UDavide Ubala Abantu
UDavide ubala amadoda akhe empi, kuthi emva kwalokho inhliziyo yakhe imshaye. Enikwa izijeziso ezintathu, ukhetha ukuwela ezandleni zikaBaba wethu kunezabantu, ngoba isihawu sakhe sikhulu. Isifo siyama esibuyeni sika-Arawuna, uDavide aphikelele ekusithengeni esikhundleni sokusithatha mahhala.
24 1Intukuthelo kaBaba wethu yaphinde yavuthela u-Israyeli, wayesemvusela uDavide ukuba amelane nabo, wathi: “Hamba, ubale u-Israyeli noJuda.”
2Ngakho inkosi yathi kuJowabe, umlawuli webutho owayenaye: “Hamba manje kuzo zonke izizwe zika-Israyeli, kusukela eDani kuze kufike eBheri-Sheba, ubale abantu, ukuze ngazi inani labantu.”
3Kodwa uJowabe wathi enkosini: “Sengathi uBaba wakho angabandisa abantu baze baphindwe kayikhulu kunalokho abayikho, futhi amehlo enkosi yami akubone lokho. Kodwa kungani inkosi yami ifuna ukwenza lento?”
4Kodwa izwi lenkosi lanqoba uJowabe nabalawuli bebutho. Ngakho uJowabe nabalawuli bebutho baphuma phambi kwenkosi ukuyobala abantu bakwa-Israyeli. 5Bawela iJordani bamisa amatende eduze kwase-Aroweri, ngaseningizimu nedolobha eliphakathi nesigodi, baqonda ngaseGadi baqhubeka baya eJazeri. 6Base befika eGileyadi nasesifundeni saseThahithimi-Hodishi, bafika eDani-Jahani babhoda baya eSidoni, 7bafika enqabeni yaseThire nakuwo wonke amadolobha amaHivi namaKhanani, baphumela eNegevu yakwaJuda eBheri-Sheba. 8Kwathi sebelihambile lonke izwe, bafika eJerusalema ekupheleni kwezinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye nezinsuku ezingamashumi amabili. 9UJowabe wabika enkosini isibalo sabantu ababaliwe: kwa-Israyeli kwakukhona amaqhawe angama-800 000 ahosha inkemba, noJuda enamadoda angama-500 000.
10Kodwa inhliziyo kaDavide yamshaya ngemuva kokuba esebalile abantu. UDavide wathi kuBaba wethu: “Ngonile kakhulu ngalokho engikwenzile. Manje, Baba, ake ususe icala lenceku yakho, ngokuba ngenze ngobuwula obukhulu.”
11Kwathi uDavide evuka ekuseni, izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kumprofethi uGadi, umboni kaDavide, lathi:
12“Hamba uyothi kuDavide, ‘Nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wethu: Ngiphethe izinto ezintathu phezu kwakho. Khetha enye yazo, bese ngiyayenza kuwe.’”
13Ngakho uGadi wafika kuDavide wamtshela, embuza wathi: “Kuyofika iminyaka emithathu yendlala ezweni lakho na? Noma uyobaleka izinyanga ezintathu phambi kwezitha zakho zikuxosha na? Noma kuyoba khona izinsuku ezintathu zesifo esibulalayo ezweni lakho na? Manje cabanga unqume ukuthi yimuphi umbiko engizowubuyisela kongithumileyo.”
14UDavide wayesethi kuGadi: “Ngisosizini olukhulu. Masiwele esandleni sikaBaba wethu, ngokuba isihawu sakhe sikhulu kakhulu; kodwa ungangivumeli ukuba ngiwele esandleni somuntu.”
15Ngakho uBaba wethu wathumela isifo esibulalayo phezu kuka-Israyeli kusukela ekuseni kuze kube yisikhathi esimisiwe, kwafa abantu abangama-70 000 kusukela eDani kuze kufike eBheri-Sheba. a a v15 “Isikhathi esimisiwe” cishe sibhekisela ehoreni elimisiwe lomhlatshelo wakusihlwa.
16Kodwa kwathi ingelosi yelulela isandla sayo eJerusalema ukuze ilibhubhise, uBaba wethu wazisola ngenhlekelele, wathi engelosini eyayibhubhisa abantu: “Sekwanele! Manje buyisa isandla sakho.” Ngaleso sikhathi ingelosi kaBaba wethu yayisesibuyeni sika-Arawuna umJebusi.
17Kwathi uDavide ebona ingelosi eyayishaya abantu, wakhuluma kuBaba wethu wathi: “Bheka, yimina engonile; yimina owenze okubi. Kodwa lezi zimvu, zenzeni? Ngiyakucela, isandla sakho asehlele phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa.”
UDavide Wakha I-altare
18Ngalolo suku uGadi wafika kuDavide wathi kuye: “Khuphuka umakhele uBaba wethu i-altare esibuyeni sika-Arawuna umJebusi.” 19Ngakho uDavide wakhuphuka, ngokwezwi likaGadi, njengoba uBaba wethu wayeyalile. 20Kwathi u-Arawuna ebheka phansi, wabona inkosi nezinceku zayo beza kuye, waphuma wakhothamela inkosi ubuso bakhe buphansi emhlabathini. 21U-Arawuna wathi: “Kungani inkosi yami ize encekwini yayo?” UDavide waphendula wathi: “Ukuzothenga isibuya kuwe, ukuze ngakhele uBaba wethu i-altare, ukuze isifo esibulalayo sinqandwe ebantwini.”
22U-Arawuna wathi kuDavide: “Inkosi yami mayithathe inikele ngalokho okubonakala kukuhle kuyo. Bheka, nazi izinkabi zomnikelo wokushiswa, nezisileji zokubhula namajoka ezinkabi kube yizinkuni. 23Konke lokhu, wena nkosi, u-Arawuna ukunika inkosi.” U-Arawuna wathi enkosini: “Sengathi uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho angakwamukela.”
24Kodwa inkosi yathi ku-Arawuna: “Cha, ngiphikelela ukusithenga kuwe ngentengo. Ngeke nginikele kuBaba wami iminikelo yokushiswa engingakhokhanga lutho ngayo.” Ngakho uDavide wathenga isibuya nezinkabi ngamaphawundi esiliva acishe abe ngu-1.2. 25UDavide wayesemakhela khona uBaba wethu i-altare, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa neyokuthula. Ngakho uBaba wethu waphendula isicelo sezwe, isifo esibulalayo sanqandwa ku-Israyeli.
