1 UDavide esedlulile kancane isiqongo sentaba, bheka, kwamhlangabeza uSiba inceku kaMefibosheti enezimbongolo ezimbili eziboshelweyo, zithwele izinkwa ezingamakhulu amabili, nezigaxa eziyikhulu zezithelo zomvini ezomileyo, nezigaxa eziyikhulu zamakhiwane, nemvaba yewayini.
2 Inkosi yathi kuSiba: “Uthini ngalezi zinto na?”Wathi uSiba: “Izimbongolo zingezokukhwelwa ngabantu bendlu yenkosi, izinkwa nezithelo zingezokudliwa, newayini lingelokuphuzwa ngabayethileyo ehlane.”
3 Yayisithi inkosi: “Iphi indodana yenkosi yakho na?”USiba wathi enkosini: “Bheka, ihlezi eJerusalema, ngokuba yathi: ‘Namuhla indlu ka-Israyeli iyakubuyisela kimi umbuso kababa.’ ”
4 Yayisithi-ke inkosi kuSiba: “Bheka, kungokwakho konke okwakungokukaMefibosheti.”Wathi uSiba: “Ngiyakhuleka: mangifumane umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, nkosi.”
5 Kwathi lapho inkosi uDavide ifika eBahurimi, bheka, kwaphuma khona umuntu womndeni wendlu kaSawule ogama lakhe linguShimeyi indodana kaGera; waphuma, wahamba ethuka.
6 Wamphonsa uDavide ngamatshe kanye nezinceku zonke zenkosi uDavide, bonke abantu nawo onke amaqhawe bengasesandleni sakhe sokunene nangakwesokhohlo.
7 UShimeyi washo kanje ekuthukeni kwakhe, wathi: “Suka, suka wena muntu wegazi, muntu omubi!
8 UJehova ubuyisele phezu kwakho lonke igazi lendlu kaSawule okade ubusa esikhundleni sakhe; uJehova unikele umbuso esandleni sika-Abisalomu indodana yakho; bheka, usubhajiwe ebubini bakho, ngokuba ungumuntu wegazi.”
9 U-Abishayi indodana kaSeruya wayesethi enkosini: “Le nja efileyo ingayithukelani inkosi yami, inkosi, na? Mangiye ngiyinqume ikhanda.”
10 Yathi inkosi: “Nginamsebenzi muni nani madodana kaSeruya. Njengokuba ethuka, lokhu uJehova eshilo futhi kuye ukuthi: ‘Thuka uDavide,’ ngubani ongasho ukuthi: ‘Ukwenzeleni lokho na?’ ”
11 UDavide wayesethi ku-Abishayi nakuzo zonke izinceku zakhe: “Bhekani, indodana yami eyaphuma ezibilinini zami ifuna ukuphila kwami; kakhulu kangakanani lo mBenjamini na? Myekeni, athuke, ngokuba uJehova ukhulumile kuye.
12 Mhlawumbe uJehova uyakubheka usizi lwami, angibuyisele okuhle ngokungithuka namuhla.”
13 UDavide nabantu bakhe bahamba ngendlela; uShimeyi wahamba eceleni kwentaba malungana naye, wahamba ethuka, wamphonsa ngamatshe, wamthela ngothuli.
14 Inkosi nabo bonke abantu ababenayo bafika beyethile; wahlunyelelwa khona.
15 U-Abisalomu nabantu bonke, amadoda akwa-Israyeli, bafika eJerusalema, u-Ahithofeli enabo.
16 Kwathi lapho uHushayi umArki umngane kaDavide esefikile ku-Abisalomu, uHushayi wathi ku-Abisalomu: “Mana njalo, nkosi; mana njalo, nkosi.”
17 U-Abisalomu wayesethi kuHushayi: “Lokhu kungukuthembeka kwakho kumngane wakho na? Awuhambanga ngani nomngane wakho na?”
18 Wayesethi uHushayi ku-Abisalomu: “Qha, lo okhethwe nguJehova, nayilaba bantu, nangabantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli, ngiyakuba ngowakhe, ngihlale naye.
19 Futhi ngikhonze bani na? Kungabi phambi kwendodana yakhe na? Njengalokho ngakhonza phambi kukayihlo, kanjalo ngiyakuba phambi kwakho.”
20 Wayesethi u-Abisalomu ku-Ahithofeli: “Sipheni isiluleko sokuthi siyakwenze njani.”
21 Wathi-ke u-Ahithofeli ku-Abisalomu: “Ngena kuzo izancinza zikayihlo azishiyile ukuba zilinde indlu; u-Israyeli wonke uyakuzwa ukuba unengwa nguyihlo, ziqine izandla zabo bonke abanawe.”
22 Bammisela u-Abisalomu itende ophahleni lwendlu; u-Abisalomu wangena kuzo izancinza zikayise emehlweni abo bonke abakwa-Israyeli.
23 Isiluleko sika-Ahithofeli aluleka ngaso ngalezo zinsuku sasinjengokungathi bekubuzwe kuNkulunkulu; zazinjalo iziluleko zika-Ahithofeli kuDavide naku-Abisalomu.