Absalom Rebels against David
1 Some time later, Absalom got himself a chariot with horses to pull it, and he had 50 men run in front. 2 He would get up early each morning and wait by the side of the road that led to the city gate. Anyone who had a complaint to bring to King David would have to go that way, and Absalom would ask each of them, “Where are you from?”
If they said, “I'm from a tribe in the north,” 3 Absalom would say, “You deserve to win your case. It's too bad the king doesn't have anyone to hear complaints like yours. 4 I wish someone would make me the judge around here! I would be fair to everyone.”
5 Whenever anyone came to Absalom and started bowing down, he would reach out and hug and kiss them. 6 That's how he treated everyone from Israel who brought a complaint to the king. Soon everyone in Israel liked Absalom better than they liked David.
7 Four years later, Absalom said to David, “Please, let me go to Hebron. I have to keep a promise that I made to the Lord, 8 when I was living with the Arameans in Geshur. I promised that if the Lord would bring me back to live in Jerusalem, I would worship him in Hebron.”
9 David gave his permission, and Absalom went to Hebron. 10-12 He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him, but they had no idea what he was going to do. Absalom offered sacrifices in Hebron and sent someone to Gilo to tell David's advisor Ahithophel to come.
More and more people were joining Absalom and supporting his plot. Meanwhile, Absalom had secretly sent some messengers to the northern tribes of Israel. The messengers told everyone, “When you hear the sound of the trumpets, you must shout, ‘Absalom now rules as king in Hebron!’ ”
David Has To Leave Jerusalem
13 A messenger came and told David, “Everyone in Israel is on Absalom's side!”
14 David's officials were in Jerusalem with him, and he told them, “Let's get out of here! We'll have to leave soon, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry! If he moves fast, he could catch us while we're still here. Then he will kill us and everyone else in the city.”
15 The officials said, “Your Majesty, we'll do whatever you say.”
16-17 David left behind ten of his wives to take care of the palace, but the rest of his family and his officials and soldiers went with him.
They stopped at the last house at the edge of the city. 18 Then David stood there and watched while his regular troops and his bodyguards marched past. The last group was the 600 soldiers who had followed him from Gath. Their commander was Ittai.
19 David spoke to Ittai and said, “You're a foreigner from the town of Gath. You don't have to leave with us. Go back and join the new king! 20 You haven't been with me very long, so why should you have to follow me, when I don't even know where I'm going? Take your soldiers and go back. I pray that the Lord will be kind and faithful to you.”
21 Ittai answered, “Your Majesty, just as surely as you and the Lord live, I will go where you go, no matter if it costs me my life.”
22 “Then come on!” David said.
So Ittai and all his men and their families walked on past David.
David Sends the Sacred Chest Back to Jerusalem
23 The people of Jerusalem were crying and moaning as David and everyone with him passed by. He led them across Kidron Valley and along the road toward the desert.
24 Zadok and Abiathar the priests were there along with several men from the tribe of Levi who were carrying the sacred chest. They set the chest down, and left it there until David and his followers had gone out of the city.
25 Then David said:
Zadok, take the sacred chest back to Jerusalem. If the Lord is pleased with me, he will bring me back and let me see it and his tent again. 26 But if he says he isn't pleased with me, then let him do what he knows is best.
27 Zadok, you are a good judge of things, so return to the city and don't cause any trouble. Take your son Ahimaaz with you. Abiathar and his son Jonathan will also go back. 28 I'll wait at the river crossing in the desert until I hear from you.
29 Zadok and Abiathar took the sacred chest back into Jerusalem and stayed there. 30 David went on up the slope of the Mount of Olives. He was barefoot and crying, and he covered his head to show his sorrow. Everyone with him was crying, and they covered their heads too.
31 Someone told David, “Ahithophel is helping Absalom plot against you!”
David said, “Please, Lord, keep Ahithophel's plans from working!”
