2. UJowabe wayesethumela eThekhowa, walanda khona owesifazane ohlakaniphileyo, wathi kuye: “Ake uzishaye olilayo, ugqoke izingubo zokulila, ungazigcobi ngamafutha, kepha ube njengowesifazane oselilele ofileyo izinsuku eziningi,
3. ungene enkosini, ukhulume kuyo ngalendlela.” UJowabe wayesemfunza amazwi emlonyeni wakhe.
4. Lapho owesifazane waseThekhowa ekhuluma enkosini, wawa ngobuso emhlabathini, wakhuleka, wathi: “Siza, nkosi.”
5. Inkosi yathi kuye: “Unani na?”Wathi: “Maye, ngingumfelokazi! Indoda yami seyafa.
6. Incekukazi yakho yayinamadodana amabili; alwa odwa endle, akwabakho muntu wokulamula, kepha enye yashaya enye, yayibulala.
7. Bheka, umndeni wonke usuvukele incekukazi yakho; bathi: ‘Sinike yena owashaya umfowabo ukuba simbulale ngenxa yomphefumulo womfowabo, sichithe indlalifa.’ Bayakucima kanjalo ilahle lami eliseleyo, bangabe besashiyela indoda yami igama nensali ebusweni bomhlaba.”
8. Inkosi yayisithi kowesifazane: “Yiya endlini yakho; mina ngiyakuyaleza ngawe.”
9. Owesifazane waseThekhowa wathi enkosini: “Nkosi yami, nkosi, icala malibe phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa, inkosi nesihlalo sayo sobukhosi kube msulwa.”
10. Yathi inkosi: “Oshoyo utho kuwe, mlethe kimi; akayikuphinda akuthinte.”
11. Wayesethi yena: “Inkosi ake ikhumbule uJehova uNkulunkulu wayo ukuba umphindiseli wegazi angaqhubeki ukuchitha nokuba bangayibulali indodana yami.”Yathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, akuyikuwela phansi nolulodwa unwele lwendodana yakho.”
12. Wayesethi owesifazane: “Incekukazi yakho mayikhulume izwi enkosini yami, inkosi.”Yathi: “Khuluma.”
13. Wathi-ke owesifazane: “Uqambeleni okunjalo ngabantu bakaNkulunkulu na? Ngokukhuluma leli zwi inkosi injengonecala, lokhu inkosi ingabuyisi oxoshiweyo wayo.
14. Ngokuba simelwe ukufa, sinjengamanzi achithwa emhlabathini, angenakuqoqwa futhi; uNkulunkulu akasusi ukuphila, kepha uqamba amasu ukuba oxoshiweyo angabi ngumxoshwa kuye.
15. “Ngalokho-ke lokhu ngize ukukhuluma leli zwi enkosini yami, inkosi, kungokuba abantu bengesabisile; incekukazi yakho yayisithi: ‘Mangikhulume enkosini; mhlawumbe inkosi iyakwenza izwi lencekukazi yayo.
16. Ngokuba inkosi iyakuzwa, yophule incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu oyakungichitha mina nendodana yami efeni likaNkulunkulu.’
17. “Yayisithi incekukazi yakho: ‘Izwi lenkosi yami, inkosi, malibe ngelokuthula, ngokuba inkosi yami, inkosi, injengengelosi kaNkulunkulu ekuzweni okuhle nokubi; uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho makabe nawe.’ ”
18. Yayisiphendula inkosi, yathi kowesifazane: “Ake ungafihli lutho kimi engiyakulubuza mina kuwe.”Wathi owesifazane: “Mayikhulume inkosi yami, inkosi.”
19. Yathi-ke inkosi: “Isandla sikaJowabe sinawe yini kukho konke lokhu na?”Owesifazane waphendula wathi: “Kuphila kwakho, nkosi yami, nkosi, akukho muntu ongaphendukela ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo kukho konke okukhulunywe yinkosi yami, inkosi, ngokuba inceku yakho uJowabe yangiyaleza, yafunza onke lawo mazwi emlonyeni wencekukazi yakho;
20. uJowabe inceku yakho wenzile lokho ukuba aphendukezele ubuso bendaba; inkosi yami ihlakaniphile njengokuhlakanipha kwengelosi kaNkulunkulu ukwazi konke okusemhlabeni.”
21. Inkosi yayisithi kuJowabe: “Bheka-ke, yenza lokhu: hamba ubuyise umfana u-Abisalomu.”