1  UThixo wathuma uNathani kuDavida. Esefikile kuye wathi, “Kwakulabantu ababili emzini othile, omunye enothile omunye engumyanga. 2 Umuntu onothileyo wayelezimvu ezinengi kanye lenkomo, 3 kodwa umuntu ongumyanga wayengelalutho ngaphandle kwezinyane lemvu elincinyane ayelithengile. Walondla, lakhula laye kanye labantwana bakhe. Ladla ukudla kwakhe, lanatha enkomitshini yakhe laze lalala ezingalweni zakhe. Kuye lalinjengendodakazi yakhe.

4 Kwafika isihambi emuntwini onothileyo, kodwa umuntu onothileyo kafunanga ukuthatha enye yezimvu zakhe loba inkomo ukuba ahlabele isihambi esasifike kuye. Esikhundleni salokho, yena wathatha izinyane lemvu elisikazi elalingelomuntu lowo ongumyanga, walihlabela lowo owayefike kuye.”

5 UDavida wavutha ulaka ngalowomuntu wathi kuNathani, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, umuntu owenze lokhu ufanele ukufa! 6 Izinyane lelo kumele alihlawule ngokuphindwe kane, ngoba enze into enje njalo engabanga lozwelo.”

7 UNathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Unguye lowomuntu! Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: ‘Ngakugcoba ukuba ube yinkosi ko-Israyeli, ngakuhlenga esandleni sikaSawuli. 8 Ngakunika indlu yenkosi yakho, labafazi benkosi yakho ngabanikela ezandleni zakho. Ngakunika indlu ka-Israyeli lekaJuda. Aluba konke lokhu kwakukuncane kakhulu ngangizakunika okunye futhi. 9 Kungani weyise ilizwi likaThixo ngokwenza okubi emehlweni akhe na? Ubulele u-Uriya umHithi ngenkemba wasuthatha umkakhe ukuba abe ngowakho. Umbulele ngenkemba yama-Amoni. 10 Ngakho, khathesi, inkemba kayiyikusuka endlini yakho, ngoba ungeyisile wathatha umka-Uriya umHithi ukuba abe ngowakho.’

11 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: ‘Ngizakulethela incithakalo ezavela kwabendlu yakho. Phambi kwamehlo akho uqobo, ngizathatha omkakho ngibaphe omunye oseduzane lawe, embathe labo emini libalele. 12 Wena wakwenza ensitha, kodwa mina into le ngizayenza emini libalele phambi kuka-Israyeli wonke.’ ”

13 UDavida wasesithi kuNathani, “Ngenze isono kuThixo.”

UNathani waphendula wathi, “UThixo usesusile isono sakho. Kawuyikufa. 14 Kodwa njengoba ngokwenza lokhu wenze izitha zikaThixo zatshengisela ukweyisa okupheleleyo, umntwana ozamzalelwa uzakufa.”

15 Emva kokuba uNathani esebuyele ekhaya, uThixo wamtshaya umntwana umka-Uriya ayemzalele uDavida, wagula. 16 UDavida wamkhulekela umntwana kuNkulunkulu. Wazila ukudla wangena endlini yakhe walala phansi ubusuku ngobusuku. 17 Abadala bendlu yakwabo bema eceleni kwakhe ukuba bamvuse phansi, kodwa wala, njalo kadlanga kudla labo.

18 Ngosuku lwesikhombisa umntwana wafa. Izinceku zikaDavida zesaba ukumtshela ukuthi umntwana wayesefile ngoba zacabanga zathi, “Umntwana esaphila, sikhulume loDavida kodwa kasilalelanga. Pho singamtshela njani ukuthi umntwana usefile? Angenza into eyingozi.”

19 UDavida wananzelela ukuthi izinceku zakhe zazinyenyezelana wasebona ukuthi umntwana wayesefile. Wabuza wathi, “Umntwana usefile na?”

Baphendula bathi, “Ye, usefile.”

20 Lapho-ke uDavida wavuka phansi. Emva kokuba esegezile, wagcoba wantshintsha iziqgoko, waya endlini kaThixo wakhonza. Emva kwalokho waya kweyakhe indlu, kwathi ngokucela kwakhe bamlethela ukudla, wadla.

21 Izinceku zakhe zambuza zathi, “Kungani uqhuba ngale indlela na? Umntwana esaphila, uzile ukudla wakhala, kodwa khathesi umntwana esefile, uyavuka udle!”

22 Waphendula wathi, “Umntwana esaphila, ngizile ukudla ngakhala. Ngicabange ngathi, ‘Kwazi bani? Mhlawumbe uThixo angaba lomusa kimi ekele umntwana aphile.’ 23 Kodwa khathesi esefile ngingabe ngisazilelani na? Kambe ngingamvusa na? Mina ngizakuya kuye, kodwa yena kazukubuya kimi.”

24 Emva kwalokho uDavida waduduza umkakhe uBhathishebha, waya kuye wembatha laye. Wazala indodana abayithi nguSolomoni. UThixo wayemthanda; 25 njalo ngenxa yokuthi uThixo wayemthanda, wathumela ilizwi ngoNathani umphrofethi ukuba athiwe nguJedidiya.

26 Ngasikhathi sinye uJowabi wahlasela iRabha yama-Amoni wathumba inqaba yenkosi. 27 Emva kwalokho uJowabi wathuma izithunywa kuDavida, esithi, “Ngihlasele iRabha ngathumba imithombo yamanzi. 28 Khathesi-ke qoqa amabutho aseleyo uvimbezele idolobho ulithumbe. Kungenjalo mina ngizalithatha idolobho, libe selibizwa ngami.”

29 Ngakho uDavida waqoqa ibutho lonke waya eRabha, wayihlasela wayithumba. 30 UDavida wathatha umqhele owawusekhanda lenkosi yabo, isisindo sawo sasilithalenta legolide, uceciswe ngamatshe aligugu njalo wafakwa ekhanda lakhe. Wathatha impango enengi kakhulu kulelodolobho 31 njalo abantu ababelapho wabasusa wabasa lapho ababezasebenza khona gadalala ngamasaha, ngamapiki ensimbi kanye lamahloka, wabasebenzisa ekwenzeni izitina. Lokhu uDavida wakwenza kuyo yonke imizi yama-Amoni. Emva kwalokho uDavida lebutho lakhe lonke babuyela eJerusalema.