1 Wazi uYowabhi unyana kaTseruya, ukuba intliziyo yokumkani ibheke kuAbhisalom,
2 uYowabhi wathumela ke eTekowa, wathabatha khona inkazana elumkileyo, wathi kuyo, Khawuzenze ozilileyo, khawunxibe iingubo zokuzila, ungazithambisi ngeoli; yiba njengenkazana le imenzela ofileyo izila imihla emininzi;
3 uye kukumkani, uthethe kuye wenjenje. UYowabhi wafaka amazwi emlonyeni wayo.
4 Yathetha inkazana yaseTekowa kukumkani, yawa ngobuso emhlabeni, yaqubuda, yathi, Sindisa, kumkani.
5 Ukumkani wathi kuyo, Unandawoni na? Yathi, Hayi, ndingumhlolokazi; indoda yam ifile.
6 Umkhonzazana wakho ebenoonyana ababini; balwa bobabini endle, akwabakho mhlanguli phakathi kwabo: omnye watsho komnye, wambulala.
7 Ke kaloku, nanku, wonke umzalwane usukele phezulu komkhonzazana wakho, usithi, Sinike umbulali womzalwana wakhe, simbulale, ngenxa yomphefumlo womzalwana wakhe ambuleleyo, sitshabalalise nendlamafa; ukuze bacime ilahle lam eliseleyo, bangayisaliseli indoda yam igama nempunde emhlabeni.
8 Wathi ukumkani kwinkazana leyo, Yiya endlwini yakho, mna ndiya kuwuwisa umthetho ngenxa yakho.
9 Inkazana yaseTekowa yathi kukumkani, Nkosi yam, kumkani, mabube phezu kwam, naphezu kwendlu kabawo, obo bugwenxa; makabe msulwa yena ukumkani netrone yakhe.
10 Wathi ukumkani, Othetha into kuwe, mzise kum; akasayi kuphinda akuchukumise.
11 Yathi, Ukumkani makhe amkhumbule uYehova uThixo wakhe, ukuze umphindezeli wegazi angakwandisi ukonakalisa, bangamtshabalalisi unyana wam. Wathi ke yena, Ehleli nje uYehova, akuyi kuwa nalunye unwele lonyana wakho emhlabeni.
12 Yathi inkazana, Makhe athethe ilizwi umkhonzazana wakho enkosini yam ukumkani. Wathi yena, Thetha.
13 Yathi inkazana leyo, Yini na ke ukuba ucinge into enjalo ngabantu bakaThixo? Ngokulithetha eli lizwi, ukumkani unjengonetyala, engambuyisi nje ukumkani umgxothwa wakhe.
14 Ngokuba simelwe kukufa, sinjengamanzi aphaleleyo emhlabeni, angenakuhlanganiswa; noThixo akasusi mphefumlo, ufuna icebo, ukuze angamgxothi kuye umgxothwa.
15 Le nto ndize kulithetha kukumkani inkosi yam eli lizwi ndenze kuba abantu aba bendoyikisile; wathi ke umkhonzazana wakho, Makhe ndithethe kukumkani, mhlawumbi ukumkani angalenza ilizwi lomkhonzazana wakhe.
16 Ngokuba wova ukumkani, amhlangule umkhonzazana wakhe esandleni sale ndoda iza kunditshabalalisa mna, kunye nonyana wam elifeni likaThixo.
17 Wathi ke umkhonzazana wakho, Ilizwi lenkosi yam ukumkani malibe lelokuphumza; ngokuba njengoko sinjalo isithunywa sikaThixo, injalo inkosi yam ukumkani, ukuva okulungileyo nokubi; uYehova uThixo wakho makabe nawe.
18 Waphendula ke ukumkani, wathi kwinkazana, Musa ukukha uyikhanyele kum into endikubuzayo. Yathi inkazana, Mayikhe ithethe inkosi yam ukumkani.
19 Wathi ke ukumkani, Isandla sikaYowabhi asinawe na kule nto yonke? Yaphendula inkazana, yathi, Uhleli nje umphefumlo wakho, nkosi yam kumkani, inene, akukho nto ingasekunene nengasekhohlo kuko konke ekuthethayo inkosi yam ukumkani; ngokuba uYowabhi umkhonzi wakho, nguye lo undiwisele umthetho, nguye lo uwabekileyo emlonyeni womkhonzazana wakho onke la mazwi.
20 Wenze le nto umkhonzi wakho uYowabhi, ukuze buguqulwe ubuso bale nto. Ke inkosi yam ilumke ngokulumka kwesithunywa sikaThixo, ukuba yazi konke okusemhlabeni.
21 Wathi ukumkani kuYowabhi, Uyabona, ndiyenzile ke loo nto; hamba uye, umbuyise umfana lowo uAbhisalom.
22 Wawa ke uYowabhi ngobuso emhlabeni, waqubuda, wabulela kukumkani, wathi, Namhla wazile umkhonzi wakho, ukuba ubabalwe nguwe, nkosi yam kumkani, esenzile nje ukumkani isicelo somkhonzi wakhe.
23 Wesuka ke uYowabhi, waya eGeshuri, wamzisa uAbhisalom eYerusalem.
24 Wathi ukumkani, Makajike aye endlwini yakhe, angabuboni ubuso bam. Wajika uAbhisalom, waya endlwini yakhe; akabubona ubuso bokumkani.
25 Ke kumaSirayeli onke bekungekho ndoda injengoAbhisalom ukuba yinzwana, ngokokuze adunyiswe kunene; kwathabathela entendeni yonyawo kwesa elukakayini phezulu, kungekho siphako kuye.
26 Ubesithi akuyicheba intloko yakhe (kuba bekusithi ekupheleni komnyaka iminyaka yonke ayichebe, ngokuba ibinzima phezu kwakhe, ayichebe ke), azilinganise iinwele zentloko yakhe, zisuke zibe ziishekele ezimakhulu mabini, ngokwelitye lokumkani.
27 UAbhisalom wazalelwa oonyana abathathu, nentombi yanye; igama layo belinguTamare; ibiyinzwakazi ukubonakala kwayo.
28 UAbhisalom wahlala eYerusalem iminyaka emibini; akabubona ubuso bokumkani.
29 UAbhisalom wathumela kuYowabhi, ukuba amthumele kukumkani; akavuma ukuza kuye. Wabuya wathumela okwesibini; akavuma ukuza.
30 Wathi kubakhonzi bakhe, Khangelani intsimi kaYowabhi, ingakweyam; unerhasi khona; yiyani, niyitshise ngomlilo. Bayitshisa ke abakhonzi baka-Abhisalom intsimi ngomlilo.
31 Wesuka uYowabhi, waya kuAbhisalom, wathi kuye, Yini na ukuba abakhonzi bakho bayitshise ngomlilo intsimi yam?
32 Wathi uAbhisalom kuYowabhi, Yabona, ndithumele kuwe, ndisithi, Yiza apha, ndikuthumele kukumkani, uye kuthi, Ndibuyiselweni na eGeshuri? Bekundilungele kanye ukuba ndibe ndisekhona. Kaloku mandibubone ubuso bokumkani; ukuba ndinetyala, makaselendibulala.
33 Waya ke uYowabhi kukumkani, wamxelela. Wambiza uAbhisalom; waya kukumkani, waqubuda kuye ngobuso emhlabeni phambi kokumkani; ukumkani wamanga ke uAbhisalom.