1 Kwathi ngentlako-hlaza ngexesha iikumkani zazidla ngokulwa iimfazwe ngalo, uDavide wandulula uJowabhi kunye namaphakathi nawo wonke umkhosi wakwaSirayeli. Bawachitha-chitha ama-Amon, basingqinga nesixeko sawo iRabha. Ke yena uDavide wayeshiyeke eJerusalem.
2 Ngamhla uthile, ukujika kwelanga, kwathi uDavide esahamba-hamba kumgangatho ophezu kophahla lwebhotwe, esandula ukuvuka emandlalweni wakhe, wabona umfazi ehlamba umzimba. Yaye iyinzwakazi kanobom leyo.
3 Wathumela umntu uDavide, efuna ukuqonda ukuba wayengubani na loo mfazi. Kwathiwa: “NguBhashebha, intombi kaEliyam. Ngumka-Uriya, umfo waseHeti.”
4 UDavide ke wathumela izigidimi ukuba zize naye. Waziswa ke kuye, waza yena walala naye. Oku kwenzeka xa loo mfazi wayesandula ukuzihlambulula emva kokuba sexesheni. Emva koko uBhashebha wabuyela emzini wakhe.
5 Wamitha ke loo mfazi, waza wathumela kuDavide esithi: “Ndikhulelwe.”
6 UDavide usuke wathumela umyalelo kuJowabhi, wathi: “Mthumele kum apha u-Uriya umHeti.” Ke uJowabhi wamthumela kuDavide u-Uriya.
7 Akufika u-Uriya uDavide wambuza ngempilo kaJowabhi, nempilo yomkhosi, nokuba imfazwe iqhuba njani na.
8 Emva koko uDavide uthe ku-Uriya: “Hamba uye endlwini yakho, ukhe uhlambe iinyawo.” Waphuma ke u-Uriya komkhulu, kwalandela isipho esivela kukumkani, sasiwa kwakhe.
9 Akazange agoduke yena u-Uriya; wasuka waya kulala phaya ngasesangweni lakomkhulu kunye nezicaka zikakumkani.
10 Waxelelwa uDavide kwathiwa: “U-Uriya akayanga emzini wakhe.” Waza uDavide wathi ku-Uriya: “Ubuseluhambeni ithuba elide; kutheni ungayanga kulala kwakho nje?”
11 U-Uriya wathi kuDavide: “Ityesi yomnqophiso kunye namadoda omkhosi akwaSirayeli nakwaJuda ahlala ezintenteni, kanti noJowabhi inkosi yam kwakunye namaphakathi akho, mhlekazi, aphaya endle, ube wena usithi mna mandigoduke nditye, ndisele, ndilale nomkam! Uhleli nje, inene, andisokuze ndiyenze into enjalo, mhlekazi.”
12 Uthe ke uDavide ku-Uriya: “Sewuhlala ke okwanamhlanje; ndiza kukukhulula uhambe ngomso.” Wahlala ke apho eJerusalem ngaloo mhla u-Uriya, nangomhla olandela lowo.
13 UDavide wammema, waza watya wasela kunye naye, wamnxilisa. Kodwa nangobo busuku akazange agoduke u-Uriya, suka yena waya kulala kwindawo yakhe ngakwizicaka zakomkhulu.
14 Kwakusasa ngengomso uDavide wabhalela uJowabhi incwadi, wayithumela kwangoUriya.
15 Udaba lwalusithi: “U-Uriya lowo uze umbeke ngaphambili emsini apho lishushu idabi, nize nihlehle, aze yena angxwelerhwe afe.”
16 Kwathi ke ekusingqingeni kwakhe isixeko uJowabhi, wambeka kwelona cala linamagorha u-Uriya.
17 Waphuma umkhosi esixekweni, walwa nokaJowabhi. Apho kwawa iqela lamajoni omkhosi kaDavide, wafela apho naye u-Uriya umHeti.
18 Emva koko uJowabhi wathumela ingxelo kuDavide malunga nemfazwe,
19 wasiyalela isigidimi wathi: “Xa ugqibayo ukumbalisela ukumkani ngako konke okwenzeke edabini,
20 ngahle abe nomsindo, akubuze athi: ‘Benisondelelani kangaka kwisixeko sotshaba lwethu? Beningaqondi na ukuba zinganidubula ngeentolo zazo zisithele ngodonga?
21 Ngubani na owabulala uAbhimeleki unyana kaJerubhesheti? Akafanga na eTebheze ngokugityiselwa ngumfazi ngelitye lokusila, emi ngaphezu kodonga. Benisondelelani kangaka kudonga lwesixeko?’ Uze ke uthi: ‘Nesicaka sakho u-Uriya umHeti ufile.’ ”
22 Eso sigidimi ke saya kufika kuDavide, safika samxelela wonke loo myalelo kaJowabhi.
23 Wenjenje loo mfo ukuthetha noDavide: “Mhlekazi, ziphumile iintshaba zethu esixekweni, saqubisana endle. Zithande ukusigqwesa, kodwa sazibetha zahlehla zaya kungena ngesango esixekweni.
24 Zithe xa silapho ngasesangweni zasidubula ngeentolo zimi eludongeni, zawachana amanye amajoni akho, mhlekazi. Ngokunjalo nesicaka sakho u-Uriya umHeti ufile.”
25 UDavide wathi kwisigidimi eso: “Uze uthi kuJowabhi: ‘Uzungavumi ukuba le nto ikutyhafise; kakade ikrele eli lidla kulo nakulowaa. Sihlasele ngamandla isixeko, usichithe.’ Uze utsho ke, umomeleze.”
26 Ke umka-Uriya weva ngokusweleka komyeni wakhe, waza wamzilela.
27 Lakudlula ixesha lenzila, uDavide wathi makaye kuthathwa, aze kuhlala ebhotwe, abe ngumkakhe. Wafika apho, wazala umntwana oyinkwenkwe. Kambe ke sona isenzo sikaDavide saba sibi emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo.