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.
Hushai ta kotokele Absalom
1 Inapu pita ethimbo ele, Ahitofel sho a lombwele Absalom ta ti:
“Nandi hogolole mo aalumentu omayuvi omulongo nagaali, ndi landule David uusiku mbuka wonena. 2 Otandi ke mu ponokela, manga a loloka nokwa tyololoka. Ota ka haluka, naantu ye ayehe otaa ka ya ontuku. Otandi ka dhipaga ashike omukwaniilwa, 3 nonena ote galulile aantu ayehe kungoye ongomufuko ta galukile kombushiki ye. Owa hala owala okudhipaga omuntu gumwe awike; oshigwana ashihe otashi kala shaa na mbudhi.” 4 Omayele ngaka oga li go opalela Absalom naawiliki ayehe Aaisraeli.
5 Absalom okwa ti: “Ithaneni Hushai, tse tu pulakene shoka ta ti.” 6 Hushai sho e ya, Absalom okwa ti kuye: “Ahitofel okwe tu pe omayele ga tya ga tya, natu ga landule? Ngele hasho, tu lombwela shoka tu na okuninga.”
7 Hushai okwa yamukula a ti: “Omayele gaAhitofel e ge mu pe, kage shi omawanawa. 8 Ou shi shi kutya ho David naantu ye aakondji aanankondo. Oyo aageyentu ya fa emwanka enyali lya yugwa uunimona walyo. Ho omukwiita a pyokoka, nuusiku iha lala paantu ye. 9 Ngashingeyi okwa holama ngiika mekololo lyontumba nenge peha lilwe. David nge ta homona aantu yoye, nena kehe ngoka te shi uvu, ota ka tya, aantu yoye ya dhengwa. 10 Nena omapendafule, aantu mboka ihaaya kukuka ya fa oonime, otaa ka tila, oshoka muIsrael shaa ngoka okwa tseya kutya ho omukwiita omunene. 11 Ngame otandi ku tsu omayele, u gongele Aaisraeli ayehe kumwe okuza kooha dhoshilongo sigo okoonkwawo, oyendjiyendji ya fa ehekevi lyomooha dhefuta, nangoye mwene oto ya wilike molugodhi. 12 Otatu ka adha David nkoka e li, e tatu mu matukile, manga kee shi po sha. Nena ye mwene nenge gumwe gwomaantu ye itaa ka hupa. 13 Nongele te ki ipyologela moshilando shontumba, aantu yetu ayehe otaa ke eta oongodhi, tu hilile oshilando molusilu ponyonga yasho. Nokape na emanya tali kala we kondungu yondundu.”
14 Absalom nAaisraeli ayehe oya ti: “Omayele gaHushai omawanawa ge vule gaAhitofel.” Omuwa okwa tokola, pwaa landulwe omayele omawanawa gaAhitofel, opo omupya gu lambele Absalom.
David ta londodhwa e ta fadhuka po
15 Nena Hushai okwa lombwele aayambi Sadok naAbiatar omayele ngoka a gandja kuAbsalom naawiliki Aaisraeli, osho wo omayele ngoka Ahitofel a gandja. 16 Hushai okwa gwedha po a ti: “Ngashingeyi endeleleni! Tumeni elaka kuDavid, kaa lale poonkondo dhomulonga mombuga, ihe na tokole Jordan meulumo, opo kaa kwatwe noku dhipagwe naantu ye.”
17 Jonatan yaAbiatar naAhimaaz yaSadok oya li ya tegamena poluthithiya lwaEnrogel pondje yaJerusalem, oshoka oya li yaa na omukumo okukala moshilando. Omukalele omukadhona oha yi te ya hokololele shoka sha ningwa po, noyo otaa yi e taa hokololele omukwaniilwa David. 18 Ihe esiku limwe omumati gumwe okwe ya mono e ta ka lombwela Absalom; onkee oya zi po neendelelo ya ka holama megumbo lyomulumentu gwontumba muBahurim. Okwa li e na omuthima popepi negumbo, noyo ya yi mo. 19 Omukulukadhi gwomulumentu ngoka okwa kutha oshisiikilo e te shi yala komuthima e ta aneke po iilya, opo pwaa kale ngoka ta dhimbulula sha. 20 Aambala yaAbsalom oye ya kegumbo ndyoka noya pula omukulukadhi taa ti: “Ahimaaz naJonatan oye li peni?”
Omukulukadhi okwa yamukula a ti: “Oya tokola omulonga.”
Aalumentu oye ya lengalenga, ihe inaa vula oku ya mona nonkee ya galukile kuJerusalem. 21 Konima sho ya yi, Ahimaaz naJonatan oya zi mo momuthima e taa yi noye shi tseyithile omukwaniilwa David. Oye mu hokololele shoka Ahitofel a dhiladhila oku mu kondjitha noya ti: “Endelela, tokola omulonga.” 22 Onkee David naantu ye oya tameke okutokola Jordan. Eluwa sho tali tende, yo oye gu tokola nale.
23 Ahitofel sho a mono, omayele ge inaga landulwa, okwa kutile okasino ke e ta yi koshilando shaandjawo. Sho a tula iinima ye melandulathano, okwi imangeleke. Okwa fumvikwa mombila yezimo lyawo.
24 David okwa thiki komukunda Mahanaim pethimbo ndyoka Absalom nAaisraeli taa tokola Jordan. 25 (Absalom okwa lenge Amasa ondjayi yiita peha lyaJoab. Amasa yaJeter Omuismaeli, yina oAbigal lyaNahash, omumwayina gwaZeruia ngoka yina yaJoab.) 26 Absalom naantu ye oya yungu oontanda mevi lyaGilead.
27 David sho a thiki kuMahanaim, okwa tsakanekwa kuShobi yaNahash a za koshilando Rabba muAmmon nokuMakir gaAmmiel a za kuDebir nokuBarsillai a za kuRoglim muGilead. 28-29 Oye eta uuyo, oombiga, iinguma niikulya kuDavid naantu ye: iilya, uusila, omaha ga yaywa, omakunde, uukunde, omagadhi goonyushi, ehini, olukawe noonzi. Oya tseya kutya David naantu ye oya sa ondjala nenota noya vulwa mombuga.
