1 Kwathi entwasa, ngesikhathi amakhosi ayesiyakulwa ngaso impi, uDavida wathuma uJowabi elabantu benkosi lebutho lonke lako-Israyeli. Baqothula ama-Amoni basebevimbezela iRabha. Kodwa uDavida wasala eJerusalema.
2 Ngelinye ilanga kusihlwa uDavida wavuka embhedeni wakhe wahambahamba phezu kophahla lwesigodlo. Esephahleni wabona owesifazane egeza. Owesifazane lowo wayemuhle kakhulu, 3 uDavida wasethuma umuntu ukuyabuza ngaye. Umuntu lowo wathi, “Kanti lo kasuBhathishebha, indodakazi ka-Eliyami umka-Uriya umHithi na?” 4 UDavida wathuma izithunywa ukuyamthatha. Weza kuye, wembatha laye. (Owesifazane lo wayezihlambulule ekungcoleni kwakhe.) Emva kwalokho wabuyela ekhaya. 5 Owesifazane lowo wathatha isisu, wasethumela ilizwi kuDavida, esithi, “Sengilesisu.”
6 Ngakho uDavida wathumela ilizwi leli kuJowabi elithi: “Ngilethela u-Uriya umHithi.” UJowabi wamthumela kuDavida. 7 U-Uriya esefikile kuye, uDavida wambuza ukuthi uJowabi wayenjani, amabutho ayenjani kanye lokuthi impi yayiqhubeka njani. 8 UDavida wasesithi ku-Uriya, “Yehlela endlini yakho ugeze inyawo zakho.” Ngakho u-Uriya wasuka esigodlweni, walandelwa yisipho esavela enkosini esasala sithunyelwa kuye. 9 Kodwa u-Uriya walala entubeni yesigodlo lezinceku zonke zenkosi yakhe akaze aya endlini yakhe.
10 Kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ukuthi, “U-Uriya kayanga ekhaya,” wambuza wathi, “Angithi usanda kufika nje uvela khatshana? Kungani ungayanga ekhaya?”
11 U-Uriya wathi kuDavida, “Ibhokisi lesivumelwano
12 UDavida wasesithi kuye, “Hlala lapha elinye ilanga futhi, kusasa ngizakubuyisela emuva.” Ngakho u-Uriya wahlala eJerusalema lolosuku kanye lolwalandelayo. 13 Esecelwe nguDavida, wadla wanatha laye, uDavida wasemdakisa. Kodwa kusihlwa u-Uriya waphuma wayalala ecansini lakhe phakathi kwezinceku zenkosi yakhe; akayanga ekhaya.
14 Ekuseni uDavida walobela uJowabi incwadi wayiphathisa u-Uriya. 15 Kuyo wayelobe ukuthi, “U-Uriya mbeke kuviyo eliphambili lapho impi evutha khona kakhulu. Lapho-ke khumukani kuye ukuze acakazelwe phansi afe.”
16 Ngakho kwathi uJowabi idolobho eselivimbezele, wabeka u-Uriya lapho ayesazi khona ukuthi yikho okwakulabavikeli abalamandla kakhulu. 17 Kwathi abantu bakulelodolobho sebephumile ukuba balwe loJowabi, abanye babantu ebuthweni likaDavida bafa; u-Uriya umHithi laye futhi wafa.
18 UJowabi wathumela uDavida umbiko opheleleyo ngempi. 19 Walaya isithunywa wathi: “Lapho usuqedile ukwethulela inkosi umbiko wempi, 20 ulaka lwenkosi lungavutha, ibe isibuza isithi, ‘Kungani lisondele eduzane kangaka ledolobho ukuba lilwe? Kalazanga yini ukuthi kade bengatshoka imitshoko besemdulini? 21 Ngubani obulele u-Abhimelekhi indodana kaJerubhi-Bheshethi na? Owesifazane obephezu komduli kamjikijelanga ngembokodo, wayafela eThebhezi na? Kungani lisondele eduzane kangaka lomduli?’ Ingakubuza lokhu, uthi kuyo, ‘Lenceku yakho u-Uriya umHithi ifile.’ ”
22 Isithunywa sasuka sahamba, kwathi sesifikile samtshela uDavida konke uJowabi ayesithume ukuba siyekutsho. 23 Isithunywa sathi kuDavida, “Abantu basikhulele, baphuma bazasihlasela etshatshalazini, kodwa sibadudulele emuva entubeni yedolobho. 24 Lapho-ke abemitshoko batshoke izinceku zakho besemdulini, kwathi abanye abantu benkosi bafa. Lenceku yakho, u-Uriya umHithi ifile.”
25 UDavida watshela isithunywa wathi, “Yitsho lokhu kuJowabi: ‘Ungakhathazwa yilokhu; inkemba idla omunye njengoba isidla omunye. Qinisa ukuhlasela idolobho, ulichithe.’ Yitsho lokhu ukuba umise isibindi uJowabi.”
26 Kwathi umka-Uriya esezwile ukuthi umkakhe usefile, wamlilela. 27 Kwathi isikhathi sokulila sesiphelile, uDavida wamletha endlini yakhe, wasesiba ngumkakhe wamzalela indodana. Kodwa into eyenziwa nguDavida yathukuthelisa