36 – UDavide noBhashebha

₁Kwathi ngentlako-hlaza ngexesha iikumkani zazidla ngokulwa iimfazwe ngalo, uDavide wandulula uJowabhi kunye namaphakathi nawo wonke umkhosi wakwaSirayeli. Bawachitha-chitha ama-Amon, basingqinga nesixeko sawo iRabha. Ke yena uDavide wayeshiyeke eJerusalem.

₂Ngamhla uthile, ukujika kwelanga, kwathi uDavide esahamba-hamba kumgangatho ophezu kophahla lwebhotwe, esandula ukuvuka emandlalweni wakhe, wabona umfazi ehlamba umzimba. Yaye iyinzwakazi kanobom leyo. ₃Wathumela umntu uDavide, efuna ukuqonda ukuba wayengubani na loo mfazi. Kwathiwa: “NguBhashebha, intombi kaEliyam. Ngumka-Uriya, umfo waseHeti.”

₄UDavide ke wathumela izigidimi ukuba zize naye. Waziswa ke kuye, waza yena walala naye. Oku kwenzeka xa loo mfazi wayesandula ukuzihlambulula emva kokuba sexesheni. Emva koko uBhashebha wabuyela emzini wakhe. ₅Wamitha ke loo mfazi, waza wathumela kuDavide esithi: “Ndikhulelwe.”

₆UDavide usuke wathumela umyalelo kuJowabhi, wathi: “Mthumele kum apha u-Uriya umHeti.” Ke uJowabhi wamthumela kuDavide u-Uriya. ₇Akufika u-Uriya uDavide wambuza ngempilo kaJowabhi, nempilo yomkhosi, nokuba imfazwe iqhuba njani na. ₈Emva koko uDavide uthe ku-Uriya: “Hamba uye endlwini yakho, ukhe uhlambe iinyawo.” Waphuma ke u-Uriya komkhulu, kwalandela isipho esivela kukumkani, sasiwa kwakhe. ₉Akazange agoduke yena u-Uriya; wasuka waya kulala phaya ngasesangweni lakomkhulu kunye nezicaka zikakumkani.

₁₀Waxelelwa uDavide kwathiwa: “U-Uriya akayanga emzini wakhe.” Waza uDavide wathi ku-Uriya: “Ubuseluhambeni ithuba elide; kutheni ungayanga kulala kwakho nje?”

₁₁U-Uriya wathi kuDavide: “Ityesi yomnqophiso kunye namadoda omkhosi akwaSirayeli nakwaJuda ahlala ezintenteni, kanti noJowabhi inkosi yam kwakunye namaphakathi akho, mhlekazi, aphaya endle, ube wena usithi mna mandigoduke nditye, ndisele, ndilale nomkam! Uhleli nje, inene, andisokuze ndiyenze into enjalo, mhlekazi.”

₁₂Uthe ke uDavide ku-Uriya: “Sewuhlala ke okwanamhlanje; ndiza kukukhulula uhambe ngomso.” Wahlala ke apho eJerusalem ngaloo mhla u-Uriya, nangomhla olandela lowo. ₁₃UDavide wammema, waza watya wasela kunye naye, wamnxilisa. Kodwa nangobo busuku akazange agoduke u-Uriya, suka yena waya kulala kwindawo yakhe ngakwizicaka zakomkhulu.

₁₄Kwakusasa ngengomso uDavide wabhalela uJowabhi incwadi, wayithumela kwangoUriya. ₁₅Udaba lwalusithi: “U-Uriya lowo uze umbeke ngaphambili emsini apho lishushu idabi, nize nihlehle, aze yena angxwelerhwe afe.” ₁₆Kwathi ke ekusingqingeni kwakhe isixeko uJowabhi, wambeka kwelona cala linamagorha u-Uriya. ₁₇Waphuma umkhosi esixekweni, walwa nokaJowabhi. Apho kwawa iqela lamajoni omkhosi kaDavide, wafela apho naye u-Uriya umHeti.

