2 Samuweli 20:1-26
20 Manje kwakukhona lapho umuntu ongelusizo lwalutho,+ ogama lakhe kwakunguSheba,+ indodana kaBikri umBhenjamini; washaya uphondo+ wathi: “Asinasabelo kuDavide, futhi asinafa endodaneni kaJese.+ O Israyeli, yilowo nalowo makaye konkulunkulu bakhe!+
2 Ngenxa yalokho wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli akhuphuka ayeka ukulandela uDavide alandela uSheba indodana kaBikri;+ kodwa amadoda akwaJuda anamathela enkosini yawo ukusuka eJordani ukuya eJerusalema.+
3 Ekugcineni uDavide wafika emzini wakhe eJerusalema.+ Khona-ke inkosi yathatha abesifazane abayishumi,+ izancinza eyayizishiye ngemuva ukuba zinakekele umuzi, yabafaka endlini eqashelwe, kodwa yaqhubeka ibanika ukudla. Ayizange ilale nabo,+ kodwa bahlala bevalelwe ngcí kwaze kwaba usuku lokufa kwabo, bengabafelokazi abanomyeni ophilayo.
4 Manje inkosi yathi ku-Amasa:+ “Biza amadoda akwaJuda eze kimi ngezinsuku ezintathu, wena ume lapha.”
5 Ngakho u-Amasa wahamba wayobizela uJuda ndawonye; kodwa wafika ngemva kwesikhathi esimisiwe eyayimmisele sona.
6 Khona-ke uDavide wathi ku-Abhishayi:+ “Manje uSheba+ indodana kaBikri uzoba mubi kakhulu kithi kuno-Absalomu.+ Thatha izinceku+ zenkosi yakho umsukele wena, ukuze angazitholeli imizi enezivikelo eziqinile aphunyuke phambi kwamehlo ethu.”
7 Ngakho amadoda kaJowabe+ namaKhereti+ namaPheleti+ nawo wonke amadoda anamandla aphuma amlandela; baphuma eJerusalema ukuze bamsukele uSheba indodana kaBikri.
8 Base beseduze netshe elikhulu eliseGibheyoni,+ u-Amasa+ wafika wabahlangabeza. Manje uJowabe wayebhincile, embethe ingubo; wayebhince inkemba iboshelwe okhalweni lwakhe, isemgodleni wayo. Wasondela, yawela phansi.
9 UJowabe wathi ku-Amasa: “Kukuhambela kahle, mfowethu?”+ Khona-ke isandla sikaJowabe sokunene sabamba intshebe ka-Amasa ukuze amange.+
10 Kepha u-Amasa, wayengayiqaphele inkemba eyayisesandleni sikaJowabe; wamgalela+ ngayo esiswini, amathumbu akhe achithekela emhlabathini, akudingekanga ukuba amphinde futhi. Ngakho wafa. UJowabe no-Abhishayi umfowabo, bona, bamsukela uSheba indodana kaBikri.
11 Othile ezinsizweni zikaJowabe wema wamengama wathi: “Noma ubani ojabulayo ngoJowabe nanoma ubani ongokaDavide,+ makalandele uJowabe!”
12 Sonke leso sikhathi u-Amasa wayepaquza egazini+ phakathi nomgwaqo omkhulu. Lapho lo muntu ebona ukuthi bonke abantu babemile, wamsusa u-Amasa emgwaqweni omkhulu wamyisa endle. Ekugcineni waphonsa ingubo phezu kwakhe, njengoba ayebona ukuthi wonke umuntu owayefika kuye wayema.+
13 Ngokushesha nje lapho esemsusile emgwaqweni omkhulu, ngamunye wadlula walandela uJowabe ukuze kusukelwe uSheba+ indodana kaBikri.
14 USheba wadabula kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli waze wafika e-Abela laseBheti-mahakha.+ Kepha wonke amaBikri abe esebuthana ndawonye futhi angena amlandela.
15 Beza bamvimbezela e-Abela laseBheti-mahakha bakha igoqo lokuwuvimbezela umuzi,+ njengoba wawungaphakathi kwegoqo lokuvikela. Bonke abantu ababenoJowabe babelumba udonga ngaphansi, ukuze baluwise.
16 Owesifazane othile ohlakaniphile+ wamemeza esemzini wathi: “Lalelani, madoda, lalelani! Thanini kuJowabe, ‘Sondela uze ufike lapha, ngikhulume nawe.’”
17 Ngakho wasondela kuye, owesifazane wayesethi: “Ingabe unguJowabe?” yena wathi: “Nginguye.” Wathi kuye: “Lalela amazwi encekukazi yakho.”+ Yena wathi: “Ngilalele.”
18 Waqhubeka wathi: “Ezikhathini zangaphambili bonke abantu ngothi lwabo babekhuluma bethi, ‘Mababuze e-Abela, kanjalo ngokuqinisekile babeyiqeda indaba.’
19 Ngimelela abanokuthula+ nabathembekileyo+ bakwa-Israyeli. Wena ufuna ukubulala umuzi+ nomama kwa-Israyeli. Kungani kufanele ugwinye+ ifa+ likaJehova?”
20 UJowabe waphendula wathi: “Kuyinto engacabangeki nhlobo ukuthi ngingagwinya futhi ngichithe.
21 Indaba ayinjalo, kodwa umuntu wasesifundeni sezintaba sakwa-Efrayimi,+ ogama lakhe linguSheba+ indodana kaBikri, uphakamisele iNkosi uDavide+ isandla. Mnikeleni yena yedwa,+ khona-ke ngizohoxa emzini.”+ Khona-ke owesifazane wathi kuJowabe: “Bheka! Ikhanda+ lakhe lizophonswa kuwe phezu kodonga!”
22 Ngaso leso sikhathi owesifazane ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe+ waya kubo bonke abantu, balinquma ikhanda likaSheba indodana kaBikri baliphonsa kuJowabe. Khona-ke washaya uphondo,+ ngakho bahlakazeka emzini, ngamunye waya ekhaya; uJowabe yena wabuyela eJerusalema enkosini.
23 UJowabe wayengamele lonke ibutho+ lakwa-Israyeli; uBhenaya+ indodana kaJehoyada+ engamele amaKhereti+ namaPheleti.+
24 U-Adoramu+ wayengamele labo ababebuthelwe ukwenza umsebenzi ophoqelelwe; uJehoshafati+ indodana ka-Ahiludi wayengumgcini-mibhalo.
25 USheva+ wayengunobhala,+ uZadoki+ no-Abhiyathara+ babengabapristi.
26 U-Ira umJayire naye waba umpristi+ kaDavide.
