Verse 1: Kwabikelwa uJowabe ukuthi: “Bheka, inkosi iyakhala, imlilela u-Abisalomu.”
Verse 2: Ukunqoba ngalolo suku kwaphenduka isililo kubantu bonke, ngokuba abantu bezwa kwathiwa ngalolo suku: “Inkosi idabukile ngendodana yayo.”
Verse 3: Abantu bangena emzini ngalolo suku ngokunyenya njengabantu abanamahloni benyenya, bebalekela impi.
Verse 4: Inkosi yamboza ubuso bayo, inkosi yakhala ngezwi elikhulu, yathi: “Hhawu, ndodana yami Abisalomu, Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!”
Verse 5: UJowabe wangena endlini enkosini, wathi: “Udumazile namuhla ubuso bazo zonke izinceku zakho ezisindisile ukuphila kwakho namuhla, nokuphila kwamadodana akho namadodakazi akho, nokuphila kwabafazi bakho, nokuphila kwezancinza zakho
Verse 6: ngokubathanda abakuzondayo nangokubazonda abakuthandayo. Ngokuba umemezele namuhla ukuthi izikhulu nezinceku azilutho kuwe, lokhu ngibona namuhla ukuthi uma ebephilile u-Abisalomu thina sonke besifile namuhla, ngabe kulungile emehlweni akho.
Verse 7: Ngalokho suka, ukhulume kahle ezincekwini zakho, ngokuba ngifunga uJehova ngithi, uma ungaphumi, akuyikusala muntu kuwe ngalobu busuku; lokhu kuyakuba kubi kuwe kunakho konke okubi okukwehlele kwasebusheni bakho kuze kube namuhla.”
Verse 8: Yayisisuka inkosi, yahlala esangweni. Kwathiwa kubo bonke abantu: “Bhekani, inkosi ihlezi esangweni.” Base befika abantu bonke phambi kwenkosi. Kepha abakwa-Israyeli babebalekele, kwaba yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe.
Verse 9: Bonke abantu babephikisana ezizweni zonke zakwa-Israyeli, bethi: “Inkosi yasophula esandleni sezitha zethu, yasikhulula esandleni samaFilisti; manje isibalekile ezweni, imbalekele u-Abisalomu.
Verse 10: U-Abisalomu esamgcoba ukuba abe phezu kwethu usefile empini. Manje nithuleleni, ningayibuyisi inkosi na?”
Verse 11: Inkosi uDavide yathumela kuSadoki naku-Abiyathara abapristi, yathi: “Khulumani kumalunga akwaJuda, nithi: ‘Kungani ukuba nibe ngabokugcina ukubuyisela inkosi endlini yayo, lokhu kufinyelele enkosini nasendlini yayo konke ukukhuluma kuka-Israyeli, na?
Verse 12: Ningabafowethu, niyithambo lami nenyama yami; ngalokho kungani ukuba nibe ngabokugcina ukuyibuyisa inkosi na?’
Verse 13: Yishoni ku-Amasa ukuthi: ‘Angithi uyithambo lami nenyama yami na? Makenze njalo kimi uNkulunkulu, enezele futhi, uma ungayikuba yinduna yempi ngaphambi kwami njalo esikhundleni sikaJowabe.’ ”
Verse 14: Wathobisa izinhliziyo zabantu bonke bakwaJuda njengomuntu munye, baze bathuma enkosini, bathi: “Buya wena nazo zonke izinceku zakho.”
Verse 15: Yayisibuya inkosi, yafika eJordani; uJuda wafika eGiligali ukuba ayihlangabeze inkosi, ayiwelise inkosi iJordani.
Verse 16: UShimeyi indodana kaGera umBenjamini waseBahurimi washesha wehla nabantu bakwaJuda ukuyihlangabeza inkosi.
Verse 17: Kweza naye abantu abayinkulungwane bakwaBenjamini, noSiba inceku yendlu kaSawule, namadodana akhe ayishumi nanhlanu, nezinceku zakhe ezingamashumi amabili zinaye; bawela iJordani phambi kwenkosi.
Verse 18: Kwawela isikebhe sokuwelisa abendlu yenkosi nokwenza okwakukuhle emehlweni ayo. UShimeyi indodana kaGera wawela phansi phambi kwenkosi isiyakuliwela iJordani.
Verse 19: Wathi enkosini: “Inkosi yami mayingangibaleli icala, futhi ungakhumbuli okubi okwenziwa yinceku yakho mhla inkosi yami, inkosi, iphuma eJerusalema, ukuba inkosi ikubeke enhliziyweni yayo.
Verse 20: Ngokuba inceku yakho iyazi ukuthi yonile; bheka, ngifikile namuhla ngingowokuqala wendlu yonke kaJosefa, ngehle ukuhlangabeza inkosi yami, inkosi.”
Verse 21: Kepha u-Abishayi indodana kaSeruya waphendula wathi: “UShimeyi akayikubulawa yini ngalokho, njengokuba wathuka ogcotshiweyo kaJehova, na?”
