17 Amadoda amakhulu endlu yakhe aya kuye, efuna ukumvusa kuloo ndawo wayelele kuyo, suka akavuma yena, akafuna nokutya oku kunye nawo.
18 Wasweleka loo mntwana ngosuku lwesixhenxe, zoyika ukumxelela izicaka zakhe ukuba loo mntwana akasekho, zatsho zisithi: “Singamxelela njani sithi: ‘Umntwana ufile’? Asinguye kanene lo ubengafuni nokuthetha oku nathi engekabhubhi nokubhubha lo mntwana? He bethu, akangesuke enze into embi efile nje umntwana?”
19 Kodwa kuthe akuzibona zisebezelana izicaka, warhana uDavide ukuba lubhubhile olo sana. Uzibuzile ke wathi: “Kwenzeke ntoni? Ufile na umntwana?”“Ewe, mhlekazi, ubhubhile,” zitshilo izicaka.
20 Wavuka ke emhlabeni uDavide, wahlamba. Wathambisa, wanxiba ezinye izambatho, waya kungena endlwini kaNdikhoyo, wanqula. Usuke apho waya endlwini yakhe, wafika wacela into etyiwayo, watya akuba elungiselelwe.
21 Izicaka zakhe zathi: “Mhlekazi, noko ke le uyenzayo asisayiqondi. Ube uzilile, ulila, uyenza loo nto usana lungekabhubhi. Ngoku luswelekileyo usana uyavuka utye nokutya!”
22 Uphendule wathi: “Ewe, bendizila, ndilila ngokuya belusahleli usana, kuba bendisithi: ‘Ngubani owaziyo? Mhlawumbi uNdikhoyo angandenzela inceba, luphile olo sana.’
23 Ngoku ke usana lubhubhile; ke ndiza kuba sazilela ntoni ndingenakuluvusa nje? Ndim oza kuya apho lukhoyo; lona alunakuze luze kum.”