2 USamuweli 21

21 ¹Kwaba khona indlala ezinsukwini zikaDavide iminyaka emithathu, umnyaka nomnyaka; ngakho uDavide wabuza kuBaba wethu ngayo. UBaba wethu wathi: “Kukhona icala legazi phezu kukaSawule naphezu kwendlu yakhe, ngokuba wabulala amaGibeyoni.”

²Ngakho inkosi yabiza amaGibeyoni yakhuluma nawo. (AmaGibeyoni ayengesiwo ama-Israyeli kodwa ayeyinsali yama-Amori; u-Israyeli wayefungile ukuwayeka ephila, kodwa uSawule, eshisekela u-Israyeli noJuda, wayefuna ukuwabulala.). ³UDavide wabuza amaGibeyoni, wathi: “Nginganenzelani na? Ngingenza kanjani inhlawulo ukuze nibusise abantu bakaBaba wethu?”

⁴AmaGibeyoni athi: “Akusiyo into yesiliva noma yegolide phakathi kwethu noSawule noma indlu yakhe, futhi asinalo ilungelo lokubulala muntu kwa-Israyeli.” UDavide wathi: “Lokho enikushoyo ngizanenzela khona.”

⁵Athi enkosini: “Lowo muntu owasiqeda waceba ukubhujiswa kwethu, ukuze singabi nandawo esele nomaphi emkhawulweni wakwa-Israyeli, ⁶makunikezwe kithi amadoda ayisikhombisa enzalweni yakhe, siwalengise phambi kukaSimakade eGibeya likaSawule, okhethiweyo kaSimakade.” Inkosi yathi: “Ngizawanikela.”

⁷Kodwa inkosi yamyeka uMefibhosheti, indodana kaJonathani, indodana kaSawule, ngenxa yesifungo phambi kukaBaba wethu phakathi kukaDavide noJonathani, indodana kaSawule. ⁸Kodwa inkosi yathatha u-Aramoni noMefibhosheti, amadodana amabili uRispa indodakazi ka-Aya awazalela uSawule, kanye namadodana amahlanu uMerabi indodakazi kaSawule awazalela u-Adriyeli indodana kaBarizilayi umMeholati. ⁹Wawanikela emaGibeyonini, nawo awalengisa entabeni phambi kukaBaba wethu; bobayisikhombisa bawa kanyekanye. Babulawa ezinsukwini zokuqala zokuvuna, lapho kuqala ukuvunwa kwebhali.

¹⁰Khona uRispa indodakazi ka-Aya wathatha indwangu yesaka wayendlala edwaleni, kusukela ekuqaleni kokuvuna kwaze kwana imvula phezu kwezidumbu; emini wayezivimbela izinyoni ukuba zingazehleli, ebusuku izilwane zasendle. ^a a v10 Indwangu yesaka yayiyindwangu elukhuni, emnyama eyayigqokwa njengophawu olubonakalayo lokulila nosizi. ¹¹Kwathi uDavide esetsheliwe ngalokho okwenziwe uRispa indodakazi ka-Aya, umfazi weceleni kaSawule, ¹²waya emadodeni aseJabeshi-Gileyadi wathatha amathambo kaSawule nekaJonathani indodana yakhe, ababewathathe ngasese egcekeni laseBeti-Shani, lapho amaFilisti ayewalengise khona ngosuku abulala ngalo uSawule eGilibhowa. ¹³Wakhuphula amathambo kaSawule namathambo kaJonathani indodana yakhe elapho, baqoqa namathambo alabo ababelengisiwe. ¹⁴Bawembela amathambo kaSawule nekaJonathani indodana yakhe eZela kwaBhenjamini, ethuneni likaKishi uyise, benza konke inkosi eyakuyala. Emva kwalokho, uBaba wethu wayiphendula imikhuleko ngenxa yezwe.

Amaqhawe kaDavide anqoba iziqhwaga zamaFilisti

¹⁵Kwaphinda kwaba khona impi phakathi kwamaFilisti no-Israyeli. UDavide wehla nezinceku zakhe ukuyolwa namaFilisti, wakhathala. ¹⁶U-Ishibi-Benobi, owenzalo kaRafa, onhloko yomkhonto wakhe wethusi yayicishe ibe amakhilogremu amathathu nesigamu, owayebhince inkemba entsha, wayesezobulala uDavide. ^b b v16 URafa wayengukhokho womndeni wamaqhawe amakhulu ngokungajwayelekile — iziqhwaga ezazilwa phakathi kwamaFilisti. ¹⁷Kodwa u-Abishayi indodana kaSeruya weza wamsiza uDavide, wawubulala umFilisti wawuqeda. Khona amadoda kaDavide amfungela, athi: “Ungaphindi uphume nathi uye empini, funa ucime isibani sakwa-Israyeli.”

¹⁸Kamuva kwaba khona enye impi namaFilisti eGobi. USibhekayi umHushati wabulala uSafi, omunye wenzalo kaRafa. ¹⁹Kwaba khona enye impi namaFilisti eGobi, lapho u-Elihanani indodana kaJahare-Oregimi umBethlehema wabulala uGoliyati umGiti, oluthi lomkhonto wakhe lwalunjengogodo lomeluki. ²⁰Kwaqubuka futhi impi eGati, lapho kwakukhona indoda enkulu eyayineminwe eyisithupha esandleni ngasinye nezinzwane eziyisithupha onyaweni ngalunye—zonke zazingamashumi amabili nane; naye wayezelwe kuRafa. ²¹Kwathi lapho ehlekisa ngo-Israyeli, uJonathani indodana kaShimeyi, umfowabo kaDavide, wambulala. ²²Laba abane babezalwa kuRafa eGati, bawa ngesandla sikaDavide nezinceku zakhe.