Verse 1: Lapho isizwile indodana kaSawule ukuthi u-Abineri ufile eHebroni, izandla zayo zaba buthakathaka, nabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli bakhathazeka.
Verse 2: Indodana kaSawule yayinamadoda amabili ayeyizinduna zamaviyo; igama lenye lalinguBahana negama lenye lalinguRekabi, amadodana kaRimoni waseBeyeroti wabantwana bakwaBenjamini, ngokuba iBeyeroti libalelwa kuBenjamini.
Verse 3: AbaseBeyeroti babalekela eGitayimi, bagogobala khona kuze kube namuhla.
Verse 4: UJonathani indodana kaSawule wayenendodana elunyonga ngezinyawo. Yayineminyaka eyisihlanu ekufikeni kombiko ngoSawule noJonathani uvela eJizreyeli; umzanyana wayo wayithatha, wabaleka; kwathi eseshesha ukubaleka, yawa, yaba lunyonga. Igama layo lalinguMefibosheti.
Verse 5: Amadodana kaRimoni waseBeyeroti oRekabi noBahana ahamba, afika selishisa ilanga endlini ka-Ishi Bosheti ephumula embhedeni emini.
Verse 6: Bangena khona phakathi kwendlu kungathi bayakulanda ukolweni; bamgwaza esiswini; oRekabi noBahana umfowabo babaleka.
Verse 7: Babengenile-ke endlini esalele embhedeni ekamelweni lakhe, bamgwaza, bambulala, bamnquma ikhanda, bathatha ikhanda lakhe, bahamba ngendlela yase-Araba ubusuku bonke.
Verse 8: Baliyisa ikhanda lika-Ishi Boshethi kuDavide eHebroni, bathi enkosini: “Nanti ikhanda lika-Ishi Bosheti indodana kaSawule; isitha sakho ebesifuna ukuphila kwakho; uJehova uphindisele namuhla inkosi yami, inkosi, kuSawule nakuyo inzalo yakhe.”
Verse 9: UDavide waphendula oRekabi noBahana umfowabo amadodana kaRimoni waseBeyeroti, wathi kubo: “Kuphila kukaJehova ohlengile umphefumulo wami osizini lonke,
Verse 10: umuntu owangitshela ukuthi: ‘Bheka, uSawule ufile,’ ecabanga ukuthi ulethile izindaba ezinhle, ngambamba, ngambulala eSikilagi, ethi ngangiyakumnika umvuzo wezindaba zakhe;
Verse 11: kakhulu kangakanani, lapho abantu ababi bebulele umuntu olungileyo endlini yakhe embhedeni wakhe, angiyikubiza igazi lakhe esandleni senu, nginisuse emhlabeni, na?”
Verse 12: UDavide wayeseyaleza izinsizwa zakhe, zababulala, zabanquma izandla nezinyawo, zabaphanyeka ngaseceleni kwechibi laseHebroni. Kepha bathatha ikhanda lika-Ishi Bosheti, balimbela ethuneni lika-Abineri eHebroni.