2 USamuweli 20

20 ¹Kwakukhona lapho indoda eyize egama layo linguSheba indodana kaBikri, umBhenjamini. Wabetha icilongo wamemeza wathi: “Asinasabelo kuDavide, asinafa endodaneni kaJese! Nonke emathendeni enu, Israyeli!”

²Ngakho onke amadoda akwa-Israyeli ayeka ukulandela uDavide, alandela uSheba indodana kaBikri; kodwa amadoda akwaJuda abambelela enkosini yawo, kusukela eJordani kuze kube seJerusalema.

³UDavide wafika endlini yakhe eJerusalema, inkosi yathatha izancinza eziyishumi eyayizishiyile ukuba zigcine indlu, yazibeka ngaphansi kwabaqaphi. Yazondla kodwa ayizange ilale nazo. Zahlala zivalelwe kwaze kwaba yilapho zifa, ziphila njengabafelokazi.

⁴Inkosi yathi ku-Amasa: “Ngibizele amadoda akwaJuda phakathi kwezinsuku ezintathu, nawe ube lapha.”

⁵U-Amasa wahamba ukuyobiza uJuda, kodwa wephuza ngaphezu kwesikhathi inkosi eyayimmisele sona. ⁶UDavide wathi ku-Abishayi: “USheba indodana kaBikri uzosilimaza manje ngaphezu kuka-Abisalomu. Thatha amadoda enkosi yakho umxoshe, funa afinyelele emizini enezivikelo eziqinile asiphunyuke.”

⁷Ngakho amadoda kaJowabe, amaKhereti, amaPheleti, nawo onke amaqhawe anamandla, aphuma emlandela esuka eJerusalema ukuze axoshe uSheba indodana kaBikri. ⁸Etsheni elikhulu eliseGibeyoni, u-Amasa wahlangana nawo. UJowabe wayegqoke ingubo yakhe yempi, enenkemba eboshelwe okhalweni isesikhwameni sayo; wathi eqhubekela phambili, yawa phansi. ⁹UJowabe wathi ku-Amasa: “Usaphila na, mfowethu?” UJowabe wabamba intshebe ka-Amasa ngesandla sakhe sokudla ukuze amange. ¹⁰U-Amasa akazange ayiqaphele inkemba esandleni sikaJowabe. UJowabe wamgwaza esiswini, kwachitheka amathumbu akhe emhlabathini. Ngaphandle kokumgwaza okwesibili, u-Amasa wafa. UJowabe nomfowabo u-Abishayi baxosha uSheba indodana kaBikri. ¹¹Enye yezinsizwa zikaJowabe yema eduze kuka-Amasa yathi: “Noma ngubani othanda uJowabe, nalowo ongokaDavide—landelani uJowabe!” ¹²U-Amasa wayelele egingqika egazini lakhe phakathi nendlela. Lapho le ndoda ibona wonke amabutho ema khona, yahudula u-Amasa yamsusa endleleni yamyisa ensimini yaphonsa ingubo phezu kwakhe, njengoba wonke umuntu owayedlula ema. ¹³Kwathi esesusiwe endleleni, onke amadoda alandela uJowabe ukuze axoshe uSheba indodana kaBikri. ¹⁴USheba wadabula izizwe zonke zakwa-Israyeli waze wafika e-Abela yaseBeti Mahaka; onke amaBikri abuthana amlandela nawo. ¹⁵Afika amvimbezela e-Abela yaseBeti Mahaka. Akha idundulu lokuvimbezela maqondana nomuzi, lema malungana nogange lwangaphandle, kuyilapho onke amabutho kaJowabe eshaya udonga ukuze aludilize.

¹⁶Kwathi owesifazane ohlakaniphile wamemeza esemzini wathi: “Lalelani! Lalelani! Tshelani uJowabe nithi: ‘Woza lapha, ukuze ngikhulume nawe.’” ¹⁷Wathi esondela, owesifazane wabuza: “Unguwe yini uJowabe?” Wathi: “Yimi.” Wathi: “Yizwa amazwi encekukazi yakho.” Wathi: “Ngiyalalela.”

¹⁸Wathi: “Ezinsukwini zakudala babevame ukuthi, ‘Buza nje iseluleko e-Abela,’ nalokho kwakuyixazulula indaba. ¹⁹Mina ngiphakathi kwabanokuthula nabathembekile kwa-Israyeli. Wena uzama ukubhubhisa umuzi, unina kwa-Israyeli. Kungani ugwinya ifa likaBaba wethu?” ^a a v19 “Umuzi ongunina” wawuyinhloko-dolobha enkulu yesifunda imizi emincane eyayincika kuyo ukuze ithole isiqondiso nokuvikelwa.

²⁰UJowabe waphendula wathi: “Angisoze, angisoze ngagwinya noma ngabhubhisa! ²¹Akunjalo. Kodwa uSheba indodana kaBikri, ovela ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, uvukele inkosi, wavukela uDavide. Khiphani le ndoda eyodwa, ngizohlehla emzini.” Owesifazane wathi kuJowabe: “Ikhanda lakhe lizophonswa kuwe lidlule odongeni.”

²²Owesifazane waya kubo bonke abantu ngecebo lakhe elihlakaniphile. Banquma ikhanda likaSheba indodana kaBikri baliphonsa kuJowabe. Wabetha icilongo, bahlakazeka emzini, kwaba yilowo nalowo waya ekhaya lakhe. UJowabe wabuyela enkosini eJerusalema.

²³UJowabe wayehola lonke ibutho lakwa-Israyeli; uBhenaya indodana kaJehoyada wayehola amaKhereti namaPheleti. ²⁴U-Adoramu wayephethe izisebenzi ezaziphoqiwe; uJehoshafati indodana ka-Ahiludi wayengumlobi wezindaba; ²⁵USheva wayengunobhala; uZadoki no-Abhiyathari babengabapristi; ²⁶u-Ira umJayiri naye wayengumpristi kaDavide.