UDavida noBhathi-Tjheba
1Kwathi ngesilimela, ngesikhathi amakhosi aphuma ngaso ipi, uDavida wathumela amajonakhe noJowabi nabo boke abantu bakwa-Israyeli kobana bayokulwa. Babhubhisa bakwa-Amoni bebaminyezela iRabha. Kodwana uDavida yena wasala eJerusalema.
2Ngelinye ilanga kusihlwa uDavida wavuka embhedenakhe wakhambakhamba esirhodlweni esingaphezulu sesigodlo. Khonapho wabona umfazi ahlamba. Umfazi lo, gade angasimuhle athoma phasi. 3UDavida wathumela umuntu othileko bona abuzisise ngaye. Umuntu loyo wathi: “Ndabezitha, umfazi lo nguBhathi-Tjheba indodakazi ka-Eliyamu omka-Uriya umHite.”
4UDavida wathumela iinthunywa bona zimbize. Wafika-ke kuDavida, uDavida wamlala. (UBhathi-Tjheba gade asanda ukuzihlambulula esifazini.) Wabuyela ekhaya-ke. 5UBhathi-Tjheba wazibona bona uzithwele, wathumela ilizwi kuDavida wathi: “Kazi ngisebantwini.” 6UDavida wathumela nanti ilizwi kuJowabi wathi: “Thumela u-Uriya umHite kimi.” Mbala wamthumela-ke kuDavida.
7Kwathi lokha u-Uriya nafika kuye, uDavida wambuza bona uJowabi namadoda bavuke njani, nokuthi ipi iraga njani. 8Nje-ke uDavida wathi ku-Uriya: “Khamba uyokusela amanzi kwakho.”
U-Uriya waphuma esigodlweni, walandelwa ziinkhanakhana zekosini. 9Kodwana u-Uriya walala neenceku zekosakhe zoke esangweni lesigodlo, akhange ehlele kwakhe. 10Kuthe lokha uDavida natjelwa bona u-Uriya akakayi kwakhe, wambuza wathi: “Alo, njengombana uyafika ubuya kude nje, kubayini ungayi kwakho?”
11U-Uriya waphendula wathi: “Ngingaya njani kwami ngifese ngidle, ngisele bengilale nomkami khibe umfaji kaZimu, u-Israyeli noJuda bahlezi ematendeni, ikosami nabantu bayo basemmangweni. Ngifunga uDavida ikosami ngithi, angisoze ngayenza into enjalo mina.”
12UDavida wathi kuye: “Hlala lapha ilanga libe linye godu, kuzakuthi kusasa ngikubuyisele emuva.”
Mhlokho, u-Uriya wahlala eJerusalema. Ngelanga elilandelako 13uDavida wamema u-Uriya bona azokudla abe asele naye, enzelela bona adakwe. Kodwana nangobusukobo u-Uriya akhange ehlele kwakhe, wasuka wayokulala neenceku zekosakhe esigodlweni.
14Ekuseni ngakusasa uDavida watlolela uJowabi incwajana bewayithumela ngaye u-Uriya. 15Encwajaneni leyo, gade atlole wathi: “Beka u-Uriya ngaphambili lapha ipi itjhisa khulu khona bese uyamliselela wenzelele bona adulwe phasi afe.”
16Kwathi lokha uJowabi navimbezela idorobho, wabeka u-Uriya ngapha azi khona bona ziyabenya. 17Kwathi lokha abantu bedorobho nabaphumako bona balwe noJowabi, amanye wamajoni wakaDavida adulwa phasi; u-Uriya umHite, wabulawa nawo. 18UJowabi wathumela kuDavida woke umbiko ngepi. 19Wayala isithunywa wathi: “Tjela ikosi koke okwenzekileko epini. 20Ikosi ingahle ibhoke ngobukhali beyikubuze ithi, ‘Kubayini nibandamele idorobho kangaka nanilwa nalo? Beningazi bona bebanganijikijela basemthangaleni na? 21Niyakhohlwa bonyana kwenzakalani ngo-Abimeleki umsa kaJerubhetjhethi na? Angithi wabulawa mfazi ngokumjikijela ngembokotho asemthangaleni, bewafela eThebezi! Benibandamelelani-ke nina eduze komthangala?’ Lokha nakubuza koke lokhu, yithi kuye, ‘Nencekwakho u-Uriya umHite uhlongakele.’ ”
22Saphuma-ke isithunywa, kwathi lokha nasifika kuDavida sabika koke uJowabi agade asithume bona sikutjho. 23Isithunywa sathi kuDavida: “Ibuthwelo lalidlondlobele khulu kunathi begodu laphuma lasisahlela ebaleni. Kodwana thina salidudulela emuva sayolibeka ebungeneni besango ledorobho. 24Yeke abanembi bakhona bajikijela abantu bakho ngemisubela basemithangaleni, abanye babantu bekosi bafa. Ngaphezu kwalokho nenceku yekosi u-Uriya umHite, ihlongakele.” 25UDavida wathi esithunyweni: “Yithi kuJowabi, ‘Ungazikhathazi khulu ngendaba le; abantu bahlala bafa epini. Qinisa usahlele idorobho bewulibhubhise.’ Tjela uJowabi bona uyibambe ngesibhukwini.”
26Lokha umka-Uriya nakezwa bona umyenakhe uhlongakele, wamzilela. 27Kwathi isikhathi sokumzilela sesiphelile, uDavida wathi akayokuthathwa angeniswe esigodlweni sakhe. Yeke waba mkakhe wambelethela indodana.
Kodwana into eyenziwe nguDavida le, yaba yimbi kuSomninini.
