¹ Wase Ahithophel utsi ku Absalom, ''Nyalo kumele ngikhetse emadvodza layinkhulungwane lelishumi nakubili, ngitawuvuka ngiyewucosha David namuhla. ² Ngitawuta kuya ngesikhatsi adziniwe futsi ete emandla ngitobese ngiyamtuma ngekwesaba. Labantfu lanabo batawubaleka, ngitobese sengihlasela inkhosi yodvwa. ³ Ngitawubuya nabo bonkhe labantfu kuwe, kuhle kwa makoti aya kumyeni wakhe, futsi bonkhe labantfu batawuba nekuthula ngephansi kwakho.'' ⁴ Lakusho Ahithophel kwatfokotisa Absalom kanye nabo bonkhe labadzala baka Israel. ⁵ Wase Absalom utsi, ''Nyalo bita Hushai umArkite, naye, asiveni kutsi yena utsini.'' ⁶ Uma Hushai seketile ku Absalom, Absalom wamchazela loku lakushito Ahithophel wase ubuta Hushai, ''Kumele yini sente loku lokushitiwo ngu Ahithophel? Uma kungu cha, sitjele kutsi wena useluleka utsini.'' ⁷ Ngako Hushai watsi ku Absalom, ''Leseluleko lasiniketile Ahithophel asisiko kahle.'' ⁸ Hushai wengeta, ''Uyati babe wakho nemadvodza akhe ngemabutfo lenamandla, nekwekutsi bamunyu, nekutsi bafana lelibhele leletjelwe emazinyane alo. Babe wakho yindvodza yemphi; angeke alale nembutfo namuhla. ⁹ Buka, nyalo kungenteka ufihlwe emgodzini tsite noma kulenye indzawo. Kutowenteka kutsi uma labanye bemadvodza enu babulewe ekucaleni kwalokuhlasela, kutsi wonkhe lotawukuva utawutsi, 'kubhubhisa kutsetse indzawo emkhatsini wemasotja lalandzela Absalom.' ¹⁰ Lapho ngisho nemasotja lanesibindzi kakhulu, lo tinhlitiyo tabo tifana nenhlitiyo yelibhubesi, batawesaba ngoba wonkhe Israel uyati kutsi babe wakho yindvodza lenemandla kakhulu, nekutsi laladvodza lanaye anemandla. ¹¹ Ngako ngikweluleka ngekutsi wonkhe Israel akahlangane kanye kanye ahlanganele kuwe, kusuka eDan kuya eBeersheda, babe banyenti kuhle kwesihlabatsi ngase lwandle, nekutsi uye kuyokulwa matfupha. ¹² Sitobese siya kuye noma ngabe ngukuphi lapho atotfolakala khona, sitobese siyambonya kuhle kwematolo awela phansi. Angeke sishiye ngisho namunye wemadvodza akhe, noma nanaye, aphila. ¹³ Uma abalekela edolobheni, utose wonkhe Israel uletsa tintsambo kulelo dolobha sitobese silihudvulela emfuleni, kute kube bete ngisho litje lelincane lelitfolakala lapho.'' ¹⁴ Wase Absalom nemadvodza aka Israel batsi, ''Seluleko sa Hushai umArkite sincono kunalesi sa Ahithophel.'' Simakadze ubekile kwaliwa kweseluleko lesihle sa Ahithophel kute atewuletsa kubhubha ku Absalom. ¹⁵ Wase Hushai utsi ku Zadok naku Abiathar baphristi, ''Ahithophel weluleka Absalom nalabadzala baka Israel ngalendlela nayi nanayi, kepha sengeluleke lomunye. ¹⁶ Nyalo ke, hamba ngekuphutfuma uyobika ku David; utsi kuye, 'Ungahlali namuhla ngasemfudlaneni wema Arabah, kepha ngayo yonkhe indlela yewelela ngesheya, noma lenkhosi Itawumiteka endleleni kanye nabo bonkhe labantfu labakanye nayo. ¹⁷ Nyalo Jonathan na Ahimaaz bebahlala ngasesicojeni sase Rogel. Sisebenti lesisikati sasivame kuhamba siyobatjela labadzinga kusiva, ngoba bebangedze bedzele kubokala bangena edolobheni. Uma umlayeto ufika, bekumele bese bahamba bayotjela Inkhosi David. ¹⁸ Kepha lijaha leliselincane lababona ngalesi sikhatsi watjela Absalom Ngako Jonathan na Ahimaaz bahamba ngekushesha befikela endlini yendvodza eBahurim, lobekane ngwedle ebaleni lakhe, lapho behlela khona. ¹⁹ Lomfati walendvodza watsatsa kwekumbonya lengwedle wakwendlala ngetulu kwalapho ivuleke khona lengwedle, wase sewuhasa lenhlanyelo ngetulu kwako, ngako kute lowati kutsi Jonathan na Ahimaaz bakule ngwedle. ²⁰ Emadvodza a Absalom eta kulomfati walendlu batsi, ''Bakuphi bo Ahimaaz na Jonathan?'' Lomfati wabatjela, ''Bawelele ngesheya kwalomfula.'' Ngako ngemuva kwekutsi bafune futsi bangabatfoli, babuyela eJerusalem. ²¹ Kwase kuyenteka ngemuva kwekutsi bahambe wase Jonathan na Ahimaaz baphuma kule ngwedle. Baya kuyobika enkhosini David; batsi kuye, ''Vukani niwele masinyane ngetulu ngakulamanti ngoba Ahithophel sewunikete seluleko lesikanje nakanjena ngani.'' ²² Wase David uyaphakama nabo bonkhe labantfu bebanaye, base bawelela ngesheya kwe Jordan. Ekuseni sekukhanya kute namunye lobekahlulekile kwewela le Jordan. ²³ Uma Ahithophel abona kutsi seluleko sakhe asikalandzelwa, wagibela imbongolo yakhe wase uya endlini yakhe edolobheni lakhe. Walungisa kahle indlu yakhe wase uyatibulala. Washona kanjalo wase uyangcwatjwa ethuneni lababe wakhe. ²⁴ Wase David ufikela eMahanaim. Mayelana na Absalom, wawelela ngesheya kwe Jordan, yena kanye nawo onkhe lamadvodza aka Israel lanaye. ²⁵ Absalom abebeke Amasa njenge mholi wemphi esikhundleni sa Joab. Amasa abeyindvodzana ya Jether umIshmaeli, lowangena waya ku Abigail, lobeka yindvodzakati ya Nashash na dzadze waZeruiah, make wa Joab. ²⁶ Wase Israel na Absalom bayahlala kwesikhashana eveni laka Gilead. ²⁷ Kwase kuyenteka uma David ete eMahanaim, kutsi Shobi indvodzana ya Nahash wase Rabbah wema Ammonites, na Makir indvodzana ya Ammiel wase Lo Debar, kanye na Barzillai umGileadite wase Rogelim, ²⁸ baletsa emacansi netingubo, tindishi tekudlela nemabhodo, na kolo, flawa, tinhlavu tenhlanyelo letosiwe, emabhontjisi, emalenteli, ²⁹ luju, emafutsa lasigadla, imvu, nelubisi loselumunyu, kute David nalabantfu laba kanye naye batokudla. Lawa madvodza bekatse, ''Labantfu balambile, badziniwe, futsi bomile lena ehlane.''