1 Kwesi sithuba uJowabhi unyana kaZeruya waphawula ukuba ukumkani uDavide wayeselenxubile kukukhumbula uAbhasalom.
2 Wathumela abantu eTokowa, ukuya kulanda khona mfazi uthile wayeliqhajazana elilumkileyo. Akuba efikile wathi kuye uJowabhi: “Ndifuna uzenze umntu ozilileyo, unxibe iimpahla zokuzila, ungathambisi, ube ngathi kudala wafelwayo,
3 uze uye kukumkani, ufike umxelele le nto ndifuna uyithethe kuye.” Watsho emnika amazwi amakawathethe kukumkani.
4 Waya ke kukumkani loo mfazi waseTekowa, wafika wawa ngamadolo, ekhahlela, wathi: “Ndincede, mhlekazi!”
5 Ukumkani wathi kuye: “Ngaba ukhathazwa yintoni?”Uthe ukuphendula loo mfazi: “Mhlekazi, ndingumhlolokazi; ndibhujelwe yindoda.
6 Yaye bendinoonyana ababini. Ngenye imini baxabana besemadlelweni, kwathi ngenxa yokuba kwakungekho mlamli, balwa wabethwa wafa omnye unyana wam.
7 Ngoku ke, mhlekazi, abantu basemzini wam bonke bandivukele besithi: ‘Mnikezele lo ubulele umntakwabo, khon' ukuze sibuyekeze ukufa komntakwabo lo ambuleleyo, kungabi sabakho ndlalifa.’ Ewe, bafuna ukuyicima igama impunde ebesendijonge ukuba yiyo eya kuvusa igama likayise, ivuse nomzi wakowayo.”
8 “Kulungile, ungagoduka, ndiza kunika umyalelo ngokubhekiselele kuwo lo mcimbi,” utshilo ukumkani kuloo mfazi.
9 “Mhlekazi, nkosi yam, mayibe ndim kunye nabantu bakowethu abathwele ityala ngale nto; yena ukumkani kunye nolawulo lwakhe makabe msulwa,” uqokele watsho loo mfazi waseTekowa.
10 Ukumkani wathi: “Umntu ophinde wakuthethisa uze uze naye apha kum; akasobe aphinde akuthi cha kwakhona.”
11 Umfazi lowo wathi: “Nceda, mhlekazi, uthandaze *kuNdikhoyo uThixo wakho ukuba abaphindezeli bangambulali umntwana wam, ndize ndisale ndingenanyana.”Yena wathi: “Ehleli nje uNdikhoyo, akukho bani uya kumthi cha nakancinane unyana wakho!”
12 Umfazi wathi: “Mhlekazi, nceda usivumele isicakakazi sakho, sibe nelizwi esilibhekisa kuwe.”“Ewe, thetha,” utshilo ukumkani.
13 Wathi ke loo mfazi: “Ke, mhlekazi, uyenzeleni into efana nale kangaka kubantu bakaThixo? Kaloku, mhlekazi, uzigweba ngokwakho ngale ntetho yakho, kuba kwawena akuvumi abuyele ekhaya unyana wakho obhacileyo.
14 Sonke simelwe kukufa, siphalale njengamanzi angenakubuya akhiwe. Kambe uThixo akawucimi umphefumlo, koko wenza icebo lokuba obhacileyo ambuyise.
15 Into endizise kuwe, mhlekazi, ngabantu abandisongelayo; ndiziswe lithemba lokuba uya kundenzela loo nto ndiyicelayo kuwe.
16 Bendisazi ukuba uya kundiva, mhlekazi, undihlangule kunye nomntwana wam kubantu abafuna ukusicima singabikho phakathi kwabantu abemi kumhlaba abawunikwa nguThixo ukuze ube lilifa lethu.
17 “Bendisazi ukuba uya kuthetha nje kutsho kuphele amaxhala kum, kuba wena, mhlekazi, uyakwazi ukwahlula okuhle kokubi kanye njengesithunywa sikaThixo. Wanga ke uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho angaba nawe.”
