1U-Arhitofeli wathi ku-Absalomu: “Ngivumela bona ngikhethe amadoda aziinkulungwana ezilitjhumi nambili, ngiphume khona kusihlwa nje ngigijimise uDavida. 2Ngizamphuthuma asadiniwe asadiyazela, ngimethuse bese boke abantu akhamba nabo babaleke; ngimadlhe yena kwaphela. 3Ngizakwenza bonyana boke abantu bakulandele njengombana gade balandela indoda oyifunako le. Yeke kuzakuba nokuthula esizweni soke.”
4Iqhingeli laqaleka lilihle ku-Absalomu nakibo boke abaphathi bakwa-Israyeli.
5Kodwana u-Absalomu wathi: “Yiza noRhutjhayi umAriki ukuze sizwe bonyana yena ubeka uthini.”
6Lokha uRhutjhayi nafika kuye, u-Absalomu wathi: “U-Arhitofeli uze neseluleko. Silandele iseluleko sakhe na? Nakungasinjalo, wena uthini?”
7URhutjhayi wathi ku-Absalomu: “Kilelihlandla u-Arhitofeli ukhe phasi ngeseluleko sakhe. 8Uyamazi uyihlo namaviywakhe baziingorho, kanti godu banesiwuruwuru njengonomrhaso othathelwe abantwana. Nangaphandle kwalokho, uyihlo yimbilinga ekade izibona, angeze ahlala namabutho bekuse. 9Sikhuluma nje, ubhace erharheni, namkha kenye nje indawo. Nange kungenzeka aragelele amaviywakho ntange, kuzakuzwakala yoke indawo bonyana inengi lamabutho ka-Absalomu lirhayiliwe. 10Ngitjho nejoni ekuthiwa linesibindi, nelinehliziyo yengwenyama, lizakurhirizwa livalo ngombana woke u-Israyeli uyazi bonyana uyihlo yingorho yakongorho, nabantu akhamba nabo ziinkakaramba.
11“Yeke mina bengingakuyelelisa bonyana ubuthe woke u-Israyeli, kusuka eDani ngetlhagwini ukuya eBheritjheba ngesewula. Babuthe babe banengi njengethuli lehlabathi bahlangane kuwe; ukhambe nabo ukuya epini. 12Nje-ke sizamsahlela nanyana angaba kuphi, simbungelele njengeenyosi. Akuzukusinda namunye phakathi kwakhe nabantu akhamba nabo. 13Nange kufumaneka bonyana sele angedorobheni elinemithangala, woke ama-Israyeli azakuletha iintambo bese abopha imithangala yedorobhelo ayirhurhulele ngemrhobeni kungasali ngitjho nebojana lawo.”
14U-Absalomu nawo woke amadoda wakwa-Israyeli bavumelana bonyana iseluleko sakaRhutjhayi umAraki singcono kunesaka-Arhitofeli. Lokho kwabangelwa kukobana uSomnini uZimu wafelelisa iseluleko esihle saka-Arhitofeli ukuze u-Absalomu ehlelwe manikelela.
15URhutjhayi watjela abaphristi uTsadokhi no-Abiyatari wathi: “Kazi u-Arhitofeli ululeke u-Absalomu nabaphathi bakwa-Israyeli bonyana benze ukuthi nokuthi, kodwana mina ngithe kungcono benze lokhu nalokhu. 16Nje-ke rhaba uthumele umlayezo kuDavida uthi kuye: ‘Namhlanje ikosi ingaditjhi emazibukweni ayamela erhalawumbeni; ayiyame iJordani msinyana. Nakungasinjalo, kuphelile ngekosi nabantu bayo.’ ”
17UJonathani no-Arhimahatsi gade bahlala emthonjeni weRogele ngombana bebangekhe balinge ukwehla benyuka edorobheni babonwa. Kwakufanele bonyana ikhobokakazi libalethele umlayezo bese bona-ke bawusa kuDavida. 18Kodwana kunesokana elababonako, layokuluma u-Absalomu indlebe. Nje-ke basuka msinyana baya ekumbeni yomrhali omunye eBharhurimu. Umuntu loyo gade anomthombo awemba ecabazini lakhe, nje-ke bangena ngaphakathi kwawo bazifihla khona. 19Ikosikazakhe yathatha isembeso yembesa umlomo womthombo lowo beyaneka amakariya webhali phezu kwaso. Akukho noyedwa owaba nakwaziko ngendaba le.
20Lokha ibutho laka-Absalomu nalifika kumma ekumbeni labuza lathi: “Uphi u-Arhimahatsi noJonathani?” Umma loyo wabaphendula wathi: “Badlule esibayeni banqomba emlanjeni.” Amadoda la afunafuna kodwana akhange afunyane litho, aphendukela eJerusalema.
21Ngemva kobana amadoda lawo sele akhambile, ababilaba baphuma ngemthonjeni, balunga ekosini uDavida kobana bayomtjela. Bafika bathi kuye: “Ikosi ayiphume iyame umlambo khona nje; u-Arhitofeli ululeke u-Absalomu ngokuthi nokuthi ngayo.” 22Yeke uDavida nabo boke abantu akhamba nabo baphuma bayama umlambo iJordani. Nakusako kwakungasenamuntu ongakayami iJordani.
23Kwathi bona u-Arhitofeli abone bonyana iseluleko sakhe asikalandelwa, wabophela udumbanakhe walunga kwakhe, emzinekhabo. Wafika walungisa iindaba zomzakhe, waziphanyeka wafa, wabulungwa ezindleni lakayise.
24UDavida waya eMarhanayimu, u-Absalomu wayama iJordana nalo loke ibutho lakwa-Israyeli. 25U-Absalomu wabeka u-Amasa bona aphathe ipi esikhundleni sakaJowabi. (U-Amasa gade ayindodana yomuntu okuthiwa nguJethera, umIsrayeli obekatjhade no-Abigeyili indodakazi kaNarhatjhi nongudadwabo kaTseruya ongunina kaJowabi.) 26Ama-Israyeli no-Absalomu bahloma imitlhatlhana enarheni yeGiliyadi.
27Lokha uDavida nafika eMarhanayimu, uTjhobi noMakhiri kanye noBharzilayi beza kuye. (UTjhobi gade kumsa kaNarhatjhi weRabha lakwa-Amoni, uMakhiri amsa ka-Amiyeli weLo-Debhara, uBharzilayi yena gade amGiliyadi weRogelimi.) 28-29Baletha kuDavida nabantu akhamba nabo imikghade nezitja nezinto ezibunjwe ngomdaka. Godu baletha ukudla: ikoroyi nebhali, iflowuru nesibere, amabhontjisi neenhlumaya, iliju namakghamatha, izimvu netjhizi eyenziwe ngebisi lekomo. Bathi: “Abantu balambile nokudinwa badiniwe, kanti sele bafile ngomrhawu erhalawumbeni.”
