Eyesibini KaSamuweli 24:1-25
24 USirayeli wamcaphukisa kakhulu uYehova+ xa omnye wantyontyela uDavide* esithi: “Hamba uyokubala+ uSirayeli noYuda.”+
2 Ngoko ukumkani wathi kuYowabhi,+ umphathi-mkhosi owayekunye naye: “Yiya kuzo zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli, ukususela kwaDan ukuya eBher-shebha,+ uze ubhalise abantu ukuze ndilazi inani labo.”
3 Kodwa uYowabhi wathi kukumkani: “Kwanga uYehova uThixo wakho angabaphinda-phinda kayi-100 abantu, yaye kwanga inkosi yam ukumkani ingayibona loo nto. Kodwa kutheni inkosi yam ukumkani ifuna ukwenza into enjengale?”
4 Kodwa ilizwi likakumkani lamoyisa uYowabhi nabaphathi-mkhosi. Ngoko uYowabhi nabaphathi-mkhosi baphuma phambi kokumkani, bayokubhalisa abantu bakwaSirayeli.+
5 Bayiwela iYordan, bayimisa eArohere+ inkampu ngasekunene kwesixeko* esikumbindi wentlambo, ngakumaGadi naseYazere.+
6 Emva koko baya eGiliyadi+ nakwilizwe laseTatim-hodeshi, badlulela eDan-yahan, baza bajikela baya eSidon.+
7 Baya kwinqaba yaseTire+ nakuzo zonke izixeko zamaHivi+ nezamaKanan, bada bayokufika eNegebhi+ yakwaYuda eBher-shebha.+
8 Balihamba lonke ilizwe, baza bayokufika eYerusalem ekupheleni kweenyanga ezisithoba neentsuku eziyi-20.
9 Ngoko uYowabhi wanika ukumkani inani labantu ababebhalisiwe. KuSirayeli yaba ngamadoda angamakroti ayi-800 000 axhobe ngamakrele, yaye kuYuda yaba ngamadoda ayi-500 000.+
10 Kodwa uDavide wazisola,*+ emva kokuba ebabalile abantu. Ngoko wathi kuYehova: “Ndone+ kakhulu ngokwenza le nto. Ngoku ke Yehova, ndicela usixolele isono sesicaka sakho,+ kuba ndenze ubudenge obukhulu.”+
11 Uthe xa evuka ekuseni uDavide, ilizwi likaYehova lafika kuGadi+ umprofeti, imboni kaDavide, lisithi:
12 “Yiya kuDavide uthi kuye, ‘Uthi uYehova: “Ndikubekela izinto ezintathu. Khetha emandiyenze kuwe.”’”+
13 Ngoko uGadi waya kuDavide wathi kuye: “Ngaba kufanele kubekho iminyaka esixhenxe yendlala elizweni lakho?+ Okanye ufuna ukubaleka iintshaba zakho iinyanga ezintathu, ngoxa zikuleqa?+ Okanye ngaba kumele kubekho isifo esingubhubhani iintsuku ezintathu elizweni lakho?+ Cingisisa kakuhle ngempendulo endifanele ndiyinike Lowo undithumileyo.”
14 Ngoko uDavide wathi kuGadi: “Le nto indihlupha kakhulu. Masiwele esandleni sikaYehova,+ kuba unenceba kakhulu,+ kodwa sukundiyeka ndiwele esandleni somntu.”+
15 UYehova wathumela isifo esingubhubhani+ kwaSirayeli, ukususela ekuseni kwada kwalixesha elimisiweyo, yaye kwafa+ abantu abayi-70 000 ukususela kwaDan ukusa eBher-shebha.+
16 Ithe xa ingelosi isolulela isandla sayo ngaseYerusalem ukuze iyitshabalalise, uYehova wazisola* ngaloo ntlekele,+ wathi kwingelosi eyayitshabalalisa ebantwini: “Kwanele! Sithobe isandla sakho ngoku.” Ingelosi kaYehova yayikufuphi nebala lokubhula lika-Arawuna+ umYebhusi.+
17 Uthe xa ebona ingelosi eyayixabela abantu, uDavide wathi kuYehova: “Kone mna ibe ndim owenze ububi, kodwa ezi zimvu*+ zenze ntoni? Masincede isandla sakho sibe phezu kwam naphezu kwendlu katata.”+
18 Ngoko ngaloo mini uGadi waya kuDavide, wathi kuye: “Nyuka uze wakhele uYehova isibingelelo kwibala lokubhula lika-Arawuna umYebhusi.”+
19 UDavide wenza loo nto wayeyixelelwe nguGadi, njengoko uYehova wayeyalele.
20 Uthe uArawuna xa ejonga ezantsi waza wabona ukumkani nezicaka zakhe besiza ngakuye, ngoko nangoko uArawuna waphuma waza waqubuda kukumkani.
21 UArawuna wabuza wathi: “Kutheni inkosi yam ukumkani ize kwisicaka sayo?” UDavide wathi: “Ndizokuthenga kuwe ibala lokubhula ukuze ndakhele uYehova isibingelelo, ukuze sipheliswe isibetho ebantwini.”+
22 Kodwa uArawuna wathi kuDavide: “Mayilithathe inkosi yam ukumkani ize inikele oko kubonakala kulungile kuyo.* Nazi iinkomo zomnikelo otshiswayo nesileyi sokubhula nezixhobo zeenkomo ukuze zibe ziinkuni.
23 Yonke le nto kumkani, uArawuna uyinika ukumkani.” Emva koko uArawuna wathi kukumkani: “Kwanga uYehova uThixo wakho angakwenzela inceba.”
24 Ukumkani wathi kuArawuna: “Hayi, ndimele ndisithenge ngexabiso kuwe. Andizukunikela kuYehova uThixo wam imibingelelo etshiswayo ndingadlekanga nto ngayo.” Ngoko uDavide wathenga elo bala lokubhula nezo nkomo ngeeshekele zesilivere eziyi-50.*+
25 UDavide wamakhela apho uYehova isibingelelo+ waza wanikela imibingelelo etshiswayo nemibingelelo yobuhlobo. UYehova waziphendula izibongozo ezazisenzelwa ilizwe,+ saza sapheliswa isibetho kwaSirayeli.
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “xa uDavide wantyontyelwa.”
^ Okanye “ngasemazantsi esixeko.”
^ Okanye “uDavide watyiwa sisazela.”
^ Okanye “waba buhlungu.”
^ Okanye “ezi gusha.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “inikele okulungileyo emehlweni ayo.”
^ Ishekele yayilingana ne-11,4 g. Funda Isihlomelo B14.
