¹ Nyalo Jowabi indvodzana ya Zeruya watsatsa kutsi inhlitiyo yenkhosi beyifisa kubona Absalomu. ² Ngako Jowabi watfumela livi ku Thekoya abenemfati labehlakaniphile naye. Watsi kuye, ''Ngicela wente ngatsi utolila bese ufaka timphahla tekuzila. Ngicela ungatigcobi ngemafutsa, kepha yiba njenge mfati losazilele umuntfu lofile sikhatsi lesidze. ³ Hamba bese uya enkhosini bese ukhuluma naye mayelana ngaloku lengikuchazile.'' Ngako Jowabi wamutjela lamagama labetowasho enkhosini. ⁴ Lapho labafati base Thekoya bakhuluma nenkhosi, walala abheke phansi emhlabatsini wase utsi, ''Ngisite, Nkhosi.'' ⁵ Inkhosi yatsi kuye, ''Yini lekabi?'' Waphendvula, ''Liciniso kutsi ngingumfelokati, futsi nendvodza yami ifile. ⁶ Mine, sisebenti sakho, benginemadvodzana lamabili, futsi balwe ndzawonye eensimini, futsi bekute nalebekangaba hlukanisa bona. Munye ushaye lolomunye wase uyamubulala. ⁷ Nyalo lonkhe lusendvo selukuvukele sisebenti sakho, base batsi, 'Nika esandleni setfu lendvodza leshaye umnakabo, base baya kuye bamubulala, kubhadala lemphilo yemnakabo lamubulele.' Ngako kute batobhubhisa indlalifa yabo. Ngalendlela batawucisha lelilahle lengilishiyile, bese bashiyela indvodza yami noma ligama noma situkulwane ngetulu kwemhlaba.'' ⁸ Ngako inkhosi yatsi kulomfati, ''Hamba uye endlini yakho, ngitobese ngikhokha umtsetfo kutsi kube nentfo lowentelwa yona.'' ⁹ Lomfati wase Thekoya waphendvula enkhosini, ''Mphatsi wami, nkhosi, shengatsi lelicalalibe kimi kanye nendlu ya babe wami. Inkhosi kanye nesihlalo sayo abanacala.'' ¹⁰ Inkhosi yaphendvula, ''Noma ngubani losho noma ngabe yini kuwe, muletse lapha kimi, utose akasakutsintsi futsi.'' ¹¹ Wase utsi , ''Ngicela, kwangatsi inkhosi ingathantaza kubita ingcondvo ya Simakadze Nkulunkulu wakho, kute umphindziseli wengati anganobhubhisa noma ngubani kuchubeka, kute bangatobhubhisa indvodzana yakho.'' Inkhosi yaphendvula, ''Njengoba Simakadze aphila, nalunye lunwele lwendvodzana yakho litokuwela phansi emhlabatsini.'' ¹² Wase lomfati utsi, ''Ngicela uvumele sisebenti sakho sikhulume kuchubeka ligama emphatsini wami inkhosi.'' Watsi, ''Chubeka ukhulume.'' ¹³ Ngako lomfati watsi, ''Leni bese wakha intfo lenjena kulabantfu ba Nkulunkulu? Ngoba ekushwoni lentfo lena, inkhosi ifana nemuntfu lonelicala, ngoba inkhosi ayikayibuyisi ekhaya phindze indvodzana yakhelecoshiwe. ¹⁴ Ngoba sonkhe kumele sife, futsi sifana nemanti lacitsekile emhlabatsini, langeke akhone kubuyiswa futsi. Kepha Nkulunkulu angeke ayitsatse imphilo; esikhundleni, utfola indlela yalabo labacoshiwe kutsi babuyiselwe ¹⁵ Ngako nyalo, uma ngibuka kutsi ngifikile ngatokhuluma loku kumphatsi wami inkhosi, kungenca yekutsi labantfu bangesabisile. Ngakoke sisebenti sakho sikhulume enhlitiyweni yaso satsi, 'Nyalo ngitawukhuluma nenkhosi'. Kutawuba kutsi inkhosi itawukwenta lesicelo sesisebenti sayo. ¹⁶ Mhlawumbe inkhosi itawungilalela mine bese bese ikhulula lesisebenti sayo esandleni salendvodza letangibulala futsi kanyekanye nendvodzana yami, kuleli lifa lasinika lona. ¹⁷ Ngakoke sisebenti sakho sathantaza, 'Simakadze, ngicela umlayeto wemphatsi inkhosi yami