1 UJowabhi waxelelwa kwathiwa: “Uyabona, ukumkani uzilile, elilela uAbhasalom.”
2 Ngaloo mini uvuyo loloyiso lwajika lwaba lusizi kuwo wonke umkhosi kaDavide, kuba eva kusithiwa: “Ukumkani uzilile ngenxa yonyana wakhe.”
3 Loo mkhosi wabuyela edolophini unyoshoza oku komkhosi obaleke edabini.
4 Wazigquma ubuso ukumkani, watsho esikrakra isikhalo, esithi: “Yini umntwana wam uAbhasalom! Abhasalom, nyana wam, nyana wam!”
5 Wasuka uJowabhi, waya endlwini kakumkani, wafika wathi kukumkani: “Namhlanje uwaphoxile amadoda omkhosi wakho, nditsho amadoda asindise ubomi bakho, ubomi boonyana neentombi zakho, nabafazi bakho namaqadi akho.
6 Abo bakuthiyileyo uyabathanda, uze abo bakuthandayo ubathiye. Kucace gca ukuba izinxiba-mxhaka zakho kwakunye namadoda omkhosi akuzikhathalele. Ndiyabona ukuba namhlanje ngewuvuya ukuba ebengafanga uAbhasalom, kufe thina endaweni yakhe.
7 Hamba ke ngoku, uye kuthetha nawo uwancome la madoda, kuba ngomso kusasa kobe kungekho nanye kuwo ehamba nawe, xa ungayenzanga loo nto. Ndifunga *uNdikhoyo! Loo nto ke yoba lelona shwangusha wakha wanalo ebomini bakho ukususela ebutsheni bakho ukuza kuthi ga ngoku.”
8 Usukile ukumkani, waya kuhlala ngasesangweni lesixeko. Axelelwa onke amadoda kwathiwa: “Ukumkani uhleli ngasesangweni.” Abuthelana ngakukumkani ke amadoda omkhosi wakhe.Ngeli xesha ayeselebalekile onke amaSirayeli, indoda nganye iye kowayo.
9 Afika axabana odwa kuwo wonke loo mmandla. Kwakukho athi: “UDavide wawasindisa kwiintshaba zawo amaSirayeli, wawahlangula esandleni samaFilistiya. Ngoku ubaleke uAbhasalom, walishiya lodwa ilizwe.
10 UAbhasalom esamthambisa waba ngukumkani wethu, ngoku ufele edabini. Ke kutheni kuthe cwaka nje malunga nokuphuthunywa kukakumkani uDavide?”
11 Ukumkani uDavide wathumela kooZadoki noAbhiyatare ababingeleli, wathi: “Thethani namadoda amakhulu akwaJuda nithi: ‘Kutheni nina nibe ngabokugqibela ukubuyisela ukumkani kwibhotwe lakhe? Kaloku okuthethwayo ngamaSirayeli onke kufikile kukumkani endlwini yakhe.
12 Kanti nina niyazalana naye, niligazi lakhe.’
13 Yithini kuAmasa mna naye siyazalana, yaye uThixo uya kuba nento andenzayo, nditsho nokuba iqatha kangakanani, ukuba andimenzi injengele yomkhosi wam yonke imihla yobomi bam esikhundleni sikaJowabhi.”
14 Loo mlomo kaDavide wazitsalela kuye iintliziyo zamadoda onke akwaJuda, aba mxhelo-mnye, aza athumela kukumkani athi: “Buyela ekhaya, wena kunye nabo bonke abantu abanawe.”
15 Wabuya ukumkani, waya kufika kumlambo iJordan, wahlangatyezwa ngamadoda akwaJuda, awayeze kumkhawulela eGiligali amkhaphe ukuwela loo mlambo.
16 Kwangelo xesha uShimeyi unyana kaGera wakwaBhenjamin eBhawurim, waphuthuma ukuya kuhlangabeza ukumkani uDavide eJordan.
17 Wayehamba newaka lamadoda esizwe sakwaBhenjamin. UZibha, isicaka sakwakumkani uSawule, naye wayeze noonyana bakhe bolishumi linantlanu kunye namashumi amabini ezicaka, bakhawuleza bafika eJordan apho engekafiki ukumkani.
18 Bawuwela umlambo ukuya kuphuthuma iqela likakumkani, bancede nakuloo nto ukumkani afuna yenziwe.Kuthe xa ukumkani ezilungiselela ukuwela iJordan, weza uShimeyi, wazikhahlela phambi kwakhe,
19 wathi: “Mhlekazi, ndixolele into endakwenza yona ngamhla uyishiya iJerusalem. Musukuba sandixhiba, ungabi sayicinga konke loo nto.
20 Ndiyazi ukuba ndakona, mhlekazi. Yiyo ke loo nto ndingowokuqala kwindlu kaJosefu ukuza kufika apha, ndikukhawulele namhlanje.”
