1 UDavida wabuya wabuthanisa abantu bako-Israyeli abakhethiweyo, sebebonke babezinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu. 2 Yena labantu bakhe bonke baya eBhala yakoJuda ukuthi bayethatha ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu khonale elibizwa ngeBizo, ibizo likaThixo uSomandla, ohleziyo esihlalweni sobukhosi ephahlwe ngamakherubhi aphezu kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu. 3 Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu balifaka phezu kwenqola entsha balisusa endlini ka-Abhinadabi eyayiseqaqeni. U-Uza lo-Ahiyo amadodana ka-Abhinadabi, babetshayela inqola entsha 4 eyayithwele ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, u-Ahiyo ehamba phambi kwayo. 5 UDavida lendlu yonke ka-Israyeli benza umkhosi omkhulu wokuthokoza ngamandla abo wonke phambi kukaThixo ngokuhlabela izingoma lokutshaya amachacho, lemihubhe, lamagedla kanye lamasimbali.

6 Bathi befika esizeni sikaNakhoni, u-Uza welulela isandla sakhe ebhokisini lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu walibamba ngoba inkabi zazikhubeka. 7 Ulaka lukaThixo lwavutha ngo-Uza ngenxa yesenzo sakhe sokungahloniphi, ngakho uNkulunkulu wamtshaya njalo wahle wafela khonapho phansi kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.

8 Ngakho uDavida wathukuthela ngoba ulaka lukaThixo lwavutha ku-Uza, njalo kuze kube lalamuhla indawo leyo ibizwa ngokuthi yiPherezi Uza.

9 UDavida wamesaba uThixo ngalolosuku, wathi, “Pho ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo lingeza njani kimi?” 10 Wayengasafuni ukuthatha ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo, ukuba libe kuye eDolobheni likaDavida. Esikhundleni salokho, waliphambulela endlini ka-Obhedi-Edomi umGithi. 11 Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo lahlala endlini ka-Obhedi-Edomi umGithi okwezinyanga ezintathu, uThixo wambusisa kanye lendlu yakhe yonke.

12 Inkosi uDavida watshelwa kwathiwa, “UThixo useyibusisile indlu ka-Obhedi-Edomi lakho konke alakho ngenxa yebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.” Ngakho uDavida wahamba wayathatha ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu endlini ka-Obhedi-Edomi walisa eDolobheni likaDavida ngokuthokoza. 13 Kwakusithi labo ababethwele ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo bangahamba izinyathelo eziyisithupha, anikele umhlatshelo wenkunzi lethole elinonisiweyo. 14 UDavida wayegqoke isigqoko samahlombe selineni, wagida phambi kukaThixo ngamandla akhe wonke, 15 lapho yena kanye lendlu yonke ka-Israyeli beletha ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo ngokumemeza langokukhala kwamacilongo.

16 Kwathi lapho ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo selingena eDolobheni likaDavida, uMikhali indodakazi kaSawuli wayebukele elunguze ngefasitela. Wathi ebona inkosi uDavida eseqa egida phambi kukaThixo, wameyisa enhliziyweni yakhe.

17 Baliletha ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo balibeka endaweni yalo phakathi kwethente uDavida ayelimisele lona, njalo uDavida wenza umhlatshelo weminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobudlelwano phambi kukaThixo. 18 Eseqedile umhlatshelo weminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobudlelwano wabusisa abantu ngebizo likaThixo uSomandla. 19 Umuntu ngamunye phakathi kwexuku lonke lako-Israyeli, abesilisa labesifazane, wamnika isinkwa, lekhekhe lezithelo kanye lekhekhe lamavini awonyisiweyo. Abantu bonke baya emizini yabo.

20 Kwathi uDavida esebuyele ekhaya ukuba abusise abendlu yakhe, uMikhali indodakazi kaSawuli waphuma wamhlangabeza, wasesithi, “Yeka ukuzibonakalisa inkosi yako-Israyeli ekwenzileyo lamhla ihlubula phambi kwezigqilikazi zezinceku zayo njengokungenziwa lilema!”

21 UDavida wathi kuMikhali, “Kade kuphambi kukaThixo, owangikhetha phambi kukayihlo laphambi kwendlu yakhe yonke, wangimisa ukuba ngibe ngumbusi ko-Israyeli bantu bakaThixo, isibili ngizathokoza phambi kukaThixo. 22 Ngizakweyiseka kakhulu kulalokhu, njalo ngehliselwe phansi emehlweni ami. Kodwa izigqilikazi lezi okhulume ngazo zizangihlonipha.”

23 UMikhali indodakazi kaSawuli kabanga lomntwana waze wafa.