ukuba ngiwazi umumo wabantu.”
3 Wayesethi uJowabe enkosini: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wakho makenezele kubantu kuphindwe kayikhulu phezu kwalokhu abayikho, kubonwe ngamehlo enkosi yami, inkosi; kepha inkosi yami, inkosi, yenamelelani le nto na?”
4 Nokho izwi lenkosi lamahlula uJowabe nezinduna zempi. UJowabe nezinduna zempi baphuma ebusweni benkosi ukuba babale abantu bakwa-Israyeli.
5 Bawela iJordani, bamisa e-Aroweri ngakwesokunene komuzi ophakathi nesigodi sakwaGadi ngaseJazeri;
6 base befika kwaGileyadi nasezweni laseTahetimi Hodishi; bafika naseDani Jahani nangaseSidoni,
7 bafika enqabeni yaseTire, nasemizini yonke yamaHivi namaKhanani; baphuma baya nangaseningizimu kwaJuda eBeri Sheba.
8 Sebedabule izwe lonke bafika eJerusalema ngasekupheleni kwezinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye nezinsuku ezingamashumi amabili.
9 UJowabe wayesenika inkosi umumo wabantu ababaliweyo; kwaba khona kwa-Israyeli amadoda anamandla ayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisishiyagalombili ahloma inkemba; amadoda akwaJuda ayeyizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisihlanu.
10 UDavide wahlabeka enhliziyweni emva kokuba esebabalile abantu. UDavide wathi kuJehova: “Ngonile kakhulu ngalokho engikwenzileyo; kepha manje, Jehova, mawuthethelele ububi benceku yakho, ngokuba ngintumazele kakhulu.”
11 Wathi ukuba uDavide avuke ekuseni, kwafika izwi likaJehova kumprofethi uGadi umboni kaDavide lokuthi:
12 “Hamba ukhulume kuDavide ngokuthi: ‘UJehova usho kanje, uthi: Ngiyakubekela izinto ezintathu; khetha enye kuzo ukuba ngikwenzele yona.’ ”
13 UGadi wayesefika kuDavide, wamtshela, wathi kuye: “Kufike kuwe yini iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala ezweni lakini, noma ubalekele izitha zakho izinyanga ezintathu zisakuxosha, noma kube khona izinsuku ezintathu zesifo ezweni lakini na? Manje cabanga, ubone ukuthi yiliphi izwi engiyakulibuyisela kongithumileyo.”
14 Wayesethi uDavide kuGadi: “Nginosizi kakhulu; masiwele esandleni sikaJehova, ngokuba umusa wakhe mkhulu; kepha esandleni somuntu mangingaweli kuso.”
15 UJehova wayesethuma isifo phezu kuka-Israyeli kusukela ekuseni kuze kube sesikhathini esinqunyiweyo; kwafa abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa kusukela kwaDani kuze kube seBeri Sheba.
16 Lapho ingelosi yelula isandla sayo kulo iJerusalema ukulichitha, uJehova wazisola ngalobo bubi, wathi engelosini eyachitha abantu: “Sekwanele; buyisa isandla sakho.” Ingelosi kaJehova yayisesibuyeni sika-Arawuna umJebusi.
17 UDavide wathi kuJehova, lapho eyibona ingelosi eyayibabulala abantu: “Bheka, mina ngonile, ngenzile okubi; kepha lezi zimvu zenzeni na? Isandla sakho masibe phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa.”
18 UGadi wafika ngalolo suku kuDavide, wathi kuye: “Yenyuka, ummisele uJehova i-altare esibuyeni sika-Arawuna umJebusi.”
19 UDavide wenyuka njengokusho kukaGadi nanjengokuyala kukaJehova.
20 U-Arawuna walunguza, wabona inkosi nezinceku zayo beza kuye; u-Arawuna waphuma, wakhothama phambi kwenkosi, ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi.
21 Wathi u-Arawuna: “Kungani ukuba inkosi yami, inkosi, ifikile encekwini yayo na?”UDavide wathi: “Ukuba ngithenge kuwe isibuya, ngimakhele uJehova i-altare, ukuze lesi sifo sinqamuke kubantu.”
22 Wayesethi u-Arawuna kuDavide: “Inkosi yami, inkosi, mayithathe, inikele ngokuhle emehlweni ayo; bheka, nazi izinkabi zomnikelo wokushiswa, nezibhulo, nezinto zokubophela izinkabi zibe yizinkuni;
23 konke, nkosi, u-Arawuna uyakunika inkosi.” U-Arawuna wayesethi enkosini: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wakho makakwamukele.”
24 Inkosi yathi ku-Arawuna: “Qha, ngiyakukuthenga nokukuthenga ngenani elithile; angiyikunikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa kuJehova uNkulunkulu wami engeyesihle.” UDavide wayesethenga isibuya nezinkabi ngamashekeli* angamashumi ayisihlanu esiliva.
25 UDavide wamakhela khona uJehova i-altare, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yokuthula. UJehova wancengwa ngenxa yezwe, isifo sanqamuka kwa-Israyeli.