1 UJehova wayesethuma uNathani kuDavide. Wafika kuye, wathi kuye: “Kwakukhona amadoda amabili emzini munye, enye icebile, enye impofu.
2 Ecebileyo yayinezimvu nezinkomo eziningi kakhulu,
3 kepha empofu yayingenalutho, inexhukazana lilinye elincane nje kuphela, eyayilithengile yalondla; lakhulela kuyo nakubantwana bayo; ladla ucezu lwayo, laphuza esitsheni sayo, lalala esifubeni sayo, lalinjengendodakazi kuyo.
4 “Kwase kufika isihambi endodeni ecebileyo, yayeka ukuthatha ezimvini nasezinkomeni zayo ukusilungisela leso sihambi esasifike kuyo, kepha yathatha ixhukazana lendoda empofu, yalilungisela umuntu owayefike kuyo.”
5 Intukuthelo kaDavide yavutha kakhulu ngalowo muntu, wathi kuNathani: “Kuphila kukaJehova, umuntu owenze lokho ufanele ukufa;
6 uyakulibuyisa ixhukazana, liphindwe kane, ngokuba enze lokho nangokuba wayengenasihawu.”
7 UNathani wathi kuDavide: “Nguwe lowo muntu. Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Ngakugcoba ube yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli, ngakophula esandleni sikaSawule,
8 ngakunika indlu yenkosi yakho, nabafazi benkosi yakho esifubeni sakho, ngakupha indlu yakwa-Israyeli neyakwaJuda; uma lokho bekukuncane, ngangiyakukwenezela lokhu nalokho.
9 Udeleleleni izwi likaJehova ukuba wenze okubi emehlweni akhe na? Ubulele u-Uriya umHeti ngenkemba, wathatha umkakhe abe ngumkakho, wambulala ngenkemba yabantwana bakwa-Amoni.
10 Ngalokho inkemba ayiyikusuka endlini yakho, ngokuba ungidelele, wathatha umka-Uriya umHeti ukuba abe ngumkakho.’
11 “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Bheka, ngiyakukuvusela okubi okuvela endlini yakho, ngithathe abafazi bakho phambi kwamehlo akho, ngibanike umakhelwane wakho, alale nabafazi bakho ekukhanyeni kwaleli langa.
12 Ngokuba wena wakwenza ngasese, kepha mina ngiyakukwenza lokhu phambi kuka-Israyeli wonke naphambi kwelanga.’ ”
13 UDavide wathi kuNathani: “Ngonile kuJehova.”UNathani wathi kuDavide: “NoJehova ususile isono sakho; awuyikufa.
14 Nokho, ngokuba ngaleso senzo waveza ithuba elikhulu lokuba izitha zikaJehova zihlambalaze, umntwana omzalelweyo uyakufa nokufa.”
15 UNathani wayesebuyela endlini yakhe. UJehova washaya ngesifo umntwana owazalelwa uDavide kumka-Uriya, wagula kakhulu.
16 UDavide wamncenga uNkulunkulu ngomntwana; uDavide wazila ukudla, wangena, walala emhlabathini ubusuku bonke.
17 Amalunga endlu yakhe asuka aya kuye ukumvusa emhlabathini, kepha akavumanga, futhi kadlanga kudla nawo.
18 Kwathi ngosuku lwesikhombisa umntwana wafa. Izinceku zikaDavide zesaba ukumtshela ukuthi umntwana ufile, ngokuba zathi: “Bhekani, umntwana esezwa sakhuluma kuye, akalalelanga izwi lethu; pho, singamtshela kanjani ukuthi umntwana ufile? Angenza ingozi.”
19 Kepha uDavide ebona ukuthi izinceku zakhe ziyanyenyezelana, uDavide waqonda ukuthi umntwana ufile; uDavide wayesethi ezincekwini zakhe: “Usefile umntwana na?”Zathi: “Ufile.”
20 UDavide wayesevuka emhlabathini, wageza, wazigcoba, waphendulela izingubo zakhe, wangena endlini kaJehova, wakhuleka; wayeseya endlini yakhe; lapho esecela ukudla, bakubeka phambi kwakhe, wadla.
21 Zase zithi izinceku zakhe kuye: “Yintoni le oyenzileyo na? Wazila ukudla, wakhala ngomntwana esekhona, kepha lapho esefile, uvukile wadla.”
22 Wathi-ke yena: “Umntwana esekhona ngazila ukudla, ngakhala, ngokuba ngathi: Ngubani owaziyo ingabe uJehova uyakuba nomusa kimi ukuba umntwana aphile na?
23 Manje usefile; ngiyakuzilelani na? Ngingambuyisa yini? Ngiyakuya kuye, kepha yena akayikubuyela kimi.”
24 UDavide wamduduza uBati Sheba umkakhe, wangena kuye, walala naye; wazala indodana, waqamba igama layo ngokuthi uSolomoni. UJehova wamthanda.
25 Wathuma ngesandla sikaNathani umprofethi, wambiza ngokuthi uJedidiya* ngenxa kaJehova.
26 UJowabe walwa neRaba labantwana bakwa-Amoni, wathatha umuzi wenkosi.
27 UJowabe wathuma izithunywa kuDavide, wathi: “Ngilwe neRaba, yebo, ngathatha uMuzi Wamanzi.
28 Ngalokho butha abantu abaseleyo, umise ngakuwo umuzi, uwuthathe, funa mina ngiwuthathe umuzi, ubizwe ngegama lami.”
29 UDavide wayesebutha bonke abantu, waya eRaba, walwa nalo, walithatha.
30 Wathatha umqhele wenkosi yabo ekhanda layo; isisindo sawo sasiyitalenta* legolide, itshe eliyigugu likuwo; wabekwa ekhanda likaDavide; wakhipha emzini impango eningi kakhulu.
31 Wakhipha nabantu ababe phakathi kwawo, wababeka emasaheni, nasezibhuqweni zensimbi, nasemazembeni ensimbi, wabasebenzisa kohonela; wenze njalo kuyo yonke imizi yakwa-Amoni. UDavide nabo bonke abantu babuyela eJerusalema.