1 UDavide uwaqokelele onke amadoda omkhosi wakhe, wawahlula-hlula, wawamisela izinxiba-mxhaka eziphethe amajoni aliwaka neziphethe amajoni alikhulu.
2 Emva koko umkhosi uwahlule waba ngamaqela amathathu, elinye liphethwe nguJowabhi, elinye nguAbhishayi umntakwabo-Jowabhi, elinye liphethwe nguItayi waseGati. Ke uDavide wathi kumkhosi wakhe: “Nam ngenkqu ndiza kuphuma kunye nani.”
3 Amadoda omkhosi athi: “Hayi, mhlekazi, mus' ukuya edabini. Akungebi lutho xa utshaba luswantsulisa thina, nokuba kungade kuwe isiqingatha sethu, kodwa ubukho bakho bufana neshumi lamawaka amadoda. Kuhle ke ukuba usale apha esixekweni, uze ukwazi ukusithumela amancedo.”
4 Ukumkani wathi kubo: “Kulungile ke, mandenze loo nto ikholekileyo kuni.” Wema ngasesangweni, ewajongile ukunduluka kwawo, ephuma engamaqela amajoni alikhulu naliwaka.
5 Ukumkani wabayalela ooJowabhi noAbhishayi kunye noItayi, wathi: “Nize nindincede niyiphathe kakuhle laa ntwana inguAbhasalom.” Loo myalelo kaDavide awayewubhekisa kwiinjengele weviwa ngawo onke amadoda omkhosi.
6 Wenjenjeya umkhosi kaDavide ukuya kuqubisana namaSirayeli endle ngakwihlathi lakwaEfrayim, zanqoza.
7 AmaSirayeli oyiswa ngumkhosi kaDavide. Abethwa kakubi, kwasala apho edabini amawaka angamashumi amabini.
8 Idabi layigqiba yonke loo ndawo, uninzi lwafela ehlathini, lwangaphezulu kwabo babefele edabini.
9 UAbhasalom wagaxeleka phakathi kweqela lamadoda kaDavide. Wayekhwele embongolweni. Kuthe xa ithubeleza ngaphantsi kom-oki omkhulu, wabambeka ngentloko kuloo masebe omthi. Yabaleka yemka imbongolo, wasala yena ejinga emoyeni.
10 Wabonwa ngumfo othile owaxelela uJowabhi wathi: “UAbhasalom ndimbone ejinga emthini wom-oki.”
11 Uthe uJowabhi kuloo ndoda: “Xa umbonileyo kutheni ukuze ungambulali kwangoko nje? Mna bendiya kukuhlawula ngeshumi leesiliva, ndikuthi jize ngomxhaka ngaphezu koko.”
12 Loo mfo uphendule uJowabhi ngelithi: “Nokuba ubungade undihlawule iwaka leesiliva, bendingasoze ndimse sandla mna unyana kakumkani wam. Kaloku simve ngezethu iindlebe ukumkani ngokuya ebekuyala wena noAbhishayi noItayi esithi: ‘Nokuba ngubani na azayikhusele laa ntwana uAbhasalom.’
13 Ukuba bendenze ubugwenxa ndambulala uAbhasalom, ubeza kuyiva loo nto ukumkani, yaye akukho nto ifihlakeleyo kuye, ube wena ungayi kundithethelela.”
14 UJowabhi wathi: “Hayi, andizi kudla xesha apha ngawe.” Uthathe iintshuntshe zantathu, wamgwaza ngazo entliziyweni uAbhasalom esaphila, ejinga kuloo mthi wom-oki.
15 Emva koko kwafika ishumi lamadoda omkhosi kaJowabhi, amjikeleza uAbhasalom, amhlaba amgqibezela.
16 Uthe uJowabhi makuvuthelwe isigodlo, iphele imfazwe, abuye amadoda awayesukela amaSirayeli.
17 Awuthatha umzimba ka-Abhasalom, awuphosa emngxunyeni omkhulu owawulapho ehlathini, awugqumelela ngemfumba enkulu yamatye. Abaleka onke amaSirayeli, yayileyo indoda yajonga kowayo.
