1 IziKronike 21:1-17

USathane wavukela u-Israyeli, wamlinga uDavide ukuba abale u-Israyeli. UDavide wathi kuJowabe nasezinduneni zabantu: “Hambani nibale u-Israyeli kusukela eBeri Sheba kuze kube kwaDani; nilethe kimi inani labo, ukuze ngilazi. Wathi uJowabe: “UJehova makenze abantu bakhe ngokuphindwe kayikhulu kunabo; kodwa, nkosi yami, nkosi, zonke azizona izinceku zenkosi yami na? pho, inkosi yami ifunelani lokhu na? izakuba yisiphambeko sikaIsrayeli ngani? Kepha izwi lenkosi lamahlula uJowabe. UJowabe wayesesuka, wadabula u-Israyeli wonke, wafika eJerusalema. UJowabe wasemnika uDavida inani lenani labantu. Bonke kwa-Israyeli babeyinkulungwane nekhulu lamadoda ahloma inkemba, futhi uJuda babe yizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amane namashumi ayisithupha abahlome inkemba. Kepha uLevi noBenjamini akababalanga phakathi kwabo, ngokuba izwi lenkosi lalinengekile kuJowabe. Kwaba kubi kuNkulunkulu ngale ndaba; ngalokho wamnqoba u-Israyeli. UDavide wayesethi kuNkulunkulu: “Ngonile kakhulu, ngokuba ngenze lokho; kepha manje susa ububi benceku yakho; ngoba ngenze izinto ezinengi zobuthutha. UJehova wakhuluma kuGadi, umboni kaDavide, wathi: Hamba utshele uDavida uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngikubekela izinto ezintathu: zikhethele eyodwa kuzo, ukuze ngiyenze kuwe. UGadi wayesefika kuDavide, wathi kuye: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Zikhethele; Noma iminyaka emithathu yendlala; noma izinyanga ezintathu ukuchithwa phambi kwezitha zakho, inkemba yezitha zakho ikufice; noma izinsuku ezintathu inkemba kaJehova, isifo esiwumshayabhuqe ezweni, ingelosi kaJehova ichitha kuzo zonke izifunda zakwa-Israyeli. Ake nginitshele ukuthi yizwi lini engiyakulibuyisela kongithumileyo. UDavida wasesithi kuGadi: Ngisosizini olukhulu; mangiwele esandleni sikaJehova; ngokuba umusa wakhe mkhulu kakhulu, kepha mangingaweli esandleni somuntu. UJehova wayesethuma isifo kwa-Israyeli, kwawa abantu bakwa-Israyeli abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa. UNkulunkulu wathuma ingelosi eJerusalema ukuba ilichithe; kwathi esachitha, uJehova wakubona, wazisola ngobubi, wathi engelosini echithayo: “Kwanele, bamba isandla sakho.” Ingelosi kaJehova yayimi esibuyeni sika-Orinani umJebusi. UDavide waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wayibona ingelosi kaJehova imi phakathi komhlaba nezulu inenkemba yayo ehoshiweyo esandleni sayo yelulelwe phezu kweJerusalema. UDavide namalunga akwa-Israyeli, abembethe izingubo zokulila, bawa ngobuso. UDavida wasesithi kuNkulunkulu: Kakusimi yini owalaya ukuthi abantu babalwe? mina yimi ngonile ngenza okubi impela; kodwa lezi zimvu zenzeni? isandla sakho, Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, masibe phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa; kodwa hhayi kubantu bakho, ukuze bahlushwe.