1. Wathi uAhitofele kuAbhasalom: “Ndivumele ndikhethe ishumi elinambini lamawaka amadoda, ndiphume ngobu busuku, ndimsukele uDavide.
2. Ndifuna ukumhlasela esadiniwe nje, emi nematha. Ndifuna ukuwothusa abaleke la madoda ahamba naye. Ndifuna ukubulala ukumkani kuphela,
3. ndiwazise kuwe onke amanye amadoda. Andithi mnye qha lo mntu ufuna ukumbulala, bonke abanye babuye bephila?”
4. Lavakala njengecebo eliphilileyo eli kuAbhasalom nakumadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli xa ewonke.
5. Uthe uAbhasalom: “Khanibize kwanoHushayi umArki, silive nelakhe icebo.”
6. Uthe akufika uHushayi uAbhasalom wamchazela iqhinga lika-Ahitofele, waza wathi: “Utsho ke uAhitofele; uthini wena?”
7. UHushayi wathi kuAbhasalom: “Hayi, mhlekazi, kwesi sihlandlo kum ngathi alilihle iqhinga lika-Ahitofele konke.
8. Wazi kakuhle ukuba uyihlo uDavide neqela lakhe ngamadoda aqhele ukulwa, yaye bayakhwankqisa, ngathi yimazi yebhere inxakamela amathole ayo. Uwaqhelile amadabi uyihlo, ngoko ke akahlali ndawonye nomkhosi wakhe ebusuku.
9. Ngoku ndithethayo ngahle uzimele mqolombeni uthile, okanye uthe nca ndaweni ithile. Ukuba yena uthe waba ngowokuqala ukuhlasela amadoda akho, abakuvayo oko baya kusuka bathi: ‘Axheliwe amadoda ka-Abhasalom.’
10. Ndithi nawona madoda aziingonyama ukukhalipha aya kunkwantya, kuba kwaSirayeli uyihlo udume ngokulwa, yaye nomkhosi wakhe ngamagorha.
11. “Mna ke ndicebisa ukuba uwaqokelele onke amaSirayeli kulo lonke eli, ukususela kwaDan kuye kutsho eBheshebha, abe maninzi ngokungathi yintlabathi yaselwandle, uze uwakhokele wena ngenkqu ukuya edabini.
12. UDavide yena somfuna apho azimele khona, simhlasele okombethe olele kwiindawo zonke, kungasindi namnye kuye nakuloo madoda onke anaye.