1 Beza abaseZifi kuSawule eGibhela, bathi, UDavide àkazifihlé endulini yeHakila, ekhangelene nenkangala, yini na?
2 Wesuka uSawule, wehla waya entlango yeZifi, enamadoda angamawaka amathathu ahleliweyo akwaSirayeli, eya kufuna uDavide entlango yaseZifi.
3 USawule wamisa endulini yeHakila, ekhangelene nenkangala, ngasendleleni. Ke uDavide wayehleli entlango; wabona ukuba uSawule uyamlandela entlango.
4 UDavide wasusa iintlola, wazi ngazo ukuba uSawule uzile okunene.
5 Wesuka uDavide, waya kuloo ndawo ebemise kuyo uSawule. Wayibona uDavide indawo alele kuyo uSawule, noAbhinere unyana kaNere, umthetheli womkhosi wakhe; uSawule elele ngaphakathi kothango lweenqwelo zokulwa, abantu bemise iintente ngeenxa zonke kuye.
6 Waphendula uDavide, wathi kuAhimeleki umHeti, nakuAbhishayi, unyana kaTseruya, umzalwana kaYowabhi, Ngubani na oya kuhla nam aye kuSawule empini? Wathi uAbhishayi, Mna ndohla nawe.
7 Waya uDavide noAbhishayi ebantwini ebusuku. Nanko uSawule elele ubuthongo ngaphakathi kothango lweenqwelo zokulwa, igxunyekiwe intshuntshe yakhe emhlabeni ngasentlokweni yakhe; ke uAbhinere nabantu bakhe belele ngeenxa zonke kuye.
8 Wathi uAbhishayi kuDavide, UThixo ulunikele namhla utshaba lwakho esandleni sakho; kaloku makhe ndimqhame nomhlaba ngentshuntshe ngasihlandlo sinye, ndingenzi zibe zibini kuye.
9 Wathi uDavide kuAbhishayi, Musa ukumbulala; ngokuba ngubani na ongasa isandla kumthanjiswa kaYehova, aze abe msulwa?
10 Wathi uDavide, Ehleli nje uYehova, ukuba akathanga uYehova ambulale, mhlawumbi kwafika imini yakhe wafa, mhlawumbi wehla waya emfazweni wabulawa:
11 makube lee kum ngenxa kaYehova ukukha ndise isandla sam kumthanjiswa kaYehova. Khawuthabathe kaloku intshuntshe engasentlokweni yakhe, neselwa lamanzi, sihambe.
12 Wayithabatha ke uDavide intshuntshe, neselwa lamanzi, engasentlokweni kaSawule; bemka, kungaboni mntu, kungazi mntu, kungavukanga mntu; ngokuba bonke babelele: kuba babewelwe bubuthongo obukhulu bukaYehova.
13 Wawela uDavide, waya phesheya, wema encotsheni yentaba kude, lilikhulu ithuba phakathi kwabo.
14 Wamemeza uDavide ebantwini nakuAbhinere unyana kaNere, esithi, Akuphenduli na, Abhinere? Waphendula uAbhinere, wathi, Ungubani na wena umemezayo kukumkani?
15 Wathi uDavide kuAbhinere, Àkuyiyo ndoda yini na? Ngubani na onjengawe kwaSirayeli? Yini na ke ukuba ungayigcini inkosi yakho ukumkani? Ngokuba kufike ubani wasebantwini, eza konakalisa ukumkani inkosi yakho.
16 Asinto ilungileyo le uyenzileyo. Ehleli nje uYehova, ningoonyana bokufa, ningayigcinanga nje inkosi yenu, umthanjiswa kaYehova. Khangela kaloku, iphi na intshuntshe yokumkani, neselwa lamanzi elibe lingasentlokweni yakhe?
17 Walazi uSawule ilizwi likaDavide, wathi, Lilizwi lakho na elo, nyana wam Davide? Wathi uDavide, Lilizwi lam, nkosi yam kumkani.
18 Wathi, Yini na le nto inkosi yam imsukelayo umkhonzi wayo? Kuba ndezé ntoni na? Bubi buni na obusesandleni sam?
19 Ngoko inkosi yam ukumkani mayikhe iwaphulaphule amazwi omkhonzi wayo. Ukuba nguYehova okuxhokonxileyo ngakum, makasezele umnikelo wokudla; ukuba ngoonyana babantu, mabaqalekiswe phambi koYehova. Ngokuba bandigxothile namhla, ukuba ndingahlangani nelifa likaYehova, bathi, Hamba ukhonze thixo bambi.
20 Ngoko malingaphalali igazi lam emhlabeni, ndíkude nobuso bukaYehova; ngokuba kuphume ukumkani wamaSirayeli, weza kufuna intakumba embala, njengosukela isikhwatsha ezintabeni.
21 Wathi uSawule, Ndonile; buya, nyana wam Davide; ngokuba andisayi kuba sakwenza nto imbi, ngendawo yokuba umphefumlo wam ubunqabile emehlweni akho namhla. Uyabona, ndenze ngobudenge, ndalahleka ngokukhulukazi.
22 Waphendula uDavide, wathi, Nantsi intshuntshe yokumkani. Makuwele enye indodana iyithabathe.
23 UYehova uya kuyibuyisela ubulungisa bayo, nokuthembeka kwayo, indoda abekunikele esandleni sayo uYehova namhla; andivumanga ukusa isandla sam kumthanjiswa kaYehova.
24 Yabona, njengoko waba mkhulu umphefumlo wakho emehlweni am namhla, ngokunjalo umphefumlo wam uya kuba mkhulu emehlweni kaYehova, andihlangule ekubandezelweni kwam konke.
25 Wathi uSawule kuDavide, Usikelelwe, nyana wam Davide; uya kwenza weyise; kananjalo uya kufeza kufezeke.Wahamba ke uDavide indlela yakhe; uSawule wabuyela endaweni yakhe.