13 Esesusiwe emendweni, abantu bonke badlula bamlandela uJowabe ukuba bamxoshe uSheba indodana kaBikri.
14 Wadabula izizwe zonke zakwa-Israyeli, waze wafika e-Abela, naseBeti Mahakha, nakuwo onke amaBeri; babuthana bamxosha nakhona.
15 Bafika bamvimbezela e-Abela laseBeti Mahakha, banqwabela iduli ngasemzini elema ngasodongeni; abantu bonke ababe noJowabe babhidliza ugange ukuba luwe.
16 Kwase kumemeza owesifazane ohlakaniphileyo esemzini, wathi: “Zwanini! Zwanini! Ake nithi kuJowabe: ‘Sondela lapho ukuba ngikhulume nawe.’ ”
17 Wasondela kuye; owesifazane wayesethi: “Wena unguJowabe na?”Wathi: “Nginguye.”Wayesethi kuye: “Yizwa amazwi encekukazi yakho.”Wathi: “Ngiyezwa.”
18 Wathi-ke: “Endulo babevama ukukhuluma ngokuthi: ‘Kuyakubuzwa nokubuzwa e-Abela.’ Base beqeda.
19 Mina ngingowokuthula nothembekileyo kwa-Israyeli; wena ufuna ukuchitha umuzi nonina kwa-Israyeli; uyakuligwinyelani ifa likaJehova na?”