Civil War; Abner Slain

¹Kwakukhona ukulwa isikhathi eside phakathi kwendlu kaSawule nendlu kaDavide; uDavide waqhubeka ngokuqina njalo, kepha indlu kaSawule yaqhubeka ngokuncipha njalo.

²Kwazalelwa uDavide amadodana eHebroni; izibulo lakhe laba ngu-Amnoni ku-Ahinohama waseJizreyeli;

³eyesibili yaba nguKileyabi ku-Abigayili umkaNabali waseKarmeli; eyesithathu yayingu-Abisalomu indodana kaMahakha indodakazi kaTalimyi inkosi yaseGeshuri;

⁴eyesine yayingu-Adoniya indodana kaHagiti; eyesihlanu yayinguShefathiya indodana ka-Abithali;

⁵eyesithupha yayingu-Itereyamu ku-Egila umkaDavide. Lawo azalelwa uDavide eHebroni.

⁶Kwathi kusekhona ukulwa phakathi kwendlu kaSawule nendlu kaDavide, u-Abineri wamela indlu kaSawule ngamandla.

⁷Kepha uSawule wayenesancinza esigama laso lalinguRispa indodakazi ka-Aya. U-Ishi Bosheti wayesethi ku-Abineri: “Ungeneleni kuso isancinza sikababa na?”

⁸U-Abineri wathukuthela kakhulu ngenxa yalawo mazwi ka-Ishi Bosheti, wathi: “Ngiyikhanda lenja engeyakwaJuda na? Namuhla ngiyayenzela indlu kaSawule uyihlo umusa, abafowabo nabangane bayo, angikunikelanga esandleni sikaDavide; nokho ungibeka icala namuhla ngalowo wesifazane.

⁹UNkulunkulu makenze njalo ku-Abineri, enezele futhi, uma ngingenzi kuDavide njengalokho uJehova efungile kuye,

¹⁰kudluliswe umbuso endlini kaSawule, kumiswe isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavide phezu kuka-Israyeli naphezu kukaJuda, kusukela kwaDani kuze kufike eBeri Sheba.”

¹¹Wayengenakumphendula u-Abineri ngezwi futhi, ngokuba wayemesaba.

¹²U-Abineri wayesethuma izithunywa kuDavide esikhundleni sakhe ngokuthi: “Ngelikabani izwe na?” ethi futhi: “Yenza isivumelwano nami; bheka, isandla sami siyakuba nawe ukubuyisela kuwe wonke u-Israyeli.”

¹³Wathi: “Kuhle; ngiyakwenza isivumelwano nawe, kepha yinto inye engiyifuna kuwe, ngeyokuthi awuyikubona ubuso bami, uma ungalethi kuqala phambi kwami uMikhali indodakazi kaSawule, lapho uzayo ukubona ubuso bami.”

¹⁴UDavide wayesethuma izithunywa ku-Ishi Bosheti indodana kaSawule, ethi: “Nginike umkami uMikhali engammiselwa ngamajwabu ayikhulu amaFilisti.”

¹⁵Wayesethumela u-Ishi Bosheti, wamthatha endodeni yakhe uPalitiyeli indodana kaLayishi.

¹⁶Indoda yakhe yahamba naye, ikhala isahamba, yamlandela kwaze kwaba seBahurimi. U-Abineri wayesethi kuyo: “Buya.” Yabuya-ke.

¹⁷U-Abineri waba nezwi namalunga akwa-Israyeli, ethi: “Ngezikhathi ezidlulileyo nafuna uDavide abe yinkosi phezu kwenu;

¹⁸kwenzeni lokho manje, ngokuba uJehova ukhulumile ngoDavide ukuthi: ‘Ngesandla senceku yami uDavide ngiyakusindisa abantu bami u-Israyeli esandleni samaFilisti nasesandleni sazo zonke izitha zabo.’ ”

¹⁹U-Abineri wakhuluma futhi ezindlebeni zakwaBenjamini; u-Abineri waya futhi ukukhuluma ezindlebeni zikaDavide eHebroni konke okwakukuhle ku-Israyeli nakuyo yonke indlu yakwaBenjamini.

