2 USamuyeli 4

1 Lapho isizwile indodana kaSawuli ukuthi uAbhineri ufele eHebroni, izandla zakhe zaba buthakathaka, loIsrayeli wonke wakhathazeka.

2 Njalo indodana kaSawuli yayilamadoda amabili ayeyizinduna zamaviyo; ibizo lenye lalinguBahana, lebizo lenye linguRekabi, amadodana kaRimoni, umBherothi, wabantwana bakoBhenjamini. Ngoba iBherothi layo yayibalelwa koBhenjamini;

3 lamaBherothi abalekela eGithayimi, aba ngabahlali njengabezizwe khona kuze kube lamuhla.

4 UJonathani indodana kaSawuli wayelendodana eyayiyisilima enyaweni. Yayileminyaka emihlanu ekufikeni kombiko ngoSawuli loJonathani uvela eJizereyeli; lomlizane wayo wayithatha, wabaleka; kwasekusithi ekuphangiseni kwakhe ukubaleka, yawa yaba yisilima. Lebizo layo lalinguMefiboshethi.

5 Lamadodana kaRimoni, umBherothi, uRekabi loBahana, ahamba, ekutshiseni kwelanga afika endlini kaIshiboshethi, owayelele embhedeni emini enkulu.

6 Bona bangena endlini phakathi kungathi bathatha ingqoloyi, bamtshaya kubambo lwesihlanu; uRekabi loBahana umfowabo basebebaleka.

7 Ngoba bengena endlini, wayelele embhedeni wakhe endlini yakhe yokulala, bamtshaya, bambulala, bamquma ikhanda; bathatha ikhanda lakhe, bahamba ngendlela yamagceke ubusuku bonke.

8 Basebelisa ikhanda likaIshiboshethi kuDavida eHebroni. Bathi enkosini: Khangela, ikhanda likaIshiboshethi indodana kaSawuli, isitha sakho ebesidinga impilo yakho; iNkosi inike impindiselo lamuhla enkosini yami, inkosi, kuSawuli lakuyo inzalo yakhe.

9 Kodwa uDavida wabaphendula uRekabi loBahana umfowabo, amadodana kaRimoni umBherothi, wathi kubo: Kuphila kukaJehova, ohlenge umphefumulo wami kuyo yonke inhlupheko,

10 lapho owangibikelayo esithi: Khangela, uSawuli ufile; njalo enjengomthwali wendaba ezinhle emehlweni akhe, ngamxhakalaza, ngambulala eZikilagi, kulokuthi ngimvuzele indaba ezinhle.

11 Pho kangakanani, lapho abantu ababi bebulele umuntu olungileyo endlini yakhe esembhedeni wakhe; ngakho-ke angiyikubiza yini igazi lakhe esandleni senu, ngilisuse emhlabeni?

12 UDavida waselaya amajaha, ababulala, aquma izandla zabo lenyawo zabo, abaphanyeka echibini leHebroni. Kodwa athatha ikhanda likaIshiboshethi, alingcwaba engcwabeni likaAbhineri eHebroni.