¹ Davide wabala emasotja lawo abe nawo wase ukhetsa baholi labatinkhulungwane kanye nebaholi labalikhulu emkhatsini wabo. ² Wase Davide utfumela libutfo lelingemacembu lamatsatfu ngephansi kwemphatsi waJoab, lenye incenye lentsantfu ngephansi kwemphatsi wendvodzana yaAbishai waZeriah, umnaka boJoabs, nalenye incenye lentsatfu ngephansi kwemphatsi waIttai longu Gittite. Inkhosi yatsi kulelibutfo, ''Ngitawuhamba nani mime lucobo lwami.'' ³ Kepha lamadvodza atsi, '' Kumele ningayi lemphini, nasibaleka ngeke bangenelane natsi, noma ihhafu yetfu ifa ngeke bangenelane. Kepha wena uwedvwa ulingana natsi singu 10 000! Ngakoke kungabancono kutsi ulungiselele kusilekelela edolobheni.'' ⁴ Ngako Inkhosi yabaphendvula, Ngiyonentela noma ngayini lebukeka iyinhle kini.'' Inkhosi yahlala ngase sangweni lelidolobha ngesikhtsi onkhe emabutfo aphuma ngetimakhulu kanye netinkhulungwane ⁵ Inkhosi yayalela Joab, naAbishai, kanye naIttai yatsi, ''Sebenta kamnandzi ngenca yami lendvodzana , naAbsalom.'' Bonkhe bantfu beva kutsi Inkhosi ikhiphe umyalo kubaholi ngaAbsalom. ⁶ Ngako ke lelibutfo laphumela emnceleni labhekana nemaIsrael; lemphi ayasabalala emahlatsini aseEphraim. ⁷ Lelibutfo laka Israel lehlulwa embikwe tisebenti taDivide; kwaba nekubulawa kwemasotjai longu 20 0000 ngalelo langa. ⁸ Lemphi yasabalala wonkhe umcele, incumbi yemadvodza agwinya lihalatsi kanye nenkemba. ⁹ Kwenteka kutsi Absalom ahlangane nayatinye tisebenti taDvide. Absalom abegibele umnyuzi wakhe, lomnyuzi wangena phansi kwemagala lacinile esihlahleni lesikhulu se oak, inhloko yakhe yatfolakala etulu emagaleni esihlahla. Wasala alenga emkhatsini wemhlabatsini kanye nesibhakabhaka ube umnyuzi ucbeka nekuhamaba. ¹⁰ Kukhona lowakubona loku watjela Joab, ¹¹ ''Buka, Ngibone Absalom alenga esihlahleni se oak! Joab watsi kulendvodza leyamtjela ngaAbsalom, ''Buka! Umbonile! Awukamushayi wawaphansi? Ngabe ngikunike tinhlavu tesiliva letingu10 ¹² Lendvodza yaphendvula kuJoab, ''Noma ngabe ngitfole tinhlavu lengu1000, bengingeke ngibeke sandla sami itikwendvodzana yenkhosi , ngoba besiva ngesikhatsi inkhosi inika umnyalo kuwe kuwe, naAbishai kanye naIttai, atsi, Kute lokumele atsintse lomfana longu Absalom. ¹³ Kube nginikele ngemphilo yami ngenca yalamanga ( futsi kute lokufihlalakela eNkhosini), bowutabe songilahlile.'' ¹⁴ Ngako Joab watsi, angeke ngikumele.'' Ngako Joab waphatsa tikhali letintsatfu ngesandla sakhe watiphonsa enhlitweni yaAbsalom, ngesikhatsi asengakafi alenga esihlahleni. ¹⁵ Kwase kufika lishumi lebafana baka Joab bagegeletela Absalom, bamuhlasela, base bayambulala. ¹⁶ Joab wase ushaya impalampala, libubutfo lase liya jika ekubuleni emaIsrael, ngoba Joab abesalincandzekisile lelibutfo. ¹⁷ Babatsatsa Absalom bamjijela emgodzini lomkhulu ehlatsini; bagcwaba umtimba wakhe ngephansi kwalenkhu indvundvuma yemantje, ngesikhatsi Israel abaleka, yonkhe indvodza ethendeni layo. ¹⁸ Ngesikhatsi Absalom, asaphila, watakhela indvundvuma yematje lenkhulu