1Wada u‐Davide wabala abantu ababenaye, wabeka pezu kwabo inkosi zamawaka nenkosi zamakulu. 2Waza u‐Davide watuma abantu, esinye isiqingata sesitatu ngapantsi kwesandla sika‐Jowabi, nesinye isiqingata sesitatu ngapantsi kwesandla sika‐Abishai, unyana ka‐Tseruya, umninawe ka‐Jowabi, nesinye isiqingata sesitatu ngapantsi kwesandla sika‐Yitai um‐Gate. Wayesiti ukumkani ebantwini: Ndiya kupuma nani ngenyaniso nam. 3Koko abantu bati: Akuyi kupuma; ngokuba nxa sika sibaleke, abayi kubekela tina intliziyo; nanxa esinye isiqingata sabetu sibubayo, abayi kubekela tina intliziyo; kodwa ngoku unjengamawaka alishumi abakuti; ngako kaloku kulungile ukuba ube usinceda usesixekweni. 4Wandula ukumkani wati kubo: Oko kulungileyo emehlweni enu ndiya kukwenza. Wasuka ukumkani wema ngasecaleni lesango, bati bonke abantu bapuma ngamakulu nangamawaka.
5Waza ukumkani wayalela u‐Jowabi, no‐Abishai, no‐Yitai, ngokuti: Patani kakuhle indodana leyo, u‐Abasalome, ngenxa yam. Baye bonke abantu besiva, akuba ukumkani ebeyalela zonke inkosi ezo ngayo indawo ka‐Abasalome.
6Kwa njalo abantu bapumela ezindle ngakuwo ama‐Sirayeli: kwaza kwabako ukulwa ehlatini le‐Frayime; 7bati abantu bakwa‐Sirayeli babulawa kona ebusweni bezicaka zika‐Davide; kwaye kuko kona isibulawa esikulu ngalomhla, amawaka amashumi mabini amadoda: 8ngokuba ukulwa kwatiwa sa pezu kwobuso belizwe lonke; lada ihlati ladla ebantwini ngento eninzi kubo ababedliwa liṙele ngalomhla.
9Wahla u‐Abasalome wahlangana nezicaka zika‐Davide: kekaloku u‐Abasalome wakwela pezu kweqwaṙaṙa; lati lakufika iqwaṙaṙa pantsi kwamasebe apingeleleneyo omkoba omkulu, yandula intloko yake yabambeka emkobeni, wabekwa pakati kwezulu nomhlaba; laye iqwaṙaṙa elipantsi kwake ladlula. 10Yaza indoda etile yabona oko, yamxelela u‐Jowabi, yati: Bona ke, ndibonile u‐Abasalome exo̔mekile emkobeni. 11Wayesiti u‐Jowabi kuyo indoda ebimxelele: Bona ke, ubonile nje, kuyinina ukuba ubungambeti kona ngasemhlabeni! ndandinge ndikunikile ishumi leshekele zesilivere noqwemesha lunye. 12Koko indoda leyo yati ku‐Jowabi: Nakuba bendiya kulinganisa pezu kwesandla sam iwaka leshekele zesilivere, ngandingoluli isandla sam ngakuye unyana wokumkani; ngokuba ukumkani ebeyalela wena, no‐Abishai, no‐Yitai, ekuveni kwetu, esiti: Gcinani nonke ngabanye indodana u‐Abasalome. 13Ukuba kodwa bendenzile ubuxoki ngakubo ubomi bam; (ngokuba kungeko nto efihlelweyo ukumkani;) ngeuba nawe umele ngakum. 14Wandula wati u‐Jowabi: Andiyi kulibala ngokunjalo ebusweni bako. Waza watabata izikali ezitatu esandleni sake, wazihlaba entliziyweni ka‐Abasalome, nxa asahleli pakati kwomkoba. 15Aza asondela amadodana alishumi, abatwali bezixo̔bo zika‐Jowabi, ambeta u‐Abasalome, amfisa. 16Wandula u‐Jowabi wavutela ngexilongo, bati abantu babuya ekusukeleni ama‐Sirayeli; ngokuba u‐Jowabi wababamba abantu. 17Baza bamtabata u‐Abasalome, bamposa ehlatini emnxunyeni omkulu, bamisa pezu kwake imfumba yamatye enkulu kakulu: asuka onke ama‐Sirayeli esaba aya amanye ngamanye ezintenteni zawo.
