4. Ukumkani wathi kubo: “Kulungile ke, mandenze loo nto ikholekileyo kuni.” Wema ngasesangweni, ewajongile ukunduluka kwawo, ephuma engamaqela amajoni alikhulu naliwaka.
5. Ukumkani wabayalela ooJowabhi noAbhishayi kunye noItayi, wathi: “Nize nindincede niyiphathe kakuhle laa ntwana inguAbhasalom.” Loo myalelo kaDavide awayewubhekisa kwiinjengele weviwa ngawo onke amadoda omkhosi.
6. Wenjenjeya umkhosi kaDavide ukuya kuqubisana namaSirayeli endle ngakwihlathi lakwaEfrayim, zanqoza.
7. AmaSirayeli oyiswa ngumkhosi kaDavide. Abethwa kakubi, kwasala apho edabini amawaka angamashumi amabini.
8. Idabi layigqiba yonke loo ndawo, uninzi lwafela ehlathini, lwangaphezulu kwabo babefele edabini.
9. UAbhasalom wagaxeleka phakathi kweqela lamadoda kaDavide. Wayekhwele embongolweni. Kuthe xa ithubeleza ngaphantsi kom-oki omkhulu, wabambeka ngentloko kuloo masebe omthi. Yabaleka yemka imbongolo, wasala yena ejinga emoyeni.
10. Wabonwa ngumfo othile owaxelela uJowabhi wathi: “UAbhasalom ndimbone ejinga emthini wom-oki.”
11. Uthe uJowabhi kuloo ndoda: “Xa umbonileyo kutheni ukuze ungambulali kwangoko nje? Mna bendiya kukuhlawula ngeshumi leesiliva, ndikuthi jize ngomxhaka ngaphezu koko.”
12. Loo mfo uphendule uJowabhi ngelithi: “Nokuba ubungade undihlawule iwaka leesiliva, bendingasoze ndimse sandla mna unyana kakumkani wam. Kaloku simve ngezethu iindlebe ukumkani ngokuya ebekuyala wena noAbhishayi noItayi esithi: ‘Nokuba ngubani na azayikhusele laa ntwana uAbhasalom.’
13. Ukuba bendenze ubugwenxa ndambulala uAbhasalom, ubeza kuyiva loo nto ukumkani, yaye akukho nto ifihlakeleyo kuye, ube wena ungayi kundithethelela.”
14. UJowabhi wathi: “Hayi, andizi kudla xesha apha ngawe.” Uthathe iintshuntshe zantathu, wamgwaza ngazo entliziyweni uAbhasalom esaphila, ejinga kuloo mthi wom-oki.
15. Emva koko kwafika ishumi lamadoda omkhosi kaJowabhi, amjikeleza uAbhasalom, amhlaba amgqibezela.
16. Uthe uJowabhi makuvuthelwe isigodlo, iphele imfazwe, abuye amadoda awayesukela amaSirayeli.