₁₈Emva koko uJowabhi wathumela ingxelo kuDavide malunga nemfazwe, ₁₉wasiyalela isigidimi wathi: “Xa ugqibayo ukumbalisela ukumkani ngako konke okwenzeke edabini, ₂₀ngahle abe nomsindo, akubuze athi: ‘Benisondelelani kangaka kwisixeko sotshaba lwethu? Beningaqondi na ukuba zinganidubula ngeentolo zazo zisithele ngodonga? ₂₁Ngubani na owabulala uAbhimeleki unyana kaJerubhesheti? Akafanga na eTebheze ngokugityiselwa ngumfazi ngelitye lokusila, emi ngaphezu kodonga. Benisondelelani kangaka kudonga lwesixeko?’ Uze ke uthi: ‘Nesicaka sakho u-Uriya umHeti ufile.’ ”

₂₂Eso sigidimi ke saya kufika kuDavide, safika samxelela wonke loo myalelo kaJowabhi. ₂₃Wenjenje loo mfo ukuthetha noDavide: “Mhlekazi, ziphumile iintshaba zethu esixekweni, saqubisana endle. Zithande ukusigqwesa, kodwa sazibetha zahlehla zaya kungena ngesango esixekweni. ₂₄Zithe xa silapho ngasesangweni zasidubula ngeentolo zimi eludongeni, zawachana amanye amajoni akho, mhlekazi. Ngokunjalo nesicaka sakho u-Uriya umHeti ufile.”

₂₅UDavide wathi kwisigidimi eso: “Uze uthi kuJowabhi: ‘Uzungavumi ukuba le nto ikutyhafise; kakade ikrele eli lidla kulo nakulowaa. Sihlasele ngamandla isixeko, usichithe.’ Uze utsho ke, umomeleze.”

₂₆Ke umka-Uriya weva ngokusweleka komyeni wakhe, waza wamzilela. ₂₇Lakudlula ixesha lenzila, uDavide wathi makaye kuthathwa, aze kuhlala ebhotwe, abe ngumkakhe. Wafika apho, wazala umntwana oyinkwenkwe. Kambe ke sona isenzo sikaDavide saba sibi emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo.

₁Ke kaloku *uNdikhoyo wathumela uNatan kuDavide. Efikile kuDavide uNatan wathi: “Mhlekazi, kwakha kwakho abafo ababini dolophini ithile. Omnye umfo wayesisityebi, omnye elihlwempu. ₂Isityebi eso sasifuye iinkomo neegusha ezininzi. ₃Ihlwempu lona lalingenanto ngaphandle nje kwetakane legusha elalilithengile. Walifuyela kwakhe lo mfo elo takane, londleka, likhulela phakathi kwabantwana bakhe. Wayelifunza kokwakhe ukutya, aliseze ngendebe yakhe, alisingathe. Lalifana nqwa nentombi yakhe kuye. ₄Ngamini ithile laa mfo usisityebi wafikelwa lundwendwe. Ngenxa yomunyu lo mfo akazange athande kulihlinzela undwendwe kweyakhe imfuyo. Usuke waya kuthatha elaa takane lomfo olihlwempu, wenzela undwendwe lwakhe ngalo isidlo.”

₅UDavide wavutha ngumsindo ngakuloo ndoda akuyiva loo nto, waqokela wenjenje, ebhekisa kuNatan: “Ehleni nje uNdikhoyo, inene, loo mntu wenze into enjalo ufanelwe kukufa; ₆yaye ufanelwe kukuhlawuliswa ixabiso lelo takane ngokuphindwe kane, ngenxa yokuba enze ulunya olunje engenalo novelwano.”