18 Esaphila uAbhasalom wayezenzele ilitye lesikhumbuzo kwiNtili kaKumkani, kuba wayesithi: “Andinanyana oza kuvusa igama lam.” Walithiya ngegama lakhe. Unanamhla oku kusathiwa lilitye lesikhumbuzo lika-Abhasalom ukubizwa kwalo.
19 Emva koko uAhimazi, unyana kaZadoki, wathi kuJowabhi: “Mandikhawuleze ndise kukumkani iindaba zovuyo zokuba *uNdikhoyo umgwebele wamkhulula kwiintshaba zakhe.”
20 UJowabhi wathi kuye: “Hayi, akukho zindaba zovuyo uya kuzisa kukumkani namhlanje. Loo nto uya kuyenza ngenye imini. Kaloku unyana kakumkani ufile.”
21 Waza ke uJowabhi wathi kumfo waseKushe: “Yiya kuxelela ukumkani oko ukubonileyo.” Wakhahlela umKushe, wangena endleleni.
22 UAhimazi unyana kaZadoki waphinda wathi kuJowabhi: “Kungehla okuhlayo, ndiyeke ndingene endleleni emva kwaloo mKushe.”“Kutheni wafuna ukuya ngokwakho kukumkani? Akukho mvuzo aza kukunika wona phofu,” utshilo uJowabhi.
23 “Ndithe kuwe kungehla okuhlayo, ndifuna ukuhamba,” utshilo uAhimazi.Ke uJowabhi wathi: “Thatha khona!” Wasuka ke uAhimazi wangena endleleni, waya kuthi gubhu kulaa ntili yeJordan, wamshiya endleleni umKushe lowo.
24 UDavide wayehleli kwindawo ephakathi kwamasango angaphakathi nawangaphandle kwesixeko. Kwesuka umlindi waya kukhwela phezu kodonga lwesixeko, wema ngapha kophahla lwesango, wondela, wabona kukho indoda ehamba yodwa, ibaleka.
25 Wabhekisa ngezantsi kukumkani, wamxelela, waza ukumkani wathi: “Xa ehamba yedwa uzisa iindaba zovuyo.” Eso sigidimi saya sisondela ngokusondela.
26 Ubuye wabona esinye isigidimi loo mlindi, wabhekisa kumgcini-masango wathi: “Nantso nenye indoda isiza ibaleka iyodwa.”Uthe ukumkani: “Nalowo usekwaza neendaba ezimnandi.”
27 Uthe umlindi: “Ukubaleka kwakhe lo ungaphambili ngathi nguAhimazi unyana kaZadoki.”Ukumkani wathi: “Kowu, lilunga lomfo elo; usiphathele iindaba zovuyo.”
28 UAhimazi wabhekisa kukumkani wathi: “Izinto zihamba kakuhle!” Wafika wakhahlela ejongise ubuso emhlabeni, wathi, “Mbonge uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho! Uboyisile abo bebeyivukela inkosi yam ukumkani!”
29 Ukumkani wathi: “Ngaba usindile umfana uAbhasalom?”Uphendule wathi uAhimazi: “Mhlekazi, ngokuya bendithunywa nguJowabhi iphakathi lakho, ndibone kukho isiphithi-phithi, phofu andingetsho ukuba bekutheni na.”
30 Ukumkani wathi: “Khawume bucala ulinde.” Wahamba ke, waya kuma bucala.
31 Ke kaloku wafika umKushe, wathi kukumkani: “Ndize neendaba zovuyo, mhlekazi, nkosi yam! Namhlanje uNdikhoyo ukugwebele waboyisa bonke abo bebekuvukela.”
32 Ukumkani wathi kumKushe: “Yena umfana uAbhasalom usindile phofu?”UmKushe wathi: “Mhlekazi, bendinga into emhleleyo unyana wakho ibinga ingenzeka kuzo zonke iintshaba zakho, nakwabo bakuvukelayo.”
33 Ukumkani waba nengevane, wenyuka waya kwigumbi eliphezu kwesango, wafika walila. Wayehamba elila, esithi: “Yini umntwana wam! Awu, nyana wam Abhasalom, nyana wam Abhasalom! Akwaba ibindim ofileyo, Abhasalom, nyana wam, nyana wam!”