Isahluko 21
1
USathane wema ukulwa no-Israyeli, wavusa uDavide ukuba abale u-Israyeli.
2
UDavide wayesethi kuJowabe nasezinduneni zabantu: “Hambani nibale u-Israyeli kusukela eBeri Sheba kuze kube kwaDani, nilethe umumo wabo kimi ukuba ngiwazi.”
3
UJowabe wathi: “UJehova makenezele kubantu bakhe, kuphindwe kayikhulu phezu kwalokhu abayikho; kepha, nkosi yami, nkosi, abasizo izinceku zenkosi yami bonke na? Inkosi yami ifunelani le nto na? Iyakuba yicala ngani ku-Israyeli na?”
4
Nokho izwi lenkosi lamahlula uJowabe. UJowabe waphuma, wadabula wonke u-Israyeli, wafika eJerusalema.
5
UJowabe wanika uDavide umumo wabantu ababaliweyo; wonke u-Israyeli wayeyizinkulungwane eziyinkulungwane nezinkulungwane eziyikhulu abahloma inkemba; uJuda wayeyizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane namashumi ayisikhombisa.
6
Kepha oLevi noBenjamini akababalanga phakathi kwabo, ngokuba izwi lenkosi lalinengekile kuJowabe.
7
Kwaba kubi emehlweni kaNkulunkulu; ngalokho washaya u-Israyeli.
8
UDavide wayesethi kuNkulunkulu: “Ngonile kakhulu ngalokho engikwenzileyo; kepha manje, Jehova, mawuthethelele ububi benceku yakho, ngokuba ngintumazele kakhulu.”
9
UJehova wayesekhuluma kuGadi, umboni kaDavide, ethi:
10
“Hamba ukhulume kuDavide ngokuthi: ‘UJehova usho kanje, uthi: Ngiyakubekela izinto ezintathu; khetha enye kuzo ukuba ngikwenzele yona.’ ”
11
UGadi wayesefika kuDavide, wathi kuye: “UJehova usho kanje, uthi:
12
‘Zikhethele noma indlala yeminyaka emithathu, noma ukuchithwa yizitha zakho izinyanga ezintathu uficwa yinkemba yezitha zakho, noma izinsuku ezintathu zenkemba kaJehova nesifo ezweni, ingelosi kaJehova ichithe emikhawulweni yonke yakwa-Israyeli.’ Manje zibonele izwi engiyakulibuyisela kongithumileyo.”
13
UDavide wathi kuGadi: “Nginosizi kakhulu; mangiwele esandleni sikaJehova, ngokuba umusa wakhe mkhulu kakhulu; kepha esandleni somuntu mangingaweli kuso.”
14
UJehova wayesethuma isifo phezu kuka-Israyeli; kwafa kwa-Israyeli abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa.
15
UNkulunkulu wathuma ingelosi eJerusalema ukulichitha; kwathi lapho isalichitha, uJehova wabuka, wazisola ngalobo bubi, wathi engelosini echithayo: “Sekwanele; buyisa isandla sakho.” Ingelosi kaJehova yayimi ngasesibuyeni sika-Orinani umJebusi.
16
UDavide wayesephakamisa amehlo akhe, wayibona ingelosi kaJehova imi emkhathini womhlaba nezulu, inenkemba ehoshiweyo esandleni sayo, yelulelwe phezu kweJerusalema. UDavide namalunga bembethe izindwangu zamasaka bawa ngobuso babo.
17
UDavide wathi kuNkulunkulu: “Akusimi yini owayaleza ukuba abantu babalwe na? Yimina engonileyo; ngenze kabi kakhulu, kepha lezi zimvu zenzeni na? Isandla sakho, Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, masibe phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa, singabi phezu kwabantu bakho ukubashaya ngesifo.”
18
Ingelosi kaJehova yamyala uGadi ukusho kuDavide ukuba uDavide enyuke, amisele uJehova i-altare esibuyeni sika-Orinani umJebusi.
19
UDavide wenyuka ngezwi likaGadi alikhulumayo egameni likaJehova.
20
U-Orinani waphenduka, wayibona ingelosi; amadodana akhe amane ayenaye acasha. U-Orinani wayebhula ukolweni.
21
UDavide esefika ku-Orinani, u-Orinani wabuka, wambona uDavide, waphuma esibuyeni, wakhothamela uDavide, ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi.
22
UDavide wathi ku-Orinani: “Nginike indawo yalesi sibuya ukuba ngakhele uJehova i-altare kuyo: uyakunginika yona ngemali epheleleyo ukuba lesi sifo sinqamuke kubantu.”
23
U-Orinani wathi kuDavide: “Zithathele yona; inkosi yami, inkosi, mayenze okuhle emehlweni ayo; bheka, ngiyakupha izinkabi zibe ngezeminikelo yokushiswa, nezibhulo zibe yizinkuni, nokolweni abe ngumnikelo wempuphu; ngikunika konke.”
24
Inkosi uDavide yathi ku-Orinani: “Qha, ngiyakukuthenga nokukuthenga ngemali epheleleyo, ngokuba angizukumthathela uJehova okungokwakho, nginikele ngomnikelo wokushiswa ngengikuthole ngeze.”
25
UDavide wayesemnika u-Orinani ngendawo amashekeli angamakhulu ayisithupha egolide ngesisindo.
26
UDavide wamakhela khona uJehova i-altare, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa nangeminikelo yokuthula, wambiza uJehova; wamphendula esezulwini ngomlilo e-altare lomnikelo wokushiswa.
27
UJehova wayiyala ingelosi; yabuyisela inkemba yayo emgodleni wayo.
28
Ngaleso sikhathi lapho uDavide esebonile ukuthi uJehova umphendulile esibuyeni sika-Orinani umJebusi, wahlaba khona.
29
Ngokuba itabernakele likaJehova alenza uMose ehlane ne-altare lomnikelo wokushiswa kwakusendaweni ephakemeyo eGibeyoni ngaleso sikhathi.
30
Kepha uDavide wayengenakuya phambi kwalo ukubuza kuNkulunkulu, ngokuba wagebhezelela inkemba yengelosi kaJehova.