1 Kwathi emveni koko, wabuza uDavide kuYehova, esithi, Ndinyuke na ndiye emzini wakwaYuda? Wathi uYehova kuye, Nyuka. Wathi uDavide, Ndinyuke ndiye phi na? Wathi yena, EHebron.
2 Wenyuka ke waya khona uDavide, nabafazi bakhe bobabini, uAhinowam waseYizereli, noAbhigali, umkaNabhali, waseKarmele.
3 Namadoda akhe abenawo wawanyusa uDavide, yayileyo nendlu yayo, ahlala emizini yaseHebron.
4 Eza amadoda akwaYuda, amthambisa khona apho uDavide ukuba abe ngukumkani kwindlu yakwaYuda. Kwaxelwa kuDavide, kusithiwa, Amadoda aseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi, ngawo awamngcwabayo uSawule.
5 UDavide wathumela ke abathunywa kumadoda aseYabheshe yaseGiliyadi, wathi kuwo, Manisikelelwe nguYehova nina, nayenzelayo inkosi yenu uSawule loo nceba, nayingcwaba.
6 Ngoko uYehova makanenzele inceba nenyaniso; nam ndiya kunenzela oko kulungileyo, ngokuba nayenzayo loo nto.
7 Ke kaloku mazomelele izandla zenu, nibe ngamadoda anobukroti; ngokuba ifile inkosi yenu uSawule. Kananjalo indithambisile indlu yakwaYuda ukuba ndibe ngukumkani wayo.
8 Ke kaloku uAbhinere unyana kaNere, umthetheli womkhosi obungokaSawule, ebethabathe uIshbhoshete, unyana kaSawule, wamwezela eMahanayim,
9 wamenza ukumkani eGiliyadi, nakuma-Askure, naseYizereli, nakwaEfrayim, nakwaBhenjamin, nakumaSirayeli onke.
10 UIshbhoshete, unyana kaSawule, ebeminyaka imashumi mane ezelwe, ekwenziweni kwakhe ukumkani kumaSirayeli, wangukumkani iminyaka emibini. Kodwa indlu yakwaYuda yalandela uDavide.
11 Inani lemihla uDavide abengukumkani kwindlu yakwaYuda eHebron, libe liyiminyaka esixhenxe eneenyanga ezintandathu.
12 Waphuma uAbhinere unyana kaNere, nabakhonzi bakaIshbhoshete, unyana kaSawule, eMahanayim, baya eGibheyon.
13 Baphuma uYowabhi unyana kaTseruya, nabakhonzi bakaDavide, baqubisana nabo echibini laseGibheyon. Bahlala aba echibini ngapha, bahlala abaya echibini ngaphaya.
14 Wathi uAbhinere kuYowabhi, Amadodana makakhe asuke adlale phambi kwethu. Wathi uYowabhi, Makasuke.
15 Kwesuka kwawela amanani: ishumi elinamabini lakwaBhenjamin, lakwaIshbhoshete unyana kaSawule, neshumi elinamabini kubakhonzi bakaDavide.
16 Yaba ngulowo wabamba ummelwane wakhe ngentloko, nekrele lakhe lela ecaleni lowabo; bawa kunye ndaweni-nye. Kwathiwa ke le ndawo yiHelekati-hatsurim eseGibheyon.
17 Kwaliwa kakhulu ngaloo mini. Wagxothwa uAbhinere namadoda akwaSirayeli phambi kwabakhonzi bakaDavide.
18 Babelapho bobathathu oonyana bakaTseruya: uYowabhi, noAbhishayi, noAsaheli. Ke uAsaheli waye enamendu, enjengebhadi lasendle.
19 UAsaheli wamsukela uAbhinere; akathi gu bucala aye ngasekunene nangasekhohlo emva koAbhinere.
20 Wabheka uAbhinere, wathi, UnguAsaheli na? Wathi yena, Ndinguye.
21 Wathi uAbhinere kuye, Tyekela ngasekunene kwakho, nokuba kungasekhohlo kwakho, ubambe enye kumadodana, uzithabathele isikrweqe sayo.
22 Ke uAsaheli akavuma ukutyeka ekumlandeleni. Wabuya waphinda wathi uAbhinere kuAsaheli, Tyeka ekundilandeleni; yini na ukuba ndide ndikubethe, uwe emhlabeni? Ndothini na ukubuphakamisa ubuso bam kuYowabhi, umkhuluwa wakho? Akavuma ukutyeka.
23 UAbhinere wamtsho ngoluthi lwentshuntshe esiswini; yaya kuphuma intshuntshe ngasemva. Wawa khona, wafela kuloo ndawo. Bathi bonke abafika kuloo ndawo wawa wafela kuyo uAsaheli, bee nqumama.
24 OoYowabhi noAbhishayi bamsukela bamlandela uAbhinere, lada latshona ilanga; bada bafika edulini yeAma, ekhangelene neGiya, endleleni yentlango yeGibheyon.
25 Bahlanganisana oonyana bakaBhenjamin, bamlandela uAbhinere, bambumba-nye, bema encotsheni yanduli-nye.
26 Wamemeza uAbhinere kuYowabhi, wathi, Liya kumana ukudla na ikrele? Akwazi na ukuba kuya kuba krakra kamva? Kuya kuba mzuzu ungakanani na ungabaxeleli abantu, babuye ekusukeleni abazalwana babo?
27 Wathi uYowabhi, Ehleli nje uYehova, ukuba bekungathelekiswanga nguwe, inene, ngebenyuswe bemka kwangokuya kwakusasa abantu, elowo akamsukela umzalwana wakhe.
28 UYowabhi wavuthela isigodlo; bema bonke abantu, ababa sawasukela amaSirayeli, ababa saphinda balwe.
29 UAbhinere namadoda akhe bahamba eArabha bonke obo busuku. Bayiwela iYordan, bayihamba yonke iBhitron, beza eMahanayim.
30 Wabuya ke uYowabhi ekumsukeleni uAbhinere; wabahlanganisa abantu bonke, kwasweleka kubakhonzi bakaDavide ishumi elinesithoba lamadoda, noAsaheli.
31 Ke abakhonzi bakaDavide babebulele, kumaBhenjamin nakuma doda akwa-Abhinere, amakhulu amathathu anamanci amathandathu amadoda, afa.
32 Bamthabatha uAsaheli, bamngcwaba engcwabeni likayise eliseBhetelehem. Bahamba ke ubusuku bonke uYowabhi namadoda akhe, kwasa beseHebron.