USamuweli wafa; u-Israyeli wonke wahlangana, wamlilela, wawusummbela ngasendlini yakhe eRama. UDavide wayesesuka, ehlela ehlane ePharanu.
Kwakukhona umuntu eMahoni owayenemfuyo eKharmeli. Lowo muntu wayecebe kakhulu, enezimvu eziyizi-3 000 nezimbuzi eziyi-1 000. Izimvu zakhe wayezigundela eKharmeli. Igama lalowo muntu kwakunguNabali, umkakhe kungu-Abhigayili, engowesifazane okhaliphile, futhi emuhle, kodwa indoda yakhe yayilukhuni, inenkohlakalo emisebenzini yayo; yayingeyomndeni kaKhalebhu.
UDavide esesehlane wezwa ukuthi uNabali ugunda izimvu zakhe. UDavide wathumela izinsizwa ezilishumi, wathi kuzo: “Khuphukelani eKharmeli, niye kuNabali, nifike ningikhonzele kuye, nithi kumfowethu: ‘Ukuthula makube kuwe, ukuthula makube sendlini yakho, ukuthula makube kukho konke onakho.
“ ‘Manje ngizwile ukuthi unabagundi bakho lapho. Abelusi bakho bebenathi, asibalimazanga, abalahlekelwanga yilutho ngazo zonke izinsuku beseKharmeli. Buza izinsizwa zakho, zizokutshela; ngakho-ke izinsizwa zami mazifumane umusa emehlweni akho, ngokuba sifike ngosuku oluhle. Ake uziphe izinceku zakho nendodana yakho uDavide, noma yini onayo.’ ”
Izinsizwa zikaDavide zahamba, zawasho kuNabali wonke lawo mazwi njengoba enjalo egameni likaDavide, zase zilinda.
UNabali waziphendula izinceku zikaDavide, wathi: “Ngubani uDavide na? Ngubani indodana kaJese? Namuhla kukhona izinceku eziningi ezeqa emakhosini azo. Ngisithathe yini isinkwa sami, namanzi ami, nenyama engikuhlabele abagundi bami, ngikuphe abantu engingabazi ukuthi bavelaphi na?”
Izinsizwa zikaDavide zaphenduka kuleyo ndlela ezaziyithathile zabuyela emuva, zabika kuye wonke 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 abantu kungathi abangama-400 belandela uDavide, kwathi abangama-200 basala nempahla.
Enye yezinsizwa yamtshela umkaNabali u-Abhigayili, yathi: “Bheka, uDavide uthumele izithunywa zisuka ehlane ukuzobingelela inkosi yethu, kepha yona yazithukuthelela. Labo bantu basiphatha kahle, asilimalanga, asilahlekelwanga yilutho zonke izinsuku sihambisana nabo sisendle; babe lugange kithi ubusuku nemini, sonke isikhathi sinabo salusa izimvu. Ngakho yazi-ke, ubone ukuthi uzokwenzenjani, ngokuba ububi buyayinyonyobela inkosi yethu nendlu yayo yonke, kwazise ingumuntu ongazihloniphi ukuba umuntu angakhuluma nayo.”
U-Abhigayili waphangisa, wathatha izinkwa ezingama-200, izimvaba ezimbili zewayini, nezimvu eziyisihlanu ezilungisiweyo, amaseya ayisihlanu otshwele, izigaxa eziyikhulu zezithelo zomvini ezomileyo, nezigaxa ezingama-200 zamakhiwane, wakukhweza ezimbongolweni. Wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Hambani phambi kwami; ngiyanilandela.”
Kepha akayitshelanga lutho indoda yakhe, uNabali.
Kwathi esagibele embongolweni, ehla endaweni esithekileyo esentabeni; kwase kwehlela kuye uDavide nabantu bakhe ukuba bahlangane naye, nembala wahlangana nabo. UDavide wayethe: “Impela konke kuyize ukuthi mina ngakuvikela konke lo muntu anakho, manje usengibonga ngokwenza into embi kanje kimi. UNkulunkulu makenze kanjalo kuzo zonke izitha zikaDavide, anezelele kulokho, uma ekuseni ngakusasa ngizoshiya noma oyedwa wesilisa ongowakhe.”
