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UDavide Ubala U-Israyeli NoJuda
1 Intukuthelo kaSimakade yabuye yamvuthela u-Israyeli. Wamvusa uDavide ukuba amelane naye, ngokuthi kuye: “Hamba ubale u-Israyeli noJuda.”
2 Inkosi yathi kuJowabe, umkhuzi wempi, owayenaye: “Hamba uye kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli kusukela kwaDani kuze kufike eBheri Sheba; nibale abantu ukuze ngazi ukuthi bangaki.”
3 UJowabe wathi enkosini: “USimakade uNkulunkulu wakho angenezela kubantu kuphindwe kayikhulu phezu kwalokhu abayikho, ikubone lokho ngamehlo inkosi yami, inkosi, isakwazi ukubona. Kodwa kungani inkosi yami, inkosi ifuna ukwenza lokhu na?”
4Nokho-ke inkosi yayikhulume yaqokothisa kuJowabe, umkhuzi wempi, ngakho-ke laphumelela izwi layo. UJowabe nezikhulu zempi baphuma phambi kwenkosi, bahamba bayobala abantu bakwa-Israyeli.
5 Bawela iJordani, bakanisa e-Aroweri ngakwesokunene somuzi ophakathi nomhosha wakwaGadi, ngaseJazeri. 6 Bafika kwaGileyadi, naseThahethimi Hodeshi, bedlulela kwaDani Jahani. Basuka lapho baya naseSidoni, 7 baze bayofika enqabeni eseThire, nakuyo yonke imizi yamaHivi namaKhanani. Baphuma lapho balibangisa ngaseningizimu yakwaJuda, eBheri Sheba.
8Sebelihambe lonke izwe, baze bafika eJerusalema sekuphele izinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye nezinsuku ezingama-20.
9 UJowabe walethula enkosini inani nomumo wabantu ababebaliwe: kwa-Israyeli kwakunamadoda ayizi-800 000 anamandla ayehlome ngenkemba. KwaJuda kunamadoda ayizi-500 000.
USimakade Uthumela Ubhubhane Kwa-Israyeli
10 UDavide wahlabeka enhliziyweni emveni kokuba esebabalile abantu, wathi kuSimakade: “Ngonile kakhulu ngalokhu engikwenzileyo. Kepha manje, Simakade, siza uthethelele isiphambeko esenziwe yinceku yakho, ngokuba yenze ubuwula obukhulu.”
11 Lapho uDavide evuka ekuseni, kwafika izwi likaSimakade kumphrofethi uGadi, umboni kaDavide, lathi: 12“Hamba ukhulume kuDavide, uthi: ‘Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Ngikubekela izinto ezintathu, khetha ibe yinye phakathi kwazo, ukuba ngikwenzele yona.” ’ ”
13 UGadi wafika kuDavide wambikela, wathi kuye: “Izofika yini kuwe: iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala ezweni lakini, noma izinyanga ezintathu ubaleka ezitheni eziyobe zilokhu zikuxoshile, noma izinsuku ezintathu zobhubhane ezweni lakini na? Manje-ke, cabangisisisa, unqume ukuthi mpendulo yini engizokuyibuyisela kongithumileyo.”
14 UDavide wayesethi kuGadi: “Nginosizi kakhulu; kungcono siwele esandleni sikaSimakade, ngokuba umusa wakhe mkhulu. Kepha mangingaweli neze esandleni somuntu.”
15 USimakade wayesethumela ubhubhane kwa-Israyeli kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba yisikhathi esinqunyiweyo. Kwafa abantu abayizi-70 000 kusukela kwaDani kuze kufike eBheri Sheba. 16 Lapho ingelosi yelula isandla sayo ukuba ibhubhise iJerusalema, uSimakade wazisola ngalobo bubi, wayimisa ingelosi eyayibhubhisa abantu, wathi: “Sekwanele.”
Ingelosi kaSimakade yayisesibuyeni sika-Arawuna, umJebusi.
17 Lapho uDavide eyibona ingelosi eyayibulala abantu, wathi kuSimakade: “Bheka, yimi engonile, ngenza okubi, kodwa lezi zimvu zenzeni na? Isandla sakho masibe phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa.”
UDavide Wakhela USimakade I-althare Esibuyeni
18 UGadi wafika kuDavide ngalolo lusuku, wathi: “Yenyuka wakhele uSimakade i-althare esibuyeni sika-Arawuna umJebusi.”
19UDavide wenyuka njengokusho kukaGadi nanjengokuyala kukaSimakade. 20U-Arawuna walunguza, wabona inkosi nezinceku zayo beza kuye; waphuma, wayikhothamela inkosi, wayesethi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini.
21 Wathi u-Arawuna: “Kungani ukuba inkosi yami, inkosi, ize encekwini yayo na?”
UDavide wathi: “Ngize ukuzothenga kuwe isibuya, khona ngizokwakhela uSimakade i-althare, ukuze lolu bhubhane lunqamuke kubantu.”
22U-Arawuna wayesethi kuDavide: “Inkosi yami, inkosi, mayisithathe, inikele ngalokho ekubona kukuhle emehlweni ayo. Bheka, nazi izinkabi zomnikelo wokushiswa, izibhulo, namajoka ezinkabi kungaba yizinkuni. 23 Konke nkosi, u-Arawuna ukunika inkosi.”
U-Arawuna wabuye wathi enkosini: “USimakade uNkulunkulu wakho makakwamukele.”
24 Inkosi yathi ku-Arawuna: “Qha, kumele ngikuthenge nokukuthenga, ngikukhokhele inani elithile. Angiyukunikela kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wami ngeminikelo yokushiswa engeyesihle.”
UDavide wayesethenga isibuya nezinkabi ngamashekeli esiliva angama-50. 25 UDavide wamakhela lapho uSimakade i-althare, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yokuthula. USimakade wakuzwa ukunxusa kwakhe, enxusela izwe, ubhubhane lwanqamuka kwa-Israyeli.