1 Kwaxelwa kuYowabhi, kwathiwa, Nanko ukumkani elila, esenza isijwili ngoAbhisalom.
2 Usindiso lwajika lwaba sisijwili ngaloo mini ebantwini bonke; ngokuba abantu beva ngaloo mini kusithiwa, Ukumkani wenza isijwili ngonyana wakhe.
3 Abantu banyebeleza ngaloo mini ukungena kwabo phakathi komzi, njengokunyebeleza kwabantu abazihlazisileyo ngokusaba ekulweni.
4 Ke ukumkani wazigqubuthela ubuso, wahlahlamba ukumkani ngezwi elikhulu, wathi, Nyana wam, Abhisalom! Abhisalom, nyana wam, nyana wam!
5 Weza uYowabhi kukumkani endlwini, wathi, Ubudanisile namhla ubuso babakhonzi bakho bonke, abawusindisileyo namhla umphefumlo wakho, nomphefumlo woonyana bakho noweentombi zakho, nomphefumlo wabafazi bakho, nomphefumlo wamashweshwe akho, ngokubathanda abakuthiyayo, nangokubathiya abakuthandayo.
6 Ngokuba ùxelile namhla, ukuba àbanto kuwe abathetheli nabakhonzi; ngokuba ndazile namhla, ukuba ngekulungile emehlweni akho, ukuba úbethe wadla ubomi uAbhisalom, thina safa sonke siphela.
7 Vuka kaloku, uphume, uthethe kakuhle nabakhonzi bakho; ngokuba ndifunga uYehova; ukuba akuthanga uphume, inene, akuyi kuhlala mntu nawe ngobu busuku; kube kubi kuwe oko, ngaphezu kobubi bonke obukufikeleyo, kuthabathela ebuncinaneni bakho kuzise kweli xesha.
8 Wavuka ke ukumkani, wahlala esangweni; kwaxelwa ebantwini bonke, kwathiwa, Nanko ukumkani ehleli esangweni. Beza ke bonke abantu phambi kokumkani.Ke amaSirayeli abesabile, elowo waya ententeni yakhe.
9 Abantu bonke babephikisana ezizweni zonke zakwaSirayeli, besithi, Ukumkani wasisiza esandleni seentshaba zethu, wasisindisa esandleni samaFilisti; ngoku ubalekile kweli lizwe ngenxa ka-Abhisalom;
10 ke uAbhisalom, esamthambisayo ukuba abe phezu kwethu, ufele emfazweni; ke ngoko nithéle cwaka ni na, ukuba ningàmbuyisi nje ukumkani?
11 Ke kaloku ukumkani uDavide wathumela kuTsadoki nakuAbhiyatare ababingeleli, wathi, Thethani kumadoda amakhulu akwaYuda, nithi, Yini na ukuba nibe ngabokugqibela ekumbuyiseleni endlwini yakhe ukumkani, intetho yamaSirayeli onke ifikile nje kukumkani endlwini yakhe?
12 Ningábazalwana bam, nilithambo lam, nenyama yam; yini na ukuba nibe ngabokugqibela ekumbuyiseni ukumkani?
13 Níthi ke kuAmasa, Àkulilo ithambo lam nenyama yam na? UThixo makenjenje kum, aqokele ukwenjenje, ukuba àkuthe waba ngumthetheli womkhosi phambi kwam yonke imihla esikhundleni sikaYowabhi.
14 Wayitsala intliziyo yamadoda onke akwaYuda njengandoda-nye; athumela kukumkani athi, Buya wena, nabakhonzi bakho bonke.
15 Wabuya ke ukumkani, wafika eYordan. Ke amaYuda afika eGiligali, esiya kumkhawulela ukumkani, amweze ukumkani eYordan.
16 UShimehi unyana kaGera, umBhenjamin waseBhahurim, wakhawuleza, wehla namadoda akwaYuda, esiya kumkhawulela ukumkani uDavide,
17 enewaka lamadoda akwaBhenjamin, noTsibha umkhonzi wendlu kaSawule, noonyana bakhe abalishumi elinabahlanu, nabakhonzi bakhe abangamashumi amabini kunye naye; baphumela eYordan phambi kokumkani.
18 Kwawela umkhombe wokuweza, ukuba uyiweze indlu yokumkani, wenze okulungileyo emehlweni akhe. UShimehi, unyana kaGera, wawa phambi kokumkani ekuweleni kwakhe eYordan,
19 wathi kukumkani, Inkosi yam mayingabàleli bugwenxa kum, ungakukhumbuli oko wakwenzayo umkhonzi wakho ngobugwenxa, ngalaa mini yaphuma ngayo inkosi yam ukumkani eYerusalem, ukuba ukumkani akubekele intliziyo oko.
20 Ngokuba umkhonzi wakho lo uyazi, ukuba wóna ngalaa nto; nanku, ndingowokuqala ofikileyo namhla wasendlwini yonke kaYosefu, ukuba ndihle ndiyikhawulele inkosi yam ukumkani.
21 Waphendula uAbhishayi unyana kaTseruya, wathi, UShimehi akayi kubulawa na ngalaa nto, ngokuba wamtshabhisayo umthanjiswa kaYehova?