18 Kwesi sithuba ukumkani uphendule lo mfazi wathi: “Ndinombuzo endinawo; uze ungakhe ulinge undifihlele impendulo.”“Mhlekazi, ungandibuza nantoni na,” utshilo loo mfazi.
19 Ukumkani wathi: “Asikho na isandla sikaJowabhi kule nto?”Umfazi waphendula wathi: “Ngenene, ukho nje, mhlekazi nkosi yam, uchane ucwethe; okuthethileyo kunjalo; ewe, liphakathi lakho uJowabhi lo undihlohle la mazwi.
20 Kambe le nto isicaka sakho uJowabhi uyenze ngeenjongo zokulungisa. Hayi, ndincamile, mhlekazi; ulwazi lwakho lufana nolwesithunywa sikaThixo, sona sazi konke okwenzekayo elizweni.”
21 Emva koko ke ukumkani uDavide ubhekise kuJowabhi wathi: “Kulungile ke, ndiya kukhululela; hamba uye kumlanda laa mfana uAbhasalom.”
22 Waziphosa phantsi ke uJowabhi ekhahlela, edomboza ebulela ukumkani, wenjenje: “Ngoku isicaka sakho siyazi ukuba uyakholiseka siso, mhlekazi nkosi yam, kuba undenzele isicelo sam.”
23 Wasuka ke uJowabhi wenjenjeya ukusinga eGeshuri, esiya kulanda uAbhasalom, weza naye eJerusalem.
24 Akuba efikile ukumkani wathi: “Makaye kuzihlalela endlwini yakhe uAbhasalom; akafuneki nganto apha kum ebhotwe.” Waya kuzihlalela emzini wakhe ke uAbhasalom, akaba savela phambi kokumkani.
25 Kwakungekho bani wayenokufaniswa noAbhasalom ngobunzwana kuye wonke uSirayeli. Wayeyinzwana engenasiphako ukusuka entendeni yonyawo lwakhe kuye kutsho phezulu entloko.
26 Wayesithi akucheba intloko (nto leyo wayeyenza minyaka le, kuba zazisuka zibe nde kakhulu iinwele zakhe) aziveyishe ezo nwele, zibe sisibini seekhilogram ubunzima ngokomlinganiselo owawusetyenziswa komkhulu.
27 Wayenoonyana abathathu uAbhasalom, kunye nentombi eyayinguTamare igama, inzwakazi enomkhitha.
28 Kwadlula iminyaka emibini eseJerusalem uAbhasalom, kodwa engekabonani nokumkani.
29 Ke uAbhasalom wabiza uJowabhi ukuze amthume kukumkani. Wala ukuza yena uJowabhi. Waphinda wathumela okwesibini, wala kwakhona uJowabhi.
30 Uthe ke kwizicaka zakhe uAbhasalom: “Intsimi kaJowabhi nantsiya inengqolowa ngakuleya yakuthi; yiyani niyintumeke umlilo.” Zaya, zayitshisa intsimi kaJowabhi izicaka zika-Abhasalom.
31 Wasuka ke uJowabhi waya kwa-Abhasalom, wafika wathi kuye: “Ziyitshiseleni izicaka zakho intsimi yam?”
32 UAbhasalom wathi kuJowabhi: “Bendithumele abantu kuwe ndisithi mawuze apha ukuze ndikuthume kukumkani undibuzele uthi: ‘Ndibuyele ntoni eGeshuri? Bekukuhle ndibe ndiselapho nangoku.’ Ngoku ke ndifuna ukubonana nokumkani, ukuze athi, ukuba ndisenetyala, andibulale, ndife kube kanye.”
33 UJowabhi undulukile waya kukumkani, wafika wamxelela oko. Uthe ukumkani makabizwe uAbhasalom. Uthe akufika kukumkani uAbhasalom waqubuda phambi kokumkani ekhahlela ubuso ebujongise emhlabeni, waza yena ukumkani wamanga.