1 Kwakukhona ukulwa isikhathi eside phakathi kwendlu kaSawule nendlu kaDavide; uDavide waqhubeka ngokuqina njalo, kepha indlu kaSawule yaqhubeka ngokuncipha njalo.
2 Kwazalelwa uDavide amadodana eHebroni; izibulo lakhe laba ngu-Amnoni ku-Ahinohama waseJizreyeli;
3 eyesibili yaba nguKileyabi ku-Abigayili umkaNabali waseKarmeli; eyesithathu yayingu-Abisalomu indodana kaMahakha indodakazi kaTalimyi inkosi yaseGeshuri;
4 eyesine yayingu-Adoniya indodana kaHagiti; eyesihlanu yayinguShefathiya indodana ka-Abithali;
5 eyesithupha yayingu-Itereyamu ku-Egila umkaDavide. Lawo azalelwa uDavide eHebroni.
6 Kwathi kusekhona ukulwa phakathi kwendlu kaSawule nendlu kaDavide, u-Abineri wamela indlu kaSawule ngamandla.
7 Kepha uSawule wayenesancinza esigama laso lalinguRispa indodakazi ka-Aya. U-Ishi Bosheti wayesethi ku-Abineri: “Ungeneleni kuso isancinza sikababa na?”
8 U-Abineri wathukuthela kakhulu ngenxa yalawo mazwi ka-Ishi Bosheti, wathi: “Ngiyikhanda lenja engeyakwaJuda na? Namuhla ngiyayenzela indlu kaSawule uyihlo umusa, abafowabo nabangane bayo, angikunikelanga esandleni sikaDavide; nokho ungibeka icala namuhla ngalowo wesifazane.
9 UNkulunkulu makenze njalo ku-Abineri, enezele futhi, uma ngingenzi kuDavide njengalokho uJehova efungile kuye,
10 kudluliswe umbuso endlini kaSawule, kumiswe isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavide phezu kuka-Israyeli naphezu kukaJuda, kusukela kwaDani kuze kufike eBeri Sheba.”
11 Wayengenakumphendula u-Abineri ngezwi futhi, ngokuba wayemesaba.
12 U-Abineri wayesethuma izithunywa kuDavide esikhundleni sakhe ngokuthi: “Ngelikabani izwe na?” ethi futhi: “Yenza isivumelwano nami; bheka, isandla sami siyakuba nawe ukubuyisela kuwe wonke u-Israyeli.”
13 Wathi: “Kuhle; ngiyakwenza isivumelwano nawe, kepha yinto inye engiyifuna kuwe, ngeyokuthi awuyikubona ubuso bami, uma ungalethi kuqala phambi kwami uMikhali indodakazi kaSawule, lapho uzayo ukubona ubuso bami.”
14 UDavide wayesethuma izithunywa ku-Ishi Bosheti indodana kaSawule, ethi: “Nginike umkami uMikhali engammiselwa ngamajwabu ayikhulu amaFilisti.”
15 Wayesethumela u-Ishi Bosheti, wamthatha endodeni yakhe uPalitiyeli indodana kaLayishi.
16 Indoda yakhe yahamba naye, ikhala isahamba, yamlandela kwaze kwaba seBahurimi. U-Abineri wayesethi kuyo: “Buya.” Yabuya-ke.
17 U-Abineri waba nezwi namalunga akwa-Israyeli, ethi: “Ngezikhathi ezidlulileyo nafuna uDavide abe yinkosi phezu kwenu;
18 kwenzeni lokho manje, ngokuba uJehova ukhulumile ngoDavide ukuthi: ‘Ngesandla senceku yami uDavide ngiyakusindisa abantu bami u-Israyeli esandleni samaFilisti nasesandleni sazo zonke izitha zabo.’ ”
19 U-Abineri wakhuluma futhi ezindlebeni zakwaBenjamini; u-Abineri waya futhi ukukhuluma ezindlebeni zikaDavide eHebroni konke okwakukuhle ku-Israyeli nakuyo yonke indlu yakwaBenjamini.
