2 Samuweli 20

¹Kwakukhona umuntu omubi ogama lakhe lalinguSheba indodana kaBikri umBenjamini; wabetha icilongo, wathi: “Asinasabelo kuDavide, asinafa endodaneni kaJese; yiyani nonke ematendeni enu, Israyeli.”

²Bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli base benyuka bengasamlandeli uDavide, bamlandela uSheba indodana kaBikri; kepha abantu bakwaJuda babambelela enkosini yabo kusukela eJordani kuze kube seJerusalema.

³UDavide wafika endlini yakhe eJerusalema; inkosi yathatha abesifazane abayishumi, izancinza zayo, eyayibashiyile ukuba bayilinde indlu, yababeka endlini yokulindela, yabapha ukudla, kepha ayingenanga kubo. Base bevalelwe kwaze kwaba sosukwini lokufa kwabo, behlezi njengabafelokazi.

⁴Yayisithi inkosi ku-Amasa: “Ngibuthele abantu bakwaJuda ngezinsuku ezintathu, ube khona nawe.”

⁵Wayesehamba u-Amasa ukubutha uJuda, kepha walibala phezu kwesikhathi asinqunyelweyo.

⁶Wayesethi uDavide ku-Abishayi: “Manje uSheba indodana kaBikri uyakwenza okubi kakhulu kithi kuno-Abisalomu; thatha wena izinceku zenkosi yakho, umxoshe, funa azitholele imizi ebiyelweyo, asiphunyuke.”

⁷Emva kwakhe kwaphuma amadoda kaJowabe, namaKhereti namaPheleti, namaqhawe onke; baphuma eJerusalema ukuba bamxoshe uSheba indodana kaBikri.

⁸Besesetsheni elikhulu eliseGibeyoni, u-Amasa wafika ukubahlangabeza. UJowabe wayebhince isambatho sakhe sokulwa ayelokhu esigqoka; kusona lalikhona ibhande elinenkemba emgodleni wayo elaligaxwe okhalweni lwakhe; yawa esehamba.

⁹UJowabe wayesethi ku-Amasa: “Usaphila, mfowethu, na?” UJowabe wambamba u-Amasa ngesilevu ngesandla sakhe sokunene ukuba amange.

¹⁰Kodwa u-Amasa akayinakanga inkemba eyayisesandleni sikaJowabe; wamgwaza ngayo esiswini, wachithela izibilini zakhe emhlabathini; wafa engamphindanga. OJowabe no-Abishayi umfowabo bamxosha uSheba indodana kaBikri.

¹¹Kwema ngakuye enye yezinsizwa zikaJowabe, yathi: “Omthanda uJowabe nongokaDavide mabamlandele uJowabe.”

¹²U-Amasa wahuquzela egazini lakhe phakathi nomendo. Lapho lo muntu ebona ukuthi bonke abantu bema, wamgudluza u-Amasa emendweni, wamyisa ensimini, waphonsa ingubo phezu kwakhe, lapho ebona ukuthi bonke abadlula ngakuye bema.

¹³Esesusiwe emendweni, abantu bonke badlula bamlandela uJowabe ukuba bamxoshe uSheba indodana kaBikri.

¹⁴Wadabula izizwe zonke zakwa-Israyeli, waze wafika e-Abela, naseBeti Mahakha, nakuwo onke amaBeri; babuthana bamxosha nakhona.

¹⁵Bafika bamvimbezela e-Abela laseBeti Mahakha, banqwabela iduli ngasemzini elema ngasodongeni; abantu bonke ababe noJowabe babhidliza ugange ukuba luwe.

¹⁶Kwase kumemeza owesifazane ohlakaniphileyo esemzini, wathi: “Zwanini! Zwanini! Ake nithi kuJowabe: ‘Sondela lapho ukuba ngikhulume nawe.’ ”

¹⁷Wasondela kuye; owesifazane wayesethi: “Wena unguJowabe na?” Wathi: “Nginguye.” Wayesethi kuye: “Yizwa amazwi encekukazi yakho.” Wathi: “Ngiyezwa.”

¹⁸Wathi-ke: “Endulo babevama ukukhuluma ngokuthi: ‘Kuyakubuzwa nokubuzwa e-Abela.’ Base beqeda.

¹⁹Mina ngingowokuthula nothembekileyo kwa-Israyeli; wena ufuna ukuchitha umuzi nonina kwa-Israyeli; uyakuligwinyelani ifa likaJehova na?”

²⁰UJowabe waphendula wathi: “Makube kude, makube kude nami ukuba ngigwinye noma ngichithe.

²¹Akunjalo, kepha umuntu wasezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, nguSheba indodana kaBikri igama lakhe, uphakamisele isandla sakhe ngasenkosini, kuDavide; nginikeni yena kuphela, khona ngiyakusuka emzini.” Wayesethi owesifazane kuJowabe: “Bheka, ikhanda lakhe liyakuphonswa kuwe ngaphandle kogange.”

²²Owesifazane wayeseya ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe kubantu bonke. Bamnquma uSheba indodana kaBikri ikhanda, baliphonsa kuJowabe. Yena wabetha icilongo, bahlakazeka kulowo muzi, baya, kwaba yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe. UJowabe wabuyela eJerusalema enkosini.

²³UJowabe wayesephezu kwempi yonke yakwa-Israyeli; uBenaya indodana kaJehoyada wayephezu kwamaKhereti namaPheleti;

²⁴u-Adoramu wayephethe imali; uJehoshafati indodana ka-Ahiludi wayengumabhalana.

²⁵USheva wayengumbhali; oSadoki no-Abiyathara babe ngabapristi;

²⁶u-Ira umJayiri wayengumpristi kaDavide.