Verse 1: UJowabe indodana kaSeruya wayeseqonda ukuthi inhliziyo yenkosi iku-Abisalomu.
Verse 2: UJowabe wayesethumela eThekhowa, walanda khona owesifazane ohlakaniphileyo, wathi kuye: “Ake uzishaye olilayo, ugqoke izingubo zokulila, ungazigcobi ngamafutha, kepha ube njengowesifazane oselilele ofileyo izinsuku eziningi,
Verse 3: ungene enkosini, ukhulume kuyo ngalendlela.” UJowabe wayesemfunza amazwi emlonyeni wakhe.
Verse 4: Lapho owesifazane waseThekhowa ekhuluma enkosini, wawa ngobuso emhlabathini, wakhuleka, wathi: “Siza, nkosi.”
Verse 5: Inkosi yathi kuye: “Unani na?” Wathi: “Maye, ngingumfelokazi! Indoda yami seyafa.
Verse 6: Incekukazi yakho yayinamadodana amabili; alwa odwa endle, akwabakho muntu wokulamula, kepha enye yashaya enye, yayibulala.
Verse 7: Bheka, umndeni wonke usuvukele incekukazi yakho; bathi: ‘Sinike yena owashaya umfowabo ukuba simbulale ngenxa yomphefumulo womfowabo, sichithe indlalifa.’ Bayakucima kanjalo ilahle lami eliseleyo, bangabe besashiyela indoda yami igama nensali ebusweni bomhlaba.”
Verse 8: Inkosi yayisithi kowesifazane: “Yiya endlini yakho; mina ngiyakuyaleza ngawe.”
Verse 9: Owesifazane waseThekhowa wathi enkosini: “Nkosi yami, nkosi, icala malibe phezu kwami naphezu kwendlu kababa, inkosi nesihlalo sayo sobukhosi kube msulwa.”
Verse 10: Yathi inkosi: “Oshoyo utho kuwe, mlethe kimi; akayikuphinda akuthinte.”
Verse 11: Wayesethi yena: “Inkosi ake ikhumbule uJehova uNkulunkulu wayo ukuba umphindiseli wegazi angaqhubeki ukuchitha nokuba bangayibulali indodana yami.” Yathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, akuyikuwela phansi nolulodwa unwele lwendodana yakho.”
Verse 12: Wayesethi owesifazane: “Incekukazi yakho mayikhulume izwi enkosini yami, inkosi.” Yathi: “Khuluma.”
Verse 13: Wathi-ke owesifazane: “Uqambeleni okunjalo ngabantu bakaNkulunkulu na? Ngokukhuluma leli zwi inkosi injengonecala, lokhu inkosi ingabuyisi oxoshiweyo wayo.
Verse 14: Ngokuba simelwe ukufa, sinjengamanzi achithwa emhlabathini, angenakuqoqwa futhi; uNkulunkulu akasusi ukuphila, kepha uqamba amasu ukuba oxoshiweyo angabi ngumxoshwa kuye.
Verse 15: “Ngalokho-ke lokhu ngize ukukhuluma leli zwi enkosini yami, inkosi, kungokuba abantu bengesabisile; incekukazi yakho yayisithi: ‘Mangikhulume enkosini; mhlawumbe inkosi iyakwenza izwi lencekukazi yayo.
Verse 16: Ngokuba inkosi iyakuzwa, yophule incekukazi yayo esandleni somuntu oyakungichitha mina nendodana yami efeni likaNkulunkulu.’
Verse 17: “Yayisithi incekukazi yakho: ‘Izwi lenkosi yami, inkosi, malibe ngelokuthula, ngokuba inkosi yami, inkosi, injengengelosi kaNkulunkulu ekuzweni okuhle nokubi; uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho makabe nawe.’ ”
Verse 18: Yayisiphendula inkosi, yathi kowesifazane: “Ake ungafihli lutho kimi engiyakulubuza mina kuwe.” Wathi owesifazane: “Mayikhulume inkosi yami, inkosi.”
Verse 19: Yathi-ke inkosi: “Isandla sikaJowabe sinawe yini kukho konke lokhu na?” Owesifazane waphendula wathi: “Kuphila kwakho, nkosi yami, nkosi, akukho muntu ongaphendukela ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo kukho konke okukhulunywe yinkosi yami, inkosi, ngokuba inceku yakho uJowabe yangiyaleza, yafunza onke lawo mazwi emlonyeni wencekukazi yakho;
Verse 20: uJowabe inceku yakho wenzile lokho ukuba aphendukezele ubuso bendaba; inkosi yami ihlakaniphile njengokuhlakanipha kwengelosi kaNkulunkulu ukwazi konke okusemhlabeni.”
Verse 21: Inkosi yayisithi kuJowabe: “Bheka-ke, yenza lokhu: hamba ubuyise umfana u-Abisalomu.”
Verse 22: UJowabe wawa phansi ngobuso, wakhuleka, wayibusisa inkosi; uJowabe wathi: “Namuhla inceku yakho iyazi ukuthi ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, nkosi, lokhu inkosi ilenzile izwi lenceku yayo.”
Verse 23: Wayesesuka uJowabe wahamba, waya eGeshuri, wamletha u-Abisalomu eJerusalema.
Verse 24: Inkosi yathi: “Makaye endlini yakhe, angaboni nokho ubuso bami.” Wayeseya u-Abisalomu endlini yakhe, akabubona ubuso benkosi.
Verse 25: Kwa-Israyeli wonke kwakungekho muntu omuhle njengo-Abisalomu owababazeka kakhulu, kungekho sici kuye kusukela ematheni onyawo kuze kube sokhakhayini.
Verse 26: Nxa ephucula ikhanda lakhe ngokuba wayelokhu eliphucula njalo ngasekupheleni komnyaka, lokhu izinwele zakhe zamsinda; ngalokho waziphucula wazilinganisa izinwele zekhanda lakhe, zalingana namashekeli angamakhulu amabili ngesisindo senkosi.
Verse 27: U-Abisalomu wazalelwa amadodana amathathu nendodakazi inye egama layo linguTamari; yayingowesifazane obukeka emuhle.
Verse 28: U-Abisalomu wahlala eJerusalema iminyaka emibili epheleleyo, engabuboni ubuso benkosi.
Verse 29: U-Abisalomu wayesethumela kuJowabe ukuba amthume enkosini, kepha akavumanga ukuza kuye; waphinda wathumela ngokwesibili, kepha akavumanga ukuza.
Verse 30: Wayesethi ezincekwini zakhe: “Bhekani, insimu kaJowabe iseduze neyami, unebhali khona; hambani niyithungele ngomlilo.” Izinceku zika-Abisalomu zayithungela-ke insimu ngomlilo.
Verse 31: Wayesesuka uJowabe, waya ku-Abisalomu endlini yakhe, wathi kuye: “Izinceku zakho ziyithungeleleni insimu yami ngomlilo na?”
Verse 32: U-Abisalomu wathi kuJowabe: “Bheka, ngithumele kuwe, ngithi: ‘Woza lapha ukuba ngikuthume enkosini ukuyothi: “Ngisukeleni eGeshuri na? Ngabe kungcono kimi ukuba bengisekhona lapho.” ’ Ngalokho mangibone ubuso benkosi; uma kukhona icala kimi, mayingibulale.”
Verse 33: Wayeseya uJowabe enkosini, wayitshela; isimbizile u-Abisalomu, weza enkosini, wakhothamela kuyo, ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi, phambi kwenkosi; inkosi yamanga u-Abisalomu.