1Kwathi emveni kwalokho uDavide wabuza kuSimakade, wathi: “Ngingenyukela yini komunye wemizi yakwaJuda na?” USimakade wathi: “Yenyuka.” UDavide wathi: “Ngenyukele kumuphi na?” Yena wathi: “EHebhroni.”
2UDavide wenyuka lapho namakhosikazi akhe omabili, u-Ahinohama waseJizreyeli no-Abhigayili waseKharimeli, umkaNabali.
3UDavide wenyuka namadoda ayenaye, kwaba yileyo naleyo nabomndeni wayo; bahlala emizaneni eHebhroni.
4Abantu bakwaJuda bafika, bamgcoba khona lapho uDavide ukuba abe yinkosi yendlu yakwaJuda. Base bembikela bethi: “Ngabantu baseJabheshi Gileyadi abangcwabe uSawule.”
5UDavide wayesethumela izithunywa kubantu baseJabheshi Gileyadi, wathi kubo: “USimakade makanibusise, ngokuba nikhombise isihawu enkosini yenu uSawule, nayingcwaba.
6Manje sengathi uSimakade anganenzela isihawu nokwethembeka, nami ngizonenzela okuhle ngenxa yalokhu enikwenzileyo.
7Manje-ke maziqine izandla zenu, nime isibindi, ngokuba uSawule, inkosi yenu, usekhotheme. Indlu yakwaJuda ingigcobile ukuba ngibe yinkosi yayo.”
8U-Abhineri, indodana kaNeri, umkhuzi wempi kaSawule wayesethathe u-Ishi Bhoshethi, indodana kaSawule, waya naye eMahanayimi,
9wambeka waba yinkosi, wabusa abakwaGileyadi, ama-Ashurimi, abaseJizreyeli, abakwa-Efrayimi abakwaBhenjamini, wabusa no-Israyeli wonke.
10U-Ishi Bhoshethi, indodana kaSawule, wayeseneminyaka engama-40 ngesikhathi eqala ukubusa kwa-Israyeli; wabusa iminyaka emibili. Kepha indlu yakwaJuda yayilandela uDavide.
11Isikhathi uDavide abusa ngaso eHebhroni endlini yakwaJuda sasiyiminyaka eyisikhombisa nezinyanga eziyisithupha.
12U-Abhineri, indodana kaNeri, nezinceku zika-Ishi Bhoshethi, indodana kaSawule, basuka eMahanayimi, baya eGibheyoni.
13UJowabe, indodana kaZeruya nezinceku zikaDavide, baphuma, bahlangana nabo ngasechibini eGibheyoni. Bahlala phansi, abanye ngakulolu hlangothi lwechibi, abanye bahlala ngakolunye.
14U-Abhineri wathi kuJowabe: “Ake zisukume izinsizwa, zizwane amandla phambi kwethu.” UJowabe wathi: “Mazisukume.”
15Zase zisukuma zaphumela eshashalazini, zabalwa zaze zaba li-12 ohlangothini luka-Ishi Bhoshethi, indodana kaSawule wakwaBhenjamini, zaba li-12 ezincekwini zikaDavide.
16Zabambana ngezihluthu, yileyo naleyo yagwaza enye ohlangothini, zawa kanyekanye. Yingakho leyo ndawo ibizwa ngokuthi yiHelikhathi Hazurimi, iseGibheyoni.
17Impi yayinzima kakhulu ngalolo lusuku; u-Abhineri namadoda akwa-Israyeli behlulwa yizinceku zikaDavide.
18Kwakukhona lapho amadodana amathathu kaZeruya, uJowabe, u-Abhishayi no-Asaheli. U-Asaheli wayewunyazi egijimisa okwensephe endle.
19U-Asaheli wamhubha u-Abhineri, akaze achezukela kwesokunene noma kwesokhohlo ekumlandeleni.
20U-Abhineri waqalaza emuva, wayesethi: “Ngabe nguwe, Asaheli na?” Wamphendula wathi: “Yebo, yimina.”
21U-Abhineri wathi kuye: “Chezuka uye ngakwesokudla noma ngakwesokunxele, uthathe enye yezinsizwa, uzithathele kuyo impango.” Kepha u-Asaheli akazange achezuke, waqhubeka wamhubha.
22U-Abhineri wabuye wathi ku-Asaheli: “Chezuka ungabe usangihubha; yini ufune ukuba ngikucekele phansi na? Ngiyombhekelwa ngubani umfowethu uJowabe na?”
23Kepha wenqaba ukuchezuka. U-Abhineri wamgwaza esiswini ngesidunu somkhonto, umkhonto waze wayophumela ngemuva. Wawela lapho, wafa. Bonke abafika endaweni lapho u-Asaheli ayewele khona, wafa, babema bathule du!
24U-Jowabe no-Abhishayi bamhubha u-Abhineri. Bafinyelela entabeni i-Ama, eyayimaqondana neGiya, ngendlela ebheke ehlane iGibheyoni, lapho ilanga seliyozilahla kunina.
25Abantu bakwaBhenjamini babuthana emva kuka-Abhineri, baba liviyo elilodwa; bama esiqongweni segquma elithile.
26U-Abhineri wayesememeza uJowabe, wathi: “Inkemba iyakubhubhisa njalo njalo yini na? Awazi yini ukuthi kuyakuba khona umunyu ekugcineni? Kuyoze kube nini ngaphambi kokuba ubayale abantu ukuba babuye ekuhubheni abafowabo na?”
27UJowabe wathi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade, ukuba ubungakhulumanga, abantu bonke bebeyobe sebekuyekile kusasa ukuhubha abafowabo.”
28UJowabe wayesebetha icilongo; bonke abantu bama, ababe besabahubha abakwa-Israyeli, futhi ababange besalwa.
29U-Abhineri nabantu bakhe bahamba ubusuku bonke, badabula e-Araba, bawela iJordani, basidabula sonke isifunda iBhithroni, baze bayofinyelela eMahanayimi.
30UJowabe wabuya ekuhubheni u-Abhineri. Wayesebahlanganisa bonke abantu, kodwa kwabonakala ukuthi zili-19 izinceku zikaDavide ezafayo, ezingatholakalanga no-Asaheli.
31Kepha izinceku zikaDavide zazibulele abakwaBhenjamini nabakwa-Abhineri abangama-360.
32Bamthatha u-Asaheli, bamngcwaba elibeni likayise eBhethlehema. UJowabe namadoda ayenawo base behamba ubusuku bonke, kwathi kuqambe kusa babe sebeseHebhroni.