2 USamuyeli 24
1 Lwaselubuya lwamvuthela uIsrayeli ulaka lukaJehova, wabavusela uDavida, esithi: Hamba ubale uIsrayeli loJuda.
Ulaka lukaThixo lwabuya lwavutha phezu kuka-Israyeli, wenza uDavida wamelana labo, esithi, “Hambani liyebala abantu bako-Israyeli labakoJuda.”
2 Ngakho inkosi yathi kuJowabi induna yebutho eyayilaye: Hamba khathesi ubhode ezizweni zonke zakoIsrayeli, kusukela koDani kuze kube seBherishebha, libale abantu ukuze ngazi inani labantu.
Ngakho inkosi yathi kuJowabi labalawuli bebutho ababelaye, “Hambani ezizweni zonke zako-Israyeli kusukela koDani kusiya eBherishebha libhale abantu bokulwa, ukuze ngazi ukuthi bangaki.”
3 UJowabi wasesithi enkosini: Aluba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ingandisa ebantwini, loba bebanengi kangakanani, kuphindwe ngokulikhulu, ukuthi amehlo enkosi yami, inkosi, akubone. Kodwa inkosi yami, inkosi, ithokozelani kulinto?
Kodwa uJowabi waphendula inkosi wathi, “Sengathi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho angandisa amabutho ngokuphindwe okwedlula ikhulu, njalo sengathi lamehlo kamhlekazi wami inkosi angakubona lokho. Kodwa-ke umhlekazi wami inkosi ifunelani ukwenza into enje?”
4 Kodwa ilizwi lenkosi lalilamandla phezu kukaJowabi laphezu kwezinduna zebutho. Ngakho uJowabi lenduna zebutho baphuma phambi kwenkosi ukuze babale abantu, uIsrayeli.
Kodwa ilizwi lenkosi lamenqabela uJowabi kanye labalawuli bebutho; ngakho basuka phambi kwenkosi ukuba bayebhala abantu bokulwa ko-Israyeli.
5 Basebechapha iJordani, bamisa inkamba eAroweri, ngakwesokunene komuzi ophakathi kwesifula seGadi, lamaqondana leJazeri.
Sebechaphe iJodani bamisa eduze le-Aroweri, eningizimu komuzi edongeni, basebedabula phakathi kwakoGadi besedlulela eJazeri.
6 Basebefika eGileyadi lelizweni leTahetimi-Hodishi; bafika eDani-Jahani, babhoda ngaseSidoni,
Baya eGiliyadi lasesabelweni saseThathimi Hodishi, laphambili eDani Jawani lasezindaweni eziseduze kusiya eSidoni.
7 bafika enqabeni yeTire lemizini yonke yamaHivi leyamaKhanani; baphuma baya eningizimu yakoJuda, eBherishebha.
Emva kwalokho baqonda enqabeni yaseThire lakuyo yonke imizi yamaHivi lamaKhenani. Ekucineni, baya eBherishebha eNegebi yakoJuda.
8 Sebebhode badabula ilizwe lonke, bafika eJerusalema ekupheleni kwenyanga eziyisificamunwemunye lensuku ezingamatshumi amabili.
Sebelihambe lonke ilizwe, babuyela eJerusalema emva kwezinyanga eziyisificamunwemunye lezinsuku ezingamatshumi amabili.
9 UJowabi waseyinika inkosi inani lokubalwa kwabantu; njalo kwakukhona koIsrayeli amaqhawe ayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisificaminwembili ahwatsha inkemba; lamadoda akoJuda ayengamadoda ayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amahlanu.
UJowabi wafika wabikela inkosi inani lamadoda ayengalwa empini: Ko-Israyeli kwakulamadoda azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amahlanu aqinileyo ayelakho ukuthi angayiphatha inkemba, koJuda.
