Verse 1: Kwathi emva kwalokho u-Abisalomu indodana kaDavide wayenodadewabo obukekayo ogama lakhe linguTamari; u-Amnoni indodana kaDavide wamthanda.
Verse 2: U-Amnoni wajilajileka waze wagula ngenxa kadadewabo uTamari, ngokuba wayeyintombi; kwakungenakwenzeka emehlweni ka-Amnoni ukwenza lutho kuye.
Verse 3: Kepha u-Amnoni wayenomngane ogama lakhe linguJonadaba indodana kaShimeya umfowabo kaDavide; uJonadaba wayengumuntu onobuqili kakhulu.
Verse 4: Wathi kuye: “Uzacelani kanjalo wena ndodana yenkosi imihla ngemihla na? Ungengitshele na?” Wathi u-Amnoni kuye: “Ngithanda uTamari udadewabo ka-Abisalomu umfowethu.”
Verse 5: Wayesethi uJonadaba kuye: “Lala embhedeni wakho, uzishaye ogulayo; lapho eseza uyihlo ukukubona, uthi kuye: ‘Ake kuze uTamari udadewethu, angiphe ukudla, akulungise ukudla emehlweni ami ukuba ngikubone, ngikudle esandleni sakhe.’ ”
Verse 6: Wayeselala phansi u-Amnoni, wazishaya ogulayo; isifikile inkosi ukumbona, u-Amnoni wathi enkosini: “Ake kuze uTamari udadewethu, enze amaqebelengwane amabili phambi kwami ukuba ngidle esandleni sakhe.”
Verse 7: UDavide wayesethumela endlini kaTamari ngokuthi: “Hamba manje, uye endlini ka-Amnoni umnewenu, umlungisele ukudla.”
Verse 8: Wayesehamba uTamari, waya endlini ka-Amnoni umnewabo; wayelele phansi. Wathatha inhlama, wayixova, wenza amaqebelengwane phambi kwakhe, wapheka amaqebelengwane.
Verse 9: Wayesethatha ikhanzi, wawathulula phambi kwakhe; kepha wala ukudla. U-Amnoni wathi: “Khipha bonke abantu kimi.” Baphuma bonke kuye.
Verse 10: Wayesethi u-Amnoni kuTamari: “Letha ukudla ekamelweni lami ukuba ngidle esandleni sakho.” UTamari wawathatha amaqebelengwane awenzileyo, wawangenisa ekamelweni ku-Amnoni umnewabo.
Verse 11: Lapho ewasondeza kuye ukuba awadle, wambamba, wathi kuye: “Woza ulale nami, dadewethu.”
Verse 12: Yena wathi kuye: “Qha, mnewethu, ungangiphoqi, ngokuba akufanele ukuba kwenziwe kanjalo kwa-Israyeli; ungenzi lobu buwula.
Verse 13: Mina-ke ngingayaphi nehlazo lami na? Nawe uyakuba njengomunye weziwula zakwa-Israyeli. Ngalokho ake ukhulume nenkosi, ngokuba ayiyikunginqabela nawe.”
Verse 14: Akavumanga nokho ukulalela izwi lakhe, kepha ngokuba wayenamandla kunaye, wamphoqa, walala naye.
Verse 15: U-Amnoni wayesemzonda ngenzondo enkulu kakhulu, ngokuba inzondo amzonda ngayo yaba nkulu kunothando akade emthanda ngalo. U-Amnoni wathi kuye: “Vuka uhambe.”
Verse 16: Yena wayesethi kuye: “Lobu bubi bokungixosha bukhulu kunalokho okunye okwenze kimi.” Kepha akavumanga ukumlalela.
Verse 17: Wayesebiza inceku yakhe eyayisebenza kuye, wathi: “Khiphela phandle lo wesifazane, asuke kimi, uhluthulele emnyango emva kwakhe.”
Verse 18: Wayenengubo enemibala, ngokuba amadodakazi enkosi ayeyizintombi ayegqoka izingubo ezinjalo. Leyo nceku yayisimkhiphela phandle, yahluthulela emnyango emva kwakhe.
Verse 19: UTamari wayesezithela ngomlotha ekhanda, wayiklebhula ingubo yakhe enemibala owayeyigqokile, wathwala izandla ekhanda, wamuka, ehamba ekliwula.
