Eyesibili EkaSamuyeli
24 UJehova waphinda wabathukuthelela kakhulu abako-Israyeli+ ngesikhathi uDavida aze akhuthazwe ukuthi abale abantu+ bako-Israyeli labakoJuda.+ 2 INkosi uDavida yatshela uJowabi+ induna yebutho yathi: “Ngicela udabule kuzo zonke izizwana zako-Israyeli kusukela koDani kuze kuyefika eBheri-shebha+ ubhale phansi abantu ukuze ngazi ukuthi bangaki.” 3 Kodwa uJowabi wathi enkosini: “Kwangathi uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho angandisa abantu ngokuphindwe ka-100 futhi inkosi yami ikubone lokho. Kanti kungani inkosi yami ifuna ukwenza into enje?”
4 Lanxa kunjalo ilizwi lenkosi lakhulela elikaJowabi lelezinduna zamabutho. Ngakho uJowabi lezinduna zamabutho basuka enkosini bayabhala abantu bako-Israyeli.+ 5 Bachapha umfula uJodani bamisa inkamba yabo e-Aroweri+ eningizimu yedolobho phakathi kwesigodi, basebehamba beqonde elizweni lakoGadi, baqhubeka baya eJazeri.+ 6 Basuka lapho baya eGiliyadi+ laselizweni leThahithimi-hodishi, baqhubeka baze bayafika eDani-jawani, basebebhoda baya eSidoni.+ 7 Besuka lapho baya enqabeni yaseThire+ lakuwo wonke amadolobho amaHivi+ lawamaKhenani, bacina eNegebhi+ yakoJuda eBheri-shebha.+ 8 Balibhoda lonke ilizwe baze baphenduka eJerusalema ngemva kwenyanga ezingu-9 lamalanga angu-20. 9 UJowabi wafika wanika inkosi inani labantu ababebhaliwe. Ko-Israyeli kwakulamabutho angu-800 000 ayehlome ngezinkemba njalo koJuda kwakulamadoda angu-500 000.+
10 Kodwa uDavida wathi esebale abantu, inhliziyo yakhe yamsola*+ kakhulu. Yikho wathi kuJehova: “Ngonile+ kakhulu ngokwenza lokhu. Khathesi Jehova, ngicela uyixolele+ inceku yakho ngoba yenze ubuthutha obukhulu.”+ 11 UDavida wathi evuka ekuseni, ilizwi likaJehova lafika kumphrofethi uGadi+ umboni* kaDavida lisithi: 12 “Hamba uyekuthi kuDavida, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova: “Ngizakunika izinto ezintathu, wena ubusukhetha okukodwa phakathi kwazo ofuna ngikwehlisele khona.”’”+ 13 Ngakho uGadi wafika kuDavida wathi: “Ukhetha ukuthi elizweni kube lendlala okweminyaka eyisikhombisa,+ kumbe ukuthi ubalekele izitha zakho okwenyanga ezintathu zikuxotshanisa,+ loba ukuthi kube lesifo esibulalayo elizweni okwensuku ezintathu?+ Cabangisisa ukuthi ufuna ngimphendule ngithini lowo ongithumileyo.” 14 UDavida wasesithi kuGadi: “Into le iyangikhathaza kakhulu. Kasingaweli esandleni sabantu,+ kungcono siwele esandleni sikaJehova+ ngoba isihawu sakhe sikhulu.”+
15 Ngakho uJehova wehlisela abantu bako-Israyeli isifo esibulalayo+ futhi wabulala abantu kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwafika isikhathi esasibekiwe. Kwafa+ abantu abangu-70 000 kusukela koDani kusiyafika eBheri-shebha.+ 16 Ingilosi yathi iselula isandla sayo phezu kweJerusalema ukuze iyitshabalalise, uJehova wezwa ubuhlungu* ngomonakalo+ owawehlele abantu, wasesithi engilosini eyayibulala abantu: “Sekwanele, yehlisa isandla sakho.” Ngalesosikhathi ingilosi kaJehova yayiseduze lesiza* sika-Arawuna+ umJebusi.+
17 UDavida wathi ebona ingilosi eyayibulala abantu, wathi kuJehova: “Mina yimi engonileyo futhi yimi engenze icala. Pho izimvu+ lezi zona zoneni? Ngicela isandla sakho sehlele phezu kwami labendlu kababa.”+
18 Ngakho uGadi waya kuDavida mhlalokho wathi kuye: “Hamba uyekwakhela uJehova i-alithare esizeni sika-Arawuna umJebusi.”+ 19 UDavida wasuka wayakwenza lokho uGadi ayemtshele khona, njengoba nje uJehova wayetshilo. 20 U-Arawuna wathi ekhangela wabona inkosi lezinceku zayo besiza kuye, wahle waphuma waseguqa phambi kwenkosi wathi mbo phansi ngobuso, 21 wabuza wathi: “Kungani inkosi yami ize encekwini yayo?” UDavida wasephendula wathi: “Ngizothenga isiza sakho ngoba ngifuna ukwakhela uJehova i-alithare ukuze umkhuhlane lo oqeda abantu uphele.”+ 22 Kodwa u-Arawuna wathi kuDavida: “Inkosi yami kayisithathe isiza futhi inikele ngaloba yini eyibona ifanele. Nanzi inkomo zomnikelo wokutshiswa lesileyi sokubhula kanye lamajogwe azakuba zinkuni zokubasa umlilo. 23 Konke lokhu ngikunika inkosi yami.” U-Arawuna waqhubeka wathi enkosini: “Kwangathi uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho angaba lomusa kuwe.”
24 Kodwa inkosi yathi ku-Arawuna: “Hatshi, ngizasithenga isiza. Angisoze nginikele kuJehova uNkulunkulu wami imihlatshelo yokutshiswa engingazange ngiyibhadalele lutho.” Ngakho uDavida wathenga isiza lenkomo ngamashekheli*+ esiliva angu-50, 25 wasesakhela uJehova i-alithare+ endaweni leyo, wanikela imihlatshelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo yobudlelwano. UJehova walalela ukuncenga kwabo bencengela ilizwe,+ wasuphela umkhuhlane owawuhlasele abako-Israyeli.