1UJowabi umsa kaTseruya walemuka bona ikosi uDavida isesenevunda ku-Absalomu. 2Yeke wathumela bona kubizwe umfazi ohlakaniphileko eTekhowa. UJowabi wathi kuye: “Zenze inga uzilile. Wembathe iinzilo, ungazimonyongi. Yenza inga umfazi osele anamalanga alilela umuntu ohlongakeleko. 3Iya ekosini-ke, ufese ukhulume naka amezwi kiyo.” Nje-ke uJowabi wamtjela bona kufanele athini.4Umfazi weTekhowa waya ekosini, wafese waguqa phambi kwayo wahloma ihloko phasi, wathi: “Maye, ikosami akhese ingisize hle!” 5Ikosi yambuza yathi: “Utshwenywe yini mma?” Waphendula wathi: “Awa ngimhlolokazi; nanginje. Angisenabani. 6Babethu, benginamadodana amabili. Kwathi ngelinye ilanga asesimini alwa wodwa, bekungekho ongawalamula. Enye yadula enye beyayibulala. 7Nje-ke boke abantu bomndeni bajamelene nencekukazakho. Bafuna bonyana ngibanikele leyo erhadle umnakwabo phasi bona bayibulale ukuze ikhokhele ukufa kwakamnakwabo ngepilwayo. Ngaleyondlela bafuna ukususa indlalifa, bangicimele ilahlana elisasele livutha lodwa. Babulale indodanami ingakatjhiyeli umyenami ibizo nanyana isizukulwana esizakulima isimakhe.”
8Ikosi yathi emfazini: “Yewuye ekhaya, mina ngizakukhupha umyalo ngikulungisele indaba le.” 9Kodwana umfazi weTekhowa wathi ekosini: “Babethu, nabangabuyiseleliko kuzakusolwa mina nendlwakwethu, akuzokusolwa ikosi nobukhosi bayo.” 10Ikosi yaphendula yathi: “Nakube kukhona ongakhuluma ilitho kuwe, mlethapha, angeze asakukhathaza godu.” 11Umfazi wathi: “Bengithi ikosami ayifunge ngoSomnini uZimayo bonyana izakukhandela loyo obuyiselelako angathululi iingazi ezinengi. Bangangibulaleli indodanami.” Ikosi yaphendula yathi: “NgoZimu ngiqinisile ngithi, ‘Akunangozi nencancani ezakuvelela indodanakho.’ ”
12Godu umfazi wathi: “Ikosi ingangivumela kobana ngibe negama na?” Ikosi yathi: “Khuluma.” 13Umfazi wathi: “Alo, kubayini ikosi yona yenza iqhinga lokubuyiselela komunye womndeni kaZimu na? Ikosi ayikazigwebi ngamezwi ewakhulumileko la? Angithi ikosi ayikavumeli bonyana indodanayo eyalahlekako ibuyele ekhaya? 14Woke umuntu uzokufa. Njengamanzi athulukileko angasoze awolwa, unjalo nohlongakeleko, angeze asabuya. UZimu akameqisi amehlo obuleleko, nokho uyayenza indlela bona olahlekileko abuyele emndenini kaZimu. 15Nje-ke, ngithe angizokukhuluma nekosami. Ngebanga lokobana bekhakwami bangenze bona ngihlalele evalweni, incekukazakho yadlumbana yathi, ‘Ngizokukhuluma nekosi, mhlamunye ingaphumelelisa isibawo sencekukazayo. 16Mhlamunye ingahle ivume ukusindisa incekukazayo esandleni saloyo olinga ukuhluthula mina nendodanami ilifa uZimu asiphe lona.’ 17Incekukazakho beyithi, ‘Ilizwi lekosami lingangilethela ukuphumula ngombana ikosami ifana nesithunywa sakaZimu ekwahlukaniseni okuhle nokumbi.’ Inga uSomnini uZimakho angasiza ikosami.”
18Nje-ke ikosi yathi emfazini: “Ungangifihleli litho kilokho engizokubuza khona.” Umfazi wathi: “Ikosami ingabuza.” 19Ikosi yathi: “UJowabi akakho endabenakhwapha na?” Umfazi waphendula wathi: “Iye, awa kosami, ukufihla yini nje, akunamuntu ongahle aye ngapha nangapha ikosi nayibuzako. Mbala yinduna yekosi uJowabi. Nguye owangiyala bona ngenze lokhu begodu nguye owangifunza ngawo woke amezwi la. 20UJowabi indunekosi wenze lokhu ukuze ikosi ikghone ukuqala ubujamobu ngelinye ilihlo. Ikosami inokuhlakanipha njengesithunywa sakaZimu, yazi koke okwenzeka enarheni.”
21Ngemva kwalokho ikosi yathi kuJowabi: “Kulungile, ngizakwenza okubawileko. Khamba, ubuye nomsana loyo u-Absalomu.” 22UJowabi waguqa wahloma ihloko phasi, wathokoza ekosini wathi: “Bayede! Namhlanjesi incekwakho iyazi bona ifumene umusa phambi kwekosayo ngombana ikosi iphendule isibawo sencekwayo.”
23Yeke uJowabi akhange asapholisa ihloko, wanqomba eGetjhuri wabuya no-Absalomu wamletha eJerusalema. 24Kodwana ikosi yathi: “Akaye endlinakhe, angifuni nokumbona.” Nje-ke u-Absalomu waya endlinakhe, akhange abonane nekosi.
25Kilo loke lakwa-Israyeli, bekungekho umuntu obatjazwa ngejamo njengo-Absalomu. Gade kungekho mphambo kuye kusukela ehloko ukufika eenyaweni. 26Gade anesihluthu esikhulu. Bekuthi kanye ngomnyaka azirhune ngombana beziba zide. Nasele zirhuniwe beziba sitjhuba esingaba pheze makhilogremu amabili ngokwesilinganiso esisemthethweni. 27U-Absalomu waphiwa amadodana amathathu nendodakazi eyodwa. Ibizo lendodakazi leyo bekunguTamari begodu waba yintombi ehle tle.
28U-Absalomu wahlala iminyaka emibili yoke eJerusalema angabonani nekosi. 29Nje-ke, wathumela ilizwi kuJowabi kobana amuse ekosini, kodwana uJowabi wala ukuza kuye. Wabuye wathumela kwesibili, nalapho uJowabi wala ukuza. 30Yeke wathi eensebenzini zakhe: “Angithi niyayazi isimu kaJowabi ehlanu kweyami, lapha atjale khona ibhali? Khambani niyoyithungelela ngomlilo.” Nje-ke iinsebenzi zaka-Absalomu zayithungelela-ke isimu leyo.
31UJowabi wararhuka waya endlini yaka-Absalomu, wafese wabuza wathi: “Kubayini iinsebenzi zakho zithungelele isimami ngomlilo?” 32U-Absalomu waphendula wathi: “Qala la, ngithumele ilizwi kuwe bona ungise ekosini. Ngifuna ubuze ikosi bona ngabuyiselwani eGetjhuri. Bekungaba ngcono kimi nangathana bengiseselapho. Nje-ke ngifuna ukubona ikosi. Nakube nginomlandu, ayingibulale nayingibulalako.”
33Nje-ke uJowabi waya ekosini wafese wayitjela lokho. Ikosi yabiza u-Absalomu, wangena waguqa phambi kwekosi wahloma ihloko phasi. Ikosi yamgona.
