Kwathi emveni kwalokho uDavide wabuza kuSimakade, wathi: “Ngingenyukela yini komunye wemizi yakwaJuda na?”
USimakade wathi: “Yenyuka.”
UDavide wathi: “Ngenyukele kumuphi na?”
Yena wathi: “EHebhroni.”
UDavide wenyuka lapho namakhosikazi akhe omabili, u-Ahinohama waseJizreyeli no-Abhigayili waseKharimeli, umkaNabali. UDavide wenyuka namadoda ayenaye, kwaba yileyo naleyo nabomndeni wayo; bahlala emizaneni eHebhroni. Abantu bakwaJuda bafika, bamgcoba khona lapho uDavide ukuba abe yinkosi yendlu yakwaJuda.
Base bembikela bethi: “Ngabantu baseJabheshi Gileyadi abangcwabe uSawule.”
UDavide wayesethumela izithunywa kubantu baseJabheshi Gileyadi, wathi kubo: “USimakade makanibusise, ngokuba nikhombise isihawu enkosini yenu uSawule, nayingcwaba. Manje sengathi uSimakade anganenzela isihawu nokwethembeka, nami ngizonenzela okuhle ngenxa yalokhu enikwenzileyo. Manje-ke maziqine izandla zenu, nime isibindi, ngokuba uSawule, inkosi yenu, usekhotheme. Indlu yakwaJuda ingigcobile ukuba ngibe yinkosi yayo.”
U-Abhineri, indodana kaNeri, umkhuzi wempi kaSawule wayesethathe u-Ishi Bhoshethi, indodana kaSawule, waya naye eMahanayimi, wambeka waba yinkosi, wabusa abakwaGileyadi, ama-Ashurimi, abaseJizreyeli, abakwa-Efrayimi abakwaBhenjamini, wabusa no-Israyeli wonke.
U-Ishi Bhoshethi, indodana kaSawule, wayeseneminyaka engama-40 ngesikhathi eqala ukubusa kwa-Israyeli; wabusa iminyaka emibili. Kepha indlu yakwaJuda yayilandela uDavide. Isikhathi uDavide abusa ngaso eHebhroni endlini yakwaJuda sasiyiminyaka eyisikhombisa nezinyanga eziyisithupha.
U-Abhineri, indodana kaNeri, nezinceku zika-Ishi Bhoshethi, indodana kaSawule, basuka eMahanayimi, baya eGibheyoni. UJowabe, indodana kaZeruya nezinceku zikaDavide, baphuma, bahlangana nabo ngasechibini eGibheyoni. Bahlala phansi, abanye ngakulolu hlangothi lwechibi, abanye bahlala ngakolunye.
U-Abhineri wathi kuJowabe: “Ake zisukume izinsizwa, zizwane amandla phambi kwethu.”
UJowabe wathi: “Mazisukume.”
Zase zisukuma zaphumela eshashalazini, zabalwa zaze zaba li-12 ohlangothini luka-Ishi Bhoshethi, indodana kaSawule wakwaBhenjamini, zaba li-12 ezincekwini zikaDavide. Zabambana ngezihluthu, yileyo naleyo yagwaza enye ohlangothini, zawa kanyekanye. Yingakho leyo ndawo ibizwa ngokuthi yiHelikhathi Hazurimi, iseGibheyoni.
Impi yayinzima kakhulu ngalolo lusuku; u-Abhineri namadoda akwa-Israyeli behlulwa yizinceku zikaDavide.
Kwakukhona lapho amadodana amathathu kaZeruya, uJowabe, u-Abhishayi no-Asaheli. U-Asaheli wayewunyazi egijimisa okwensephe endle. U-Asaheli wamhubha u-Abhineri, akaze achezukela kwesokunene noma kwesokhohlo ekumlandeleni. U-Abhineri waqalaza emuva, wayesethi: “Ngabe nguwe, Asaheli na?”
Wamphendula wathi: “Yebo, yimina.”
U-Abhineri wathi kuye: “Chezuka uye ngakwesokudla noma ngakwesokunxele, uthathe enye yezinsizwa, uzithathele kuyo impango.”
Kepha u-Asaheli akazange achezuke, waqhubeka wamhubha.
U-Abhineri wabuye wathi ku-Asaheli: “Chezuka ungabe usangihubha; yini ufune ukuba ngikucekele phansi na? Ngiyombhekelwa ngubani umfowethu uJowabe na?”
Kepha wenqaba ukuchezuka. U-Abhineri wamgwaza esiswini ngesidunu somkhonto, umkhonto waze wayophumela ngemuva. Wawela lapho, wafa. Bonke abafika endaweni lapho u-Asaheli ayewele khona, wafa, babema bathule du!
U-Jowabe no-Abhishayi bamhubha u-Abhineri. Bafinyelela entabeni i-Ama, eyayimaqondana neGiya, ngendlela ebheke ehlane iGibheyoni, lapho ilanga seliyozilahla kunina. Abantu bakwaBhenjamini babuthana emva kuka-Abhineri, baba liviyo elilodwa; bama esiqongweni segquma elithile.
U-Abhineri wayesememeza uJowabe, wathi: “Inkemba iyakubhubhisa njalo njalo yini na? Awazi yini ukuthi kuyakuba khona umunyu ekugcineni? Kuyoze kube nini ngaphambi kokuba ubayale abantu ukuba babuye ekuhubheni abafowabo na?”
UJowabe wathi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade, ukuba ubungakhulumanga, abantu bonke bebeyobe sebekuyekile kusasa ukuhubha abafowabo.”
UJowabe wayesebetha icilongo; bonke abantu bama, ababe besabahubha abakwa-Israyeli, futhi ababange besalwa.
U-Abhineri nabantu bakhe bahamba ubusuku bonke, badabula e-Araba, bawela iJordani, basidabula sonke isifunda iBhithroni, baze bayofinyelela eMahanayimi.
UJowabe wabuya ekuhubheni u-Abhineri. Wayesebahlanganisa bonke abantu, kodwa kwabonakala ukuthi zili-19 izinceku zikaDavide ezafayo, ezingatholakalanga no-Asaheli. Kepha izinceku zikaDavide zazibulele abakwaBhenjamini nabakwa-Abhineri abangama-360. Bamthatha u-Asaheli, bamngcwaba elibeni likayise eBhethlehema. UJowabe namadoda ayenawo base behamba ubusuku bonke, kwathi kuqambe kusa babe sebeseHebhroni.