Verse 1: USamuweli wafa; wahlangana wonke u-Israyeli, wamlilela, wammbela ngasendlini yakhe eRama. UDavide wasuka, wehlela ehlane lasePharanu.
Verse 2: Kwakukhona umuntu eMahoni onemfuyo yakhe eKarmeli; lowo muntu wayemkhulu kakhulu, wayenezimvu eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu nezimbuzi eziyinkulungwane; wayezigunda izimvu zakhe eKarmeli.
Verse 3: Igama lalowo muntu lalinguNabali; igama lomkakhe lalingu-Abigayili; owesifazane wayehlakaniphile, ebukeka emuhle, kepha indoda yayilukhuni inobubi emisebenzini yayo; yayingekaKalebi.
Verse 4: UDavide wezwa ehlane ukuthi uNabali ugunda izimvu zakhe.
Verse 5: UDavide wathuma izinsizwa eziyishumi; uDavide wathi kuzo izinsizwa: “Khuphukelani eKarmeli, niye kuNabali, nimbingelele egameni lami,
Verse 6: nithi kumfowethu: ‘Ukuthula makube kuwe, ukuthula nakube kuyo indlu yakho, ukuthula makube kukho konke onakho.
Verse 7: “ ‘Manje sengizwile ukuthi unabagundi; abelusi bakho babe nathi, asibalimazanga, abalahlekelwa lutho zonke izinsuku beseKarmeli.
Verse 8: Buza izinsizwa zakho, ziyakukutshela; ngalokho izinsizwa mazithole umusa emehlweni akho, ngokuba sifikile ngosuku oluhle; ake unike izinceku zakho nendodana yakho uDavide okungafunyanwa esandleni sakho.’ ”
Verse 9: Sezifikile izinsizwa zikaDavide zakhuluma kuNabali njengawo onke lawo mazwi egameni likaDavide, bese zilinda.
Verse 10: UNabali waziphendula izinceku zikaDavide, wathi: “Ngubani uDavide na? Ngubani indodana kaJese na? Namuhla kukhona izinceku eziningi ezeqa emakhosini azo.
Verse 11: Ngithathe yini isinkwa sami, namanzi ami, nengikuhlabele abagundi bami, ngikuphe abantu engingabazi ukuthi bavelaphi, na?”
Verse 12: Zase ziphenduka izinsizwa zikaDavide endleleni yazo, zabuyela, zamtshela onke lawo mazwi.
Verse 13: UDavide wathi kubantu bakhe: “Bhincani, kube yilowo nalowo inkemba yakhe.” Zabhinca-ke, kwaba yilowo nalowo inkemba yakhe; naye uDavide wabhinca inkemba yakhe; kwakhuphuka emva kukaDavide abantu kungathi abangamakhulu amane, kepha abangamakhulu amabili bahlala empahleni.
Verse 14: Kodwa enye yezinsizwa yamtshela u-Abigayili umkaNabali, yathi: “Bheka, uDavide wathuma izithunywa zivela ehlane ukuba zibingelele inkosi yethu, kepha yazithukuthelela.
Verse 15: Nokho labo bantu basiphatha kahle, asilimalanga, asilahlekelwanga lutho zonke izinsuku sisahambisana nabo sisendle;
Verse 16: babe lugange kithi ubusuku nemini, sonke isikhathi sinabo salusa izimvu.
Verse 17: Ngalokho yazi, ubone ukuthi uyakwenzani, ngokuba okubi sekunqunyelwe inkosi yethu nendlu yayo yonke, lokhu engumuntu omubi kangaka, ukuze umuntu angekhulume naye.”
Verse 18: U-Abigayili wayeseshesha, wathatha izinkwa ezingamakhulu amabili, nezimvaba ezimbili zewayini, nezimvu eziyisihlanu ezilungisiweyo, namaseya ayisihlanu otshwele, nezigaxa eziyikhulu zezithelo zomvini ezomileyo, nezigaxa ezingamakhulu amabili zamakhiwane, wakubeka ezimbongolweni.
Verse 19: Wathi kuzo izinsizwa: “Hambani phambi kwami; bhekani, ngiyanilandela.” Kepha akayitshelanga indoda yakhe uNabali.
Verse 20: Kwathi esakhwele imbongolo, esehla endaweni esithekileyo yentaba, bheka, kwehlela kuye uDavide nabantu bakhe, wahlangana nabo.
Verse 21: UDavide wayeshilo ukuthi: “Impela ngikugcinele ize konke lowo muntu anakho ehlane ukuba angalahlekelwa lutho lwakho konke okwakhe, ngokuba ungibuyisele okubi ngokuhle.
Verse 22: UNkulunkulu makenze njalo kuzo izitha zikaDavide, enezele futhi, uma ngishiya ngasekuseni kusasa kukho konke okungokwakhe nokukodwa okungokwesilisa.”
Verse 23: Lapho u-Abigayili embona uDavide, washesha wehlika embongolweni yakhe, wawa ngobuso phambi kukaDavide, wakhothamela phansi.