22 Wathi uDavide, Yintoni na enam nani, nina nyana bakaTseruya, ngokuba ningabachasi bam namhla? Kukho mntu na kwaSirayeli apha uya kubulawa namhla? Ngokuba andazi yini na, ukuba ndingukumkani kwaSirayeli namhlanje?
23 Wathi ukumkani kuShimehi, Akuyi kufa. Ukumkani wamqinisisa ngesifungo.
24 Ke uMefibhoshete, unyana kaSawule, wehla waya kumkhawulela ukumkani, engazihlambanga iinyawo zakhe, engazichazanga iindevu zakhe, engazihlambanga neengubo zakhe, kususela kwimini yokumka kokumkani, kwada kwayimini yokufika kwakhe enoxolo.
25 Kwathi, ekufikeni kwakhe eYerusalem, eza kukhawulela ukumkani, wathi ukumkani kuye, Ibiyini na ukuba ungahambi nam, Mefibhoshete?
26 Wathi, Nkosi yam kumkani, umkhonzi wam lowa undikhohlisile; ngokuba umkhonzi wakho lo undim ubesithi, Ndiya kuzibophela iesile, ndikhwele kulo, ndihambe nokumkani; ngokuba umkhonzi wakho lo undim usisiqhwala.
27 Wesuka yena wamhleba umkhonzi wakho lo undim enkosini yam ukumkani. Inkosi yam ukumkani injengesithunywa sikaThixo; yènza okulungileyo emehlweni akho.
28 Ngokuba yonke indlu kabawo ibingento yímbi enkosini yam ukumkani, ibingabantu bokufa; wena wambeka umkhonzi wakho lo undim phakathi kwabadla etafileni yakho. Ndisenabango lini na ke, ndisenakukhala ngantoni na kukumkani?
29 Wathi ukumkani kuye, Ùsathethela ntoni na ngeendawo zakho? Ndithe, Yahlulelanani ngomhlaba lowo wena noTsibha.
30 Wathi uMefibhoshete kukumkani, Makawuthabathe wonke, iselifikile nje inkosi yam ukumkani inoxolo endlwini yayo.
31 UBharzilayi waseGiliyadi wehla eRogelim, wawela nokumkani eYordan, ukuba amkhaphele phesheya kweYordan.
32 Ke uBharzilayi ebeyingwevu enkulu, eminyaka imashumi asibhozo ezelwe. Yena ebemxhasile ukumkani ekuhlaleni kwakhe eMahanayim; ngokuba ebengumntu omkhulu kunene.
33 Wathi ukumkani kuBharzilayi, Wela nam wena, ndikuxhase ukum eYerusalem.
34 Wathi uBharzilayi kukumkani, Mingaphi na imihla yeminyaka yokudla kwam ubomi, ukuba ndinyuke ndiye eYerusalem nokumkani?
35 Namhla ndiminyaka imashumi asibhozo ndizelwe; ndinako na ukwazi okulungileyo kokubi? Únako na umkhonzi wakho lo ukuyiva into ayidlayo nayiselayo? Ndisenako na ukuva ilizwi leemvumi neleemvumikazi? Yini na ukuba umkhonzi wakho lo abuye abe ngumthwalo kwinkosi yam ukumkani?
36 Umkhonzi wakho lo uya kuyiwela ke iYordan nokumkani umzuzwana; yini na ukuba ukumkani andiphathe ngale mpatho?
37 Makhe abuye umkhonzi wakho lo, ukuze ndifele emzini wam, ngasengcwabeni likabawo noma. Nanko umkhonzi wakho, uKimham; makuwele yena nenkosi yam ukumkani, umenzele okulungileyo emehlweni akho.
38 Wathi ukumkani, UKimham wowela nam, ndimenzele mna okulungileyo emehlweni akho; nento yonke othe wayinyula, wayibeka phezu kwam, ndokwenzela.
39 Bawela ke bonke abantu eYordan. Ewelile ukumkani, ukumkani wamanga uBharzilayi, wamsikelela; waza wabuyela endaweni yakhe.
40 Wawela ke ukumkani, waya eGiligali, wawela ke naye uKimham; bonke abantu bakwaYuda bamweza ukumkani, kwanesiqingatha sabantu bakwaSirayeli.
41 Nanko kusiza onke amadoda akwaSirayeli kukumkani, athi kukumkani, Yini na ukuba abazalwana bethu, amadoda akwaYuda, bambé, bamweze ukumkani nendlu yakhe eYordan, enamadoda onke kaDavide?
42 Aphendula onke amadoda akwaYuda kumadoda akwaSirayeli, athi, Kungokuba ukumkani esalamana nathi; yini na ukuba nivuthe ngumsindo ngale ndawo? sikhe sadla nto na kukumkani? sikhe saphiwa nto na?
43 Aphendula amadoda akwaSirayeli kumadoda akwaYuda, athi, Sinezahlulo ezilishumi thina kukumkani nakuDavide sinokungaphezu kwenu; yini na ukuba nisicukuceze? Ilizwi lethu lokumbuyisa ukumkani wethu belingáqale kuthi yini na? Laba lukhuni ilizwi lamadoda akwaYuda kunelizwi lamadoda akwaSirayeli.