Verse 1: AbaseZifi beza kuSawule eGibeya, bathi: “UDavide akacashi yini entabeni yaseHakhila engaphambi kwehlane na?”
Verse 2: USawule wasuka, wehlela ehlane laseZifi enabantu abakhethiweyo bakwa-Israyeli abayizinkulungwane ezintathu ukuba amfune uDavide ehlane.
Verse 3: USawule wamisa entabeni yaseHakhila engaphambi kwehlane ngasendleleni. Kepha uDavide wahlala ehlane, wabona ukuthi uSawule uyamlandela ehlane.
Verse 4: UDavide wayesethuma izinhloli, wazi ukuthi uSawule ufikile impela.
Verse 5: UDavide wasuka, weza endaweni uSawule amise kuyo; uDavide wabona indawo uSawule ahlala kuyo, eno-Abineri indodana kaNeri, induna yempi yakhe; uSawule wayelele ezinqoleni, abantu bemise ngakuye nxazonke.
Verse 6: UDavide wayesethatha washo ku-Ahimeleki umHeti naku-Abishayi indodana kaSeruya, umfowabo kaJowabe, ethi: “Ngubani oyakwehla nami ukuya kuSawule ekamu na?” U-Abishayi wathi: “Ngiyakwehla nawe.”
Verse 7: ODavide no-Abishayi bafika kubantu ebusuku; bheka, uSawule wayelele ubuthongo ezinqoleni, umkhonto wakhe ugxunyekiwe emhlabathini ngasekhanda lakhe; u-Abineri nabantu bakhe babelele ngakuye nxazonke.
Verse 8: U-Abishayi wathi kuDavide: “UNkulunkulu unikele isitha sakho esandleni sakho namuhla; ngalokho mangimgwaze kanye ngomkhonto uze udle umhlabathi, ngingamphindi.”
Verse 9: UDavide wathi ku-Abishayi: “Ungambulali, ngokuba ngubani ongelulela isandla sakhe kogcotshiweyo kaJehova, angabi nacala, na?”
Verse 10: UDavide wathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, uJehova uyakumshaya, noma kufika nje usuku lwakhe lokufa, noma ehlela empini, abhubhe.
Verse 11: UJehova makenqabe ukuba ngelulele isandla sami kogcotshiweyo kaJehova; ake uthathe umkhonto ongasekhanda lakhe nesigubhu samanzi, sihambe.”
Verse 12: UDavide wayesethatha umkhonto nesigubhu samanzi ngasekhanda likaSawule, bahamba, kungaboni muntu, kungazi muntu, kungavuki muntu, ngokuba babelele bonke, lokhu bebehlelwe ngubuthongo obunzima obuvela kuJehova.
Verse 13: UDavide wayesewelela phesheya, wema esiqongweni sentaba ekude, isikhala esikhulu siphakathi kwabo.
Verse 14: UDavide wabiza abantu no-Abineri indodana kaNeri, ethi: “Awusabeli, Abineri, na?” U-Abineri wayesesabela ethi: “Ungubani wena obiza inkosi na?”
Verse 15: UDavide wathi ku-Abineri: “Awusiye umuntu okungekho onjengawe kwa-Israyeli na? Awulindanga ngani inkosi yakho, inkosi? Ngokuba kwafika omunye wabantu ukuyobulala inkosi yakho, inkosi.
Verse 16: Akukuhle okwenzileyo. Kuphila kukaJehova, nimelwe ukufa, ngokuba anilindanga inkosi yenu, ogcotshiweyo kaJehova. Manje bhekani ukuthi umkhonto wenkosi uphi nesigubhu samanzi esasingasekhanda lakhe.”
Verse 17: USawule walazi izwi likaDavide, wathi: “Yizwi lakho leli, ndodana yami Davide, na?” UDavide wathi: “Yizwi lami, nkosi yami, nkosi.”
Verse 18: Wathi: “Inkosi yami iyixoshelani inceku yayo na? Ngokuba ngenzeni na? Ngububi buni obusesandleni sami na?
Verse 19: Ngalokho mayizwe inkosi yami, inkosi, amazwi enceku yayo. Uma nguJehova okuncokoloza ngami, makamukele umnikelo, kepha uma kungabantwana babantu, mabaqalekiswe phambi kukaJehova, ngokuba bangixoshile namuhla ukuba ngingazihlanganisi nefa likaJehova, bethi: ‘Hamba ukhonze abanye onkulunkulu.’
Verse 20: Ngalokho igazi lami malingaweli emhlabathini ngikude noJehova, ngokuba inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iphumele ukufuna intwakumba eyodwa, njengalokhu kuzingelwa intendele ezintabeni.”
Verse 21: USawule wathi: “Ngonile; buya, ndodana yami Davide, ngokuba angisayikukulimaza, lokhu ukuphila kwami bekuyigugu emehlweni akho namuhla; bheka, ngenze okwesiwula, ngidukile kakhulu.”
Verse 22: UDavide waphendula wathi: “Bheka, umkhonto, nkosi! Makuwele enye yezinsizwa, iwulande.
Verse 23: UJehova uyakuphindisela, kube yilowo nalowo ngokulunga kwakhe nangokuthembeka kwakhe, lokhu uJehova ekunikele esandleni sami namuhla, angavuma ukwelulela isandla sami kogcotshiweyo kaJehova.
Verse 24: Futhi bheka, njengalokho ukuphila kwakho kwakukukhulu ngalolo suku emehlweni ami, ukuphila kwami makube kukhulu emehlweni kaJehova, yena angophule ekuhluphekeni konke.”
Verse 25: USawule wathi kuDavide: “Mawubusiswe wena ndodana yami Davide; uyakwenza izinto ezinkulu, uphumelele kahle.” Wayesehamba uDavide ngendlela yakhe, uSawule wabuyela endaweni yakhe.