18Kekaloku u‐Abasalome, nxa abesadla ubomi, watabata wazimisela intsika, esemhlanjeni wokumkani; ngokuba ebesiti: Andinanyana, ukuze kukunjuzwe igama lam; wayibiza intsika leyo ngegama lake: ngako yabizwa kwada kwanamhla nje ngokuti yinkumbuzelo ka‐Abasalome.
19Wandula wati u‐Himahatse unyana ka‐Tsadoki: Makendigidime, ndishumayele kukumkani indaba zokuba uyehova umkulule esandleni sentshaba zake. 20Koko u‐Jowabi wati kuye: Akuyi kuba ngumshumayeli wendaba namhla nje, kodwa uya kushumayela indaba ngomhla wumbi; kodwa namhla nje akuyi kushumayela indaba, ngenxa yokuba unyana wokumkani efile. 21Waza u‐Jowabi wati ku‐Kushi: Hamba, umxelele ukumkani oko ukubonileyo. Watoba ke u‐Kushi pambi kwo‐Jowabi, wagidima. 22Wapinda kanjako u‐Himahatse unyana ka‐Tsadoki wati ku‐Jowabi: Kodwa noko, makendigidime nam emva kwo‐Kushi. Wayesiti u‐Jowabi: Kunganina ukuba ugidime wena, nyana wam! ungenandaba ezikolekileyo nje? 23Kodwa noko, watsho, makendigidime. Waza wati kuye: Gidima. Wasuka u‐Himahatse wagidima ngendlela yetafa, wagqita ku‐Kushi.
24Kekaloku u‐Davide wahlala pakati kwamasango amabini; wati umlindi wahamba pezu kwesifulelwa sesango, pezu kwodonga, wapakamisa amehlo ake, wakangela; kekaloku nantsiya indoda igidima iyodwa. 25Waza wabiza umlindi, wamxelela ukumkani. Wayesiti ukumkani: Ukuba iyodwa, kuko indaba emlonyeni wayo. Yakaulezisa ukuhamba ke, yasondela. 26Wabuya umlindi wabona enye indoda igidima; waza umlindi wabiza kumgcini wesango, wati: Nantsi enye indoda igidima iyodwa. Wayesiti ukumkani: Nalé ingumshumayeli wendaba. 27Wati umlindi kanjalo: Ndiyabona ukugidima kweyokuqala njengokugidima kuka‐Himahatse unyana ka‐Tsadoki. Wayesiti ukumkani: Uyindoda elungileyo lowo, uyeza nendaba ezilungileyo.
28Waza wabiza u‐Himahatse, wati kukumkani: Luxolo! Watoba ngobuso bake ngasemhlabeni pambi kwokumkani, wati: Makabongwe uyehova, utixo wako, owanikeleyo amadoda abepakamisa isandla sawo ngakuyo inkosi yam ukumkani. 29Wandula ukumkani wati: Ipilile na indodana u‐Abasalome? Wati u‐Himahatse: Kendabona impitimpiti enkulu, nxa u‐Jowabi abetuma isicaka sokumkani, nam isicaka sako, kodwa bendingayazi iyinto nina. 30Wati ukumkani: Sondela, zimise apa; waza wasondela, wema. 31Wada wafika, bona ke, u‐Kushi; wayesiti u‐Kushi: Maishunyayezwe inkosi yam ukumkani, okokuba uyehova ukukulule namhla esandleni sabo bonke ababesukela ngakuwe. 32Waza ukumkani wati ku‐Kushi: Ipilile na indodana u‐Abasalome? Wayesiti u‐Kushi: Intshaba zenkosi yam ukumkani, nabo bonke abavukela ububi bako, mababe njengendodana leyo! 33Wandula ukumkani wabetwa lusizi, wenyuka waya enkambilini epezulu kwesango, walila; wayesitsho ekuyeni kwake ukuti: Nyana wam Abasalome, nyana wam, nyana wam Abasalome! akwaba ndabendifile esikundleni sako, Abasalome, nyana wam, nyana wam!
