1 UJowabi watshelwa kwathiwa, “Inkosi iyakhala ililela u-Abhisalomu.” 2 Njalo kulolonke ibutho ukunqoba kwamhlalokho kwaguqulelwa ekulileni, ngoba ngalolosuku amabutho ezwa kuthiwa, “Inkosi ilusizi ngendodana yayo.” 3 Ngalolosuku abantu bangena benyenya edolobheni njengabantu abalenhloni bengena benyenya lapho bebaleka empini. 4 Inkosi yamboza ubuso bayo yakhala kakhulu isithi, “Oh ndodana yami Abhisalomu! Oh Abhisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!”

5 UJowabi wayangena endlini enkosini wathi, “Lamhla ubayangisile bonke abantu bakho, abasanda kusindisa impilo yakho lempilo yamadodana akho lamadodakazi lempilo yabomkakho kanye labafazi bakho beceleni. 6 Uthanda abakuzondayo uzonde abakuthandayo. Ukwenze kwabasobala lamhla ukuthi abalawuli bebutho labantu babo kabasilutho kuwe. Ngiyabona ukuthi ubuzathokoza aluba u-Abhisalomu ubephila lamhla thina sonke sifile. 7 Khathesi-ke phuma uyequnga abantu bakho isibindi. Ngiyafunga ngoThixo ukuthi nxa ungaphumi akulamuntu ozabe esele lawe kufika ukuhlwa. Lokhu kuzakuba kubi kakhulu kuwe kulayo yonke incithakalo eseyake yakwehlela kusukela ebutsheni bakho kuze kube khathesi.”

8 Ngakho inkosi yasukuma yahamba lesihlalo sayo esangweni. Abantu sebezwe kuthiwa, “Inkosi ihlezi esangweni,” bonke baya phambi kwayo.

Ngalesosikhathi abako-Israyeli basebebalekele emizini yabo.

9 Kuzozonke izizwana zako-Israyeli, abantu bonke babephikisana besithi, “Inkosi isisindisile esandleni sezitha zethu; yiyo eyasihlengayo esandleni samaFilistiya. Kodwa khathesi isibalekile elizweni ngenxa ka-Abhisalomu; 10 njalo u-Abhisalomu, esamgcobayo ukuba asibuse, ufile empini. Ngakho kungani lingatsho lutho ngokubuyisa inkosi na?”

11 Inkosi uDavida wathumela ilizwi kuZadokhi lo-Abhiyathari, abaphristi esithi, “Buzani abadala bakoJuda ukuthi, ‘Kungani lisiba ngabokucina ekubuyiseleni inkosi esigodlweni sayo njengoba okukhulunywayo kulolonke elako-Israyeli sekufikile enkosini lapho ehlala khona na? 12 Lingabafowethu, inyama yami legazi lami. Ngakho kungani lisiba ngabokucina ukubuyisa inkosi?’ 13 Njalo lithi ku-Amasa, ‘Wena kawusinyama yami legazi lami na? Sengathi uNkulunkulu angangijezisa, kube kanzima kakhulu, nxa ungasuye mlawuli webutho lami esikhundleni sikaJowabi, kusukela khathesi.’ ”

14 Wazuza ukusekelwa ngabantu bonke bakoJuda kwangathi babengumuntu munye. Bathumela ilizwi enkosini besithi, “Buya, wena kanye labantu bakho bonke.”

15 Ngakho inkosi yabuyela yahamba yaze yayafika eJodani. Ngalesosikhathi abantu bakoJuda basebefikile eGiligali ukuze baphume bayehlangabeza inkosi bayilethe ngaphetsheya kweJodani. 16 UShimeyi indodana kaGera, umBhenjamini waseBhahurimi, wehla ngokuphangisa labantu bakoJuda ukuyahlangabeza inkosi uDavida. 17 Wayelabantu bakoBhenjamini abayinkulungwane, kanye loZibha, isikhonzi sabendlu kaSawuli, lamadodana akhe alitshumi lanhlanu kanye lezinceku ezingamatshumi amabili. Baphangisa ukuya eJodani lapho inkosi eyayikhona. 18 Bachapha ezibukweni ukuze bahambise abendlu yenkosi ngaphetsheya lokwenza loba kuyini ekufunayo.

UShimeyi indodana kaGera esechaphe iJodani, waziwisela phansi wathi bhazalala phambi kwenkosi 19 wathi kuyo, “Inkosi kayingangenzi olecala. Ungakhumbuli okubi okwenziwa yinceku yakho mhlekazi wami ngosuku inkosi eyasuka ngalo eJerusalema. Sengathi inkosi ingakwesula engqondweni yayo. 20 Ngoba mina nceku yakho ngiyakwazi ukuthi ngenza isono, kodwa lamhla ngize lapha njengowakuqala kuyo yonke indlu kaJosefa ukuzahlangabeza umhlekazi wami, inkosi.”

21 Lapho-ke u-Abhishayi indodana kaZeruya wathi, “UShimeyi akumelanga abulawe ngenxa yalokhu na? Wathuka ogcotshiweyo kaThixo.”

