Eyesibili EkaSamuyeli 2:1-32
2 Ngemva kwalokho uDavida wabuza uJehova+ wathi: “Ngihambe yini kwelinye lamadolobho akoJuda?” UJehova wathi kuye: “Hamba.” UDavida wasebuza wathi: “Ngiye kuliphi idolobho?” UNkulunkulu wathi: “EHebroni.”+
2 Ngakho uDavida wasuka waya khona elamakhosikazi akhe amabili, u-Ahinowami+ waseJeziriyeli lo-Abhigeli+ umfelokazi kaNabhali waseKhameli.
3 UDavida wahamba lamadoda ayelaye+ kanye lezimuli zawo. Bafika bahlala emadolobheni aseduze leHebroni.
4 Amadoda akoJuda abuya afika agcoba uDavida waba yinkosi yakoJuda.+
Atshela uDavida athi: “Amadoda aseJabheshi-giliyadi yiwo angcwaba uSawuli.”
5 Ngakho uDavida wathuma izithunywa emadodeni aseJabheshi-giliyadi wathi kuwo: “UJehova kalibusise ngoba laba lothando oluqotho kuSawuli inkosi yenu lamngcwaba.+
6 Kwangathi uJehova angaba lothando oluqotho futhi athembeke kini. Lami ngizaba lomusa kini ngenxa yalokho elikwenzileyo.+
7 Khathesi qinani libe ngamadoda alesibindi ngoba inkosi yenu uSawuli isifile futhi abantu bakoJuda sebengigcobe ukuthi ngibe yinkosi yabo.”
8 U-Abhineri+ indodana kaNeri, induna yebutho likaSawuli, wayethethe u-Ishi-bhoshethi+ indodana kaSawuli wachapha laye baya eMahanayimi,+
9 wafika wambeka ukuthi abe yinkosi, abuse iGiliyadi,+ lama-Ashuri, leJeziriyeli,+ labako-Efrayimi,+ labakoBhenjamini, lalo lonke nje ilizwe lako-Israyeli.
10 U-Ishi-bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli wayeleminyaka engu-40 ngesikhathi esiba yinkosi yabako-Israyeli futhi wabusa okweminyaka emibili. Kodwa abantu bakoJuda babesekela uDavida.+
11 UDavida wabusa abantu bakoJuda eHebroni okweminyaka eyisikhombisa lenyanga eziyisithupha.+
12 Ngemva kwesikhathi u-Abhineri indodana kaNeri wasuka eMahanayimi+ lezinceku zika-Ishi-bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli baya eGibhiyoni.+
13 UJowabi+ indodana kaZeruya+ laye wasuka lezinceku zikaDavida bayahlangana labo echibini leGibhiyoni. Elinye iqembu lahlala kwelinye icele lechibi, elinye lahlala kwelinye icele.
14 Ekucineni u-Abhineri wathi kuJowabi: “Amajaha kawasukume alwe phambi kwethu.” UJowabi wathi: “Kawasukume.”
15 Yikho amajaha akhethwayo asukuma achapha. Kwakulangu-12 awakoBhenjamini ayekhethwe eqenjini lika-Ishi-bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli, langu-12 ayekhethwe ezincekwini zikaDavida.
16 Ijaha ngalinye labamba ngekhanda lowo elalisilwa laye, lamgwaza ngenkemba emhlubulweni, wonke adilikela phansi ngasikhathi sinye afa. Yikho indawo leyo eseGibhiyoni yabizwa ngokuthi yiHelikhathi-hazurimi.
17 Impi eyavuka lapho ngalelolanga yayisesabeka. U-Abhineri lamadoda ako-Israyeli bacina besehlulwa zinceku zikaDavida.
18 Amadodana amathathu kaZeruya+ lawo ayekhona. KwakunguJowabi+ lo-Abhishayi+ lo-Asaheli.+ U-Asaheli wayelejubane angathi yimpala igijima endaweni eligceke.
19 Waxotshanisa u-Abhineri, kazange aphambukele kwesokudla kumbe kwesenxele.
20 U-Abhineri wathalaza emuva wabuza wathi, “Kanti nguwe Asaheli?” Yena waphendula wathi, “Ye yimi.”
21 U-Abhineri wasesithi kuye: “Phambukela kwesokudla kumbe kwesenxele ubambe ijaha elilodwa uthathe loba yini elilayo.” Kodwa u-Asaheli waqhubeka emxotshanisa.
22 Yikho u-Abhineri waphinda wathi ku-Asaheli: “Yekela ukungixotshanisa ngizaze ngikubulale. Ngingakubulala ngizakhangelana njani lomfowenu uJowabi?”
23 Kodwa u-Asaheli wayelokhu engafuni ukuma, yikho u-Abhineri wacina emgwaza ngesidindi somkhonto esiswini,+ umkhonto wayathutsha emhlane, u-Asaheli wawela khonapho wahle wafa. Wonke umuntu wayesithi angafika lapho u-Asaheli ayefele khona ame athi khwimilili.
24 UJowabi lo-Abhishayi baqhubeka bexotshanisa u-Abhineri. Ilanga lathi selisiyatshona bafika eqaqeni lwase-Ama olukhangele eGiya, endleleni eya enkangala yaseGibhiyoni.
25 AbakoBhenjamini babuthana ngemva kuka-Abhineri baba liqembu linye, bayakuma phezu kolunye uqaqa.
26 U-Abhineri wasememeza uJowabi wathi: “Abantu bazaqedana ngenkemba kuze kube nini? Kanti awukwazi yini ukuthi lokhu kuzaphetha ngezinyembezi zodwa? Kuzaze kube nini ulokhu ungatsheli abantu ukuthi bayekele ukuxotshanisa abafowabo?”
27 UJowabi wathi esizwa lokho wathi: “Ngifunga ngoNkulunkulu ophilayo, uNkulunkulu weqiniso, aluba awutshongo njalo abantu bebezaze bame ekuseni ukuxotshanisa abafowabo.”
28 UJowabi wasetshaya uphondo, amadoda ayelaye ayekela ukuxotshanisa abako-Israyeli, impi yaphela.
29 U-Abhineri lamadoda ayelaye bahamba ubusuku bonke badabula i-Arabha+ bayachapha umfula uJodani. Baqhubeka behamba ngesigodi,* baze bayafika eMahanayimi.+
30 UJowabi wathi esevela xotshanisa u-Abhineri wabuthanisa bonke abantu ndawonye. Ezincekwini zikaDavida kwafa u-Asaheli labanye abangu-19.
31 Kodwa izinceku zikaDavida zazibanqobile abakoBhenjamini lamadoda ayelo-Abhineri, zabulala abangu-360 phakathi kwabo.
32 Zathatha u-Asaheli+ zayamngcwaba ethuneni likayise eBhethilehema.+ Ngemva kwalokho uJowabi lamadoda ayelaye bahamba ubusuku bonke bayafika eHebroni+ kusisa.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Ezinye inguqulo zithi, “bedabula iBhithironi yonke.”
