1. UDavide wabala abantu ababe naye, wabeka phezu kwabo izinduna zezinkulungwane nezinduna zamakhulu.
2. UDavide wamukisa abantu, inxenye yesithathu iphansi kwesandla sikaJowabe, nenxenye yesithathu iphansi kwesandla sika-Abishayi indodana kaSeruya, umfowabo kaJowabe, nenxenye yesithathu iphansi kwesandla sika-Ithayi umGiti. Inkosi yathi kubantu: “Nami ngiyakuphuma nokuphuma nani.”
3. Kepha abantu bathi: “Awuyikuphuma, ngokuba uma sibaleka, abayikusinakekela; noma kufa inxenye yethu, abayikusikhathalela, kepha wena unjengezinkulungwane eziyishumi zethu; ngalokho kuhle ukuba usisize usemzini.”
4. Yayisithi inkosi kubo: “Okuhle emehlweni enu ngiyakukwenza.” Inkosi yema ngaseceleni kwesango, bonke abantu baphuma ngamakhulu nangezinkulungwane.
5. Inkosi yabayaleza oJowabe no-Abishayi no-Ithayi, yathi: “Anoyiphatha kahle insizwa ngenxa yami, ngisho u-Abisalomu.” Bonke abantu bezwa, lapho inkosi iyaleza zonke izinduna ngo-Abisalomu.
6. Base bephumela endle ukulwa no-Israyeli, kwaliwa ehlathini lakwa-Efrayimi.
7. Abantu bakwa-Israyeli banqotshwa lapho phambi kwezinceku zikaDavide, kwakukhona ukubulalana okukhulu ngalolo suku, abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili.
8. Ngokuba impi yahlakazeka khona ezweni lonke, ihlathi laqeda abantu abaningi ngalolo suku kunabadliwa yinkemba.
9. U-Abisalomu wasuka wahlangana nezinceku zikaDavide. U-Abisalomu wayekhwele umnyuzi* wakhe, umnyuzi wangena phansi kwehlozi le-oki,* ikhanda lakhe labambelela e-okini, waphakanyiselwa emkhathini wezulu nomhlaba; umnyuzi obuphansi kwakhe wadlula.
10. Umuntu othile wakubona, wamtshela uJowabe, wathi: “Bheka, ngibone u-Abisalomu ephanyekekile e-okini.”*
11. UJowabe wathi kumuntu omtshelileyo: “Bheka, ukubonile, awumjuqanga ngani khona, awele phansi, na? Nga ngikunikile izinhlamvu eziyishumi zesiliva nebhande.”*
12. Wathi-ke umuntu kuJowabe: “Noma bengiyakukhokhelwa izinhlamvu eziyinkulungwane zesiliva esandleni sami, nokho bengingayikuselulela isandla sami endodaneni yenkosi, ngokuba ezindlebeni zethu inkosi yakuyala wena no-Abishayi no-Ithayi ukuthi: ‘Yilondeni insizwa u-Abisalomu.’
13. Uma bengisebenzile inkohliso ngokuphila kwakhe, njengokuba kungekho nto efihlwa enkosini, nawe uqobo ngabe umelene nami.”