David Sends Hushai Back as a Spy
32 When David reached the top of the Mount of Olives, he met Hushai the Archite at a place of worship. Hushai's robe was torn, and dust was on his head. 33 David told him:
If you come with me, you might slow us down. 34 Go back into the city and tell Absalom, “Your Majesty, I am your servant. I will serve you now, just as I served your father in the past.”
Hushai, if you do that, you can help me ruin Ahithophel's plans. 35 Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you, and you can tell them everything you hear in the palace. 36 Then they can send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what you've heard.
37 David's advisor Hushai slipped back into Jerusalem, at just about the same time Absalom was coming in.
1 Kombunda yanai Absalom we ripahera etemba rovita noukambe, novarwe wovita omirongo vitano mbaa ve mu hongorere. 2 Absalom wa penduka omuhuka omunene na kakurama posi yondjira pomuvero wotjihuro. Nu auhe ngwa ri notjiposa na vanga okuhungira nombara, Absalom ee mu isana e mu pura nai: “Mo zire pi?” Neye tja ziri nai: “Omukarere woye owomuhoko worive noworive wa Israel,” 3 Absalom otjiye mu ziri nai: “Tara, otjiposa tjoye tji ri otjiwa notjisemba, nungwari pombara kape nomundu ngu me tji puratene.” 4 Nu Absalom wa hungira komurungu a tja: “Andakuzu ve ndji zika omupangure mehi, auhe ngu nozombata poo otjiposa etje ya ku ami, nami etje mu pangura osemba.” 5 Nomundu tjeya okuripeta ku Absalom, Absalom otjaa roporora eke re, e mu kambura, ne mu hupite. 6 Eye wa tjita ihi kOmuisrael auhe ngwe ya kombara kombanguriro; komuhingo mbwi Absalom otja popera Ovaisrael ku ye.
7 Nu kombunda yozombura ine, Absalom wa tja nai kombara David: “Ndji esa mbi yende kOhebron okukayenenisa omakwizikiro wandje ngu mba tjita ku Muhona. 8 Tji mba ri mOgesur, tji tji ri mOaram, ami, omukarere woye, mba tjitire omakwizikiro wokutja Muhona tji me ndji yarura kOjerusalem, ami me kemupunguhira ozombunguhiro.”
9 Nombara arire tji ya tja: “Twende mohange!” Nu Absalom wa sekama na i kOhebron. 10 Absalom wa tuma ovahindwa mongumumu komihoko avihe vya Israel okukevitjivisa kutja, tji vya zuu ombosiro yozohiva, ngavi ravaere nai: “Absalom wa rire ombara mOhebron!” 11 Puna Absalom pa ya ovarumendu omasere yevari va Jerusalem kOhebron mba ṋangerwe i ye; owo kaave tjiwa inga omeripuriro wa Absalom. 12 Absalom ngunda ama punguha ozombunguhiro, wa hinda ombuze kotjihuro Gilo okukaṋanga Ahitofel, umwe wovayandjandunge va David. Omazuvasaneno wokusekamena ombara ya rira omanene, novandu, mba kongorera Absalom, va ririra ko ovengi tjinene.
David ma taura mOjerusalem
13 Nomuhindwa umwe weya ku David na tja: “Otjimbumba tjOvaisrael tje rikutu ku Absalom.”
14 David otja tja nai kovahongore ve avehe, mba ri puna ye mOjerusalem: “Ngatu ze mo tjimanga, tji matu vanga okutaura komurungu wa Absalom! Hakahaneye, tjapo ngee ya tjimanga mba, ne tu havere, na zepa ngamwa auhe motjihuro.”
15 Nowo va itavera ave tja: “Ii, muhona ombara, eṱe twe rirongerere okutjita ngamwa atjihe tji mo hee!” 16 Ombara otji ya kumuka puna eṱunḓu rayo arihe novahongore vayo, posi yovakazendu vayo ovambanda omurongo omba sewa kombunda okutjevera ondjuwo youhona.
