1 Ahithophel said to Absalom:
Let me choose 12,000 men and attack David tonight, 2 while he is tired and discouraged. He will panic, and everyone with him will run away. I won't kill anyone except David, 3 since he's the one you want to get rid of. Then I'll bring the whole nation back to you like a bride coming home to her husband. This way there won't be a civil war.
Hushai Fools Absalom
4 Absalom and all the leaders of the tribes of Israel agreed that Ahithophel had a good plan. 5 Then Absalom said, “Bring in Hushai the Archite. Let's hear what he has to say.”
6 Hushai came in, and Absalom told him what Ahithophel had planned. Then Absalom said, “Should we do what he says? And if we shouldn't, can you come up with anything better?”
7 Hushai said:
This time Ahithophel's advice isn't so good. 8 You know that your father and his followers are real warriors. Now they are as fierce as a mother bear whose cubs have just been killed. Besides, your father has a lot of experience in fighting wars, and he won't be spending the night with the others. 9 He has probably already found a hiding place in a cave or somewhere else.
As soon as anyone hears that some of your soldiers have been killed, everyone will think your whole army has been destroyed. 10 Then even those who are as brave as a lion will lose their courage. All Israel knows what a great warrior your father is and what brave soldiers he has.
11 My advice is to gather all the fighting men of Israel from the town of Dan in the north down to the town of Beersheba in the south. You will have more soldiers than there are grains of sand on the seashore. Absalom, you should lead them yourself, 12 and we will all go to fight David wherever he is. We will fall on him just as dew falls and covers the ground. He and all his soldiers will die! 13 If they go into a walled town, we will put ropes around that town and drag it into the river. We won't leave even one small piece of a stone.
14 Absalom and the others liked Hushai's plan better than Ahithophel's plan. This was because the Lord had decided to keep Ahithophel's plan from working and to cause trouble for Absalom.
Jonathan and Ahimaaz Tell David the News
15 At once, Hushai went to Zadok and Abiathar. He told them what advice Ahithophel had given to Absalom and to the leaders of Israel. He also told them about the advice he had given. 16 Then he said, “Hurry! Send someone to warn David not to spend the night on this side of the Jordan. He must get across the river, so he and the others won't be wiped out!”
17 Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been waiting at Rogel Spring because they did not want to be seen in Jerusalem. A servant girl went to the spring and gave them the message for David. 18 But a young man saw them and went to tell Absalom. So Jonathan and Ahimaaz left and hurried to the house of a man who lived in Bahurim. Then they climbed down into a well in the courtyard. 19 The man's wife put the cover on the well and poured grain on top of it, so the well could not be seen.
20 Absalom's soldiers came to the woman and demanded, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?”
The woman answered, “They went across that stream.”
The soldiers went off to look for the two men. But when they did not find the men, they went back to Jerusalem.
21 After the soldiers had gone, Jonathan and Ahimaaz climbed out of the well. They went to David and said, “Hurry! Get ready to cross the river!” Then they told him about Ahithophel's plan.
22 David and the others got ready and started crossing the Jordan River. By sunrise all of them were on the other side.
Ahithophel Kills Himself
23 When Ahithophel saw that Absalom and the leaders of Israel were not going to follow his advice, he saddled his donkey and rode back to his home in Gilo. He told his family and servants what to do. Then he hanged himself, and they buried him in his family's burial place.
Absalom Puts Amasa in Charge of the Army
24 David went to the town of Mahanaim, and Absalom crossed the Jordan River with the army of Israel. 25 Absalom put Amasa in Joab's place as commander of the army. Amasa's father was Ithra from the family of Ishmael, and his mother was Abigal, the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Joab's mother Zeruiah. 26 The Israelites under Absalom's command set up camp in the region of Gilead.
Friends Bring Supplies to David
27 After David came to the town of Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash came from Rabbah in Ammon, Machir the son of Ammiel came from Lo-Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite came from Rogelim.
28-29 Here is a list of what they brought: sleeping mats, blankets, bowls, pottery jars, wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, honey, yogurt, sheep, and cheese.
They brought the food for David and the others because they knew that everyone would be hungry, tired, and thirsty from being out in the desert.
Absalom ta pula eendunge kuAhitofel nokuHusai
1 Ahitofel okwa lombwela vali Absalom ndele ta ti: “Efe nge ndi hoolole ovalumenhu omayovi omulongo naavali ndi fikame, ndi shikule David, 2 ndi mu vakele fimbo ye a loloka nomake aye a wa ndele ndi mu tilife, opo ovanhu aveshe ovo ve li puye va faduke po. Opo nee ndi dipae ohamba aike. 3 Ovanhu aveshe ohandi ke ve ku alulila ngaashi omufuko mupe te uya komulumenhu waye. Ove owa nangela omwenyo womulumenhu umwe, novanhu aveshe otava ka kala nombili.” 4 Nondjovo oyo ya li ya wapalela Absalom novakulunhu aveshe vaIsrael. 5 Ndelenee Absalom ta ti: “Husai, Omuarki, na ifanwe yo, natu pwilikine yo eshi ye te shi popi.” 6 Husai eshi e uya, Absalom a popya naye ndee ta ti: “Ahitofel osho a popya. Fye ohatu ka shikula tuu eendunge daye? Ngeenge hasho, tu lombwela hano!”