unginike kukhululeka, njenge ngelosi yaNkulunkulu, ngako nemphatsi wami nkulunkulu ekutjeleni lokuhle kulokubi.' Ngatsi Simakadze nkulunkulu wakho angaba nawe.'' ¹⁸ Yase inkhosi iyaphendvula yase itsi kulomfati, ''Ngicela ungangifihleli lutfo lengitolubuta kuta.'' Lomfati waphendvula, ''Akati umphatsi wami inkhosi ikhulume nyalo.'' ¹⁹ Inkhosi yatsi, ''Asikho nawe yini sandla sa Jowabi nawe kukuo konkhe loku?'' Lomfati waphendvula wase utsi, ''Njengoba uphila, mphatsi wami inkhosi, kute longaphunyula sandla sangesekudla noma sangese ncele kuko konkhe umphatsi wami inkhosi leseyikukhulumile. Bekusisebenti sakho Jowabi lesayala mine wase ungitjela kutsi ngisho letintfo leti sisebenti sakho lesetisikhulumile. ²⁰ Sisebenti sakho Jowabi sente loku kushintja konkhe loku lolokwentekako. Umphatsi wami uhlakaniphile, njenge nhlakanipho yengilosi ya Nkulunkulu, futsi wati konkhe lokwentekako la eveni.'' ²¹ Ngako inkhosi yatsi ku Jowabi, ''Buka nyalo, ngitoyenta lentfo. Hambe ke, bese uletsa lendvodza lencane Absalomu emuva.'' ²² Ngako Jowabi walala buso bakhe bukheke phansi emhlabatsini ngekuhlonipha nekuhlonipha inkhosi. Jowabi said, ''Namuhla sisebenti sakho siyati kutsi sitfole bubele emehlweni akho, mphatsi wami, nkhosi, lokutsi inhkosi yente sicelo sesisebenti sayo. ²³ Ngako Jowabi waphaphama, waya e Geshuri, wase uletsa Absalomu emuva eJerusalema. ²⁴ Inkhosi yatsi, ''Angabuyela endlini yakhe, kepha angeke akhone kubona buso bami.'' Ngako Absalomu wabuyela endlini yakhe, kepha akabubonanga buso benkhosi. ²⁵ Nyalo kulolonkhe laka Israyeli bekute namunye labedvumisa ngemuhle bakhe kwendlula Absalomu. Kusukela elunyaweni lwakhe kuya etulu yenhloko yakhe bekute nekungcola kuye. ²⁶ Nakahhula tinwele tenhloko yakhe ekupheleni kwemnyaka wonkhe, ngoba bekwesindza kuye, wakala sisindvo setinwele takhe, bekuba nessisindvo sema shekheli emakhulu lamabili, lokulinganiswa nelizing lenkhosi. ²⁷ Ku Absalomu kwatalwa emadvodzana lamatsatfu kanye nendvodzakati yinye, lebe libito layo bekungu Thamari. Abengu muntfu wesifazane lomuhle. ²⁸ Absalomu waphila iminyaka lemibili legcwele eJerusalema, ngephandle kwekubona buso benkhosi. ²⁹ Wase Absalomu utfumela ligama ku Jowabi kute amutfume enkhosini, kepha Jowabi aketanga kuye. Ngako Absalomu watfumela ligama kuye kwesibili, kepha Jowabi futsi akazange ete. ³⁰ Ngako Absalomu watsi etisebentini takhe, ''Buka, emasimi aJowabi advutane newami, futsi une bhali lapho. Hamba uyilumele ngemlilo.'' Ngako tisebenti ta Absalomu balumeka lamasimu ngemlilo. ³¹ Wase Jowabi uyaphakama wase uta endlini ya Absalomu, wase utsi kuye, ''Leni tisebenti takho tilumeke emasimu ami ngemlilo?'' ³² Absalomu waphendvula Jowabi, ''Buka, ngitfumele livi kuwe ngitsi, 'Kota lana kute ngitokutfuma enkhosini uyotsi, ''Ngichamuke leni eGeshuri? Bekutoba ncono kuchubeka ngibelapha. Nyalo ngako ke ngivumele ngibone buso benkhosi, bese nangabe nginelicala, muyekele angibulale.'''''' ³³ Ngako Jowabi wahamba waya enkhosini wase uyayitjela. Nayibita Absalomu inkhosi,, weta wase uyakhotsama phansi emhlabatsini embikwe nkhosi, yase inkhosi iyamucabuza Absalomu.