Eyesibili KaSamuweli 11:1-27
11 Ekuqaleni konyaka,* ngesikhathi amakhosi aya ngaso emikhankasweni yempi, uDavide wathumela uJowabe nezinceku zakhe nalo lonke ibutho lakwa-Israyeli ukuba bayoqothula ama-Amoni, futhi bavimbezela iRaba + ngesikhathi uDavide ehleli eJerusalema. +
2 Ngolunye usuku kusihlwa,* uDavide wavuka embhedeni wakhe wahambahamba phezu kwendlu* yenkosi. Njengoba ephezu kwendlu wabona owesifazane egeza, lona wesifazane wayemuhle kakhulu.
3 UDavide wathumela othile ukuba ayobuza ngalona wesifazane, lo muntu wayesembikela wathi: “Lona nguBhati-sheba + indodakazi ka-Eliyamu, + umka-Uriya + umHeti.” +
4 UDavide wathumela izithunywa ukuba ziyomlanda. + Ngakho weza kuye, uDavide walala naye. + (Lokhu kwenzeka ngesikhathi lona wesifazane esazihlanza ekungcoleni kwakhe.*) + Ngemva kwalokho, wabuyela endlini yakhe.
5 Owesifazane wakhulelwa, wathumela umyalezo kuDavide wathi: “Ngikhulelwe.”
6 Lapho ezwa lokho, uDavide wathumela umyalezo kuJowabe, wathi: “Thumela u-Uriya umHeti lapha kimi.” Ngakho uJowabe wamthumela u-Uriya kuDavide.
7 Lapho u-Uriya efika kuye, uDavide wambuza ukuthi uJowabe wayeqhuba kanjani, ukuthi ibutho lona laliqhuba kanjani nokuthi impi yayihamba kanjani.
8 Ngemva kwalokho uDavide wathi ku-Uriya: “Hamba uye emzini wakho uyophumula.”* Lapho u-Uriya esuka endlini yenkosi, inkosi yamthumelela isipho.*
9 Nokho, u-Uriya walala endlini eseduze kwendlu yenkosi kanye nazo zonke ezinye izinceku zenkosi yakhe, akayanga emzini wakhe.
10 Ngakho bambikela uDavide, bathi: “U-Uriya akazange aye emzini wakhe.” UDavide wathi ku-Uriya: “Ubusohambweni, akunjalo? Pho kungani ungehlelanga emzini wakho?”
11 U-Uriya waphendula wathi kuDavide: “UMphongolo + kanye no-Israyeli noJuda bahleli ematendeni, inkosi yami uJowabe nezinceku zenkosi yami bahleli esigangeni. Manje ingabe mina kufanele ngiye emzini wami ngiyodla ngiphuze, ngilale nomkami? + Ngiyafunga phambi kwakho, njengoba nje uphila, ngeke ngiyenze into enjalo!”
12 UDavide wathi ku-Uriya: “Hlala lapha nanamuhla, kusasa ngizokudedela uhambe.” Ngakho u-Uriya wahlala eJerusalema ngalolo suku nangosuku olulandelayo.
13 UDavide wathumela ukuba abizwe azodla futhi aphuze naye, ngakho wamphuzisa waze wadakwa. Noma kunjalo, kusihlwa waphuma wayolala embhedeni wakhe kanye nezinceku zenkosi yakhe, akayanga emzini wakhe.
14 Ekuseni uDavide wabhalela uJowabe incwadi wayiphathisa u-Uriya ukuba ahambe nayo.
15 Encwadini wabhala wathi: “Beka u-Uriya ngaphambili lapho impi ishisa khona. Ngemva kwalokho nibaleke nimshiye, ukuze abulawe.” +
16 UJowabe wayelibheke ngokucophelela idolobha, ngakho wabeka u-Uriya endaweni ayeyazi ukuthi inamadoda angamaqhawe.
17 Lapho amadoda edolobha ephuma ezolwa noJowabe, ezinye izinceku zikaDavide zafa, no-Uriya umHeti wayephakathi kwalabo abafa. +
18 UJowabe wabe esebikela uDavide zonke izindaba eziphathelene nempi.
19 Wayala isithunywa, wathi: “Lapho uqeda ukubikela inkosi zonke izindaba zempi,
20 inkosi ingase ithukuthele bese ithi kuwe, ‘Nisondeleleni kangaka edolobheni niyolwa? Beningazi yini ukuthi bazocibishela bephezulu odongeni?
21 Ubani owabulala u-Abhimeleki + indodana kaJerubhesheti? + Akuyena yini owesifazane owajikijela phezu kwakhe imbokodo* ephezulu odongeni, wambulala eThebezi? Nisondeleleni kakhulu odongeni?’ Wena ubothi, ‘Inceku yakho u-Uriya umHeti nayo ifile.’ ”
22 Ngakho isithunywa sahamba safike samtshela uDavide konke uJowabe ayesithume kona.
23 Isithunywa sathi kuDavide: “Amadoda akhona abe namandla kunathi, aphumile alwa nathi esigangeni; kodwa siwashayile ahlehla aze ayofika phambi kwesango ledolobha.
24 Abacibishelayo bacibishele izinceku zakho bephezulu odongeni, ezinye zezinceku zenkosi zifile; nenceku yakho u-Uriya umHeti ifile.” +
25 UDavide waphendula isithunywa wathi: “Yilokhu ozokusho kuJowabe: ‘Le ndaba mayingakukhathazi, ngoba inkemba ayikhethi. Yilwa ngamandla nalelo dolobha ulinqobe.’ + Umkhuthaze.”
26 Lapho umka-Uriya ezwa ukuthi umyeni wakhe u-Uriya ufile, wamlilela umyeni wakhe.
27 Ngokushesha nje lapho isidlulile inkathi yokulila, uDavide wathumela ukuba alandwe wamletha endlini yakhe, waba ngumkakhe, + wamzalela indodana. Kodwa le nto uDavide ayeyenzile yamcasula kakhulu* uJehova. +
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Okuwukuthi, entwasahlobo.
^ Noma, “Ngenye intambama.”
^ Noma, “kwesigodlo.”
^ Cishe ekungcoleni kwakhe kokuya esikhathini.
^ NgesiHebheru, “uyogeza izinyawo zakho.”
^ Noma, “isabelo senkosi,” okuwukuthi, isabelo esithunyelwa ngumuntu ovakashelwe esinika isivakashi sakhe esihloniphekile.
^ Noma, “itshe lokugaya.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “yayiyimbi emehlweni.”