22 UDavida waphendula wathi, “Kuyini lina lami esihlanganyela kukho, lina madodana kaZeruya? Ngalelilanga lina selibe yizitha zami! Kufanele kube lomuntu obulawayo ko-Israyeli lamhla na? Kangazi yini ukuthi lamhla ngiyinkosi yako-Israyeli?” 23 Ngakho inkosi yathi kuShimeyi, “Kawuyikufa.” Njalo inkosi yamthembisa ngokufunga.

24 UMefibhoshethi, indodana yendodana kaSawuli, laye wehla ukuyahlangabeza inkosi. Wayengazigezanga inyawo zakhe kumbe agele indevu zakhe loba agezise izigqoko zakhe kusukela ngelanga inkosi eyasuka ngalo kwaze kwaba lilanga eyabuya ngalo isindile. 25 Esefikile evela eJerusalema ukuzahlangabeza inkosi, inkosi yambuza yathi, “Kungani ungahambanga lami, Mefibhoshethi?”

26 Yena wathi, “Mhlekazi wami, nkosi, njengoba mina nceku yakho ngiqhula, ngathi, ‘Ngizabophela isihlalo kubabhemi wami ngigade phezu kwaso, ukuze ngihambe lenkosi yami.’ Kodwa uZibha inceku yami wangikhohlisa. 27 Njalo usehlinikeze inceku yakho kuwe mhlekazi nkosi yami. Mhlekazi wami, inkosi injengengilosi kaNkulunkulu; ngakho yenza lokho okukuthokozisayo. 28 Bonke abenzalo kababamkhulu kabafanelanga lutho kodwa ukubulawa ngumhlekazi wami inkosi, kodwa inceku yakho uyiphe indawo phakathi kwalabo abadla etafuleni lakho. Ngakho ngilelungelo bani lokukhalaza njalo enkosini?”

29 Inkosi yathi kuye, “Usakhulumelani okunye? Ngiyalilaya wena loZibha ukuba lahlukaniselane amasimu.”

30 UMefibhoshethi wathi enkosini, “Kathathe konke, njengoba khathesi umhlekazi wami usefikile ekhaya kungekho ngozi.”

31 UBhazilayi umGiliyadi laye wehla evela eRogelimi ukuyachapha iJodani elenkosi lokuyayivalelisela khona. 32 UBhazilayi wayesengumuntu omdala, eseleminyaka engamatshumi ayisificaminwembili. Wayenike inkosi ukudla ekuhlaleni kwayo eMahanayimi, ngoba wayengumuntu onothe kakhulu. 33 Inkosi yathi kuBhazilayi, “Chaphela ngaphetsheya lami uyehlala lami eJerusalema ngizakupha okuswelayo.”

34 Kodwa uBhazilayi wayiphendula inkosi wathi, “Mingaki eminye iminyaka engisezayiphila, ukuba ngiye eJerusalema lenkosi na? 35 Khathesi ngileminyaka engamatshumi ayisificaminwembili ubudala. Ngingabe ngisawutsho yini umahluko phakathi kokuhle lokungekuhle na? Inceku yakho ingabe isakunambitha ekudlayo lekunathayo na? Ngingabe ngisawezwa amazwi abahlabeleli besilisa labesifazane na? Kungani inceku yakho kumele ibe ngomunye umthwalo njalo kumhlekazi wami, inkosi na? 36 Inceku yakho izachaphela ngaphetsheya kweJodani lenkosi ummangwana omfitshane, pho kungani inkosi kumele ingiphe umvuzo ongaka na? 37 Yekela inceku yakho ibuyele, ukuze ngiyefela emzini wakithi eduze lengcwaba likababa lomama. Kodwa nansi inceku yakho uKhimihami. Kachaphele ngaphetsheya lomhlekazi inkosi yami. Menzele lokho okukuthokozisayo.”

38 Inkosi yasisithi, “UKhimihami uzachaphela ngaphetsheya lami, njalo ngizamenzela okukuthokozisayo. Njalo loba yini oyifuna kimi ngizakwenzela yona.”

39 Ngakho abantu bonke bachapha iJodani, inkosi yasichaphela ngaphetsheya. Inkosi yamanga uBhazilayi yambusisa, uBhazilayi wasebuyela emzini wakhe.

40 Kwathi inkosi ichaphela eGiligali, uKhimihami wachapha layo. Wonke amabutho akoJuda lengxenye yamabutho ako-Israyeli ayeyichaphisile inkosi.

41 Masinyane bonke abantu bako-Israyeli baya enkosini bathi kuyo, “Kungani abafowethu, abantu bakoJuda, bentshontshe inkosi yethu bayisa ngaphetsheya kweJodani yona labendlu yayo kanye labantu bonke na?”

42 Bonke abantu bakoJuda baphendula abantu bako-Israyeli bathi, “Lokhu sikwenzile ngoba inkosi ilobuhlobo obuseduze kakhulu lathi. Kulicaphula ngani lokho? Sike sadla olunye ulutho lwenkosi na? Sike sazithathela enye into na?”

43 Abantu bako-Israyeli basebephendula abantu bakoJuda besithi, “Thina silezabelo ezilitshumi enkosini, njalo ngaphandle kwalokho thina silelungelo elikhulu kulelenu ngoDavida. Pho kungani lisidelela? Kasibanga ngabokuqala na ukukhuluma ngokubuyisa inkosi yethu?”

Kodwa abantu bakoJuda baphendula ngamazwi alukhuni kakhulu kulawabantu bako-Israyeli.