< 1 Imilando 21 >
1 USathane wasemelana labako-Israyeli njalo wafuqela uDavida ukuba abale abantu bako-Israyeli.
2 Ngakho uDavida wathi kuJowabi kanye labalawuli bamabutho, “Hambani liyebala u-Israyeli kusukela eBherishebha kusiya koDani. Beseliphenduka lizongitshela ukuze ngazi ukuthi bangaki khonale.”
3 Kodwa uJowabi waphendula wathi, “Sengathi uThixo angandisa amabutho akhe ngokuphindwe okwedlula ikhulu. Mhlekazi wami nkosi, kambe kabasibantu benkosi yami bonke laba? Inkosi yami ifunelani ukukwenza lokhu? Kungani ithanda ukwehlisela icala phezu kwabako-Israyeli?”
4 Loba kwakunjalo, uJowabi wakhulelwa yilizwi lenkosi, ngakho uJowabi walibhoda lonke elako-Israyeli wasebuyela eJerusalema.
5 UJowabi wafika wabikela uDavida inani lamadoda ayengalwa empini: Kulolonke elako-Israyeli kwakulamadoda ayisigidi lezinkulungwane ezilikhulu ayelakho ukuthi angayiphatha inkemba, kubalwa labazinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane alamatshumi ayisikhombisa koJuda.
6 Kodwa ekubaleni kwakhe uJowabi kazange ahlanganise abaLevi labakaBhenjamini, ngoba umlayo wenkosi wawumnenga.
7 Kanti njalo lowomlayo wawuyisono phambi kukaNkulunkulu, lakanye wamjezisa u-Israyeli.
8 Ngakho uDavida wasesithi kuNkulunkulu, “Ngonile kakhulu phambi kwakho ngokwenza lokhu. Ngakho, ngiyakuncenga, susa umlandu lo encekwini yakho. Ngenze ubuwula obukhulu kakhulu.”
9 UThixo wakhuluma loGadi, umboni kaDavida, wathi:
10 “Hamba uyetshela uDavida ukuthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Ngikunika ukuthi ukhethe phakathi kokuthathu. Khetha okukodwa okumele ngikwehlisele khona mina.’”
11 Ngakho uGadi waya kuDavida wathi kuye, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: ‘Zikhethele wena okufunayo:
12 iminyaka emithathu yendlala, loba izinyanga ezintathu zokududulwa uxotshwa yizitha zakho, ngenkemba zazo zikukhulela, loba insuku ezintathu zokumelana lenkemba kaThixo, kuyikuthi kuyabe kuyisifo elizweni, ingilosi kaThixo iletha incithakalo kulolonke elako-Israyeli.’ Ngakho, khathesi khetha ukuthi ngifike ngithini kulo ongithumileyo.”
13 UDavida wathi kuGadi, “Ngisosizini olukhulu kakhulu; kungangcono ngizinikele ezandleni zikaThixo, ngoba umusa wakhe mkhulu kakhulu; kodwa unganginikeli ezandleni zabantu.”
14 Ngakho uThixo wathumela isifo ko-Israyeli, kwafa amadoda azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa ko-Israyeli.
15 Njalo uNkulunkulu wasethumela ingilosi ukuba iyechitha iJerusalema. Kodwa ingilosi ithe isakwenza lokho, uThixo wazisola ngencithakalo eyayizakwenzakala wahle wakhuza ingilosi eyayizabhubhisa abantu wathi, “Kwanele! Susa isandla sakho.” Ingilosi kaThixo ngalesosikhathi yayisimi esizeni sika-Onani umJebusi.
16 UDavida wakhangela phezulu wabona ingilosi kaThixo imi phakathi kwezulu lomhlaba, iphethe inkemba esandleni sayo phezu kweJerusalema. Ngakho uDavida labadala, begqoke amasaka, bawa phansi ngobuso.
17 UDavida wathi kuNkulunkulu, “Angithi yimi engithe akubalwe amadoda okulwa na? Yimi engonileyo ngadala isono. Laba abasilutho yizimvu ezilandelayo. Benzeni? Oh Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, isandla sakho asiwele phezu kwami labendlu yami, kodwa akuthi isifo singasali ebantwini bakho.”
18 Ngakho ingilosi kaThixo yathuma uGadi ukuthi ayetshela uDavida ukuthi ayekwakha i-alithari likaThixo esizeni sika-Onani umJebusi.
19 Lakanye uDavida walalela ilizwi elakhitshwa nguGadi ngebizo likaThixo.
20 U-Onani esabhula ingqoloyi, wanyemukula wabona ingilosi; amadodana akhe amane ayelaye acatsha.
21 Kwasekufika uDavida, kuthe u-Onani embona, watshiya ukubhula wayakhothamela uDavida elokhu ebuso bukhothamele phansi.
22 UDavida wathi kuye, “Ake ungivumele ngibone isiza sakho sokubhulela amabele ukuze ngakhe i-alithari likaThixo, ukuze isifo esisebantwini simiswe. Ngithengisela sona ngentengo yaso egcweleyo.”
23 U-Onani wathi kuDavida, “Sithathe! Inkosi yami kayenze lokho ebona kuyithokozisa. Khangela, mina ngizaletha inkabi zomnikelo wokutshiswa, lemibhulo yokubhula izakuba zinkuni, ingqoloyi izakuba ngumnikelo wamabele. Konke lokhu ngiyakunika.”
24 Kodwa inkosi uDavida yathi ku-Onani, “Hayi, ngifuna ukuthenga ngentengo egcweleyo. Angiyikuthatha okuya kuThixo okungokwakho, angiyikunikela umnikelo wokutshiswa engingawuthenganga.”
25 Ngakho uDavida wanika u-Onani amashekeli egolide angamakhulu ayisithupha ethenga leyondawo.
26 UDavida wakhela uThixo i-alithari kuleyondawo wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobudlelwano. Wakhuleka kuThixo, uThixo wamphendula ngomlilo uvela ezulwini phezu kwe-alithari lomnikelo wokutshiswa.
27 Ngakho uThixo wakhuluma lengilosi, yona yasibuyisela inkemba yayo esikhwameni sayo.
28 Ngalesosikhathi, uDavida esebonile ukuthi uThixo wayemphendule esizeni sika-Onani umJebusi, wanikela iminikelo kuleyondawo.
29 Ithabanikeli likaThixo, elalakhiwe nguMosi enkangala, kanye le-alithari leminikelo yokutshiswa ngalesosikhathi kwakusendaweni ephakemeyo eGibhiyoni.
30 Kodwa uDavida wehluleka ukuya khona ukuze abuze kuNkulunkulu ngoba wayesesaba inkemba yengilosi kaThixo.
