Verse 1: Kwathi emva kwalokho uDavide wabuza kuJehova, wathi: “Ngenyukele yini komunye wemizi yakwaJuda na?” UJehova wathi kuye: “Yenyuka.” Wathi uDavide: “Ngenyukelephi na?” Wathi: “EHebroni.”
Verse 2: Wayesenyukela khona uDavide nabafazi bakhe ababili, o-Ahinohama waseJizreyeli no-Abigayili umkaNabali waseKarmeli.
Verse 3: Abantu bakhe ababe noDavide wabenyusa, kwaba yilowo nalowo nomuzi wakhe; bahlala emizaneni yaseHebroni.
Verse 4: Bafika abantu bakwaJuda, bamgcoba khona uDavide abe yinkosi yendlu yakwaJuda. Bamtshela uDavide ukuthi: “Abantu baseJabeshi Gileyadi yibo abammbela uSawule.”
Verse 5: UDavide wayesethuma izithunywa kubantu baseJabeshi Gileyadi, wathi kubo: “Manibusiswe nguJehova, ngokuba nenzile lowo musa kuyo inkosi yenu, uSawule, nammbela.
Verse 6: Manje uJehova makanenzele umusa neqiniso, nami nginibuyisele lowo musa, ngokuba niyenzile leyo nto.
Verse 7: Ngalokho maziqine izandla zenu, nibe nesibindi, ngokuba uSawule inkosi yenu ufile; indlu yakwaJuda ingigcobile ngibe yinkosi yayo.”
Verse 8: U-Abineri indodana kaNeri induna yempi kaSawule wayethathile u-Ishi Bosheti indodana kaSawule, wamwelisela eMahanayimi,
Verse 9: wambeka inkosi kwaGileyadi, nakuma-Ashurimi, naseJizreyeli, nakwa-Efrayimi noBenjamini, nakwa-Israyeli wonke.
Verse 10: U-Ishi Bosheti indodana kaSawule wayeneminyaka engamashumi amane ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa phezu kuka-Israyeli; wabusa iminyaka emibili. Kepha indlu yakwaJuda yamlandela uDavide.
Verse 11: Isikhathi uDavide eyinkosi ngaso eHebroni phezu kwendlu yakwaJuda sasiyiminyaka eyisikhombisa nezinyanga eziyisithupha.
Verse 12: U-Abineri indodana kaNeri nezinceku zika-Ishi Bosheti indodana kaSawule baphuma eMahanayimi, baya eGibeyoni.
Verse 13: UJowabe indodana kaSeruya nezinceku zikaDavide baphuma bahlangana ngasechibini laseGibeyoni; bahlala phansi, abanye ngalapha kwechibi, abanye ngalapho kwechibi.
Verse 14: U-Abineri wathi kuJowabe: “Ake zisuke izinsizwa, ziqakulizane phambi kwethu.” UJowabe wathi: “Mazisuke.”
Verse 15: Zase zisuka, zawela ngamanani, eziyishumi nambili kwaBenjamini naku-Ishi Bosheti indodana kaSawule, neziyishumi nambili ziyizinceku zikaDavide.
Verse 16: Zabambana ngekhanda, zagwaza ngenkemba ohlangothini lwezimelene nazo, zawa kanyekanye; ngalokho leyo ndawo yabizwa ngokuthi iHelikati Hasurimi eliseGibeyoni.
Verse 17: Kwakuyimpi enzima ngalolo suku; u-Abineri wahlulwa kanye nabantu bakwa-Israyeli phambi kwezinceku zikaDavide.
Verse 18: Amadodana amathathu kaSeruya ayelapho, oJowabe, no-Abishayi, no-Asaheli; u-Asaheli wayenezinyawo ezilula njengensephe.
Verse 19: U-Asaheli wamxosha u-Abineri; ekuhambeni kwakhe akachezukanga ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo ekumlandeleni u-Abineri.
Verse 20: U-Abineri wabheka emuva, wathi: “Ungu-Asaheli na?” Wathi: “Yimi.”
Verse 21: U-Abineri wayesethi kuye: “Chezukela ngakwesokunene noma ngakwesokhohlo, ubambe enye yezinsizwa, uthathe izikhali zakhe.” Kepha u-Asaheli akavumanga ukuchezuka ekumlandeleni.
Verse 22: U-Abineri wabuye wathi ku-Asaheli: “Chezuka ekungilandeleni; yini ukuba ngikucekele phansi na? Ngingaphakamisa kanjani ubuso bami ngakuJowabe umfowenu na?”
Verse 23: Wala nokho ukuchezuka; ngalokho u-Abineri wamgwaza esiswini ngesidunu somkhonto, waze waphuma emuva umkhonto; wawela khona, wafela khona lapho; kwathi bonke abafika endaweni u-Asaheli awele kuyo wafa, bema.
Verse 24: Kepha oJowabe no-Abishayi bamxosha u-Abineri; ilanga lashona befike ngasegqumeni lase-Ama elingaphambi kweGiya ngasendleleni yasehlane laseGibeyoni.
Verse 25: Abantwana bakwaBenjamini babuthana emva kuka-Abineri, baba yiviyo linye, bema esiqongweni segquma elithile.
Verse 26: U-Abineri wayesememeza kuJowabe, wathi: “Inkemba iyakudla njalonjalo na? Awazi yini ukuthi kuyakuba khona umunyu ekugcineni na? Koze kube nini ungabayali abantu ukuba babuye ekubalandeleni abafowabo na?”
Verse 27: UJowabe wathi: “Kuphila kukaNkulunkulu, uma ubungakhulumanga, ngempela abantu bonke bebeyakube sebenyukile kusasa ekuxosheni abafowabo.”
Verse 28: UJowabe wayesebetha icilongo; bonke abantu bema, ababe besamxosha u-Israyeli, futhi ababe besalwa.
Verse 29: U-Abineri nabantu bakhe badabula i-Araba bonke lobo busuku, bawela iJordani, badabula lonke iBitroni, bafika eMahanayimi.
Verse 30: UJowabe wabuya ekumxosheni u-Abineri; lapho esebuthile bonke abantu, kwasilala kuzo izinceku zikaDavide abantu abayishumi nesishiyagalolunye no-Asaheli.
Verse 31: Kepha izinceku zikaDavide zazibulele abakwaBenjamini nabaka-Abineri, kwafa abantu abangamakhulu amathathu namashumi ayisithupha.
Verse 32: Bamthatha u-Asaheli, bammbela ethuneni likayise elaliseBethlehema. UJowabe nabantu bakhe bahamba ubusuku bonke, kwasa beseHebroni.