¹ Jowabi watjelwa, '' Buka, inkhosi iyakhala ifukemele Absalom.'' ² Ngako lemphumelelo ngalelo langa yagucuka yaba sililo kuyo yonkhe imphi, ngoba lemphi yakuva kushiwo ngalelo langa, ''Inkhosi ifukamele indvodzana yayo.'' ³ Emasotja bekumele anyonyobe nakayongena edolobheni ngalelo langa, njenge bantfu naba sehlazweni bayanyonyoba nababaleka emphini. Inkhosi ⁴ yatimbonya buso yakhala ngeliphimbo lelikhulu, ''Ndvodzana yami Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son!'' ⁵ Jowabi wangena endlini enkhosini watsi kuyo, ''Wente buso bema sotja babanemahloni namuhla, labaphephise imphilo yakho namuhla, nemphilo yemadvodzana akho, nema dvodzakati akho, imphilo yebafati bakho, nemphilo yebafati betigcila takho, ⁶ ngenca yekutsi utsandza labo labakuzondako, uzonda labo labakutsatsandzako. Namuhla ukhombisile kutsi bakhuteli bempi nemasotja balite kuwe. Namuhla ngyakholwa kutsi Absalom abephila, ngabe sonkhe sifile, loko ngabe futsi kukwenetisile. ⁷ Manje ngaloko sukuma uphume ukhulume kahle nemasotja akho, ngoba ngiyafunga nga Smakadze, nangabe awuyi, kute ngisho yinye indvodza letawusala nawe namuhla ebsuku. Loko kutawuba matima kakhulu kuwe kwendlula tonkhe letehlakalo letake tenteka kuwe kusukela ebusheni bakho kute kube ngumanje.'' ⁸ Ngako lenkhosi yasukuma yahlala esangweni lelidolobha, bonkhe bantfu batjelwa, ''Bukani, inkhosi ihleti egedeni,'' bonkhe bantfu beta embikwe nkhosi. Ngako Israyeli wabaleka, yonkhe indvodza yaya ekhaya layo. ⁹ Bonkhe bantfu betive taka Israyeli bebahhwilitisana batsi, ''Inkhosi yasikhulula esandleni sesitsa, wasihlenga esandleni sema Filisti, kodvwa manje kulelive ngenca ya Absalom. ¹⁰ Absalom, lelesamugcoba etukwetfu, ufile emphini. Manje kungani ungasho lutfo ngekubuyiswa kwe nkhosi?'' ¹¹ Inkhosi Davide yatfumela ku Zodak na Abiatha bapristi yatsi, ''Khulumani nalabadzala baka Juda nitsi, 'Nentelani lokuba bekugcina kuletsa inkhosi esigodleni sayo, njengoba tinkhulumo tema Israyeli tivuna inkhosi, kutsi nimuletse esigodlweni sakhe? ¹² Nibo mnaketfu, inyama yami nelitsambo lami. Kuyangani ke nibe bekugcina kuletsa inkhosi?' ¹³ Bese nitsi ku Amasa, 'Awusiyo yini inyama yami nelitsambo lami? Nkulunkulu wenta njalo kimi, nalokunyenti futsi, Nawungasuye umholi wembutfo wami kusukela manje eskhundleni sa Jowabi.'' ¹⁴ Ngako wawina tinhlitiyo tawo onkhe emadvodza aka Juda aba yindvodza yinye. Batfumela enkhosini batsi, ''Jika, wena nawo onkhe emadvodza akho.'' ¹⁵ Ngako inkhosi yajika yeta eJordan. Manje emadvodza aka Juda eta eGilgali beyewuhlangana nenkhosi bese beta nenkhosi bewela iJordan. ¹⁶ Shimeyi indvodzana ya Gera, uMbenjanite, lebekabuya eBehurimu, waphutfuma wehla nalamadvodza aka Juda wayohlangana neNkhosi Davide. ¹⁷ Abe nemadvodza layinkhulunwane lebekasuka ka Benjamini, na Ziba sisebenti sa Sawula, nemadvodzana akhe lalishumi nesihlanu netisebenti letingemashumi lamabili. Bewela iJordan nenkhosi yayikhona. ¹⁸ Bewelela kuletsa umndeni wenkhosi futsi bente noma yini beyikucabanga kukahle. Shimeyi indvodzana ya Gera wakhotsama embikwe nkhosi kucala angakaweli iJordan. ¹⁹ Shimeyi watsi enkhosini, ''Ungacali, mphatsi wam, ungitfole nginelicala noma unake lokukabi esisebentini sakho lesakwenta ngelilanga umphatsi wami inkhosi ishiya iJerusalema. Ngiyacela, inkhosi ayingakufaki enhlitiyweni. ²⁰ Ngoba sisebenti sakho siyati kutsi Ngonile. Bona, kungako ngitile namuhla namuhla ngaba weucala kuwo wonkhe umndeni wa Josefa ngehla ngatohlangana nemphatsi wami inkhosi.'' ²¹ Kodvwa Abishayi indvodzana ya Zeruwa yaphendvula yatsi, Akukafaneli yini Shimuyi abulawe ngenca yaloku, ngoba ucalekise lugcobo lwa Smakadze? ²² Davide watsi, ''Yini lekumele ngiyente ngawe, wena ndvodzana