Verse 22: UDavide wathi: “Nginamsebenzi muni nani madodana kaSeruya ukuba nimelane nami namuhla na? Kuzakubulawa umuntu namuhla kwa-Israyeli na? Angazi yini mina ukuthi namuhla ngiyinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli na?”
Verse 23: Inkosi yayisithi kuShimeyi: “Awuyikufa.” Inkosi yafunga kuye.
Verse 24: Naye uMefibosheti indodana kaSawule wehla ukuhlangabeza inkosi; wayengalungisanga izinyawo zakhe, engalungisanga nesilevu sakhe, engahlanzanga futhi izingubo zakhe, kwasukela osukwini inkosi eyamuka ngalo kwaze kwaba lusuku owabuya ngalo ngokuthula.
Verse 25: Kwathi esefike eJerusalema ukuyihlangabeza inkosi, inkosi yathi kuye: “Awuhambanga ngani nami, Mefibosheti, na?”
Verse 26: Wathi: “Nkosi yami, nkosi, inceku yami yangikhohlisa, ngokuba inceku yakho yathi: ‘Ngiyakuzibophelela imbongolo ukuba ngiyikhwele, ngihambe nenkosi, ngokuba inceku yakho ilunyonga.’
Verse 27: Ihlebile inceku yakho enkosini yami, inkosi, kepha inkosi yami, inkosi, injengengelosi kaNkulunkulu; ngalokho yenza okuhle emehlweni akho.
Verse 28: Ngokuba yonke indlu kababa yayinjengabantu abafileyo phambi kwenkosi yami, inkosi; kepha wayibeka inceku yakho phakathi kwabadla etafuleni lakho. Ngisenalungelo lini ukuba ngibuye ngikhale enkosini na?”
Verse 29: Inkosi yathi kuye: “Usakhulumelani ngezindaba zakho na? Ngithi: Wena noSiba, yahlukaniselani izwe.”
Verse 30: Wayesethi uMefibosheti enkosini: “Makathathe konke, njengokuba inkosi yami, inkosi, isibuyele endlini yayo ngokuthula.”
Verse 31: UBarizilayi wakwaGileyadi wehla eRogelimi; wawela iJordani kanye nenkosi ukuyiwelisa iJordani.
Verse 32: UBarizilayi wayengumuntu omdala kakhulu, eneminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili; wayekade eyipha inkosi ukudla isahlezi eMahanayimi, ngokuba wayengumuntu omkhulu kakhulu.
Verse 33: Inkosi yathi kuBarizilayi: “Wela nami wena, ngikondle kanye nami eJerusalema.”
Verse 34: Wayesethi uBarizilayi enkosini: “Zingaki izinsuku zeminyaka yokuhamba kwami ukuba ngenyukele eJerusalema nenkosi na?
Verse 35: Namuhla ngineminyaka engamashumi ayisihiyagalombili; ngingahlukanisa okuhle nokubi yini? Inceku yakho ingezwa ekudlayo nekuphuzayo na? Ngingabe ngisalizwa izwi lamadoda ahlabelelayo nabesifazane abahlabelelayo na? Inceku yakho isezakuba ngumthwalo wenkosi yami, inkosi, ngani na?
Verse 36: Inceku yakho iyakusimze iwele nje iJordani nenkosi; pho, inkosi iyakungivuzelani ngomvuzo ongaka na?
Verse 37: Mayibuyele emuva inceku yakho ukuba ngifele emzini wami ngasethuneni likababa nelikamame. Kepha bheka, inceku yakho uKimihamu mayiwele nenkosi yami, inkosi, wenze kuyo okuhle emehlweni akho.”
Verse 38: Inkosi yathi: “UKimihamu angawela nami, mina ngenze kuye okuhle emehlweni akho; konke okufunayo kimi ngiyakukwenzela khona.”
Verse 39: Bonke abantu bawela iJordani, nenkosi yawela; inkosi yamanga uBarizilayi, yambusisa; wabuyela endaweni yakhe.
Verse 40: Yayisiwela inkosi, yaya eGiligali, noKimihamu wawela nayo; bonke abantu bakwaJuda bayiwelisa inkosi kanye nenxenye yabantu bakwa-Israyeli.
Verse 41: Bheka, base befika bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli enkosini, bathi enkosini: “Abafowethu amadoda akwaJuda bakwebeleni, bawelisa inkosi nabendlu yayo iJordani kanye nabo bonke abantu bakwaDavide benaye, na?”
Verse 42: Bonke abantu bakwaJuda baphendula abantu bakwa-Israyeli, bathi: “Ngokuba inkosi iyisihlobo sethu impela; kungani ukuba nithukuthele ngale nto na? Sike sadla ntoni engeyenkosi na? Isixoshisile ngamaxosho na?”
Verse 43: Abantu bakwa-Israyeli baphendula abantu bakwaJuda, bathi: “Sinezinxenye eziyishumi kunani enkosini, yebo, nakuDavide; nisideleleni na? Izwi lethu lokubuyisa inkosi lalingesilo elokuqala na?” Kepha amazwi abantu bakwaJuda ayelukhuni kunamazwi abantu bakwa-Israyeli.