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.