2Sa 21 | NdeIBE | STEP | Ekubuseni kukaDavida kwaba lendlala iminyaka emithathu ilandelana; ngakho uDavida wabuza uJehova. UJehova wathi, “Kungenxa kaSawuli lendlu yakhe enindwe ngegazi; kungenxa yokuthi yena wabulala amaGibheyoni.”

2 Samuel 21

AmaGibheyoni ayaphindisela

1 Ekubuseni kukaDavida kwaba lendlala iminyaka emithathu ilandelana; ngakho uDavida wabuza uJehova. UJehova wathi, “Kungenxa kaSawuli lendlu yakhe enindwe ngegazi; kungenxa yokuthi yena wabulala amaGibheyoni.”

2 Inkosi yabiza amaGibheyoni yakhuluma lawo. (AbaseGibheyoni babengasiyo ngxenye ka-Israyeli kodwa babeyimisalela yama-Amori, abako-Israyeli babefunge ukubayekela, kodwa uSawuli ngenxa yokutshisekela kwakhe u-Israyeli loJuda wafuna ukubaqeda du.)

3 UDavida wabuza amaGibheyoni wathi, “Kuyini engingalenzela khona na? Ngingaligeza njani ukuze libusise ilifa likaJehova na?”

4 AmaGibheyoni amphendula athi, “Kasilalo ilungelo lokufuna isiliva loba igolide kuSawuli kumbe kwabendlu yakhe, lelungelo lokubulala umuntu ko-Israyeli kasilalo.” UDavida wabuza wathi, “Pho lifuna ukuthi ngilenzeleni?”

5 Bayiphendula inkosi bathi, “Umuntu owasichithayo waceba okubi ngathi saze satshabalala njalo kasaze saba lendawo loba ngaphi ko-Israyeli, 6 kasinikwe abenzalo yakhe besilisa abayisikhombisa ukuba babulawe balengiswe phambi kukaJehova eGibheya kaSawuli – okhethiweyo kaJehova.” Ngakho inkosi yathi, “Ngizalinika bona.”

7 Kodwa uMefibhosethi indodana kaJonathani, indodana kaSawuli, inkosi yamtshiya ngenxa yesifungo phambi kukaJehova phakathi kukaDavida loJonathani indodana kaSawuli. 8 Kodwa inkosi yathatha u-Arimoni loMefibhoshethi amadodana amabili endodakazi ka-Ayiya uRizipha, ayemzale loSawuli, kanye lamadodana amahlanu endodakazi kaSawuli uMerabi, ayewazale lo-Adiriyeli indodana kaBhazilayi umMeholathi.

9 Yabanikeza kumaGibheyoni, ababulala abachaya eqaqeni phambi kukaJehova. Bonke beyisikhombisa bafela ndawonye; babulawa ngezinsuku zakuqala zokuvuna, ukuvunwa kwebhali kuqalisa nje.

10 URizipha indodakazi ka-Ayiya wathatha isaka wazendlalela lona edwaleni. Kusukela ekuqaliseni kokuvuna izulu laze lana livela emazulwini linetha izidumbu, kavumelanga izinyoni zasemoyeni ukuba zizithinte emini loba izinyamazana zeganga ebusuku. 11 Kwathi uDavida esetshelwe ngokwakwenziwe yindodakazi ka-Ayiya uRizipha, umfazi kaSawuli weceleni, 12 wahamba wayathatha amathambo kaSawuli lawendodana yakhe uJonathani ebantwini baseJabheshi Gileyadi. (Babewathathe ensitha enkundleni kazulu eBehethi Shani, lapho amaFilisti ayewachaye khona emva kokubulala kwawo uSawuli eGilibhowa.)

13 UDavida wawathatha khonapho amathambo kaSawuli lawendodana yakhe uJonathani, lamathambo alabo ababebulawe basebechaywa abuthwa.

14 Amathambo kaSawuli lawendodana yakhe uJonathani bawangcwaba ethuneni likasekaSawuli uKhishi, eZela koBhenjamini, benza konke njengokulaya kwenkosi. Emva kwalokho uNkulunkulu wayiphendula imikhuleko eyenzelwa ilizwe.

Izimpi kulwiwa lamaFilisti

15 Kwaphinda kwaba lempi futhi phakathi kwamaFilisti lo-Israyeli. UDavida wahamba labantu bakhe ukuyakulwa lamaFilisti, wasedinwa. 16 U-Ishibhi-Bhenobi, omunye wabenzalo kaRafa, isihloko somkhonto wakhe wethusi esasilobunzima obungamashekeli angamakhulu amathathu, njalo ehlome ngenkemba entsha, wathi uzabulala uDavida.

17 Kodwa u-Abhishayi indodana kaZeruyiya wamhlenga uDavida; wamcakazela phansi umFilisti lowo wambulala. Abantu bakaDavida bafunga kuye bathi, “Kawuyikuhamba lathi futhi empini, ukuze isibane sika-Israyeli singacitshwa.”

18 Ngokuqhubeka kwesikhathi kwaba lenye impi futhi lamaFilisti, eGobi. Ngalesosikhathi uSibhekhayi umHushathi wabulala uSafi, omunye wabenzalo kaRafa.

19 Kwenye impi lamaFilisti njalo eGobi, u-Elihanani indodana kaJaware-Oregimi umBhethilehema wabulala uGoliyathi umGithi, owayelomkhonto owawuloluthi olunjengogodo lomaluki.

20 Kwenye impi njalo eyaba seGathi, kwakulomuntu omkhulukazi owayeleminwe eyisithupha isandla ngasinye lamazwane ayisithupha unyawo ngalunye – amatshumi amabili lane sekukonke. Laye wayengowosendo lukaRafa. 21 Kwathi echothoza u-Israyeli, uJonathani indodana kaShimeya, umfowabo kaDavida, wambulala.

22 Abane laba babengabenzalo kaRafa eGathi, bonke babulawa nguDavida labantu bakhe.