1 Kwathi emva kwalokho u-Abisalomu wazilungiselela inqola, namahhashi, nabantu abangamashumi ayisihlanu ukuba bagijime phambi kwakhe.
2 U-Abisalomu wavuka ekuseni, wema ngaseceleni kwendlela yesango; kwakuthi wonke umuntu onecala eliya enkosini ukuba lithethwe, u-Abisalomu wambiza wathi: “Ungowamuphi umuzi na?” athi: “Inceku yakho ingowesinye sezizwe zakwa-Israyeli.”
3 Wathi u-Abisalomu kuye: “Bheka, izindaba zakho zinhle, zilungile, kepha akukho muntu obekwe yinkosi ukuba akuzwe.”
4 U-Abisalomu wathi futhi: “Sengathi ngingenziwa umahluleli ezweni, kuze kimi wonke umuntu onecala nendaba, ngimenzele ukulunga.”
5 Kwathi lapho kusondela umuntu ukuba akhuleke kuye, waselula isandla sakhe, wambamba, wamanga.
6 Wenze njalo u-Abisalomu kubo bonke abakwa-Israyeli abeza enkosini ngamacala; u-Abisalomu weba izinhliziyo zabantu bakwa-Israyeli.
7 Kwathi ngasekupheleni kweminyaka engamashumi amane u-Abisalomu wathi enkosini: “Mangihambe ukugcwalisa isithembiso sami engasethembisa kuJehova eHebroni.
8 Ngokuba inceku yakho yenza isithembiso ngisahlezi eGeshuri lase-Aramu sokuthi: ‘Uma uJehova engibuyisela impela eJerusalema, ngiyakumkhonza uJehova.’ ”
9 Inkosi yathi kuye: “Hamba ngokuthula.” Wayesesuka, waya eHebroni.
10 Kepha u-Abisalomu wathuma izinhloli ezizweni zonke zakwa-Israyeli ngokuthi: “Lapho nizwa ukukhala kwecilongo, anothi: ‘U-Abisalomu uyinkosi eHebroni.’ ”
11 Kwahamba no-Abisalomu abantu abangamakhulu amabili, bebiziwe bephuma eJerusalema; bahamba bemsulwa, bengazi lutho nakanci.
12 U-Abisalomu wathuma walanda u-Ahithofeli umGiloni, umluleki kaDavide, emzini wakubo waseGilo, esanikela ngemihlatshelo. Uzungu lwaqina, abantu banda njalo ku-Abisalomu.
13 Kwafika umbiki kuDavide, wathi: “Izinhliziyo zabantu bakwa-Israyeli zilandela u-Abisalomu.”
14 UDavide wayesethi ezincekwini zakhe zonke ezazinaye eJerusalema: “Sukani, sibaleke, ngokuba, uma singenzi njalo, akuyikuphunyuka muntu kithi phambi kuka-Abisalomu; sheshani, nimuke, funa asifice masinyane, asehlisele okubi, awuchithe umuzi ngosiko lwenkemba.”
15 Izinceku zenkosi zathi enkosini: “Noma yintoni engayikhetha inkosi yethu, inkosi bheka, nazi izinceku zakho.”
16 Yayisiphuma inkosi, bonke abendlu bayo beyilandela. Inkosi yashiya abesifazane abayishumi abayizancinza ukuba balinde indlu.
17 Yaphuma-ke inkosi, bonke abantu beyilandela; bahlala eBeti Hamerhaki.
18 Zonke izinceku zadlula eceleni kwakhe kanye nawo onke amaKhereti nawo onke amaPheleti; nawo onke amaGiti, abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha, ayeyilandela esuka eGati, adlula phambi kwenkosi.
19 Inkosi yayisithi ku-Ithayi umGiti: “Nawe uhambelani nathi na? Buya uhlale nenkosi, ngokuba ungumfokazi nomxoshwa endaweni yakho.
20 Ufikile izolo nje; ngikuzulazulise nathi yini namuhla, ngisahamba lapho ngiya khona, na? Buya wena, ubuyise nabafowenu; umusa neqiniso makube nawe.”
21 U-Ithayi wayiphendula inkosi, wathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova nokuphila kwenkosi yami, inkosi, impela kuleyo ndawo eyakuba kuyo inkosi yami, inkosi, noma kusekufeni noma kusekuphileni, lapho iyakuba khona nenceku yakho.”
22 UDavide wathi ku-Ithayi: “Hamba, uwele.” U-Ithayi umGiti wawela kanye nabo bonke abantu bakhe nazo zonke izingane ezazinaye.
23 Izwe lonke lakhala ngezwi elikhulu, nabantu bonke bawela; nenkosi futhi yawela umfudlana iKidroni, nabantu bonke bawela ngasendleleni yasehlane.
24 Bheka, kwafika noSadoki nawo onke amaLevi enaye, ethwele umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu; abeka phansi umphongolo kaNkulunkulu, u-Abiyathara wenyuka, baze baphuma bonke abantu emzini.
25 Inkosi yathi kuSadoki: “Buyisela emzini umphongolo kaNkulunkulu; uma ngiyakufumana umusa emehlweni kaJehova, uyakungibuyisa, angibonise wona nendlu yawo;
26 kepha uma esho kanje, ethi: ‘Angithokozi ngawe,’ bheka, ngilapha, makenze kimi okuhle emehlweni akhe.”
27 Yathi inkosi kuSadoki umpristi: “Ungumboni; buyela emzini ngokuthula, namadodana enu amabili enani, o-Ahimahasi indodana yakho noJonathani indodana ka-Abiyathara.
28 Bheka, mina ngiyakulibala ngasemazibukweni asehlane, kuze kufike izwi elivela kini lokungibikela.”
29 Ngalokho oSadoki no-Abiyathara bawubuyisela umphongolo kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, bahlala khona.
30 UDavide wenyuka ngommango weNtaba Yeminqumo, enyuka ekhala, egubuzele ikhanda, engenazicathulo; bonke abantu ababenaye bagubuzela, kwabayilowo nalowo ikhanda lakhe, benyuka, benyuka bekhala.
31 Kwabikwa kuDavide ukuthi: “U-Ahithofeli uphakathi kwabozungu luka-Abisalomu.” Wayesethi uDavide: “Jehova, mawuntumazelise amasu ka-Ahithofeli.”
32 Kwathi ukuba uDavide adundubale esiqongweni, lapho kukhulekwa khona kuNkulunkulu, bheka, kwamhlangabeza uHushayi umArki, ibhantshi lakhe liklebhukile, enomhlabathi ekhanda lakhe.
33 UDavide wathi kuye: “Uma uhamba nami, uyakuba ngumthwalo kimi;
34 kepha uma ubuyela emzini, uthi ku-Abisalomu: ‘Ngiyakuba yinceku yakho, nkosi; kade ngiyinceku kayihlo, manje ngiyakuba yinceku yakho,’ khona uyakungishafisela amasu ka-Ahithofeli.
35 Abakho lapho nawe oSadoki no-Abiyathara abapristi na? Kuyakuthi konke okuzwayo endlini yenkosi ukutshele oSadoki no-Abiyathara abapristi.
36 Bheka, kukhona lapho nabo amadodana abo amabili, o-Ahimahasi indodana kaSadoki noJonathani indodana ka-Abiyathara; niyakuthuma kimi ngesandla sabo konke eniyakukuzwa.”
37 UHushayi, umngane kaDavide, wayesengena emzini; u-Abisalomu wangena eJerusalema.