1 U-Ahithofeli wathi futhi ku-Abisalomu: “Mangikhethe manje abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, ngisuke ngimxoshe uDavide ngalobu busuku,
2 ngimfikele ekhathele, eyethile, ngimesabise; bonke abantu abanye bayakubaleka, ngibulale inkosi kuphela,
3 ngibuyisele kuwe bonke abantu; umuntu omfunayo unjengokungathi bonke babuyile; bonke abantu bayakuba nokuthula.”
4 Leli zwi lamjabulisa u-Abisalomu nawo onke amalunga akwa-Israyeli.
5 Wayesethi u-Abisalomu: “Mawumbize noHushayi umArki, sizwe okusemlonyeni wakhe naye.”
6 UHushayi esefikile ku-Abisalomu, u-Abisalomu wakhuluma kuye, wathi: “U-Ahithofeli ukhulume kanjalo; siyakwenza njengokusho kwakhe na? Uma kungenjalo, khuluma wena.”
7 UHushayi wathi ku-Abisalomu: “Isiluleko u-Ahithofeli eluleke ngaso manje asisihle.”
8 Wathi futhi uHushayi: “Uyamazi uyihlo nabantu bakhe ukuthi bangamaqhawe nokuthi bacasukile ezinhliziyweni zabo njengebhere* elaphucwe amazinyane alo endle; uyihlo uyindoda yempi, akayikuhlala nabantu.
9 Bheka, manje ucashile emgodini noma kwenye indawo; kuyakuthi lapho esebafikela ekuqaleni nje, okuzwayo athi: ‘Abantu abalandela u-Abisalomu banqotshiwe;’
10 naye onesibindi, onhliziyo yakhe injengenhliziyo yengonyama, uyakuphela amandla, ngokuba wonke u-Israyeli uyazi ukuthi uyihlo uyiqhawe, nabanaye bangamadoda anamandla.
11 “Ngalokho ngiyaluleka ukuba wonke u-Israyeli abuthane kuwe, kusukela kwaDani kuze kufike eBeri Sheba, ngangesihlabathi esingasolwandle ngobuningi, wena uqobo lwakho uye empini.
12 Sesiyakumfikela endaweni ethile lapho engatholakala khona, simehlele njengokuwela kwamazolo emhlabathini; kuyena nabantu bonke abanaye asiyikushiya noyedwa.
13 Noma engena emzini, wonke u-Israyeli uyakuyisa amagoda kulowo muzi, siwuhudulele emfuleni, kungabe kusafunyanwa khona netshana elilodwa.”
14 U-Abisalomu nabantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Isiluleko sikaHushayi umArki singcono kunesiluleko sika-Ahithofeli.” Ngokuba uJehova wayenqumile ukuba kushafiswe isiluleko esihle sika-Ahithofeli, ukuze uJehova amehlisele u-Abisalomu okubi.
15 UHushayi wayesethi kuSadoki naku-Abiyathara abapristi: “U-Ahithofeli weluleka u-Abisalomu namalunga akwa-Israyeli kanje nakanje; mina ngeluleke kanje nakanje.
16 Ngalokho thumelani masinyane nimtshele uDavide ukuthi: ‘Ungahlali ngasemazibukweni asehlane ngalobu busuku, kepha uwele nokuwela, funa inkosi igwinywe kanye nabantu bonke abanayo.’ ”
17 OJonathani no-Ahimahasi babehlala e-Eni Rogeli; incekukazi yayizinge ibatshela; bona bahamba bayibikela inkosi uDavide ukuba bangabonwa behamba beya emzini.
18 Kepha umfana wababona, wamtshela u-Abisalomu; base beshesha, bahamba bobabili, bafika endlini yomuntu waseBahurimi owayenomthombo egcekeni lakhe; behlela khona.
19 Owesifazane wathatha isimbozo, wasendlala phezu komlomo womthombo, weneka umqhazulo kuso, kungaziwa lutho.
20 Zase zifika izinceku zika-Abisalomu kowesifazane endlini, zathi: “Baphi o-Ahimahasi noJonathani na?”Owesifazane wathi kuzo: “Bawuwele umfudlana.” Sezibafunile zingabatholanga, zabuyela eJerusalema.
21 Kwathi sezimukile, baphuma emthonjeni, baya bayitshela inkosi uDavide, bathi kuDavide: “Sukani, nisheshe niwele amanzi, ngokuba u-Ahithofeli weluleke kanjalo ngani.”
22 UDavide wayesesuka nabo bonke abantu ababe naye, bawela iJordani; ngasekuseni akusalanga noyedwa ongaliwelanga iJordani.
23 Lapho u-Ahithofeli ebona ukuthi isiluleko sakhe asilandelwanga, wayibophela imbongolo yakhe, wasuka, waya ekhaya emzini wakhe, wayala ngendlu yakhe, waziphanyeka, wafa, wembelwa ethuneni likayise.
24 UDavide wayesefika eMahanayimi. U-Abisalomu waliwela iJordani, yena nabo bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli kanye naye.
25 U-Abisalomu wabeka u-Amasa phezu kwempi esikhundleni sikaJowabe. U-Amasa wayeyindodana yomuntu ogama lakhe lalingu-Itira umIsrayeli, owangena ku-Abigali indodakazi kaNahashi, udadewabo kaSeruya unina kaJowabe.
26 O-Israyeli no-Abisalomu bamisa ezweni lakwaGileyadi.
27 Kwathi uDavide esefikile eMahanayimi, uShobi indodana kaNahashi waseRaba labantwana bakwa-Amoni, noMakiri indodana ka-Amiyeli waseLo Debari, noBarizilayi wakwaGileyadi waseRogelimi
28 baletha amacansi, nemicengezi, nezitsha zebumba, nokolweni, nebhali,* nempuphu notshwele, nobhontshisi, nembumba, nenhlosa,
29 nezinyosi, namangqanga, nezimvu, noshizi* wezinkomo kuDavide nabantu ababe naye ukuba badle, ngokuba bathi: “Abantu balambile, bakhathele, bomile ehlane.”