1 uSamuweli 25:1-22

USamuweli wafa; wahlangana wonke u-Israyeli, wamlilela, wammbela ngasendlini yakhe eRama. UDavide wasuka, wehlela ehlane lasePharanu. Kwakukhona umuntu eMahoni onemfuyo yakhe eKarmeli; lowo muntu wayemkhulu kakhulu, wayenezimvu eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu nezimbuzi eziyinkulungwane; wayezigunda izimvu zakhe eKarmeli. Igama lalowo muntu lalinguNabali; igama lomkakhe lalingu-Abigayili; owesifazane wayehlakaniphile, ebukeka emuhle, kepha indoda yayilukhuni inobubi emisebenzini yayo; yayingekaKalebi. UDavide wezwa ehlane ukuthi uNabali ugunda izimvu zakhe. UDavide wathuma izinsizwa eziyishumi; uDavide wathi kuzo izinsizwa: “Khuphukelani eKarmeli, niye kuNabali, nimbingelele egameni lami, nithi kumfowethu: ‘Ukuthula makube kuwe, ukuthula nakube kuyo indlu yakho, ukuthula makube kukho konke onakho. “ ‘Manje sengizwile ukuthi unabagundi; abelusi bakho babe nathi, asibalimazanga, abalahlekelwa lutho zonke izinsuku beseKarmeli. Buza izinsizwa zakho, ziyakukutshela; ngalokho izinsizwa mazithole umusa emehlweni akho, ngokuba sifikile ngosuku oluhle; ake unike izinceku zakho nendodana yakho uDavide okungafunyanwa esandleni sakho.’ ” Sezifikile izinsizwa zikaDavide zakhuluma kuNabali njengawo onke lawo mazwi egameni likaDavide, bese zilinda. UNabali waziphendula izinceku zikaDavide, wathi: “Ngubani uDavide na? Ngubani indodana kaJese na? Namuhla kukhona izinceku eziningi ezeqa emakhosini azo. Ngithathe yini isinkwa sami, namanzi ami, nengikuhlabele abagundi bami, ngikuphe abantu engingabazi ukuthi bavelaphi, na?” Zase ziphenduka izinsizwa zikaDavide endleleni yazo, zabuyela, zamtshela onke lawo mazwi. 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. Kodwa enye yezinsizwa yamtshela u-Abigayili umkaNabali, yathi: “Bheka, uDavide wathuma izithunywa zivela ehlane ukuba zibingelele inkosi yethu, kepha yazithukuthelela. Nokho labo bantu basiphatha kahle, asilimalanga, asilahlekelwanga lutho zonke izinsuku sisahambisana nabo sisendle; babe lugange kithi ubusuku nemini, sonke isikhathi sinabo salusa izimvu. Ngalokho yazi, ubone ukuthi uyakwenzani, ngokuba okubi sekunqunyelwe inkosi yethu nendlu yayo yonke, lokhu engumuntu omubi kangaka, ukuze umuntu angekhulume naye.” 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. Wathi kuzo izinsizwa: “Hambani phambi kwami; bhekani, ngiyanilandela.” Kepha akayitshelanga indoda yakhe uNabali. Kwathi esakhwele imbongolo, esehla endaweni esithekileyo yentaba, bheka, kwehlela kuye uDavide nabantu bakhe, wahlangana nabo. UDavide wayeshilo ukuthi: “Impela ngikugcinele ize konke lowo muntu anakho ehlane ukuba angalahlekelwa lutho lwakho konke okwakhe, ngokuba ungibuyisele okubi ngokuhle. UNkulunkulu makenze njalo kuzo izitha zikaDavide, enezele futhi, uma ngishiya ngasekuseni kusasa kukho konke okungokwakhe nokukodwa okungokwesilisa.”