1 UDavide wababala abantu abenabo, wamisa abathetheli-mawaka nabathetheli-makhulu phezu kwabo.
2 UDavide wasinikela isahlulo sesithathu sabantu esandleni sikaYowabhi, nesahlulo sesithathu esandleni sika-Abhishayi unyana kaTseruya, umninawa kaYowabhi, nesahlulo sesithathu esandleni sikaItayi waseGati. Wathi ukumkani ebantwini, Nam ndiya kuphuma, ndiphume nani.
3 Bathi abantu, Uze ungaphumi; ngokuba xa sithe sasaba, sisabile, abayi kusibekela ntliziyo thina; nokuba kuthe kwafa isiqingatha kuthi, abayi kusibekela ntliziyo; ngokuba ungangamawaka alishumi kuthi; kulungile kanye ukuba usincede, ukuwo umzi.
4 Wathi ukumkani kubo, Okulungileyo emehlweni enu ndokwenza. Ukumkani wema ecaleni lesango, abantu bonke baphuma ngamakhulu nangamawaka.
5 Ukumkani wabawisela umthetho uYowabhi noAbhishayi noItayi, wathi, Mphatheni kakuhle umfana uAbhisalom, ngenxa yam. Beva bonke abantu ukubawisela kokumkani umthetho abathetheli ngenxa ka-Abhisalom.
6 Baphuma ke abantu, baya ezindle, bawahlangabeza amaSirayeli; kwaliwa ehlathini lakwaEfrayim;
7 babulawelwa khona abantu bakwaSirayeli phambi kwabakhonzi bakaDavide; ngaloo mini kwabakho khona uxabelo olukhulu, amawaka angamashumi omabini.
8 Kwaphangalala khona ukulwa phezu kwelizwe lonke; ihlathi ladla ebantwini into eninzi, ngaphezu kokudla kwekrele, ngaloo mini.
9 UAbhisalom waqubisana nabakhonzi bakaDavide. UAbhisalom waye ekhwele kundlebende, undlebende wangena phantsi kwentshinyela yomterebhinti omkhulu; yabambeka emterebhintini intloko yakhe, waphakathi kwezulu nomhlaba; wemka undlebende obephantsi kwakhe.
10 Yabona indoda ethile, yamxelela uYowabhi, yathi, Khangela, ndimbonile uAbhisalom exhomekile emterebhintini.
11 Wathi uYowabhi kuloo ndoda imxeleleyo, Khangela, umbonile nje, ibiyini na ukuba ungambethi awe khona emhlabeni? Ngendikunike ishumi lesilivere nombhinqo.
12 Yathi loo ndoda kuYowabhi, Ndingafanelana ndilinganiselwe esandleni sam iwaka lesilivere, bendingede ndise isandla sam kunyana wokumkani; ngokuba ukumkani, sisiva, wakuwisela umthetho, wena noAbhishayi noItayi, wathi, Nokuba ngoobani, ize bamgcine umfana uAbhisalom.
13 Okanye ukuba bendithe ndenza ubuxoki emphefumlweni wakhe —kuba kungekho nto ikhanyelekayo kukumkani—wena ubuya kundichasa.
14 Wathi uYowabhi, Andinakwenjenje, ndilibale nguwe. Wathabatha izikhali zazithathu ngesandla sakhe, wamhlaba uAbhisalom entliziyweni, esaphilile, emterebhintini apho.
15 Amrhawula amadodana alishumi angabaphathi bempahla kaYowabhi, atsho kuAbhisalom, ambulala.
16 Wavuthela uYowabhi isigodlo, babuya abantu ekuwasukeleni amaSirayeli; ngokuba uYowabhi wabanqanda abantu.
17 Bamthabatha uAbhisalom, bamphosa ehlathini emgongxweni omkhulu, bafumba imfumba enkulu kakhulu yamatye phezu kwakhe. Asaba onke amaSirayeli, elowo waya ententeni yakhe.
