1 Emva koko uAbhasalom wazifunela inqwelo namahashe kunye namashumi amahlanu amadoda awankcunkca phambili.
2 Wayedla ngokuvuka ekuseni, aye kuma ngasendleleni eya esangweni lesixeko. Wayedla ngokuthi xa kufika umntu oze nesimangalo komkhulu, ambize, ambuze imvelaphi. Kuthi loo mntu akuba ezilandile echaza isizwe sakwaSirayeli avela kuso,
3 uAbhasalom athi: “Ewe, umthetho uyakungqinela, nomcimbi wakho uyavakala, kodwa ukumkani akanaye umntu ongachophela eli tyala.”
4 Wayeqhubeka athi uAbhasalom: “Akwaba ibindim umntu ochophela amatyala kweli lizwe! Bebeya kuza kum bonke nezimangalo zabo, ndibagwebele kakuhle.”
5 Kwakusithi kwakufika umntu aze akhahlele, uAbhasalom amthi hlasi ngesandla, amphakamise, amwole, amange.
6 Loo nto wathi rhoqo ukuyenza kuwo onke amaSirayeli awayesiza komkhulu ematyaleni. Waba ke uyaziba iintliziyo zamaSirayeli ngaloo ndlela.
7 Emva kweminyaka emine uAbhasalom ubhekise kukumkani wathi: “Mhlekazi, ndiyakucela ndikhulule ndiye kuzalisekisa isibhambathiso endasenza *kuNdikhoyo eHebron.
8 Kaloku ndandenze isifungo ngokuya ndandisahlala eGeshuri kwelama-Aram, ndathi uNdikhoyo ndiya kumenzela idini xa andibuyisele ekhaya eJerusalem.”
9 Ukumkani wathi kuye: “Hamba ngoxolo.”Wesuka ke wemka uAbhasalom waya eHebron.
10 Kanti wayeshiye ethume oongcothoza kuzo zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli esithi: “Xa nithe neva umtyangampo wesigodlo, ze nithi: ‘UAbhasalom ungukumkani eHebron!’ ”
11 UAbhasalom wakhatshwa ngamakhulu amabini amadoda ukuya kwakhe eHebron esuka eJerusalem. Ahamba ngesimemo engazi nto wona phofu ngeli yelenqe.
12 Kwathi xa uAhitofele waseGilo, iphakathi likakumkani uDavide, laliye kokwalo eGilo, lisiya kunyusa amadini, uAbhasalom wathuma isigidimi kuye, embiza. Iyelenqe lokuvukela ukumkani laya likhula, namanani eqela lika-Abhasalom aya esanda ngokwanda.
13 Kwafika isigidimi kuDavide, sathi: “Iintliziyo zamadoda akwaSirayeli zijikile, zilandela uAbhasalom.”
14 Ke uDavide wathi kumaphakathi akhe onke awayeseJerusalem: “Masibaleke kusengoku, kuba asiyi kusinda kuAbhasalom. Masikhawuleze simke, hleze asihlasele ngephanyazo, asihlisele ububi, abulale abemi balo mzi ngekrele.”
15 Aphendula ngelithi amaphakathi kuDavide: “Makube njengokubona kwakho, mhlekazi; thina zicaka zakho sesilungile.”
16 Wanduluka ke ukumkani nalo lonke usapho lwakhe. Kwasala ishumi labafazi elalingamaqadi, agcina umzi wakomkhulu.
17 Ukumkani kunye nabantu awayehamba nabo bathi bakufika ngakwindlu yokugqibela bakha bathi xha apho.
18 Onke amaphakathi akhe ema ngakuye lo gama abalindi bakhe abangamaKreti namaPleti badlulayo ngaphambi kwakhe. Emva koko kuze amakhulu amathandathu amadoda omkhosi owamlandela ukusuka eGati.
19 Kwesi sithuba ke ukumkani uthe kuItayi waseGati: “Ulapha nawe? Ufunani emva kwam? Hamba uye kungenelela kulaa kumkani mtsha; kaloku ungumntu wasemzini wena, imbacu eyasaba amawayo.
