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1 Kwathi gaxa khona indoda elitshijolo, egama linguShebha, unyana kaBhikri, umBhenjamin. Yavuthela isigodlo, yathi, Asinasabelo thina kuDavide, asinalifa kunyana kaYese; yiyani elowo ezintenteni zenu, maSirayeli.2 Enyuka ke onke amadoda akwaSirayeli, emka ekumlandeleni uDavide, alandela uShebha unyana kaBhikri; ke amadoda akwaYuda anamathela kukumkani wawo, ethabathela eYordan esa eYerusalem.3 Weza uDavide endlwini yakhe eYerusalem; ukumkani wabathabatha abafazi bakhe abalishumi abangamashweshwe, abebashiyile ukuba bagcine indlu, wababeka endlwini yogcino, wabaxhasa, akangena kubo. Bavalelwa ke yada yaba yimini yokufa kwabo, behleli bengabahlolokazi.

4 Wathi ukumkani kuAmasa, Ndihlabele umkhosi kumadoda akwaYuda ngemihla emithathu, ubekho nawe apha.5 UAmasa waya kuwahlabela umkhosi amaYuda, walibala ngaphezu kwexesha abemiselwe lona.6 Wathi uDavide kuAbhishayi, Kungokunje uShebha, unyana kaBhikri, uya kusenzela ububi ngaphezu koAbhisalom; bathabathe wena abakhonzi benkosi yakho, umsukele, hleze afumane imizi enqatyisiweyo, asizimele.7 Aphuma amlandela amadoda kaYowabhi, nabancinithi, nezigidimi, namagorha onke; baphuma ke eYerusalem, baya kumsukela uShebha unyana kaBhikri.8 UAmasa weza kubo besetyeni elikhulu eliseGibheyon. Ke uYowabhi ubeyibhinqile ingubo yakhe yokulwa, umbinqo wekrele unxitywe ngaphezu kwayo esinqeni sakhe, lisesingxobeni salo; sancothuka ke, lawa ikrele.9 Wathi uYowabhi kuAmasa, Usahleli kakuhle na, mzalwana wam? UYowabhi wambamba uAmasa ngeendevu ngesandla sokunene, ukuba amange.10 Ke uAmasa ubengalilumkele ikrele elibe lisesandleni sikaYowabhi. Wamhlaba ngalo esiswini, wamphalaza izibilini emhlabeni, akaphinda amhlabe; wafa. UYowabhi noAbhishayi umzalwana wakhe bamsukela uShebha, unyana kaBhikri.11 Kwema enye kumadodana akwaYowabhi ngakuye, yathi, Ubani ononelele uYowabhi, nongakuDavide, makalandele uYowabhi.12 UAmasa watyikatyikeka egazini emendweni. Yabona indoda leyo, ukuba abantu bonke bathe nqumama, yamsusa uAmasa emendweni, yamshenxisela ecaleni, yaphosa ingubo phezu kwakhe; ngokokuba ibibona bemana ukuthi nqumama bonke abafika kuye.13 Akususwa ke emendweni, onke amadoda egqitha, alandela uYowabhi, asukela uShebha, unyana kaBhikri.

14 Wacanda ezizweni zonke zakwaSirayeli, waya eAbhele naseBhete-mahaka; namadodana onke abizelwa ndawonye, eza amlandela nawo.15 Bafika bamngqinga eAbhele-bhete-mahaka, bawufumbela udonga lokungqinga umzi lowo, lwema phezu komsele wongqameko; baye bonke abantu ababenoYowabhi beluqhuqha, ukuze udonga lomzi luwe.16 Kwamemeza intokazi elumkileyo ikuloo mzi, yathi, Yivani, yivani; khanithi kuYowabhi, Sondela apha, ndithethe nawe.17 Wasondela ke kuyo; yathi loo ntokazi, UnguYowabhi na? Wathi, Ndinguye. Yathi kuye, Phulaphula amazwi omkhonzazana wakho. Wathi, Ndiyeva.18 Yatsho yathi, Kwakufudula kusithiwa, Ukubuza makubuzwe eAbhele, benjenjalo ukuyifeza into.19 Ndingowabaxolileyo, abathembekileyo kwaSirayeli; ke ufuna ukubulala umzi ongunozala kwaSirayeli. Yini na ukuba uliginye ilifa likaYehova?20 Waphendula uYowabhi, wathi, Makube lee, makube lee kum, ukuba ndiginye nokuba ndonakalise.21 Hayi, akunjalo; kusuke indoda yasezintabeni zakwaEfrayim, enguShebha ngegama, unyana kaBhikri, yasiphakamisa isandla sayo kukumkani, kuDavide; khuphani yona yodwa, ndomka kulo mzi. Yathi loo ntokazi kuYowabhi, Yabona, intloko yayo iya kugityiselwa kuwe phezu kodonga.22 Yaya loo ntokazi kubantu bonke ngobulumko bayo. Bayinqumla ke intloko kaShebha, unyana kaBhikri, bayigibisela kuYowabhi. Wavuthela isigodlo, baphangalala bemka kuloo mzi, elowo waya ententeni yakhe. UYowabhi wabuyela eYerusalem kukumkani.

23 Ke kaloku uYowabhi wawuphatha wonke umkhosi wakwaSirayeli; uBhenaya, unyana kaYehoyada, waphatha abancinithi nezigidimi.24 UAdoram waphatha abafakwa uviko; uYehoshafati, unyana ka-Ahiludi, ubengumkhumbuzi wezinto zakomkhulu.25 USheva ubengumbhali; uTsadoki noAbhiyatare baye bengababingeleli.26 Kananjalo uIra waseYahire ubengumbingeleli kuDavide.