esihosheni seNkhosi, ngekusho kwakhe watsi,'' Ngite indvodzana letawugcubeka ivuse libito lami.'' Wetsa lelitje ngelibito lakhe, ngako ayabitwa kutsi Sikhumbuto saAbsalom nanamuhla loku. ¹⁹ Ngako Ahimaaz indvodzana yaZadok watsi, asengigijime ngiye eNkhosini nanati tindzaba letimnandzi, kutsi Simakadze umusindzise njani esandleni sesitsa.'' ²⁰ Joab wamphendvula, ''Angeke ngikuvumele kubika letindzaba namuhla; kumele ukwente ngalelinye lilanga. Namuhla kute tindzaba lotatibika ngoba indvodzana yeNkhosi ishonile.'' ²¹ Ngako Joab watsi eCushiteneni, ''Hamba uyotjela Inkhosi lokubonile.'' Leli Cushite lakhotsama kuJoab, lase liyajigima. ²² Wase Ahimaaz indvodzana yaZadok yaphindza ku Joab, ''Noma kungentekani, ngicela ungivumele nam ngigijime ngilandzele leliCushite.'' Joab waphendvula , ''Leni ufune kugijima, indvodzana yami, ubona kutsi kute umvuzo lotawutfola ngaletindzaba?'' ²³ Noma ngabe kwentekani, '' kwasho Ahimaaz, Ngitawugijima, '' Ngako Joab wamphendvula, ''Gijima.'' Ngako Ahimaaz wagijima ngendlela yasematsafeni, wendlula loCushite. ²⁴ Nyalo Davide abehlleli emkhatsini wekuphuma nekungena kwemagede. Logadzi wannyukela eluphahleni lelisango waphakamisa emehlo akhe. Wase uyabuka, wabona indvodza isondzela, igijima yondvwa. ²⁵ Logadzi wamemeta watjela Inkhosi. Inkhosi yatsi, Nangabe uyedvwa, kutetindzaba emlonyeni wakhe. ''Lomgijimi wasondzela dvutane wasondzela edolobheni. ²⁶ Logadzi wanaka kutsi lenye indvodza yayigijima, logadzi wabita umlindzisangu; watsi, ''Buka kunalenye indvodza legijima yodvwa.'' Inkhosi yatsi, Naye uletse tindzaba. ²⁷ ''Ngako ke logadzi watsi, Ngicabanga kutsi kugijima kwalendvodza lelangembili kufana nekugijima kwaAhimaaz indvodzana yaZadok.'' Inkhosi yatsi, ''Uyindvodza lelungile futsi uletsa tindzaba letimnandzi.'' ²⁸ Ngako Ahimaaz wakhuluma watsi eNkhosini, '' Konkhe kulungile''.Wakhotsama wabhekisa busu bakhe phansi embikwe Nkhosi wase utsi, ''Ludvumu alube kuwe Simakadze Nkhulunkulu wakho! Uwasidzisile emandvodza lephakamise tandla tabo kumholi wami Inkhosi.'' ²⁹ Ngako Inkhosi yaphendvula, Kulungile ngalelijaha Absalom?'' Ahimaaz waphendvula, ''Ngesikhatsi Joab angitfuma, sisebenti seNkhosi, kuwe, Inkhosi, Ngabona kuphatamiseka lokukhulu, kepha bengingati kutsi bekuyini.'' Yase Inkhosi itsi, ''Gucuka ubhekele bese uma lana, ³⁰ ''Ngako Ahimaaz wagucukela eceleni, wena wanganyakati. ³¹ Kwatsi nangungena lomCushite watsi, Kunetindzaba letimnadzi temholi Inkhosi, ngoba Simakadze ukukhululile kubobonkhe labakuvukelako. ³² ''Yase Inkhosi kulomCushite, ''konkhe kukahle ngalelijaha Absalom? LomCushite waphendvula, Titsa temuholi Inkhosi yami, nabo bonkhe labavukelana nawe akulimate, kumele abenjenga lelijaha.'' ³³ Inkhosi yeva buhlungu kakhulu, wanyukela egumbini lelisetulu esangweni wakhala khona. Asachubeka wakhala, '' Ndvodzana yami Absalom, ndvodzana yami, ndvodzana yami Absalom! Ngifisa ngatsi ngabe kwafa mine eskhundleni sakho, Absalom, ndvodzana yami, ndvodzana yami!''