20 Wayesefika u-Abineri kuDavide eHebroni nabantu abangamashumi amabili bekanye naye. UDavide wamenzela u-Abineri nabantu ababe naye idili.
21 U-Abineri wayesethi kuDavide: “Ngiyakusuka ngihambe ngiqoqele wonke u-Israyeli enkosini yami, inkosi, ukuba benze isivumelwano nawe nokuba ubuse phezu kwakho konke ekufisayo inhliziyo yakho.” UDavide wammukisa u-Abineri, wahamba ngokuthula.
22 Bheka, izinceku zikaDavide nezikaJowabe zabuya eviyweni, zaletha impango enkulu; kepha u-Abineri wayengekho kuDavide eHebroni, ngokuba wayemmukisile, wahamba ngokuthula.
23 Esefikile uJowabe nempi yonke eyayinaye, bamtshela uJowabe ukuthi: “U-Abineri indodana kaNeri wafika enkosini; immukisile, wahamba ngokuthula.”
24 UJowabe wayeseya enkosini, wathi: “Wenzeni na? Bheka, u-Abineri wafika kuwe; ummukiseleni wahamba nokuhamba na?
25 Uyamazi u-Abineri indodana kaNeri ukuthi wafika ukukukhohlisa nokwazi ukuphuma kwakho nokungena kwakho, nokwazi konke okwenzayo.”
26 UJowabe esephumile kuDavide wathuma izithunywa ukulandela u-Abineri, zambuyisa emthonjeni waseSira, kepha uDavide wayengakwazi lokho.
27 U-Abineri esebuyele eHebroni, uJowabe wamchezukisela phakathi kwesango ukuba akhulume naye bebodwa, wamgwaza lapho esiswini waze wafa ngenxa yegazi lika-Asaheli umfowabo.
28 Esekuzwa lokho ngasemuva uDavide wathi: “Mina nombuso wami asinacala phambi kukaJehova kuze kube phakade ngegazi lika-Abineri indodana kaNeri;
29 maliwele ekhanda likaJowabe nakuyo yonke indlu kayise. Makungaphuthi endlini kaJowabe ukuba kube khona ocucuzayo, nonochoko, nozimelelayo ngodondolo, nowayo ngenkemba, noswele isinkwa.”
30 OJowabe no-Abishayi umfowabo base bembulele u-Abineri, ngokuba wayebulele umfowabo u-Asaheli eGibeyoni empini.
31 UDavide wathi kuJowabe nakubantu bonke ababe naye: “Klebhulani izingubo zenu, nibhince indwangu yamasaka, nilile phambi kuka-Abineri.” Inkosi uDavide yalandela uhlaka.
32 Bammbela u-Abineri eHebroni; inkosi yadazuluka, yakhala ngasethuneni lika-Abineri; nabantu bonke bakhala.
33 Inkosi yamlilela u-Abineri, yathi:“Afe u-Abineri njengokufa kwesiwula na?
34 Izandla zakho zazingaboshiwe,nezinyawo zakho zazingafakwanga emaketangeni;wawa njengomuntu owayo phambi kwabantu ababi.”Bonke abantu baphinda bemkhalela.
35 Bonke abantu bafika ukuba bamdlise uDavide isinkwa kusesemini; kepha uDavide wafunga wathi: “Makenze njalo kimi uNkulunkulu, enezele futhi, uma ngidla isinkwa noma okunye lingakashoni ilanga.”
36 Bonke abantu bakubona, kwaba kuhle emehlweni abo, njengalokho konke eyakwenza inkosi kwaba kuhle emehlweni abantu bonke.
37 Base beqonda bonke abantu naye wonke u-Israyeli ngalolo suku ukuthi kwakungesikho okwenkosi ukubulala u-Abineri indodana kaNeri.
38 Inkosi yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Anazi yini ukuthi kufile umbusi nomuntu omkhulu kwa-Israyeli namuhla na?
39 Nami ngibuthakathaka namuhla noma ngigcotshiwe ngibe yinkosi; laba bantu, amadodana kaSeruya, balukhuni kunami; uJehova makaphindisele owenza okubi njengobubi bakhe.”