20 Hayi, mandingambhadulisi umntu ofika izolo! Andikazi nalapho ndiya kuphelela khona. Jika, wena kunye nala madoda akuni. Akwaba inceba nenyaniso yaba nawe.”
21 UItayi wamphendula ukumkani wathi: “Mhlekazi, ekho nje *uNdikhoyo, ikho nje inkosi yam ukumkani, inene, apho iya khona inkosi yam ukumkani, nam sicaka sakho ndiya kuya khona, nditsho nokuba kusebomini nokuba kusekufeni.”
22 UDavide wathi kuItayi: “Kulungile ke, yitsho ungena endleleni.” Waba ke njalo uItayi kunye namadoda eqela lakhe nosapho lwakhe lonke balandela uDavide.
23 Kwahlokoma ilizwe sisikhalo ekumkeni kukaDavide nabantu bakhe. Wenjenjeya ukumkani ukuya kuwela umlanjana iKedron, elandelwa ngabantu bonke, baya kutsho entlango.
24 Wayelapho phakathi kwabo uZadoki umbingeleli, ekunye nabaLevi, bethwele ityesi yomnqophiso kaThixo. Bayibeka phantsi ngakuAbhiyatare, bayilinda kwada kwaphuma wonke umntu esixekweni.
25 Emva koko wathi kuZadoki ukumkani: “Le tyesi kaThixo yibuyisele kwasesixekweni. Ukuba uNdikhoyo undigcinile ndobuya ndiyibone kwakhona isendaweni yayo.
26 Kodwa ke ukuba uNdikhoyo uthe kum: ‘Andaneliseki nguwe,’ ndim lo, makandenze loo nto ikholekileyo emehlweni akhe.”
27 Uqhube wenjenje ukumkani ebhekisa kuZadoki umbingeleli: “Uyayibona imeko, wena ungahamba ngoku, ubuyele esixekweni kunye noAbhiyatare, nihambe kunye nâbo bafana babini, lowo wakho uAhimazi kunye noJonatan unyana ka-Abhiyatare.
28 Uyabona, mna ndiya kulinda phaya emazibukweni entlango, kude kufike ilizwi elivela kuwe lokundazisa.”
29 Ke uZadoki noAbhiyatare babuyela eJerusalem, bethwele ityesi yomnqophiso, baza bahlala apho.
30 UDavide wahamba elila ukunyuka kwakhe iNtaba yemiNquma, egqubuthele, engafakanga nto nasezinyaweni. Bonke ababehamba naye nabo babegqubuthele, behamba belila.
31 Waxelelwa uDavide kwathiwa: “Naye uAhitofele ukwicala labavukeli kunye noAbhasalom.” Ke uDavide wathandaza wathi: “Uzuwaphanzise, Ndikhoyo, amacebo ka-Ahitofele!”
32 Uthe uDavide xa aqabela encochoyini yenduli, efika apho kwakunqulwa khona, wafika elindelwe nguHushayi umArki, etsho ngezambatho ezikrazukileyo, intloko inomhlaba.
33 UDavide wathi kuye: “Akukho nto uya kundinceda ngayo xa uhamba kunye nam.
34 Kanti ke xa ubuyela kwasesixekweni uya kundinceda uphanzise amacebo ka-Ahitofele, ufike uthi kuAbhasalom: ‘Ndisisicaka sakho, mhlekazi kumkani! Bendifudula ndisisicaka sikayihlo, kodwa ngoku ndisisicaka sakho.’
35 UZadoki noAbhiyatare ababingeleli uya kufika bekho nako; uze uyixele kubo yonke intshukumo yakomkhulu.
36 Bakho nabo ooAhimazi unyana kaZadoki noJonatan unyana ka-Abhiyatare; wondazisa ngako konke okuvileyo komkhulu.”
37 Wenjenjeya uHushayi, umhlobo kaDavide, ukuya esixekweni, waya kufika kanye xa uAbhasalom angenayo eJerusalem.