yaZeruwa, kutsi namuhla ningaba titsa tami? Khona indvodza lengabulawa namuhla ka Israyeli? Ngoba angati yini kutsi ngimi namuhla inkhosi yaka Israyeli? ²³ Ngako inkhosi yatsi ku Shimeyi, ''Angeke ufe. Ngako inkhosi yemetsembisa ngekufunga. ²⁴ Ngako Mefibhoshethi indvodzana ya Sawula yehla yatewuhlangana ne nkhosi. Abengakatembesi tinyawo takhe, angakashefi, abengaka tiwashi timphahla takhe kusukela ngelilanga inkhosi ihamba kwaze kwaba ngulelinga ibuya ngekuthula. ²⁵ Ngako uma isuka eJerusalem kutohlangana nenkhosi, inkhosi yatsi kuye, ''Awuhambanga leni nami, Mefibhoshethi? ²⁶ Waphendvula, ''Mphatsi wam nkhosi, sisebenti sami singiyengile, ngoba ngatsi, 'Ngitabophela imbongolo yami khona ngitogibela ngihambe nenkhosi, ngoba sisebenta sakho sisishosha. ²⁷ Sisebenti sami Ziba singicambele emanga, sisebenti sakho, kumphatsi wami inkhosi. Kodvwa mphatsi wam inkhosi ifana nengilozi ya Nkulunkulu. Ngokoke, yenta lokuhle emehlweni akho. ²⁸ Ngoba konkhe lokusendlini yababe madvodza lafile embikwe mphatsi wami inkhosi, kodvwa ubeke sisebenti sakho nalabo labadla etfuleni lakho. Nginalingelo lini kutsi bengingakhala phindze enkhosini?'' ²⁹ Ngako inkhosi yatsi kuye, ''Uchubekelani nekugcaza? Ngitsetse sincumo kutsi wena na Ziba nehlukaniselane emasimu.'' ³⁰ Mefibhoshethi waphendvula enkhosini, ''Yebo, akatsatse konkhe, njengoba umphatsi wami inkhosi ibuye iphephile ekhaya layo.'' ³¹ Ngako Bhazilayi uMgiliyadi wehla asuka eRogelimu kwewela iJordan nenkhosi, waphekeletela inkhosi ngesheya kwe Jordan. ³² Bhazilayi abesaguge kakhulu, abeneminyaka lengemashumi lasiphohlongo budzala.Abesita inkhosi ngesikhatsi sebumatima nayisahlala eMahanayimu, ngoba abeyindvodza lecebi kakhulu. ³³ Inkhosi yatsi ku Bhazilayi, ''Buya uhambe nami, ngitakwentela konkhe uhlale nami eJerusalema.'' ³⁴ Bhazilayi waphendvula enkhosini, ''Mngakhi emalanga lasele eminyakeni yekuphila kwami, kutsi bengingenyuka nenkhosi ngiye Jerusalema? ³⁵ Ngineminyaka lengemashuma lasiphohlongo. Ngingahlukanisa lokuhle nalokubi? Ngingaweva emavi ekuhlabelwa kwemadvodza newekuhlabela kwebafati? Kungani ke sisebenti sakho singaba ngumtfwalo kumphatsi wami inkhosi? ³⁶ Sisebenti sakho sitawutsandza kumane sewele iJordan nenkhosi. Kuyangani inkhosi ifune kungibhadala ngembhadalo lekanjena? ³⁷ Ngicela uyekele sisebenti sakho sibuyele ekhaya, khona ngitewufela edolobheni lami eceleni kwababe wami na make wami. Kodvwa bona, nasi sisebenti sakho Kimahamu. Myekele awele nemphatsi wami inkhosi, umentele lobona kumlungele.'' ³⁸ Inkhosi yaphendvula yatsi, ''Kimuhami utawuhamba ewele nami, Ngitamentela lokubonakala kukuhle kuwe, noma ngabe yini lokufuna kimi, ngitakwentela kona.'' ³⁹ Ngako bonkhe bantfu bewela iJordan, nenkhosi yewela , inkhosi yacabula Bhazilayi yamubusisa. Bhazilayi wase ubuyela ekhaya lakhe. ⁴⁰ Ngako inkhosi yewelela eGilgali, na Kimuhamu wewela naye. Wonkhe umbutfo waka Juda waletsa inkhosi, nencenye yembutfo waka Israyeli. ⁴¹ Masinyane emadvodza aka Israyeli acala eta enkhosini atsi enkhosini, ''Kuyangani bomnaketfu, emadvodza aka Juda, bakwebile, baletsa inkhosi nemndeni wakhe eJordan, nawo onkhe emadvodza aDavide?'' ⁴² Lamadvodza aka Juda aphendvula lamandvodza aka Israyeli, ''kungencqa yekutsi inkhosi ihlobene kakhulu natsi. Nikwateleni ngaloko na? Kukhona yini lesikudlile lekumele kubhadalwe yinkhosi na? Ukile wasipha tipho na?'' ⁴³ Lamadvodza aka Israyeli aphendvula lamadvodza aka Juda, ''Sine betive labalishumi labahlobene nenkhosi, ngako sinelilungelo leligcwele kuDavide kwendlula nine. Kuyangani nisedzelele? Akusitsi lesahamba sayocela kutsi inkhosi ibuye futsi bekucala kuva?'' Kodvwa emagama emadvodza aka Juda abehlaba kakhulu kunemavi emadvodza aka Israyeli.