Verse 1: Kwaba khona indlala ezinsukwini zikaDavide iminyaka emithathu ngokulandelana; uDavide wafuna ubuso bukaJehova. UJehova wathi: “Kungenxa kaSawule nangenxa yendlu yakhe yegazi, ngokuba wabulala abaseGibeyoni.”
Verse 2: Inkosi yayisibiza abaseGibeyoni, yakhuluma kubo, abaseGibeyoni babengesibo abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, beyinsali yama-Amori; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babefungile kubo; uSawule wafuna ukubabulala ngokushisekela kwakhe abantwana bakwa-Israyeli nabakwaJuda;
Verse 3: wathi-ke uDavide kwabaseGibeyoni: “Nginenzele ntoni na? Ngingenza ukubuyisana ngantoni ukuba nibusise ifa likaJehova na?”
Verse 4: AbaseGibeyoni bathi kuye: “Akundaba yesiliva negolide noSawule nendlu yakhe, futhi akundaba yokubulala umuntu kwa-Israyeli.” Wathi: “Enikushoyo ngiyakunenzela khona.”
Verse 5: Bathi enkosini: “Umuntu owasibulalayo waceba ngathi ukuba sichithwe singasali phakathi kwemikhawulo yakwa-Israyeli,
Verse 6: masinikwe abantu abayisikhombisa bamadodana akhe, sibaphanyeke kuJehova eGibeya likaSawule, okhethiweyo kaJehova.” Inkosi yathi: “Ngiyakuninika bona.”
Verse 7: Kepha inkosi yamyeka uMefibosheti indodana kaJonathani kaSawule ngenxa yesifungo sikaJehova esasiphakathi kwabo, phakathi kukaDavide noJonathani indodana kaSawule.
Verse 8: Kepha inkosi yathatha amadodana kaRispa indodakazi ka-Aya ayewazalele uSawule, o-Arimoni noMefibosheti; namadodana ayisihlanu kaMikhali indodakazi kaSawule ayewazalele u-Adriyeli indodana kaBarizilayi umMeholati;
Verse 9: wabanikela ezandleni zabaseGibeyoni, babaphanyeka entabeni phambi kukaJehova, bawa labo abayisikhombisa kanyekanye; babulawa ngesikhathi sokuvuna ezinsukwini zokuqala ngasekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwebhali.
Verse 10: URispa indodakazi ka-Aya wathatha indwangu yamasaka, wazendlalela yona edwaleni, kusukela ekuqaleni kokuvuna kuze kuthelwe phezu kwabo amanzi asezulwini; akavumelanga izinyoni zezulu ukuba zihlale phezu kwabo emini, nezilwane zasendle ebusuku.
Verse 11: Kwabikelwa uDavide ukuthi uRispa indodakazi ka-Aya, isancinza sikaSawule, wenzeni.
Verse 12: UDavide waya wathatha amathambo kaSawule namathambo kaJonathani indodana yakhe kubantu baseJabeshi Gileyadi ababewebile esigcawini saseBeti Shani, lapho, amaFilisti ayebaphanyeke khona, mhla amaFilisti embulala uSawule eGilibowa.
Verse 13: Wenyusa lapho amathambo kaSawule namathambo kaJonathani indodana yakhe; baqoqa amathambo ababephanyekiwe.
Verse 14: Bawembela amathambo kaSawule noJonathani indodana yakhe ezweni lakwaBenjamini eSela ethuneni likaKishi uyise; benza konke okuyalezwe yinkosi. Ngasemuva uNkulunkulu wancengwa ngenxa yezwe.
Verse 15: AmaFilisti abuye aphaka impi no-Israyeli; uDavide wehla, izinceku zakhe zinaye, balwa namaFilisti; uDavide waphela amandla.
Verse 16: U-Ishibi Benobi wabantwana bamaRefa osisindo somkhonto wakhe sasingamashekeli angamakhulu amathathu ethusi, ebhince inkemba entsha, wathi uyakumbulala uDavide.
Verse 17: Kepha u-Abishayi indodana kaSeruya wamsiza, wamshaya umFilisti wambulala. Base befunga kuye abantu bakaDavide, bathi: “Awusayikuphuma impi nathi, funa ucime isibani sakwa-Israyeli.”
Verse 18: Kwathi emva kwalokho kwabuye kwavuka impi namaFilisti eGobi; khona uSibekayi umHushati wabulala uSafi owayengowamadodana amaRefa.
Verse 19: Kwabuye kwaba khona impi namaFilisti eGobi; u-Elihanani indodana kaJahari Oregimi waseBetlehema wabulala uGoliyati umGiti oluthi lomkhonto wakhe lwalunjengogongolo lomaluki.
Verse 20: Kwabuye kwaba khona impi eGati, lapho kwakukhona umuntu omude owayeneminwe eyisithupha esandleni nezinzwani eziyisthupha onyaweni, kungamashumi amabili nane kukonke; naye wazalwa yiRefa.
Verse 21: Wameyisa u-Israyeli; ngalokho uJonathani indodana kaShimeyi umfowabo kaDavide wambulala.
Verse 22: Labo bobane bazalwa ngamaRefa eGati; bawa ngesandla sikaDavide nangesandla sezinceku zakhe.