Verse 24: Wawa ngasezinyaweni zakhe, wathi: “Lobo bubi mabube phezu kwami, nkosi; incekukazi yakho mayikhulume ezindlebeni zakho, uzwe amazwi encekukazi yakho.
Verse 25: Inkosi yami mayinganakekeli lowo muntu omubi uNabali, ngokuba unjengegama lakhe, unjalo yena; nguNabali igama lakhe, nobuwula bukuye; kepha mina ncekukazi yakho angizibonanga izinsizwa zenkosi yami owazithumayo.
Verse 26: “Ngalokho, nkosi, kuphila kukaJehova nokuphila komphefumulo wakho, njengokuba uJehova ekuvimbele ukungena ecaleni legazi nokuzisindisa ngesandla sakho, ngalokho-ke mazibe njengoNabali izitha zakho nabayifunela inkosi yami ububi.
Verse 27: Manje-ke, lesi sipho esilethwa yincekukazi yakho enkosini yami, masinikwe izinsizwa ezilandela inkosi yami.
Verse 28: Ake uthethelele icala lencekukazi yakho, ngokuba uJehova uyakuyenzela nokuyenzela inkosi yami indlu eqinileyo impela, lokhu inkosi yami ilwa izimpi zikaJehova; ububi abuyikufunyanwa kuwe zonke izinsuku zakho.
Verse 29: Noma kusukuma umuntu ukukuxosha nokufuna ukuphila kwakho, umphefumulo wenkosi yami uyakube uboshiwe emshuqulwini wabaphilayo kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho; imiphefumulo yezitha zakho uyakuyijikijela kungathi iphakathi kwendwayimana.
Verse 30: Kuyakuthi lapho uJehova esekwenzile enkosini yami njengakho konke okuhle akukhulumileyo ngawe, akubeke ube ngumbusi kwa-Israyeli,
Verse 31: akuyikuba yisikhubekiso kuwe, kungabi nesanya enhliziyweni yenkosi yami ukuthi uchithile igazi ngeze nokuthi inkosi yami izisindisile; kepha lapho uJehova eseyenzele inkosi yami okuhle, khumbula incekukazi yakho.”
Verse 32: UDavide wayesethi ku-Abigayili: “Makabusiswe uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli okuthume namuhla ukungihlangabeza.
Verse 33: Futhi makubusiswe ukuhlakanipha kwakho, ubusiswe nawe ongivimbele namuhla ukungena ecaleni legazi nokuzisindisa ngesandla sami.
Verse 34: Ngokuba impela, kuphila kukaJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ongivimbele ukuze ngingakulimazi, uma ungasheshanga ukuza ukuba ungihlangabeze, impela nga kungasalanga kuNabali ngasekuseni kusasa nokukodwa okungokwesilisa.”
Verse 35: UDavide wayesamukela esandleni sakhe lokho amlethele khona; wathi kuye: “Khuphukela endlini yakho ngokuthula; bheka, ngililalele izwi lakho, ngibuvumile ubuso bakho.”
Verse 36: U-Abigayili wafika kuNabali; bheka, wayenedili endlini yakhe, linjengedili lenkosi; inhliziyo kaNabali yayithokoza phakathi kwakhe, ngokuba wayephuze kakhulu; ngalokho akamtshelanga lutho oluncane nolukhulu kwaze kwaba sekuseni.
Verse 37: Kwathi ekuseni, lapho iwayini seliphumile kuNabali, umkakhe wamtshela lezo zinto, inhliziyo yakhe yafa phakathi kwakhe, waba njengetshe.
Verse 38: Kwathi emva kwezinsuku eziyishumi uJehova wamshaya uNabali, wafa.
Verse 39: UDavide esezwile ukuthi uNabali ufile, wathi: “Makabusiswe uJehova omele indaba yehlazo lami esandleni sikaNabali, ovimbele inceku yakhe ebubini, wabuyisela ububi bukaNabali ekhanda lakhe.” UDavide wathumela wakhuluma ku-Abigayili ukuba amthathe abe ngumkakhe.
Verse 40: Izinceku zikaDavide sezifikile ku-Abigayili eKarmeli, zakhuluma kuye, zathi: “UDavide usithumile kuwe ukuba akuthathe, ube ngumkakhe.”
Verse 41: Wasukuma, wakhothama, ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi, wathi: “Bheka, incekukazi yakho mayibe yisigqilakazi sokugeza izinyawo zezinceku zenkosi yami.”
Verse 42: U-Abigayili washesha wasuka, wakhwela imbongolo kanye nezintombi zakhe ezazihamba naye; wazilandela izithunywa zikaDavide, waba ngumkakhe.
Verse 43: UDavide wathatha no-Ahinohama waseJizreyeli; baba ngomkakhe bobabili.
Verse 44: Kepha uSawule wayesemnike uPaliti indodana kaLayishi waseGalimi uMikhali indodakazi yakhe.