1 Lapho isizwile indodana kaSawule ukuthi u-Abineri ufile eHebroni, izandla zayo zaba buthakathaka, nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli bakhathazeka.
2 Indodana kaSawule yayinamadoda amabili ayeyizinduna zamaviyo; igama lenye lalinguBahana negama lenye lalinguRekabi, amadodana kaRimoni waseBeyeroti wabantwana bakwaBenjamini, ngokuba iBeyeroti libalelwa kuBenjamini.
3 AbaseBeyeroti babalekela eGitayimi, bagogobala khona kuze kube namuhla.
4 UJonathani indodana kaSawule wayenendodana elunyonga ngezinyawo. Yayineminyaka eyisihlanu ekufikeni kombiko ngoSawule noJonathani uvela eJizreyeli; umzanyana wayo wayithatha, wabaleka; kwathi eseshesha ukubaleka, yawa, yaba lunyonga. Igama layo lalinguMefibosheti.
5 Amadodana kaRimoni waseBeyeroti oRekabi noBahana ahamba, afika selishisa ilanga endlini ka-Ishi Bosheti ephumula embhedeni emini.
6 Bangena khona phakathi kwendlu kungathi bayakulanda ukolweni; bamgwaza esiswini; oRekabi noBahana umfowabo babaleka.
7 Babengenile-ke endlini esalele embhedeni ekamelweni lakhe, bamgwaza, bambulala, bamnquma ikhanda, bathatha ikhanda lakhe, bahamba ngendlela yase-Araba ubusuku bonke.
8 Baliyisa ikhanda lika-Ishi Boshethi kuDavide eHebroni, bathi enkosini: “Nanti ikhanda lika-Ishi Bosheti indodana kaSawule; isitha sakho ebesifuna ukuphila kwakho; uJehova uphindisele namuhla inkosi yami, inkosi, kuSawule nakuyo inzalo yakhe.”
9 UDavide waphendula oRekabi noBahana umfowabo amadodana kaRimoni waseBeyeroti, wathi kubo: “Kuphila kukaJehova ohlengile umphefumulo wami osizini lonke,
10 umuntu owangitshela ukuthi: ‘Bheka, uSawule ufile,’ ecabanga ukuthi ulethile izindaba ezinhle, ngambamba, ngambulala eSikilagi, ethi ngangiyakumnika umvuzo wezindaba zakhe;
11 kakhulu kangakanani, lapho abantu ababi bebulele umuntu olungileyo endlini yakhe embhedeni wakhe, angiyikubiza igazi lakhe esandleni senu, nginisuse emhlabeni, na?”
12 UDavide wayeseyaleza izinsizwa zakhe, zababulala, zabanquma izandla nezinyawo, zabaphanyeka ngaseceleni kwechibi laseHebroni. Kepha bathatha ikhanda lika-Ishi Bosheti, balimbela ethuneni lika-Abineri eHebroni.