17 Nombara tji ya kumuka puna ovandu avehe mbe i kongorera, otji va kakurama pondjuwo osenina. 18 Ovahongore va David avehe va kakurama posi ye, imba Ovakreti nOvapeleti ngunda amave kapita komurungu wombara; novarumendu omasere hamboumwe mbe mu kongorera okuza kOgat wina va kapita komurungu wombara. 19 Nombara ya tja komunane Itai, Omugit: “Okutjavi tji movanga okuyenda puna eṱe? Yaruka, u kakare pombara ombe; oove owozonganda ngu wa taura kehi roye. 20 Ove inga we ere erero, nu ndino me ku twaerere vi puna eṱe mokuhangauka, ami omuini ngunda ambi hi nokutjiwa kutja me i ku tjiṋe? Yaruka, u twaerere ovandu vehi roye! Ndjambi nge ku pe otjari nouṱakame!”
21 Nungwari Itai wa zira nai kombara: “Tjimbe tja Muhona omunamuinyo na ove, muhona ombara, koṋa omuhona wandje ku ma i, indu kutja okonḓiro poo okomuinyo, ami, omukarere woye, oku me kakarera!”
22 David arire tja tja: “Osemba, kapite uriri!” Itai otja kapita novandu ve avehe, nombunga aihe yovakazendu novanatje mba ri puna ye. 23 Novandu avehe va rira tjinene, otjimbumba tjovarwe ngunda ama tji kapita; nombara ya kakonda oruronḓu Kidron, notjimbumba atjihe tjovarwe wovita tja kakonda munda mbwina okuhungama okuti onguza.
24 Nomupristeri Sadok wina wa ri mbo puna Ovalevi avehe mbaa ve tjindi Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Ndjambi; nowo va twa Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Ndjambi pehi, nomupristeri Abiatar wa punguha ozombunguhiro, nga otjiwaṋa atjihe tji tja pita motjihuro. 25 Nombara ya tja nai ku Sadok: “Yarura Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe kotjihuro. Muhona tji me ndji tjariparere me ndji yarura ne ndji munisa Otjipwikiro hi nomaturiro watjo rukwao. 26 Nungwari eye tje hi nonyuṋe mu ami, osemba, nga tjite ku ami otja puma vanga.” 27 David wa hungira komurungu puna omupristeri Sadok ama tja: “Ove na Abiatar yarukeye mohange kotjihuro puna ovazandu veṋu vevari, ooAhimaas, omuzandu woye, na Jonatan, omuzandu wa Abiatar. 28 Ṱakamiseye nawa: Ami me kaundjira pomakondero woruronḓu mokuti onguza nga tji mba zuu ombuze ku eṋe.” 29 OoSadok na Abiatar otji va yarura Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Ndjambi kOjerusalem, nave kakara ngo.
30 David wa karonda kOndundu yOmiṋinga ama riri, na kutjire otjiuru tje e ri huuna; novandu avehe, mba ri puna ye, va kutjira oviuru vyawo nave karonda kondundu ndji amave riri wina. 31 David tja korerwa kutja Ahitofel u ri mokati kovemupirukire puna Absalom, arire tja kumbu a tja: “Arikana, Muhona, tjita kutja omapopero wa Ahitofel ye rire omungandjo!”
32 David tja kavaza kondomba yondundu ovandu ku ve kakumba ku Ndjambi, kamanga otja hakaena nOmuarki Husai, e nombanda ndja nyondoroka, nehi motjiuru. 33 David wa tja nai ku ye: “Tji mo i puna ami, ko nakukarira ombatero ku ami. 34 Nungwari mo ndji vatere okuzemisa omapopero wa Ahitofel, indu tji wa yaruka kotjihuro no katja nai ku Absalom: ‘Muhona ombara, ami me vanga okukukarera tjimuna tji mba karera iho.’ 35 Ovapristeri Sadok na Abiatar ve ri ngo wina; nu avihe, mbi mo zuu mondjuwo youhona, ve raera. 36 Ovazandu vawo vevari, Ahimaas na Jonatan, ve ri puna wo ngo, owo ngave ndji etere ombuze aihe ndji mamu zuu ngo.”
37 Komuhingo mbwi Husai, epanga ra David, otja yaruka kOjerusalem, Absalom ngunda ama hiti motjihuro.