10 Inhliziyo kaDavida yasimtshaya emva kokuthi esebale abantu. UDavida wasesithi eNkosini: Ngonile kakhulu ngalokho engikwenzileyo. Ngakho-ke, Nkosi, ngiyakuncenga, susa ububi benceku yakho, ngoba ngenze ngobuthutha obukhulu.
Emva kokubala abantu bokulwa uDavida wakhathazeka enhliziyweni yakhe, wasesithi kuThixo, “Ngonile kakhulu ngalokhu engikwenzileyo. Khathesi-ke, awu Thixo, ngiyakuncenga, susa icala lenceku yakho. Ngenze ubuwula obukhulu kakhulu.”
11 Kwathi uDavida esevukile ekuseni, kwafika ilizwi leNkosi kuGadi umprofethi, umboni kaDavida, lisithi:
UDavida engakavuki ngokusa okwalandelayo, ilizwi likaThixo laselifikile kuGadi umphrofethi, umboni kaDavida, lisithi:
12 Hamba uthi kuDavida: Itsho njalo iNkosi ithi: Ngikubekela okuthathu; zikhethele okukodwa kukho, ukuthi ngikwenze kuwe.
“Hamba uyetshela uDavida ukuthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Ngikunika ukuthi ukhethe phakathi kokuthathu. Khetha okukodwa kwakho ukuba ngikwenze kuwe.’”
13 UGadi wasefika kuDavida, wamtshela wathi kuye: Kufike kuwe yini iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala elizweni lakini? Loba ubalekele izitha zakho inyanga ezintathu zixotshana lawe? Ingabe kube khona umatshayabhuqe wesifo okwensuku ezintathu elizweni lakini? Khathesi cabanga, ubone ukuthi yimpendulo bani engizayibuyisela kongithumileyo.
Ngakho uGadi waya kuDavida wathi kuye, “Kungehliselwa kuwe indlala yeminyaka emithathu elizweni lakho na? Loba izinyanga ezintathu ubalekela izitha zakho zixotshana lawe na? Kumbe insuku ezintathu zesifo elizweni lakho na? Khathesi-ke cabanga ngakho wenze isinqumo ukuthi ngizamphendula njani lowo ongithumileyo.”
14 UDavida wasesithi kuGadi: Ngicindezelekile kakhulu; ake siwele esandleni seNkosi, ngoba izisa zayo zinkulu, kodwa kangingaweli esandleni somuntu.
UDavida wathi kuGadi, “Ngiphakathi kokukhathazeka okukhulu. Kasiweleni ezandleni zikaThixo, ngoba isihawu sakhe sikhulu, kodwa ungangiyekeli ngiwela ezandleni zabantu.”
15 Ngakho iNkosi yasibeka umatshayabhuqe wesifo kuIsrayeli, kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba sesikhathini esimisiweyo; kwasekusifa ebantwini abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa kusukela koDani kwaze kwaba seBherishebha.
Ngakho uThixo wathumela isifo ko-Israyeli kusukela ekuseni kwamhlalokho kwaze kwafika isikhathi esasimisiwe, kwafa abantu abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa kusukela koDani kusiya eBherishebha.
16 Lapho ingilosi iselulela isandla sayo eJerusalema ukuyibhubhisa, iNkosi yazisola ngalobobubi, yathi engilosini eyayibhubhisa abantu: Sekwanele. Khathesi finyeza isandla sakho. Ingilosi yeNkosi yayisebaleni lokubhulela likaArawuna umJebusi.
Kwathi ingilosi isiyelule isandla sayo ukuba itshabalalise iJerusalema, uThixo wayeselusizi ngenxa yomonakalo ngakho wathi engilosini eyayiqothula abantu, “Kwanele! Susa isandla sakho.” Ngalesosikhathi ingilosi kaThixo yayisisesizeni sika-Arawuna umJebusi.
