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.
Absalommi ge ra mâǃoaxatsoatsoa
1 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Absalomma torokunis tsî hāgu tsî korodisi khoegu, ǁîb ais ai gere ǃkhoegu tsîna ge ǂhomibasen. 2 ǁÎb ge mâ ǃnauǁgoagas hoasa khâimâ tsî ǃās di dao-ams ǃoa garu daob xōǀkhā sī gere mâ. Tsîb ge khoe-i ga ǃgomsi-i ǀkha gao-aob ǃoa a hā huihe i nîse, o ǁî-e ǂgai tsî “Mâ ǃāsa xuts ra hā?” ti gere dî. Tsî i ga ǁî-e “Israeli ǃhaodi di ǀguis di ta ge a” ti a mî, 3 ob ge Absalomma ǁî-e ǃoa gere mî: “Sats ge ǀgaisa tsî ǂhanu ǁhōba ūhâ, xawe i ge gao-aob tawa ǃgâ tsi nî khoe-i xare-e a ǀkhai.” 4 ǃAruǀîb ge gere mî: “Nē ǃhūb ǃnâ ta ga ǂhanuǂhanu-aose mâiheo, o ta ge mâ khoe-i, ǃgomsi-i ǀkha tita ǃoa ra hā-i hoa-e ǂhanu-aise ga ǀgoraǃgâ hâ.” 5 Tsî khoe-i ga ǁîba ǃoa a hā ǁîb aiǃâ i nî ǃhonǁgoase ob ge Absalomma ǁî-e ǃkhō tsî gere ǁoa. 6 ǁNātib ge Absalomma Israelǁîn, gao-aob ǃoa ǃgomsinan nî ǂhanuǂhanubahese gere hān hoan ǀkha dī tsî ǁnā ǀgaus ai Israelǁîna ǁîb ǀkhāb ǁga gere ǂgae.
7 Haka kurigu khaoǃgâb ge Absalomma gao-aob ǃoa ge mî: “Mā-am te, î ta ǃgû tsî ti mîmâis ǃKhūba ta ge mîmâibasa Hebrons ǃnâ sī dīǀoaǀoa. 8 Gesurs, Siriab dis ǃnâ ta ǁan hâ hîa ta ge ge mîmâi: ‘ǃKhūb ga Jerusalems kōse oasī-ū teo, o ta ge Hebrons ǃnâ sī nî ǃoaba bi.’ ”
9 Ob ge gao-aoba “ǂKhîb ǃnâ ǃgû re” ti ge mî. Ob ge Absalomma ǂhomisen tsî Hebrons ǁga ge ǃgû. 10 Absalommi ge ǁkhāti sîsabega Israeli ǃhaodi hoade ǃoa ge sî, î gu sī mî: “Xâiǁnâs ǀōba du ga ǁnâu, o du ge ‘Absalommi ge Hebrons ǃnâ go gao-ao kai’ ti nî mî.” 11 Absalommi ǁkhaus ai gu ge ǀgamkaidisi khoega ǁîb ǀkha Jerusalemsa xu ge ǃgû. ǁÎgu ge xū-i xare-e gu ǁîb ǀapes xa ǂan tamase, ǂgomǃgâs ai ǁîba ge sao. 12 Absalommi ge ǁkhāti ǁguibab ra hîa, Ahitofeli Gilos dib, Davidi ǀapemā-aoba Gilosa xu ge ǂgaihā kai. ǀApeǀhaos ge ge ǀgai tsîn ge Absalommi saoǃgonaona ǃaruǀîǀgui ǃgôab ǃnâ ge ǀarosen.
Davidi ge Jerusalemsa xu ra ǃhū
13 O i ge sîsabe-e Davida hā ge mîba: “Israelǁîn hoan ge Absalomma ra sao.”
14 Ob ge Davida ǁîb ǂamkhoegu, ǁîb tawa Jerusalems ǃnâ hâgu hoaga ge mîmā: “ǂHomisen, î ge Absalommi xa ge nî hāǃgâhes aiǃâ ǃhū. ǃHae, îb tā hā ǀhao-ū ge tsî sage ǂkhôa tsî ǃās ǃnâ hân hoana ǃgam.”
15 O gu ge gao-aoba ge ǃeream: “Gao-aots ra mî khami ge ge nî dī.” 16 Ob ge gao-aoba ǁîb surib tsî ǂamkhoegu tsîn ǀkha ge ǃkhoeni; ǁîb disi xōǀkhātaradi ǀguideb ge omma di nî ǃûiga ge hâ kai.
17 Gao-aob tsî ǁîb khoegu tsîn ge ǃāsa xu gu ge ǂoao, ǀuniga oms ǃās dis tawa sī ge mâ. 18 ǁNāpa gu ge ǂamkhoegu âba ǁîb xōǀkhā ge ǃkharu, ǁnās ǁkhās xase gu ge ǁîba ra ǃûi khoegu tsî ǃnanikaidisi khoegu ǁîba ge Gatsa xu a saogu tsîna ge ǃkharu. 19 Ob ge gao-aoba Ittaib, Gats dib ǃoa ge mî: “Tare xū-i ǃaromats sige ǀkha ra ǃgû? Oa, îts ǀasa gao-aob ǀkha sī hâ. ǃHaokhoets kom satsao, ǃhūsabetsao sa ǃhūb ǂûba xu. 20 ǀAse ǀguits kom nēpa ge hāo, tare-i ǃaroma ta sige ǀkha nî ǁhapuma kai tsi. Tita ge mâǀî ta ra ǃgû ǃkhais tsîna a ǀū, xuige oa, îts sa khoegu ona ūsao. Ab ǃKhūb di ǀnammi tsî ǂgomǂgomsasiba hâǀkhā tsi.”