₇Ke uNatan wathi kuDavide: “Loo ndoda nguwe! Utsho uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: ‘Ndakuthambisa, ndakwenza ukumkani wamaSirayeli, ndakuhlangula esandleni sikaSawule. ₈Ndakunika umzi wenkosi yakho, abafazi bayo ndabanikela esifubeni sakho, ndakwenza ukumkani wakwaSirayeli nakwaJuda. Kanti ke ukuba bezinganelanga ezo zinto ndakwenzela zona, bendingakongezayo. ₉Khawutsho, ngani ukuba ulidele ilizwi likaNdikhoyo, khon' ukuze wenze okubi emehlweni akhe? U-Uriya umHeti umbulele ngekrele, wathatha umkakhe, wamenza umkakho. Ewe, umbulalise ngekrele lama-Amon. ₁₀Kungokunje ikrele alisobe liphele ukudla kulo mzi wakho, kuba undidelile wada wathatha nomka-Uriya umHeti wamenza umfazi wakho.’ ₁₁Utsho ke uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Ndiza kukuvusela isihelegu sento kwalapha phakathi komzi wakho. Abafazi bakho ndiza kubanikela kosondeleyo kuwe, alale nabo kujongiwe, ilanga lihlabe umhlaba. ₁₂Le nto ubuyenza ngasese wena, mna ndifuna yenziwe emini, ibonwa ngamaSirayeli onke.’ ”

₁₃Ke uDavide wathi kuNatan: “Ewe, ndonile kuNdikhoyo.”

Uthe kuDavide uNatan: “UNdikhoyo usisusile isono sakho. Akuzi kufa. ₁₄Kodwa ke, ngenxa yokuba iintshaba zikaNdikhoyo uzinike ithuba lokunyelisa ngenxa yale nto uyenzileyo, loo mntwana wakho uza kufa.” ₁₅Emva koko ke usuke wahamba uNatan, wagoduka.

*UNdikhoyo wamfaka isifo umntwana owamfumana ngomka-Uriya uDavide, wagula kakhulu. ₁₆UDavide usuke wacela ukuba amphilise uThixo, wazila ukutya, wangena endlwini, waqungquluza emhlabeni bonke ubusuku. ₁₇Amadoda amakhulu endlu yakhe aya kuye, efuna ukumvusa kuloo ndawo wayelele kuyo, suka akavuma yena, akafuna nokutya oku kunye nawo. ₁₈Wasweleka loo mntwana ngosuku lwesixhenxe, zoyika ukumxelela izicaka zakhe ukuba loo mntwana akasekho, zatsho zisithi: “Singamxelela njani sithi: ‘Umntwana ufile’? Asinguye kanene lo ubengafuni nokuthetha oku nathi engekabhubhi nokubhubha lo mntwana? He bethu, akangesuke enze into embi efile nje umntwana?”

₁₉Kodwa kuthe akuzibona zisebezelana izicaka, warhana uDavide ukuba lubhubhile olo sana. Uzibuzile ke wathi: “Kwenzeke ntoni? Ufile na umntwana?”

“Ewe, mhlekazi, ubhubhile,” zitshilo izicaka.

₂₀Wavuka ke emhlabeni uDavide, wahlamba. Wathambisa, wanxiba ezinye izambatho, waya kungena endlwini kaNdikhoyo, wanqula. Usuke apho waya endlwini yakhe, wafika wacela into etyiwayo, watya akuba elungiselelwe. ₂₁Izicaka zakhe zathi: “Mhlekazi, noko ke le uyenzayo asisayiqondi. Ube uzilile, ulila, uyenza loo nto usana lungekabhubhi. Ngoku luswelekileyo usana uyavuka utye nokutya!”

₂₂Uphendule wathi: “Ewe, bendizila, ndilila ngokuya belusahleli usana, kuba bendisithi: ‘Ngubani owaziyo? Mhlawumbi uNdikhoyo angandenzela inceba, luphile olo sana.’ ₂₃Ngoku ke usana lubhubhile; ke ndiza kuba sazilela ntoni ndingenakuluvusa nje? Ndim oza kuya apho lukhoyo; lona alunakuze luze kum.”

₂₄Emva koko uDavide waya kuthuthuzela umkakhe uBhashebha, walala naye. Wazala umntwana oyinkwenkwe, wathi igama lakhe nguSolomon. Wayithanda loo nkwenkwana *uNdikhoyo, ₂₅waza wathumela *umshumayeli uNatan ukuba aye kuthi igama layo nguYedidiya ngenxa yokuthandwa kwayo nguNdikhoyo.