Absalom Plans Rebellion
1 After this, Absalom provided a chariot and horses for himself, and an escort of fifty men. 2 He would get up early and go and stand by the road at the city gate. Whenever someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. And after the man had told him what tribe he was from, 3 Absalom would say, “Look, the law is on your side, but there is no representative of the king to hear your case.” 4 And he would add, “How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5 When the man would approach Absalom to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out, take hold of him, and kiss him. 6 Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king for judgment, and so he won their loyalty.
7 After four years Absalom said to King David, “Sir, let me go to Hebron and keep a promise I made to the Lord. 8 While I was living in Geshur in Syria, I promised the Lord that if he would take me back to Jerusalem, I would worship him in Hebron.”
9 “Go in peace,” the king said. So Absalom went to Hebron. 10 But he sent messengers to all the tribes of Israel to say, “When you hear the sound of trumpets, shout, ‘Absalom has become king at Hebron!’” 11 There were two hundred men who at Absalom's invitation had gone from Jerusalem with him; they knew nothing of the plot and went in all good faith. 12 And while he was offering sacrifices, Absalom also sent to the town of Gilo for Ahithophel, who was one of King David's advisers. The plot against the king gained strength, and Absalom's followers grew in number.
David Flees from Jerusalem
13 A messenger reported to David, “The Israelites are pledging their loyalty to Absalom.”
14 So David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, “We must get away at once if we want to escape from Absalom! Hurry! Or else he will soon be here and defeat us and kill everyone in the city!”
15 “Yes, Your Majesty,” they answered. “We are ready to do whatever you say.” 16 So the king left, accompanied by all his family and officials, except for ten concubines, whom he left behind to take care of the palace.
17 As the king and all his men were leaving the city, they stopped at the last house. 18 All his officials stood next to him as the royal bodyguards passed by in front of him. The six hundred soldiers who had followed him from Gath also passed by, 19 and the king said to Ittai, their leader, “Why are you going with us? Go back and stay with the new king. You are a foreigner, a refugee away from your own country. 20 You have lived here only a short time, so why should I make you wander around with me? I don't even know where I'm going. Go back and take all your people with you—and may the Lord be kind and faithful to you.”
21 But Ittai answered, “Your Majesty, I swear to you in the Lord's name that I will always go with you wherever you go, even if it means death.”
22 “Fine!” David answered. “March on!” So Ittai went on with all his men and their dependents. 23 The people cried loudly as David's followers left. The king crossed Kidron Brook, followed by his men, and together they went out toward the wilderness.
24 Zadok the priest was there, and with him were the Levites, carrying the sacred Covenant Box. They set it down and didn't pick it up again until all the people had left the city. The priest Abiathar was there too. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the Covenant Box back to the city. If the Lord is pleased with me, some day he will let me come back to see it and the place where it stays. 26 But if he isn't pleased with me—well, then, let him do to me what he wishes.” 27 And he went on to say to Zadok, “Look, take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan and go back to the city in peace. 28 Meanwhile, I will wait at the river crossings in the wilderness until I receive news from you.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the Covenant Box back into Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 David went on up the Mount of Olives crying; he was barefoot and had his head covered as a sign of grief. All who followed him covered their heads and cried also. 31 When David was told that Ahithophel had joined Absalom's rebellion, he prayed, “Please, Lord, turn Ahithophel's advice into nonsense!”
32 When David reached the top of the hill, where there was a place of worship, his trusted friend Hushai the Archite met him with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. 33 David said to him, “You will be of no help to me if you come with me, 34 but you can help me by returning to the city and telling Absalom that you will now serve him as faithfully as you served his father. And do all you can to oppose any advice that Ahithophel gives. 35 The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be there; tell them everything you hear in the king's palace. 36 They have their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan with them, and you can send them to me with all the information you gather.”
37 So Hushai, David's friend, returned to the city just as Absalom was arriving.
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.
