1Kwahla kwabako kona indoda yobunginingini, egama belingu‐Sheba, unyana ka‐Bikeri, um‐Benjamine: yona yavutela ngexilongo, yati: Asinasabiwo ku‐Davide, asinalifa kuye unyana ka‐Jese; abanye ngabanye ezintenteni zabo, bo‐Sirayeli! 2Andula onke amadoda akwa‐Sirayeli enyuka ekulandeleni u‐Davide, alandela u‐Sheba unyana ka‐Bikeri: kodwa amadoda akwa‐Juda anamatela kukumkani wawo, kutabata e‐Yoredane kude kwakuyo i‐Yerusaleme.
3Wayesiza u‐Davide endlwini yake e‐Yerusaleme; waza ukumkani watabata abafazi abangamashweshwe bolishumi, abo wabashiya ukulinda indlu, wabafaka endlwini yokugcinela, wabafunzela, kodwa akangena kubo: kwa njalo bavalelwa kwada kwangumhla wokufa kwabo, behleli ngobuhlolokazi.
4Waza ukumkani wati ku‐Hamasa: Ndibizele ndawonye amadoda akwa‐Juda pakati kwemihla mitatu, ube lapa nawe umi. 5Wasuka u‐Hamasa waya ukubiza ndawonye amadoda akwa‐Juda; kodwa walibala ngapezu kwexesha elimisiweyo, elo wabemmisele lona. 6Ngako u‐Davide wati ku‐Abishai: Kaloku u‐Sheba, unyana ka‐Bikeri, uya kusenzela okubi ngapezu kwo‐Abasalome; tabata wena izicaka zenkosi yako, umputume, hleze azifumanele izixeko ezinqatyisiweyo, asinde emehlweni etu. 7Andula apuma emva kwake amadoda ka‐Jowabi, naba‐Kereti, naba‐Peleti, nawo onke amagoṙa: bapuma ke e‐Yerusaleme, ukuya kumputuma u‐Sheba unyana ka‐Bikeri.
8Bati bakuba ngasetyeni elikulu elise‐Gibeyone, wandula u‐Hamasa waya pambi kwabo. Waye u‐Jowabi ebinqiwe ngengubo yake abeyambete, upezu kwayo umbinqo oneṙele libotshiwe pezu kwesinqe sake esinxobeni salo; elati akupuma lawa. 9Wayesiti u‐Jowabi ku‐Hamasa: Upilile na, mzalwana wam? Wandula u‐Jowabi walubamba ngesandla sokunene udevu luka‐Hamasa, ukuza kumanga: 10kodwa u‐Hamasa ebengalumkeli iṙele elibe lisesandleni sika‐Jowabi: waza wambeta ngalo esiswini, wapalaza amatumbu ake ngasemhlabeni, engampindelanga ke: wada wafa. Basuka u‐Jowabi no‐Abishai umzalwana wake bamputuma u‐Sheba unyana ka‐Bikeri. 11Yaza indoda ezicakeni zika‐Jowabi yema ngakuye, yati: Osukuba ekolela u‐Jowabi, nosukuba engecala lika‐Davide, makamlandele u‐Jowabi. 12Kekaloku u‐Hamasa waqikaqikeka egazini pakati kwomendo. Yati yakubona indoda leyo ukuba abantu bonke bema, yamsusa u‐Hamasa emendweni yambeka ngasendle, yaposa ingubo pezu kwake, ngokokuba ebebona bonke ababesiza ngakuye ukuba bema. 13Okuya ebesusiwe emendweni, badlula bonke abantu emva kwo‐Jowabi, ukuya kumputuma u‐Sheba unyana ka‐Bikeri.
14Waza wacanda kuzo zonke izizwe zo‐Sirayeli kude kwakuyo i‐Abele, ne‐Bete‐mahaka, nayo yonke i‐Berime: baza bahlanganiselwa ndawonye, baya nabo emva kwake. 15Basuka beza bamvingcela e‐Abele‐bete‐mahaka, baposela indulana ngakuso isixeko, eyemayo ngakulo udonga lwapandle: baza bonke abantu ababeno‐Jowabi balwonakalisa udonga, ukuze baluwise. 16Wandula wabiza umfazi olumkileyo esesixekweni, esiti: Yivani! yivani! niti ke ku‐Jowabi: Sondela kwa lapa, ukuba nditete nawe. 17Akuba esondele kuye, wati umfazi: Ungu‐Jowabi na? Wayesiti: Ndinguye. Waza wati kuye: Yiva amazwi esicakakazi sako. Wayesiti: Ndiyeva mna. 18Wandula watsho ukuti: Kwatetwa ekuhleni ngapambili, kusitwa: Baya kubuza ngenyaniso e‐Abele, bagqibe njalo ke. 19Mna ndingowabaxolileyo, ndingowabanyanisekileyo kwa‐Sirayeli: wena uyafuna ukububisa isixeko nonina kwa‐Sirayeli; kunganina ukuba uya kucita ilifa likayehova? 20Wapendula u‐Jowabi, wati: Makube le̔, makube le̔ kum, ukuba ndicite nokuba ndonakalise! 21Lendawo ayinjalo; koko indoda yasentabeni yakwa‐Frayime, ngu‐Sheba, unyana ka‐Bikeri, igama layo, ipakamisile isandla sayo ngakuye ukumkani, ngakuye u‐Davide; yinikeleni yona yodwa, ndandiya kumka esixekweni. Wayesiti umfazi ku‐Jowabi: Bona ke, intloko yayo iya kuposwa kuwe pezu kwodonga. 22Wandula umfazi waya kubo bonke abantu ngobulumko bake. Baza banqumla intloko ka‐Sheba unyana ka‐Bikeri, bayiposa ku‐Jowabi. Wasuka wavutela ngexilongo, bada baciteka esixekweni, besiya abanye ngabanye ezintenteni zabo. Waza u‐Jowabi wabuyela e‐Yerusaleme kukumkani.
23Kekaloku u‐Jowabi ebepezu kwawo wonke umkosi wo‐Sirayeli; no‐Benaya, unyana ka‐Yoyada, ebepezu kwaba‐Kereti napezu kwaba‐Peleti; 24no‐Adorame ebepezu kwabesitabataba; no‐Yehoshafate, unyana ka‐Ahilude, ebengumkumbuzi; 25kanjalo u‐Sheva ebengumba̔li; u‐Tsadoki no‐Abiyatare bebengabaperisite; 26no‐Hira, um‐Yahire, yena ebelinene lika‐Davide.