21 Kwathetha uAbhishayi, unyana kaZeruya, wathi: “Makabulawe uShimeyi lo ngokuqalekisa umthanjiswa *kaNdikhoyo.”
22 UDavide wathi: “Yintoni endidibanisa nani, bonyana bakaZeruya? Kutheni le nto nifana neentshaba kum namhlanje? Kaloku ndim ngoku ukumkani wakwaSirayeli; ngoko ke akukho mSirayeli uya kubulawa namhlanje.”
23 Uqhube wathi ebhekisa kuShimeyi: “Akuyi kufa.” Waza ke ukumkani wathembisa oku ngesifungo.
24 Kufike uMefibhoshete, umzukulwana kaSawule, naye eze kukhawulela ukumkani. Wayengazange azihlambe iinyawo, achebe amabhovu, nezambatho sezawagqibela kudala amanzi, okoko wemkayo eJerusalem uDavide kude kuze kuba yile mini abuya noloyiso.
25 Uthe akufika evela eJerusalem, wathi kuye ukumkani: “Mefibhoshete, kwakutheni ukuze ungahambi nam?”
26 Uphendule ngelithi uMefibhoshete: “Mhlekazi, nkosi yam, uyazi ukuba ndisisiqhwala. Ndathi isicaka sam uZibha masibophe idonki ndihambe ngayo ndikukhaphe, kodwa sona sasuka sandiphoxa.
27 Saza kuxoka ngam kuwe, mhlekazi. Kambe ke wena mhlekazi, nkosi yam, usisithunywa sikaThixo – yenza loo nto ubona ifanele.
28 Kwathi umzi kabawo umelwe kukubulawa, wena wathi mandiye kuhlala kwakho. Andisenako nokuba ndibe sacela isisa kuwe ngoku, mhlekazi.”
29 Ukumkani wathi kuye: “Musa ukuba sathetha; ndigqibe kwelokuba wena noZibha nahlulelane ngomhlaba kaSawule.”
30 UMefibhoshete wathi kukumkani: “Makakuthathe konke uZibha, mhlekazi. Mna ndixolile kukubona wena ubuyela ekhaya.”
31 UBhazilayi waseGiliyadi wayekho naye, evela eRogelim, eze kuphuthuma ukumkani eJordan.
32 Wayesele eyinkonde emashumi asibhozo ubudala. Wayesisityebi, esoloko emondla ukumkani ngokuya wayeseMahanayim.
33 Ukumkani wathi kuBhazilayi: “Masiye eJerusalem, wondliwe ndim wena ngoku.”
34 Uthe uBhazilayi: “Mhlekazi, seyimbalwa imihla yokudla kwam ubomi; ndiza kuba sahambela ntoni ukuya nokumkani eJerusalem?
35 Sendimashumi asibhozo ubudala; akusekho nto imnandi nembi kum. Ukutya nento eselwayo azisenancasa kum; andisawuva nomculo weemvumi neemvumikazi. Ndingasuka ndibe ngumthwalo kuwe ngoku, mhlekazi, nkosi yam.
36 Noko andikufanelanga ukuba ukumkani andivuze ngolo hlobo. Ndiza kuhamba nje ithutyana, ndikukhaphe uwele iJordan,
37 emva koko ndijike ndigoduke, ndiye kufela ngakumathambo kabawo noma. Nasi isicaka sakho uKimam; ungahamba naso, mhlekazi, usenzele loo nto wena ubona ukuba isilungele.”
38 Uthe ukuphendula ukumkani: “Makahambe nam uKimam; ndomenzela into efunwa nguwe. Wena ndingakwenzela nantoni na oyifunayo.”
39 Wayiwela ke iJordan ukumkani uDavide nawo onke amadoda omkhosi wakhe. Uthe akuba ngaphesheya wajika wanga uBhazilayi, wamthamsanqela, waza ke uBhazilayi wajika wagoduka.
40 Uthe akuwela ukumkani ekhatshwa ngawo onke amadoda akwaJuda nenxalenye yamadoda akwaSirayeli, waya eGiligali. Wayelapho noKimam.
41 Emva koko amaSirayeli onke aya kukumkani, afika athi: “Mhlekazi, ngaba abantakwethu abaya bakwaJuda babuthathe phi ubuganga bokukuthatha eJordan nomzi wakho uphela?”
42 Onke amadoda akwaJuda awaphendula awakwaSirayeli athi: “Loo nto siyenze ngenxa yokuba nathi sibanye nokumkani. Yintoni ke ekhathazayo kuloo nto, engasihlawuleli nakutya nje, kungekho nanto asenzele yona?”
43 Aphendula amadoda akwaSirayeli athi kumadoda akwaJuda: “Sinebango eliphindwe kalishumi kunani kukumkani. Ke ngoko sinelungelo kuye kunani. Ngani ke ukuba nisidele? Sanukulibala ukuba sithi kaloku esathetha kuqala ngokulandwa kukakumkani.”Amadoda akwaJuda ayegadlela wona kunamaSirayeli ekwenzeni elawo ibango ngokumkani.