Lapho u-Abhigayili embona uDavide, washesha wehla embongolweni yakhe, wakhothama wathi mbo ngobuso phambi kukaDavide. Wayewele ngasezinyaweni zikaDavide, wayesethi: “Sale usulethwesa mina lelo cala nkosi yami, ngicela uyivumele incekukazi yakho ikhulume nawe, uyilalele ukuthi ithini incekukazi yakho. Inkosi yami mayingabeki inhliziyo yayo kulo muntu okhohlakele, uNabali, ufuze igama lakhe, unjalo nje yena; nguNabali igama lakhe, uyisiwula. Kepha mina ncekukazi yakho angizibonanga izinsizwa zenkosi yami eyayizithumile.
“Nkosi yami, ngiyafunga ngoSimakade, nangempilo yakho uqobo, njengoba uSimakade ekuvimbele ukuba ube necala legazi nokuba uziphindiselele ngesandla sakho; mazibe njengoNabali izitha zakho nalabo abafuna ukubulala inkosi yami. Manje-ke lesi sipho esilethwa yincekukazi yakho enkosini yami, masinikwe izinsizwa ezilandela inkosi yami. Thethelela, ngiyakucela, icala lencekukazi yakho, ngokuba uSimakade uyakuyenzela nokuyenzela inkosi yami indlu eqinileyo impela, lokhu inkosi yami ilwa izimpi zikaSimakade; ububi abuyukufunyanwa kuwe zonke izinsuku zakho. Noma kusukuma umuntu ukuba akuxoshe efuna impilo yakho, umphefumulo wenkosi yami uyobe uboshiwe emshuqulwini wabaphilayo kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho. Imiphefumulo yezitha zakho uyakuyijikijela kungathi iphakathi kwendwayimana. Kuyothi lapho uSimakade esekwenzile konke okuhle enkosini yami njengoba ekhulumile ngawe, akumise ube ngumbusi kwa-Israyeli. Lokhu akuyukuba yisikhubekiso kuwe, kungabi nesazela enhliziyweni yenkosi yami ukuthi uchithe igazi ngeze nokuthi inkosi yami iziphindiselele. Kuyothi lapho uSimakade eseyenzele inkosi yami okuhle, iyikhumbule incekukazi yakho.”
UDavide wayesethi ku-Abhigayili: “Makadunyiswe uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli okuthume namuhla ukuba ungihlangabeze. Makubusiswe ukuhlakanipha kwakho, ubusiswe nawe ongivimbele namuhla ukungena ecaleni legazi nokuziphindiselela ngesandla sami. Impela ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ongivimbile ukuba ngingakulimazi, uma bewungazange usheshe uze ukuzongihlangabeza, impela ngabe akusalanga nakunye okukaNabali okwesilisa okungokwakhe, ekuseni kusasa.”
UDavide wemukela esandleni sika-Abhigayili lokho ayemlethele khona; wayesethi kuye: “Buyela endlini, uphephile, ngikuzwile okushoyo, ngiyasemukela isicelo sakho.”
U-Abhigayili wabuyela kuNabali; wafica enesiphihli sedili endlini yakhe, kungathi yidili lenkosi. Inhliziyo kaNabali yayithakasile ithe cosololo, ephuze kakhulu. U-Abhigayili akamtshelanga lutho oluncane nolukhulu kwaze kwaba sekuseni. Ekuseni, selidamukile iwayini kuNabali, umkakhe wamtshela ngalezo zinto, inhliziyo yakhe yaphelelwa ngamandla, waba njengetshe. Kwathi emveni kwezinsuku ezilishumi uSimakade wamshaya uNabali, wafa.
UDavide wezwa ukuthi uNabali ufile, wathi: “Makadunyiswe uSimakade omele indaba yehlazo lami lapho uNabali engihlazisa, ovimbele inceku yakhe ebubini, wabuyisela ububi bukaNabali kuye.”
UDavide wathumela wakhuluma no-Abhigayili ukuba amthathe abe ngumkakhe.