16Kwathi uDavida esedlule kancinyane engqongenia, khangela, uZiba inceku kaMefiboshethi wamhlangabeza elabobabhemi ababili belezihlalob, bethwele izinkwa ezingamakhulu amabili, lamahlukuzo alikhulu ezithelo ezonyisiweyo zevinic, lezithelo zehlobo ezilikhulu, lomgodla wewayinid. 2 Inkosi yasisithi kuZiba: Uthini ngalezizinto? UZiba wasesithi: Obabhemi ngabendlu yenkosi ukuthi bagade, lezinkwa lezithelo zehlobo ngezamajaha ukuthi adlee, lewayini ngelabaphelelwa ngamandla enkangala ukuthi banathef. 3 Inkosi yasisithi: Pho, ingaphi indodana yenkosi yakho? UZiba wasesithi enkosini: Khangela, uhlezi eJerusalema, ngoba uthe: Lamuhla uIsrayeli uzabuyisela kimi umbuso kababag. 4 Inkosi yasisithi kuZiba: Khangela, ngokwakho konke okukaMefiboshethi. UZiba wasesithi: Ngiyakhothama; kangithole umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, nkosi.

5 Kwathi inkosi uDavida ifika eBahurimih, khangela, kwaphuma khona umuntu wosendo lwendlu kaSawuli, obizo lakhe linguShimeyi indodana kaGerai; waphuma, ehamba1 ethuka. 6 Wasejikijela uDavida ngamatshe kanye lenceku zonke zenkosi uDavida, labo bonke abantu lamaqhawe wonke ngakwesokunene sakhe langakwesokhohlo sakhe. 7 Wasesitsho njalo uShimeyi ekuthukeni kwakhe: Phuma, phuma, muntu wegazi, muntu kaBheliyalij! 8 INkosi ibuyisele phezu kwakhok lonke igazi lendlu kaSawuli obubusa esikhundleni sakhe; iNkosi inikele umbuso esandleni sikaAbisalomu indodana yakho. Khangela, usebubini bakho, ngoba ungumuntu omele igazil.

9 UAbishayi indodana kaZeruya wasesithi enkosini: Linja efileyo iyithukelani inkosi yami, inkosi? Ake ngedlule ngisuse ikhanda layom. 10 Kodwa inkosi yathi: Ngilani lanin, madodana kaZeruyao? Ngakho kathuke, ngoba iNkosi ithe kuye: Thuka uDavida; pho, ngubani ozakuthi: Wenzeleni njalo? 11 UDavida wasesithi kuAbishayi lakuzo zonke inceku zakhe: Khangela, indodana yami, ephume emibilini yami, idinga impilo yami; kangakanani-ke lumBhenjamini? Myekeleni, athuke, ngoba iNkosi ikhulumile kuyep. 12 Mhlawumbe iNkosiq izabona usizi lwami, iNkosi ingibuyisele okuhle esikhundleni sokuthuka kwakhe lamuhlar. 13 UDavida labantu bakhe basebehamba ngendlela; loShimeyi ehamba eceleni kwentaba maqondana laye, ehamba ethuka, emjikijela ngamatshe, emthela ngothuli. 14 Inkosi labo bonke abantu ababelayo bafika sebekhathele; yasihlumelela khona.

15 UAbisalomu labantu bonke, amadoda akoIsrayeli, basebefika eJerusalema, loAhithofeli elayes. 16 Kwasekusithi lapho uHushayi umArkit, umngane kaDavida, esefike kuAbisalomu, uHushayi wathi kuAbisalomu: Kayiphile inkosi! Kayiphile inkosi! 17 UAbisalomu wasesithi kuHushayi: Yiwo umusa wakho kumngane wakho yini? Kungani ungahambanga lomngane wakhou? 18 UHushayi wasesithi kuAbisalomu: Hatshi, kodwa lowo emkhethayo iNkosi, lalababantu, lawo wonke amadoda akoIsrayeli, ngizakuba ngowakhe, njalo ngihlale laye. 19 Ngokwesibili, mina ngizakhonza bani? Kungabi phambi kobuso bendodana yakhe na? Njengoba ngakhonza phambi kukayihlo, ngokunjalo ngizakuba phambi kwakhov.

20 UAbisalomu wasesithi kuAhithofeli: Phanini iseluleko senu ukuthi sizakwenza njani? 21 UAhithofeli wasesithi kuAbisalomu: Ngena kubafazi abancane bakayihlo abatshiye ukulinda indluw; loIsrayeli wonke uzakuzwa ukuthi ulevumba kuyihlox; khona izandla zabo bonke abalawe zizaqinay. 22 Basebemendlalela uAbisalomu ithente phezu kophahlaz; uAbisalomu wasengena kubafazi abancane bakayise phambi kwamehlo kaIsrayeli wonkea. 23 Iseluleko sikaAhithofeli aseluleka ngalezonsuku sasinjengomuntu ebuza ilizwi likaNkulunkulu; sasinjalo sonke iseluleko sikaAhithofeli kubo bobabili uDavida loAbisalomub.