17 UDavida wasekhuluma eNkosini lapho ebona ingilosi eyayitshaya abantu, wathi: Khangela, mina ngonile, njalo mina ngenze okubi; pho, lezizimvu zenzeni? Isandla sakho ake simelane lami njalo simelane lendlu kababa.
Kwathi uDavida ebona ingilosi eyayibulala abantu, wathi kuThixo, “Mina yimi engenze isono ngenza okubi. Laba bayizimvu nje. Kuyini abakwenzileyo? Isandla sakho kasiwele phezu kwami labendlu yami.”
18 UGadi wasefika kuDavida ngalolosuku, wathi kuye: Yenyuka, umisele iNkosi ilathi ebaleni lokubhulela likaArawuna umJebusi.
Ngalolosuku uGadi waya kuDavida wathi kuye, “Hamba uyekwakhela uThixo i-alithari esizeni sika-Arawuna umJebusi.”
19 UDavida wasesenyuka njengokutsho kukaGadi, njengokulaya kweNkosi.
Ngakho uDavida wahamba njengokulaya kukaThixo ngoGadi.
20 UArawuna waselunguza, wabona inkosi lenceku zayo beqhubeka besiza kuye; uArawuna wasephuma wakhothama phambi kwenkosi ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini.
Kwathi u-Arawuna ekhangela njalo ebona inkosi labantu bayo besiza kuye, waphuma wakhothama phambi kwenkosi ubuso bakhe buthe mbo phansi.
21 UArawuna wasesithi: Kungani inkosi yami, inkosi, ize encekwini yayo? UDavida wasesithi: Ukuthi ngithenge kuwe ibala lokubhulela, ukuthi ngakhele iNkosi ilathi, ukuze inhlupheko ithinteke ingafiki ebantwini.
U-Arawuna wathi, “Umhlekazi wami inkosi ulandeni encekwini yakhe na?” UDavida waphendula wathi, “Ngilande ukuzathenga isiza sakho, ukuze ngakhele uThixo i-alithari, ukuze isifo esisebantwini simiswe.”
22 UArawuna wasesithi kuDavida: Inkosi yami, inkosi, kayithathe inikele lokho okuhle emehlweni ayo; bona, nanzi inkabi zomnikelo wokutshiswa, lezimbulo lezinto zenkabi kube zinkuni.
U-Arawuna wasesithi kuDavida, “Umhlekazi wami inkosi kathathe loba kuyini okumthokozisayo anikele ngakho. Nanzi inkabi zomnikelo wokutshiswa, nansi lemibhulo yokubhula kanye lamajogwe enkabi ukuba kube zinkuni.
23 Konke lokhu, nkosi, uArawuna wakunika inkosi; uArawuna wasesithi enkosini: INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho kayikwemukele.
Awu nkosi, u-Arawuna unika inkosi konke lokhu.” U-Arawuna wabuya wathi kuye, “Sengathi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho angakwamukela.”
24 Inkosi yasisithi kuArawuna: Hatshi, kodwa ngizakuthenga lokukuthenga kuwe ngentengo; njalo kangiyikunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa engangibizanga lutho eNkosini uNkulunkulu wami. UDavida waselithenga ibala lokubhulela lezinkabi ngamashekeli esiliva angamatshumi amahlanu.
Kodwa inkosi yathi ku-Arawuna, “Hayi, ngiyagcizelela ekuthini ngikuthenge kuwe. Kangiyikunikela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wami umnikelo wokutshiswa ongangibizelanga lutho.” Ngakho uDavida wasithenga isiza kanye lenkabi ngamashekeli esiliva angamatshumi amahlanu.
25 UDavida wasesakhela khona iNkosi ilathi, wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula. Ngakho iNkosi yancengeka ngelizwe, inhlupheko yasithinteka phezu kukaIsrayeli.
UDavida wakhela uThixo i-alithari kuleyondawo wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobudlelwano. Lapho-ke uThixo waphendula ukukhulekelwa kwelizwe, isifo saphela ko-Israyeli.
