1 UJowabe indodana kaSeruya wayeseqonda ukuthi inhliziyo yenkosi iku-Abisalomu.
2 UJowabe wayesethumela eThekhowa, walanda khona owesifazane ohlakaniphileyo, wathi kuye: “Ake uzishaye olilayo, ugqoke izingubo zokulila, ungazigcobi ngamafutha, kepha ube njengowesifazane oselilele ofileyo izinsuku eziningi,
3 ungene enkosini, ukhulume kuyo ngalendlela.” UJowabe wayesemfunza amazwi emlonyeni wakhe.
4 Lapho owesifazane waseThekhowa ekhuluma enkosini, wawa ngobuso emhlabathini, wakhuleka, wathi: “Siza, nkosi.”
5 Inkosi yathi kuye: “Unani na?”Wathi: “Maye, ngingumfelokazi! Indoda yami seyafa.
6 Incekukazi yakho yayinamadodana amabili; alwa odwa endle, akwabakho muntu wokulamula, kepha enye yashaya enye, yayibulala.
7 Bheka, umndeni wonke usuvukele incekukazi yakho; bathi: ‘Sinike yena owashaya umfowabo ukuba simbulale ngenxa yomphefumulo womfowabo, sichithe indlalifa.’ Bayakucima kanjalo ilahle lami eliseleyo, bangabe besashiyela indoda yami igama nensali ebusweni bomhlaba.”
8 Inkosi yayisithi kowesifazane: “Yiya endlini yakho; mina ngiyakuyaleza ngawe.”
9 Owesifazane waseThekhowa wathi enkosini: “Nkosi yami, nkosi, icala malibe phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa, inkosi nesihlalo sayo sobukhosi kube msulwa.”
10 Yathi inkosi: “Oshoyo utho kuwe, mlethe kimi; akayikuphinda akuthinte.”
11 Wayesethi yena: “Inkosi ake ikhumbule uJehova uNkulunkulu wayo ukuba umphindiseli wegazi angaqhubeki ukuchitha nokuba bangayibulali indodana yami.”Yathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, akuyikuwela phansi nolulodwa unwele lwendodana yakho.”
12 Wayesethi owesifazane: “Incekukazi yakho mayikhulume izwi enkosini yami, inkosi.”Yathi: “Khuluma.”
13 Wathi-ke owesifazane: “Uqambeleni okunjalo ngabantu bakaNkulunkulu na? Ngokukhuluma leli zwi inkosi injengonecala, lokhu inkosi ingabuyisi oxoshiweyo wayo.
14 Ngokuba simelwe ukufa, sinjengamanzi achithwa emhlabathini, angenakuqoqwa futhi; uNkulunkulu akasusi ukuphila, kepha uqamba amasu ukuba oxoshiweyo angabi ngumxoshwa kuye.
15 “Ngalokho-ke lokhu ngize ukukhuluma leli zwi enkosini yami, inkosi, kungokuba abantu bengesabisile; incekukazi yakho yayisithi: ‘Mangikhulume enkosini; mhlawumbe inkosi iyakwenza izwi lencekukazi yayo.
16 Ngokuba inkosi iyakuzwa, yophule incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu oyakungichitha mina nendodana yami efeni likaNkulunkulu.’
17 “Yayisithi incekukazi yakho: ‘Izwi lenkosi yami, inkosi, malibe ngelokuthula, ngokuba inkosi yami, inkosi, injengengelosi kaNkulunkulu ekuzweni okuhle nokubi; uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho makabe nawe.’ ”
18 Yayisiphendula inkosi, yathi kowesifazane: “Ake ungafihli lutho kimi engiyakulubuza mina kuwe.”Wathi owesifazane: “Mayikhulume inkosi yami, inkosi.”
19 Yathi-ke inkosi: “Isandla sikaJowabe sinawe yini kukho konke lokhu na?”Owesifazane waphendula wathi: “Kuphila kwakho, nkosi yami, nkosi, akukho muntu ongaphendukela ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo kukho konke okukhulunywe yinkosi yami, inkosi, ngokuba inceku yakho uJowabe yangiyaleza, yafunza onke lawo mazwi emlonyeni wencekukazi yakho;
20 uJowabe inceku yakho wenzile lokho ukuba aphendukezele ubuso bendaba; inkosi yami ihlakaniphile njengokuhlakanipha kwengelosi kaNkulunkulu ukwazi konke okusemhlabeni.”
21 Inkosi yayisithi kuJowabe: “Bheka-ke, yenza lokhu: hamba ubuyise umfana u-Abisalomu.”
22 UJowabe wawa phansi ngobuso, wakhuleka, wayibusisa inkosi; uJowabe wathi: “Namuhla inceku yakho iyazi ukuthi ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, nkosi, lokhu inkosi ilenzile izwi lenceku yayo.”
23 Wayesesuka uJowabe wahamba, waya eGeshuri, wamletha u-Abisalomu eJerusalema.
24 Inkosi yathi: “Makaye endlini yakhe, angaboni nokho ubuso bami.” Wayeseya u-Abisalomu endlini yakhe, akabubona ubuso benkosi.
25 Kwa-Israyeli wonke kwakungekho muntu omuhle njengo-Abisalomu owababazeka kakhulu, kungekho sici kuye kusukela ematheni onyawo kuze kube sokhakhayini.
26 Nxa ephucula ikhanda lakhe ngokuba wayelokhu eliphucula njalo ngasekupheleni komnyaka, lokhu izinwele zakhe zamsinda; ngalokho waziphucula wazilinganisa izinwele zekhanda lakhe, zalingana namashekeli* angamakhulu amabili ngesisindo senkosi.
27 U-Abisalomu wazalelwa amadodana amathathu nendodakazi inye egama layo linguTamari; yayingowesifazane obukeka emuhle.
28 U-Abisalomu wahlala eJerusalema iminyaka emibili epheleleyo, engabuboni ubuso benkosi.
29 U-Abisalomu wayesethumela kuJowabe ukuba amthume enkosini, kepha akavumanga ukuza kuye; waphinda wathumela ngokwesibili, kepha akavumanga ukuza.
30 Wayesethi ezincekwini zakhe: “Bhekani, insimu kaJowabe iseduze neyami, unebhali* khona; hambani niyithungele ngomlilo.” Izinceku zika-Abisalomu zayithungela-ke insimu ngomlilo.
31 Wayesesuka uJowabe, waya ku-Abisalomu endlini yakhe, wathi kuye: “Izinceku zakho ziyithungeleleni insimu yami ngomlilo na?”
32 U-Abisalomu wathi kuJowabe: “Bheka, ngithumele kuwe, ngithi: ‘Woza lapha ukuba ngikuthume enkosini ukuyothi: “Ngisukeleni eGeshuri na? Ngabe kungcono kimi ukuba bengisekhona lapho.” ’ Ngalokho mangibone ubuso benkosi; uma kukhona icala kimi, mayingibulale.”
33 Wayeseya uJowabe enkosini, wayitshela; isimbizile u-Abisalomu, weza enkosini, wakhothamela kuyo, ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi, phambi kwenkosi; inkosi yamanga u-Abisalomu.