Verse 20: U-Abisalomu umnewabo wathi kuye: “Umnewenu u-Amnoni kade enawe na? Thula, dadewethu; ungumnewenu, ungabeki inhliziyo yakho kule nto.” UTamari wahlala eyisikhwebu nje endlini ka-Abisalomu umnewabo.
Verse 21: Isizwile inkosi uDavide zonke lezo zinto yathukuthela kakhulu.
Verse 22: U-Abisalomu akakhulumanga okuhle noma okubi, ngokuba u-Abisalomu wamzonda u-Amnoni, lokhu emphoqile udadewabo uTamari.
Verse 23: Kwathi emva kweminyaka emibili epheleleyo u-Abisalomu wayenabagundi bezimvu eBali Hasori eliseduze no-Efrayimi; u-Abisalomu wamema onke amadodana enkosi.
Verse 24: U-Abisalomu waya enkosini, wathi: “Bheka, inceku yakho inabagundi; mayihambe inkosi nezinceku zayo nenceku yakho.”
Verse 25: Inkosi yathi ku-Abisalomu: “Qha, ndodana yami, masingahambi sonke, funa sikusinde.” Wayicindezela; nokho ayivumanga ukuhamba, kodwa yambusisa.
Verse 26: U-Abisalomu wayesethi: “Uma kunjalo, makahambe nathi umfowethu u-Amnoni.” Inkosi yathi: “Uyakuhambelani nawe na?”
Verse 27: U-Abisalomu wayicindezela, yaze yavuma ukuba u-Amnoni nawo onke amadodana ahambe naye.
Verse 28: U-Abisalomu wayala izinceku zakhe ngokuthi: “Bhekani, lapho inhliziyo ka-Amnoni ithokoza ngewayini nalapho ngithi kini: ‘Bulalani u-Amnoni,’ nimbulale ningesabi; angithi mina nginiyalile na? Yimani isibindi, nibe ngamaqhawe.”
Verse 29: Izinceku zika-Abisalomu zenza ku-Amnoni njengokuyala kuka-Abisalomu. Amadodana onke enkosi ayesesuka, yileyo naleyo yakhwela umnyuzi wayo, abaleka.
Verse 30: Kwathi besesendleleni, kwafika izwi kuDavide, lithi: “U-Abisalomu ubulele onke amadodana enkosi, akusalanga neyodwa yawo.”
Verse 31: Inkosi yayisisuka, yaklebhula izingubo zayo, yalala emhlabathini, nazo zonke izinceku zema lapho, izingubo zazo ziklebhukile.
Verse 32: UJonadaba indodana kaShimeya umfowabo kaDavide waphendula wathi: “Inkosi yami mayingathi babulele izinsizwa zonke, amadodana enkosi, lokhu ngu-Amnoni yedwa ofileyo; ngokuba lokho kwakunqunyiwe ngomlomo ka-Abisalomu kusukela kulolo suku aphoqa ngalo udadewabo uTamari.
Verse 33: Ngalokho inkosi yami, inkosi, mayingabeki le nto enhliziyweni yayo yokuthi onke amadodana enkosi afile, ngokuba ngu-Amnoni yedwa ofileyo.”
Verse 34: Kepha u-Abisalomu wabaleka. Insizwa elindayo yaphakamisa amehlo ayo, yabuka; bheka, kwaqhamuka abantu abaningi ngasendleleni yentaba emva kwayo.
Verse 35: UJonadaba wathi enkosini: “Bheka, amadodana enkosi ayeza; kunjalo njengokusho kwenceku yakho.”
Verse 36: Kwathi eseqedile ukukhuluma, bheka, afika amadodana enkosi, adazuluka, akhala; nenkosi nazo zonke izinceku zayo zakhala ngokukhala okukhulu kakhulu.
Verse 37: Kepha u-Abisalomu wabaleka, waya kuTalimayi indodana ka-Amihudi, inkosi yaseGeshuri. UDavide walilela indodana yakhe zonke izinsuku.
Verse 38: Wabaleka-ke u-Abisalomu, waya eGeshuri, wahlala khona iminyaka emithathu.
Verse 39: Inkosi uDavide yalangazelela ukuya ku-Abisalomu, ngokuba yayisiduduzekile ngo-Amnoni ibona ukuthi sewafa.