1 Kronike
21 USathana wema nxamnye noSirayeli waza waxhokonxa+ uDavide ukuba abale uSirayeli. 2 Ngoko wathi uDavide kuYowabhi+ neentloko zabantu: “Hamba, ubale+ uSirayeli ukususela eBher-shebha+ ukusa kwaDan+ nize nilizise kum ukuze ndilazi inani lakhe.”+ 3 Kodwa uYowabhi wathi: “Ngamana uYehova angongezelela ebantwini bakhe ngokuphindwe kalikhulu kubuninzi babo.+ Asingabo abakho na, nkosi yam kumkani, bonke njengabakhonzi bakho? Iyifunela ntoni na inkosi yam le nto?+ Yini na ukuba imzisele ityala uSirayeli?”
4 Noko ke, ilizwi likakumkani+ laba namandla kuYowabhi, kangangokuba wahamba+ uYowabhi wamtyhutyha wonke uSirayeli, emva koko weza eYerusalem.+ 5 Ke kaloku uYowabhi wamnika uDavide inani lobhaliso lwabantu; yaye wonke uSirayeli wayesisigidi esinekhulu lamawaka amadoda arhola ikrele,+ namaYuda angamakhulu amane namashumi asixhenxe amawaka amadoda arhola ikrele. 6 Ke uLevi+ noBhenjamin akababhalanga phakathi kwabo,+ ngenxa yokuba ilizwi likakumkani lalicekiseka kuYowabhi.
7 Le nto yaba mbi emehlweni oTHIXO oyinyaniso,+ waza wamxabela uSirayeli. 8 Ngenxa yoko wathi uDavide kuTHIXO oyinyaniso: “Ndonile+ kakhulu ngale nto ndiyenzileyo. Yaye ngoku, khawuncede, usidlulise isiphoso somkhonzi wakho;+ kuba ndenze ngobudenge obukhulu.”+ 9 UYehova wathetha kuGadi+ imboni kaDavide,+ esithi: 10 “Hamba, uze uthethe kuDavide, uthi, ‘Utsho uYehova ukuthi: “Kukho izinto ezintathu endizithumelayo nxamnye nawe.+ Khetha enye yazo, ukuba ndiyenze kuwe.”’”+ 11 Ngako oko wangena uGadi kuDavide+ waza wathi kuye: “Utsho uYehova ukuthi, ‘Zikhethele, 12 enoba yiminyaka emithathu yendlala;+ okanye ziinyanga ezintathu zokuba utshayelwe phambi kweentshaba zakho+ nokuba ufikelwe likrele leentshaba zakho, okanye iintsuku ezintathu zekrele likaYehova,+ kwanendyikitya yokufa,+ elizweni, ingelosi kaYehova iwonakalise+ wonke ummandla kaSirayeli.’ Ke kaloku bona ukuba ndifanele ndimphendule ndithini na Lowo undithumileyo.” 13 Ngoko wathi uDavide kuGadi: “Kundibandezela kakhulu oku. Mandiwele esandleni sikaYehova,+ kuba zininzi kakhulu iinceba zakhe;+ kodwa mandingaweli esandleni somntu.”+
14 Wandula ke uYehova wathumela indyikitya yokufa+ kwaSirayeli, kangangokuba kwaSirayeli kwawa amashumi asixhenxe amawaka abantu.+ 15 Ngaphezu koko, uTHIXO oyinyaniso wathumela ingelosi eYerusalem ukuba iyonakalise;+ ngokukhawuleza esakube eqalisile ukuyonakalisa, uYehova wayibona waza wazisola ngentlekele leyo;+ ngoko wathi kwingelosi eyayiyonakalisa: “Kwanele!+ Sithobe ngoku isandla sakho.” Yaye ingelosi kaYehova yayimi kufuphi nesanda sikaOrnan+ umYebhusi.+
16 Uthe akuwaphakamisa amehlo akhe uDavide, wabona ingelosi kaYehova+ imi phakathi komhlaba namazulu ikhuphe ikrele+ layo ilolulele ngaseYerusalem; yaye uDavide namadoda amakhulu, bazigubungela ngamarhonya,+ ngokukhawuleza bawa ngobuso.+ 17 UDavide wathi kuTHIXO oyinyaniso: “Asindim na othe makubalwe abantu, yaye asindim na owonileyo ndaza ngokungathandabuzekiyo ndenza okubi?+ Ke zona ezi zimvu,+ zenze ntoni na? Owu Yehova Thixo wam, khawuncede, isandla sakho masibe phezu kwam nendlu kabawo; kodwa isibetho masingafikeli abantu bakho.”+
18 Ingelosi kaYehova yona, yathi kuGadi+ makatsho kuDavide ukuba uDavide enyuke aye kumisa isibingelelo kuYehova esandeni sikaOrnan umYebhusi.+ 19 Ngako oko uDavide wenyuka wenza ngokwelizwi likaGadi alithethileyo egameni likaYehova.+ 20 Kuthe ngelo xesha, uOrnan+ wajika waza wabona ingelosi; yaye oonyana bakhe abane ababenaye bazifihla. Ke yena uOrnan wayebhula ingqolowa. 21 Ngoko uDavide waya kufikelela kuOrnan. Uthe akukhangela uOrnan wabona uDavide,+ ngokukhawuleza waphuma esandeni waza waqubuda kuDavide ebhekise ubuso bakhe emhlabeni. 22 Wandula uDavide wathi kuOrnan: “Ndinike indawo yesanda, ukuze ndakhele uYehova isibingelelo. Ndinike+ kuyo sona ngemali ezeleyo,+ ukuze simiswe isibetho+ ebantwini.” 23 Kodwa uOrnan wathi kuDavide: “Mayisithabathe+ inkosi yam ukumkani ize yenze okulungileyo emehlweni ayo. Khawubone, ndinikela ngeenkomo+ zibe ngumnikelo otshiswayo nesileyi sokubhula+ sibe ziinkuni+ nengqolowa njengomnikelo wokudla okuziinkozo. Ndinikela ngako konke oko.”+
24 Noko ke, uKumkani uDavide wathi kuOrnan: “Hayi, kodwa nakanjani na ndiya kusithenga ngemali ezeleyo,+ ngenxa yokuba andiyi kuthwala into eyeyakho ndiyise kuYehova ukuze ndinikele umbingelelo otshiswayo ngaphandle kweendleko.” 25 Ngoko uDavide wanika uOrnan ngaloo ndawo iishekele zegolide ezibunzima bungamakhulu amathandathu.+ 26 Wandula ke uDavide wamakhela apho isibingelelo+ uYehova waza wanikela imibingelelo etshiswayo nemibingelelo yobudlelane, wabiza kuYehova,+ owathi yena wamphendula ngomlilo+ ovela emazulwini phezu kwesibingelelo somnikelo otshiswayo. 27 Ngaphezu koko, uYehova wathetha ilizwi kwingelosi,+ yaza yalibuyisela ikrele layo esingxotyeni salo. 28 Ngelo xesha, wathi uDavide akubona ukuba uYehova umphendulile kwisanda sikaOrnan umYebhusi, waqhubeka ebingelela apho.+ 29 Kodwa umnquba kaYehova owenziwa nguMoses entlango nesibingelelo somnikelo otshiswayo ngelo xesha zazikwindawo ephakamileyo yaseGibheyon.+ 30 UDavide akakwazanga ukuya kuwo ayokubuza kuThixo, kuba wayenkwantya+ ngenxa yekrele lengelosi kaYehova.