David and Bathsheba

¹Emva komnyaka ngesikhathi sokuhlasela kwamakhosi uDavide wamthuma uJowabe nezinceku zakhe zinaye kanye no-Israyeli wonke, babachitha abantwana bakwa-Amoni, bavimbezela iRaba; kepha uDavide wahlala eJerusalema.

²Kwathi kusihlwa uDavide wavuka embhedeni, wahamba ophahleni lwendlu yenkosi, wabona esesophahleni owesifazane egeza; owesifazane wayemuhle kakhulu, ebukeka.

³UDavide wathuma wabuza ngalowo wesifazane. Omunye wathi: “Lowo akasiye uBati Sheba yini, indodakazi ka-Eliyamu, umka-Uriya umHeti, na?”

⁴UDavide wathuma izithunywa, wamthatha; wangena kuye, walala naye, ngokuba wayesehlambulukile yena ekungcoleni kwakhe; wabuyela ekhaya.

⁵Owesifazane wamitha, wathuma wamtshela uDavide, wathi: “Ngikhulelwe.”

⁶UDavide wayesethumela kuJowabe ngokuthi: “Thuma kimi u-Uriya umHeti.” UJowabe wamthuma u-Uriya kuDavide.

⁷Esefikile kuye u-Uriya, uDavide wabuza kuye impilo yakhe, nempilo yabantu, nokuthi impi ihamba kanjani.

⁸UDavide wayesethi ku-Uriya: “Yehla uye endlini yakho, ugeze izinyawo zakho.” U-Uriya waphuma endlini yenkosi, kwamlandela isipho sokudla esivela enkosini.

⁹Kepha u-Uriya walala ngasemnyango wendlu yenkosi kanye nazo zonke izinceku zenkosi yakhe, akehlelanga endlini yakhe.

¹⁰UDavide esetsheliwe ukuthi u-Uriya akehlelanga endlini yakhe, uDavide wathi ku-Uriya: “Awubuyi ekuhambeni yini? Awehlelanga ngani endlini yakho na?”

¹¹U-Uriya wathi kuDavide: “Umphongolo, no-Israyeli, noJuda bahlezi emadokodweni; inkosi yami uJowabe nezinceku zenkosi yami zimisile endle; mina-ke, pho, ngingene endlini yami, ngidle, ngiphuze, ngilale nomkami na? Kuphila kwakho nokuphila komphefumulo wakho, angiyikuyenza leyo nto.”

¹²Wayesethi uDavide ku-Uriya: “Hlala lapha nanamuhla; kusasa ngiyakukuvumela ukuba uhambe.” U-Uriya wayesehlala eJerusalema lolo suku nolulandelayo.

¹³Esebiziwe nguDavide wadla waphuza phambi kwakhe; wamdakisa; kusihlwa waphuma ukuyolala embhedeni wakhe kanye nezinceku zenkosi, kepha akehlelanga endlini yakhe.

¹⁴Kwathi ekuseni uDavide wamlobela uJowabe incwadi, wayithuma ngesandla sika-Uriya.

¹⁵Waloba encwadini ukuthi: “Misani u-Uriya ngaphambili, lapho impi ishisa khona, nihlehle kuye ukuba ashaywe, afe.”

¹⁶Kwathi uJowabe esahlozinga umuzi, wammisa u-Uriya endaweni lapho azi ukuthi kukhona amadoda anamandla.

¹⁷Abantu bomuzi baphuma balwa noJowabe; kwawa abantu abathile ezincekwini zikaDavide; wafa naye u-Uriya umHeti.

¹⁸UJowabe wayesethuma wamtshela uDavide zonke izindaba zempi;

¹⁹wasiyala isithunywa ngokuthi: “Lapho uqedile ukuyitshela inkosi zonke izindaba zempi,

²⁰kuyakuthi uma kuvuka intukuthelo yenkosi, ithi kuwe: ‘Nisondeleleni kangako emzini ukulwa na? Beningazi yini ukuthi bebeyakucibishela besogangeni na?

²¹Ngubani owabulala u-Abimeleki indodana kaJerubesheti na? Angithi owesifazane esogangeni wamphonsa ngembokodwe, wafa eThebesi, na? Nisondeleleni kangako ogangeni na?’ uthi: ‘Inceku yakho u-Uriya umHeti ifile nayo.’ ”

²²Sase sihamba isithunywa, safika samtshela uDavide konke esasikuthunyelwe nguJowabe.

²³Isithunywa sathi kuDavide: “Amadoda ayesehlula, asiphumela endle, kepha sawaficezela kwaze kwaba sesikhaleni sesango.

²⁴Abacibishelayo bacibishela izinceku zakho besogangeni; ezinye izinceku zenkosi zifile, nenceku yakho u-Uriya umHeti ifile nayo.”

²⁵UDavide wayesethi kuso isithunywa: “Uyakusho kanje kuJowabe, uthi: ‘Le nto mayingabi mbi emehlweni akho, ngokuba inkemba idla omunye njengomunye; qinisa impi yakho ngasemzini, uwuchithe;’ bese wumqunga isibindi.”

²⁶Umka-Uriya esezwa ukuthi u-Uriya indoda yakhe ufile wayililela indoda yakhe.

²⁷Sekuphelile ukulila, uDavide wathuma wamletha endlini yakhe; waba ngumkakhe, wamzalela indodana. Kepha leyo nto eyenziwe nguDavide yayimbi emehlweni kaJehova.