7 Ndele Husai ta ti kuAbsalom: “Eendunge mwe di pewa paife kuAhitofel, inadi wapala.” 8 Husai okwa tya vali: “Ove u shi shii nokutya, xo novalumenhu vaye vo ovaladi, ndele ve neemwenyo di nehandu ngaashi emwangha la kufwa oumwanghona valo mofuka. Navali: Xo omukwaitelela, ye novakwaita vaye itava tulumukwa oufiku. 9 Tala, paife ye okwa hondama mekololo limwe lomomakololo ile monhele imwe ndele ngeenge nopehovelo lolwoodi nokuli vamwe tava dipawa, novanhu tave shi udu, vo otava ka tya: Ovakwaita ovo va shikula Absalom, ova tewa ko! 10 Opo nee naau omuladielela e nomutima ngaashi wonghoshi ota ka tyololoka shili. Osheshi Ovaisraeli aveshe ve shi shii nokutya, xo omukwanyati omuladi novalumenhu ovakwanyati ve li puye. 11 Ndelenee ame ohandi ku pe eendunge, handi ti: Ifana Ovaisraeli aveshe okudja kuDan fiyo okuBerseba va ongale pwoove, vo aveshe ngaashi eheke pomunghulo wefuta. Naave yo mwene u nokuya molwoodi. 12 Nafye eshi hatu mu nhukile monhele imwe omo a hondama, opo nee fye ohatu wile kombada yaye ngaashi omume tai wile kombada yedu. Osho ngaha ye mwene novanhu vaye ve li puye itapa ka xupifwa nande umwe. 13 Ndele ye ngeenge ta i moshilando shimwe, Ovaisraeli aveshe otava ka eta eengodi moshilando osho, ndele fye ohatu shi kokololele mefilu fiyo itapa monika nande emanya limwe.” 14 Opo nee Absalom novalumenhu aveshe vaIsrael tava ti: “Eendunge daHusai, Omuarki, di dule eendunge daAhitofel.” Ndelenee Omwene e shi ninga, opo eendunge diwa da yandjwa kuAhitofel di ninge dongaho, opo Omwene a ete omupya kombada yaAbsalom.
15 Ndele Husai okwa lombwela ovapristeli Sadok naAbjatar: “Eendunge donhumba Ahitofel okwe di pa Absalom novakulunhu vaIsrael, ndelenee ame nde va pa eendunge donhumba. 16 Tumeni ko hano diva mu shiivifile David nokutya: ‘Ino kala oufiku peeshau domombuwa, ndelenee taulukeni shili, ohamba novanhu aveshe ve li puyo vaha dipawe.’ ” 17 Ndelenee Jonatan naAhimas va kala pofifiya yaRogel fimbo omupiya umwe omukainhu ha twaala ondaka kohamba, opo nee okwa ya nokwe i fikifa kohamba David. Ndelenee vo inave uya moshilando vaha monike. 18 Ndelenee omumati umwe e va mona nokwe shi lombwela Absalom. Opo nee aveshe vavali va dja po diva ndele ve uya meumbo lomulumenhu umwe muBahurim. Ye okwa li e nondungu moluumbo laye, ndele va kulukila mo. 19 Nomwalikadi okwa kufa ofaila ndele te i tula kombada yondungu nokwa undila oilya kombada, onghee hano inapa dimbulukiwa sha. 20 Ovapiya vaAbsalom eshi ve uya komwalikadi meumbo, tava pula: “Ahimas naJonatan openi ve li?” Nomwalikadi te va nyamukula: “Vo ova enda po va tauluka okamulonga.” Ova konga ndele inave va mona ndele tava shuna kuJerusalem. 21 Eshi va ya, ovo va li mondungu ova dja mo ndele va twikila ondjila yavo ndele va etela ohamba David ondaka ndele tava ti kuDavid: “Fikama u tauluke diva omeva, osheshi Ahitofel a popya ngaha u nyonwe po. 22 Opo nee David a fikama ndele ovanhu aveshe ovo va li puye va taulula Jordan. Ndele eshi kwa sha, inapa yongolwa nande umwe ou ina taulula Jordan.”
23 Ndele Ahitofel eshi a mona nokutya, eendunge daye inadi shikulwa, okwa manga ondongi yaye ndele ta fikama. Nokwa ya keumbo laye lomoshilando shaye, nokwa longekida eumbo laye ndele e liponda. Osho ngaha hano ye a fya nokwa pakwa mombila yaxe. 24 Ndele David okwa fika kuMahanaim fimbo Absalom pamwe novalumenhu aveshe Ovaisraeli va taulula Jordan.
25 Ndele Absalom okwa lenga Amasa a ninge ondjai yovakwaita ponhele yaJoab. Ndele Amasa okwa li omona omumati womulumenhu umwe, edina laye Jitra, Omuismael, ou a nangala naAbigail, omona okakadona kaNahas, omumwaina waSeruja, ina yaJoab. 26 Ndele Israel naAbsalom va onga onhanda medu laGilead. 27 David eshi a fika kuMahanaim, Sobi yaNahas womuRabba womovana vaAmmoni, naMakir yaAmmiel wokuLodebar naBarsillai Omugilead wokuRogelim 28 va etela David novanhu ovo va li puye eenhanga dokunangala noiyaxa noiyuma yedu nomahangu noilyavala noufila noilya ya fengwa nomakunde olumya nokakunde, 29 nomaadi eenyiki, omashini a ota, eedi noikuki yomashini va lye, osheshi va diladila David novanhu vaye ve nondjala ndele va loloka ndele va kwatwa kenota mombuwa.