18 Ke kaloku uAbhisalom ekudleni kwakhe ubomi wayethabathe wazimisela ilitye elisentilini yokumkani; ngokuba ubesithi, Andinanyana wokulikhumbuza igama lam. Walibiza ngegama lakhe elo litye: labizwa ngokuthi sisikhumbuzo sika-Abhisalom unanamhla.
19 Wathi uAhimahatse, unyana kaTsadoki, Mandigidime, ndimshumayeze ukumkani iindaba ezilungileyo zokuba uYehova umgwebele, wamkhulula ezandleni zeentshaba zakhe.
20 Wathi uYowabhi kuye, Akunguye mfo weendaba ezilungileyo namhla; woshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo ngenye imini, kodwa namhla akusayi kushumayela zindaba zilungileyo, ngokuba unyana wokumkani ufile.
21 Wathi uYowabhi kuKushi, Hamba uye kumxelela ukumkani okubonileyo. Waqubuda uKushi kuYowabhi, wagidima ke.
22 Wabuya waphinda uAhimahatse, unyana kaTsadoki, wathi kuYowabhi, Nokuba kutheni, makhe ndimlandele nam uKushi. Wathi uYowabhi, Yini na ukuba ugidime, nyana wam, ungenazindaba zilungileyo zinanzuzo nje?
23 Wathi, Nokuba kutheni, mandigidime. Wathi kuye, Gidima. Wagidima ke uAhimahatse ngendlela yaloo mmandla, wegqitha kuKushi.
24 Ke uDavide ebehleli phakathi kwamasango amabini. Umlindi waya emphezulwini wesango eludongeni, waphakamisa amehlo akhe, wakhangela, nanko kusiza indoda, ibaleka iyodwa.
25 Wamemeza umlindi, waxelela ukumkani. Wathi ukumkani, Ukuba iyodwa, ineendaba ezilungileyo emlonyeni wayo. Yeza isiza yasondela.
26 Umlindi wabona enye indoda ibaleka; umlindi wamemeza esangweni, wathi, Nantsiya indoda ibaleka iyodwa. Wathi ukumkani, Naleyo ingumshumayeli weendaba ezilungileyo.
27 Wathi umlindi, Ndikubona ukubaleka kwephambili kufana nokubaleka kuka-Ahimahatse, unyana kaTsadoki. Wathi ukumkani, Yindoda elungileyo leyo, iza neendaba ezilungileyo.
28 Wamemeza uAhimahatse, wathi kukumkani, Hlala kakuhle. Waqubuda ngobuso emhlabeni kukumkani, wathi, Makabongwe uYehova uThixo wakho, owanikeleyo amadoda asiphakamisileyo isandla sawo enkosini yam ukumkani.
29 Wathi ukumkani, Ihleli kakuhle na indodana uAbhisalom? Wathi uAhimahatse, Ndibone ingxokolo enkulu, ekumthumeni kukaYowabhi umkhonzi kakumkani, nomkhonzi wakho lo, ndingazi ukuba yintoni na.
30 Wathi ukumkani, Shenxela ecaleni, ume apha. Washenxa wema.
31 Nanko ke uKushi efika. Wathi uKushi, Mayishunyayezwe iindaba ezilungileyo inkosi yam ukumkani; ngokuba uYehova ukugwebele namhla, wakukhulula esandleni sabo bonke ababesukele phezulu kuwe.
32 Wathi ukumkani kuKushi, Ihleli kakuhle na indodana uAbhisalom? Wathi uKushi, Iintshaba zenkosi yam ukumkani, nabo bonke abasukele phezulu kuwe ukukwenza into embi, mababe njengaloo ndodana.
33 Wagungqa ukumkani; wenyuka waya egumbini eliphezu kwesango, walila, wathetha ekuyeni kwakhe, esithi, Nyana wam, Abhisalom, nyana wam, nyana wam, Abhisalom! Akwaba bekufe mna esikhundleni sakho, Abhisalom, nyana wam, nyana wam!