1. U-Ahithofeli wathi futhi ku-Abisalomu: “Mangikhethe manje abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, ngisuke ngimxoshe uDavide ngalobu busuku,
2. ngimfikele ekhathele, eyethile, ngimesabise; bonke abantu abanye bayakubaleka, ngibulale inkosi kuphela,
3. ngibuyisele kuwe bonke abantu; umuntu omfunayo unjengokungathi bonke babuyile; bonke abantu bayakuba nokuthula.”
4. Leli zwi lamjabulisa u-Abisalomu nawo onke amalunga akwa-Israyeli.
5. Wayesethi u-Abisalomu: “Mawumbize noHushayi umArki, sizwe okusemlonyeni wakhe naye.”
6. UHushayi esefikile ku-Abisalomu, u-Abisalomu wakhuluma kuye, wathi: “U-Ahithofeli ukhulume kanjalo; siyakwenza njengokusho kwakhe na? Uma kungenjalo, khuluma wena.”
7. UHushayi wathi ku-Abisalomu: “Isiluleko u-Ahithofeli eluleke ngaso manje asisihle.”
8. Wathi futhi uHushayi: “Uyamazi uyihlo nabantu bakhe ukuthi bangamaqhawe nokuthi bacasukile ezinhliziyweni zabo njengebhere* elaphucwe amazinyane alo endle; uyihlo uyindoda yempi, akayikuhlala nabantu.
9. Bheka, manje ucashile emgodini noma kwenye indawo; kuyakuthi lapho esebafikela ekuqaleni nje, okuzwayo athi: ‘Abantu abalandela u-Abisalomu banqotshiwe;’
10. naye onesibindi, onhliziyo yakhe injengenhliziyo yengonyama, uyakuphela amandla, ngokuba wonke u-Israyeli uyazi ukuthi uyihlo uyiqhawe, nabanaye bangamadoda anamandla.
11. “Ngalokho ngiyaluleka ukuba wonke u-Israyeli abuthane kuwe, kusukela kwaDani kuze kufike eBeri Sheba, ngangesihlabathi esingasolwandle ngobuningi, wena uqobo lwakho uye empini.
12. Sesiyakumfikela endaweni ethile lapho engatholakala khona, simehlele njengokuwela kwamazolo emhlabathini; kuyena nabantu bonke abanaye asiyikushiya noyedwa.
13. Noma engena emzini, wonke u-Israyeli uyakuyisa amagoda kulowo muzi, siwuhudulele emfuleni, kungabe kusafunyanwa khona netshana elilodwa.”
14. U-Abisalomu nabantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli bathi: “Isiluleko sikaHushayi umArki singcono kunesiluleko sika-Ahithofeli.” Ngokuba uJehova wayenqumile ukuba kushafiswe isiluleko esihle sika-Ahithofeli, ukuze uJehova amehlisele u-Abisalomu okubi.
15. UHushayi wayesethi kuSadoki naku-Abiyathara abapristi: “U-Ahithofeli weluleka u-Abisalomu namalunga akwa-Israyeli kanje nakanje; mina ngeluleke kanje nakanje.
16. Ngalokho thumelani masinyane nimtshele uDavide ukuthi: ‘Ungahlali ngasemazibukweni asehlane ngalobu busuku, kepha uwele nokuwela, funa inkosi igwinywe kanye nabantu bonke abanayo.’ ”
17. OJonathani no-Ahimahasi babehlala e-Eni Rogeli; incekukazi yayizinge ibatshela; bona bahamba bayibikela inkosi uDavide ukuba bangabonwa behamba beya emzini.
18. Kepha umfana wababona, wamtshela u-Abisalomu; base beshesha, bahamba bobabili, bafika endlini yomuntu waseBahurimi owayenomthombo egcekeni lakhe; behlela khona.
19. Owesifazane wathatha isimbozo, wasendlala phezu komlomo womthombo, weneka umqhazulo kuso, kungaziwa lutho.
20. Zase zifika izinceku zika-Abisalomu kowesifazane endlini, zathi: “Baphi o-Ahimahasi noJonathani na?”Owesifazane wathi kuzo: “Bawuwele umfudlana.” Sezibafunile zingabatholanga, zabuyela eJerusalema.
21. Kwathi sezimukile, baphuma emthonjeni, baya bayitshela inkosi uDavide, bathi kuDavide: “Sukani, nisheshe niwele amanzi, ngokuba u-Ahithofeli weluleke kanjalo ngani.”