21 Ob ge Ittaiba gao-aob ǃoa ge mî: “ǃGôahesa gao-aotse, ǃKhūb ǀons ǃnâ ta ra nūba tsi, sats ǀkha ta ǃgûts ga ǃkhai-i hoa-i ai nî hâsa, ûib ǃnâs kas, ǁōb ǃnâs kas hoasa.”
22 Ob ge gao-aoba “Hā, î ǁnâi sao te re” ti ge mî. ǁNāti gu ge Ittaib, Gatǁîb tsî ǁîb ǀkha ge hâ i khoegu hoagu tsî ǁîgu taradi tsî ǀgôan tsîna Davidi ǀkha ge ǃgû. 23 Hoaraga khoen ǃhūb din ge Davidi saoǃgonaon ǃāba ra ǃgâu hîa ǃgarise ge ā. Gao-aob tsî ǁaes hoas tsîn ge Kidronǃāroba ǃgâu tsî ǃgaroǃhūb ǀkhāb ǁga ge ǃgû.
24 Prister Sadoki ge ǁnāpa ge hâ i tsî ǁîb ǀkha gu ge Leviǁîgu ǃGaeǀhaos ǂGaes Elob disa ra tanigu tsîna ge hâ i. Abiatari on ge ge hā. Leviǁîgu ge ǃGaeǀhaos ǂGaes Elob disa mâi tsî ǁîsa, khoen hoan ge ǃāsa xu ǂoatoas kōse ūkhâi tama ge i. 25 Ob ge gao-aoba Sadoka ge mîmā: “ǃGaeǀhaos ǂGaes Elob disa ǁkhawa ǃāsa ǃoa oa-ū. ǃKhūb ga ǀkhomxa te tsî oaǀkhī-ū te, ob ge ǁîs tsî mâǃkhais âs tsîra nî mû kai te. 26 Xawe ǃKhūb ga tita ǀkha ǂkhîǂâixa tama io, ab ǁnâi ǁîba ǃgâiba khami dī-ū te.” 27 ǃAruǀîb ge gao-aoba prister Sadoka ǃoa ge mî: “Kō, ǃnōsase ǃās ǁga oa, î sa ôab Ahimaasi tsî Abiatari ôab Jonatanni tsîkha ūsao. 28 Tita ge ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ ǃārob ǃgâunas tawa, haisi-am-i sakho xu nî hās kōse nî ǃâu.” 29 ǁNāti kha ge Sadoki tsî Abiatari tsîkha ǃGaeǀhaos ǂGaes Elob disa Jerusalems ǁga ge oa-ū tsî ǁnāpa ge hâ.
30 Xawe Davidi ge ā ra garuse ǀKheraǃhommi ai ge ǂoa, danas âba ǃoab âb ǁgauǁgaus ase ǃgū-ai hâse tsî ǀōǂai hâse. ǁÎb ǀkha ge hâ in hoan ge ǁkhāti danadi âna ǃgū-ai tsî garu gere ā. 31 Tsî Davidi ge “Ahitofeli ge Absalommi ǀkha ra ǀapeǀhaon ǃnâ hâ” ti ǂanǂanhe, ob ge “ǃKhūtse, as Ahitofeli ǀapemāsa toxopa ǁauxū kai re” ti ge ǀgore.
32 Davidi ge ǃhommiǂaob ai, Elob ra ǀgoreǀîhe ǃkhaib ai a sī, ob ge Arkǁîb, Husaiba ǁîb tawa, ǀkhausa saran tsî ǃhūxa danas ǀkha ge sī. 33 Ob ge Davida ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Tita ǀkhats ga ǃgû, ots ge ǃgomma nî mā te. 34 Xawe ǃās ǁga oa tsîts ga Absalomma sī a mîba: ‘Sa ǃgā kai ta ge nî, gao-aotse. Sa îb Davidi ǃgāta ge ǂguro ge i, xawe nēsisa xu ta ge sa ǃgāse nî ī.’ Ots ge Ahitofeli ǀapesa a ǁauǁauba te ǁkhā. 35 Pristerkha Sadoki tsî Abiatari tsîkha ge ǁnāpa sa tawa nî hâ. Gao-omma xuts ga ǁnâu xūn hoanats ge ǁîkha nî mîba. 36 ǁÎkha di ôakha, Ahimaasi tsî Jonatanni tsîkha ge ǁnāpa ǁîkha ǀkha hâ, ots ge ǁnâuts ka xū-i hoa-e ǁîkha ǀkha a ǂanǂan te ǁkhā.”
37 Nētib ge Davidi di ǀhōsab Husaiba Absalommi Jerusalems ǃnâ ra sī hîa ǁîb tsîna ǃās ǃnâ ge ǂgâ.