²⁰Wayesefika u-Abineri kuDavide eHebroni nabantu abangamashumi amabili bekanye naye. UDavide wamenzela u-Abineri nabantu ababe naye idili.

²¹U-Abineri wayesethi kuDavide: “Ngiyakusuka ngihambe ngiqoqele wonke u-Israyeli enkosini yami, inkosi, ukuba benze isivumelwano nawe nokuba ubuse phezu kwakho konke ekufisayo inhliziyo yakho.” UDavide wammukisa u-Abineri, wahamba ngokuthula.

²²Bheka, izinceku zikaDavide nezikaJowabe zabuya eviyweni, zaletha impango enkulu; kepha u-Abineri wayengekho kuDavide eHebroni, ngokuba wayemmukisile, wahamba ngokuthula.

²³Esefikile uJowabe nempi yonke eyayinaye, bamtshela uJowabe ukuthi: “U-Abineri indodana kaNeri wafika enkosini; immukisile, wahamba ngokuthula.”

²⁴UJowabe wayeseya enkosini, wathi: “Wenzeni na? Bheka, u-Abineri wafika kuwe; ummukiseleni wahamba nokuhamba na?

²⁵Uyamazi u-Abineri indodana kaNeri ukuthi wafika ukukukhohlisa nokwazi ukuphuma kwakho nokungena kwakho, nokwazi konke okwenzayo.”

²⁶UJowabe esephumile kuDavide wathuma izithunywa ukulandela u-Abineri, zambuyisa emthonjeni waseSira, kepha uDavide wayengakwazi lokho.

²⁷U-Abineri esebuyele eHebroni, uJowabe wamchezukisela phakathi kwesango ukuba akhulume naye bebodwa, wamgwaza lapho esiswini waze wafa ngenxa yegazi lika-Asaheli umfowabo.

²⁸Esekuzwa lokho ngasemuva uDavide wathi: “Mina nombuso wami asinacala phambi kukaJehova kuze kube phakade ngegazi lika-Abineri indodana kaNeri;

²⁹maliwele ekhanda likaJowabe nakuyo yonke indlu kayise. Makungaphuthi endlini kaJowabe ukuba kube khona ocucuzayo, nonochoko, nozimelelayo ngodondolo, nowayo ngenkemba, noswele isinkwa.”

³⁰OJowabe no-Abishayi umfowabo base bembulele u-Abineri, ngokuba wayebulele umfowabo u-Asaheli eGibeyoni empini.

³¹UDavide wathi kuJowabe nakubantu bonke ababe naye: “Klebhulani izingubo zenu, nibhince indwangu yamasaka, nilile phambi kuka-Abineri.” Inkosi uDavide yalandela uhlaka.

³²Bammbela u-Abineri eHebroni; inkosi yadazuluka, yakhala ngasethuneni lika-Abineri; nabantu bonke bakhala.

³³Inkosi yamlilela u-Abineri, yathi: “Afe u-Abineri njengokufa kwesiwula na?

³⁴Izandla zakho zazingaboshiwe, nezinyawo zakho zazingafakwanga emaketangeni; wawa njengomuntu owayo phambi kwabantu ababi.” Bonke abantu baphinda bemkhalela.

³⁵Bonke abantu bafika ukuba bamdlise uDavide isinkwa kusesemini; kepha uDavide wafunga wathi: “Makenze njalo kimi uNkulunkulu, enezele futhi, uma ngidla isinkwa noma okunye lingakashoni ilanga.”

³⁶Bonke abantu bakubona, kwaba kuhle emehlweni abo, njengalokho konke eyakwenza inkosi kwaba kuhle emehlweni abantu bonke.

³⁷Base beqonda bonke abantu naye wonke u-Israyeli ngalolo suku ukuthi kwakungesikho okwenkosi ukubulala u-Abineri indodana kaNeri.

³⁸Inkosi yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Anazi yini ukuthi kufile umbusi nomuntu omkhulu kwa-Israyeli namuhla na?

³⁹Nami ngibuthakathaka namuhla noma ngigcotshiwe ngibe yinkosi; laba bantu, amadodana kaSeruya, balukhuni kunami; uJehova makaphindisele owenza okubi njengobubi bakhe.”