1 Wathi uAhitofele kuAbhasalom: “Ndivumele ndikhethe ishumi elinambini lamawaka amadoda, ndiphume ngobu busuku, ndimsukele uDavide.
2 Ndifuna ukumhlasela esadiniwe nje, emi nematha. Ndifuna ukuwothusa abaleke la madoda ahamba naye. Ndifuna ukubulala ukumkani kuphela,
3 ndiwazise kuwe onke amanye amadoda. Andithi mnye qha lo mntu ufuna ukumbulala, bonke abanye babuye bephila?”
4 Lavakala njengecebo eliphilileyo eli kuAbhasalom nakumadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli xa ewonke.
5 Uthe uAbhasalom: “Khanibize kwanoHushayi umArki, silive nelakhe icebo.”
6 Uthe akufika uHushayi uAbhasalom wamchazela iqhinga lika-Ahitofele, waza wathi: “Utsho ke uAhitofele; uthini wena?”
7 UHushayi wathi kuAbhasalom: “Hayi, mhlekazi, kwesi sihlandlo kum ngathi alilihle iqhinga lika-Ahitofele konke.
8 Wazi kakuhle ukuba uyihlo uDavide neqela lakhe ngamadoda aqhele ukulwa, yaye bayakhwankqisa, ngathi yimazi yebhere inxakamela amathole ayo. Uwaqhelile amadabi uyihlo, ngoko ke akahlali ndawonye nomkhosi wakhe ebusuku.
9 Ngoku ndithethayo ngahle uzimele mqolombeni uthile, okanye uthe nca ndaweni ithile. Ukuba yena uthe waba ngowokuqala ukuhlasela amadoda akho, abakuvayo oko baya kusuka bathi: ‘Axheliwe amadoda ka-Abhasalom.’
10 Ndithi nawona madoda aziingonyama ukukhalipha aya kunkwantya, kuba kwaSirayeli uyihlo udume ngokulwa, yaye nomkhosi wakhe ngamagorha.
11 “Mna ke ndicebisa ukuba uwaqokelele onke amaSirayeli kulo lonke eli, ukususela kwaDan kuye kutsho eBheshebha, abe maninzi ngokungathi yintlabathi yaselwandle, uze uwakhokele wena ngenkqu ukuya edabini.
12 UDavide yena somfuna apho azimele khona, simhlasele okombethe olele kwiindawo zonke, kungasindi namnye kuye nakuloo madoda onke anaye.
13 Uya kuba ngaya dolophini ithile, sifike nalapho singamaSirayeli, sithandele ngeentambo, sizitsale ezo ndonga zidilike, ziye kuthi didli ezantsi entilini, kude kungabikho nalinye ilitye apho.”
14 UAbhasalom namadoda onke akwaSirayeli bathi: “Icebo likaHushayi umArki lelona lilungileyo kunelika-Ahitofele.” Yayisisigqibo *sikaNdikhoyo kakade ukuba maliphanze icebo lika-Ahitofele, khon' ukuze aze kuhlelwa lishwangusha uAbhasalom.
15 Usuke apho uHushayi waya kwazisa ooZadoki noAbhiyatare ababingeleli ngeqhinga yena acebise ngalo uAbhasalom namadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli kwanangelo lalivela kuAhitofele.
16 Uqhube wathi: “Ke ngoko khawulezani nithumele kuDavide, nithi kuye: ‘Uze ungahlali phaya ngakumazibuko asentlango ngobu busuku. Welela ngaphesheya kweJordan, hleze ukumkani nabantu bonke abanaye bacinywe.’ ”
17 UJonatan kunye noAhimazi babehlala belinde kulaa mthombo wase-En-rogele, kuba bekungafuneki babonwe bengena esixekweni. Kwathunywa isicakazana, saya kubaxelela, baza bona baya kwazisa ukumkani uDavide.
18 Kodwa babhaqwa yinkwenkwana eyaya kuxelela uAbhasalom. Bakhawuleza ke bemka kuloo ndawo, baya kuzimela mzini wasemathileni eBhawurim. Kwakukho iqula ngakuloo mzi, baza ke baya kuhlala ngaphakathi kwalo.
19 Inkosikazi yalapho yathatha into, yaligquma ngayo, yaneka imbewu ngaphezulu, ukuze kungabikho bani urhanela nto.
20 Afika apho kuloo mzi amaphakathi ka-Abhasalom, athi kuloo mfazi: “Baphi ooAhimazi noJonatan?”Waphendula ngelithi loo mfazi: “Bagqithe apha, baya ngasemlanjeni.” Loo maphakathi afuna, afuna, ada ancama, abuyela kwaseJerusalem.
21 Akuba emkile loo madoda, baphuma kwelo qula ooAhimazi noJonatan, basa udaba ababeluthunyiwe kuDavide. Bamxelela ngeyelenqe lika-Ahitofele, batsho besithi: “Phakama ukhawuleze uwelele ngaphesheya komlambo.”
22 Bawela ke ooDavide namaphakathi, kwathi kusisa babe bengaphesheya kweJordan bonke.
23 Uthe akubona uAhitofele ukuba iqhinga lakhe alisiwanga so, suka wakhwela idonki yakowabo, wagoduka esinga kweyakubo idolophu. Uthe nje ukuba agqibe ukulungisa imicimbi yakhe, waya wazixhoma wafa. Ungcwatyelwe apho kumangcwaba ooyise-mkhulu.
24 Wayeselefikile uDavide kwidolophu yaseMahanayim, ngexesha yena uAbhasalom namaSirayeli onke awayenaye bawela iJordan.
25 UAbhasalom wenza uAmasa injengele yomkhosi esikhundleni sikaJowabhi. UAmasa wayengunyana kaYetere umSirayeli, ezalwa nguAbhigeli intombi kaNahashe, engudade boZeruya unina kaJowabhi.
26 UAbhasalom namaSirayeli bazimisa iintente zabo kummandla waseGiliyadi.
27 UDavide ukufika kwakhe eMahanayim wayehlangatyezwa nguShobhi unyana kaNahashe owayevela kwidolophu iRabha kwelama-Amon, nanguMakire unyana ka-Amiyeli waseLodebhare, noBhazilayi umGiliyadi waseRogelim.
28 Babephethe iimandlalo, izitya, neengqayi, kunye nengqolowa, nerhasi, nomgubo, nogcado, neembotyi, neentlumayo, nokunye ukutya okugcadiweyo,
29 nobusi, nebhotolo, neegusha, netshizi yobisi lweenkomo. Konke oku babekuphathele ukuxhasa uDavide nabantu bakhe, kuba babesithi: “Aba bantu balambile, badiniwe, banxaniwe nokunxanwa apha entlango.”