Absalom ma haverwa na ṱu
1 David wa woronganisa ovarwe wovita, mba ri puna ye, na ziki ovahongore vovarumendu eyovi novesere. 2 Neye wa kumukisa ovimbumba vyovita vitatu: Tjimwe kehi youhongore wa Joab, notjikwao kehi youhongore wa Abisai, omuzandu waina Seruja, omuangu wa Joab, notjitjatatu kehi youhongore wa Itai, Omugat. Nombara ya tja nai kovarwe wovita: “Ami wina me kumuka puna eṋe.”
3 Novo va zira nai ku yo: “Ove ko nokusokukumuka puna eṱe! Eṱe tji twa kahaverwa poo nangarire orumbembera rwetu tji rwa kaṱa kape na umwe wawo ngu ma ningi ko na tja na eṱe. Nungwari onḓengu yoye i ṱeki pomayovi omurongo wetu. Atja rira kokuwa kove okukara motjihuro nokutuhindira ombatero.”
4 Ombara arire tji ya ziri nai ku wo: “Me tjiti otja konḓero yeṋu.” Tjazumba ombara otji ya kakurama posi yomuvero wotjihuro, otjimbumba atjihe ngunda ama tji womboroka otja komasere na komayovi wawo. 5 Nombara ya rakiza nai ku Abisai na Joab na Itai: “Amu tjiti otjipo komuzandu Absalom mena randje!” Notjimbumba atjihe tjovita tja zuva imbi ombara mbi ya rakiza kovahongore avehe.
6 Otjimbumba tjovita tjombara tja hinga ovita kuna Ovaisrael, natji ve rwisire mehwa ra Efraim. 7 Otjimbumba tjOvaisrael tja haverwa i ovarumendu va David; notjirwa tja ri otjizeu; nu pa ṱa ovarumendu omayovi omirongo vivari meyuva ndo. 8 Notjirwa tja tandavara morukondwa rwehi ndo, novandu mba ṱira mehwa va ri ovengi pu imba mba ṱa movita.
9 Kamanga Absalom wa hakaena novarumendu va David, ngunda a kavire kokasinokambe ke. Nokasinokambe tji kahita kehi yotutavi twomumbonde omunene omupote, ozondjise ze arire tji ze ripata motutavi twomumbonde. Komuhingo mbwi Absalom otja rekareka komuti, okasinokambe ke ngunda aka tupuka. 10 Omurumendu umwe wa David we mu muna, na kahepura ku Joab a tja: “Muhona, ami mba munu Absalom ama rekareka komumbonde.”
11 Joab arire tja ziri nai komurumendu ngwa eta ombuze ndji: “Nu tji we mu munu, okutjavi tji u he mu zeperere mbo? Andakuzu mbe ku pe ovimariva ovisilveri omurongo, nekwamo.”
12 Nungwari omurumendu ngwi wa zira nai ku Joab: “Nandi we ndji pe ovimariva ovisilveri eyovi rimwe, himee twa eke randje komuzandu wombara. Eṱe twa zuva nomatwi wetu oveni, ombara tji ya raa kove na ku Abisai na ku Itai ai tja: ‘Amu tjiti otjipo komuzandu Absalom mena randje.’ 13 Andakuzu mba kara nokuhinonḓuviro ne mu zepa, ombara itjai zuva otjiṋa hi. Oyo i zuva otjiṋa ngamwa atjihe! Nove kotjo ndji yama.”
14 Joab arire tja tja: “Ami hi nokunyonena oruveze rwandje pove.” Tjazumba otja toora omanga yetatu ne keyetwera momutima wa Absalom, ngunda e nomuinyo nu ama rekareka komumbonde. 15 Novandu omurongo mbaa ve tjindi ovirwise vya Joab va ryama popezu nave zepa Absalom.
16 Nu Joab wa tonisa ohiva okuyandisa otjirwa. Novarwe ve wovita va kotoka nave isa okutezera Ovaisrael. 17 Nowo va turura orurova rwa Absalom nave ru yumbu motjitoto otjikoto mehwa, nave rongere ko ondundu onene yomawe. NOvaisrael va tupuka, auhe koyawo.
18 Absalom ngunda e nomuinyo, we rizikira omuini ewe rotjizemburukiro nda ri mOtjana tjOmbara, ame ripura nai: “Ami hi nomuzandu ngu ma yenene okuṱakamisa ena randje kutja ri zemburukwe.” Neye otja rukira ewe ndi rotjizemburukiro kena re, nu nga ndinondi oro ri isanewa kutja Ewe rOtjizemburukiro tja Absalom.
David ma serekarererwa onḓiro ya Absalom
19 Ahimaas, omuzandu wa Sadok, wa tja nai ku Joab: “Ndji esa mbi tupuke kombara nombuze ombwa ndji yokutja Muhona we mu yama komunavita na ye.”
20 Joab arire tje mu ziri a tja: “Ayee, indee, ove ndino ko nakutwara ombuze ngamwa ombwa. Nungwari eyuva rarwe mo yenene okutjita nao, nu kandino, orondu omuzandu wombara wa koka.” 21 Tjazumba Joab otja tja nai komukarere we Omuetiopi: “Twende, kaserekarerere ombara ihi tji wa munu.” NOmuetiopi we ripeta ku Joab na tupuka.
22 Nungwari Ahimaas, omuzandu wa Sadok, wa tja nai rukwao ku Joab: “Hi na ko na tja na ihi tji matji tjitwa; ndji esa mbi tupuke kombunda yOmuetiopi.”
Joab we mu pura a tja: “Okutjavi tji mo vanga okutjita nao, muatje wandje? Komoo munu mo ondjambi.”
23 Ahimaas wa tja nai: “Ngape tjitwe tji matji tjitwa, ami me tupuka tjimanga.”
Joab otja tja nai ku ye: “Nu tupuka!” Ahimaas otja twara ondjira, ndji tuurunga orutjandja rwa Jordan, na kapita ingwi Omuetiopi.
24 David wa haamene motjitara komivero vyotjihuro tjopokati, owomoukoto nowopendje. Nomutjevere wa karonda kombanda yorumbo na kakurama komututu wokombanda yomuvero. Eye wa yevayeva na munu omurumendu ngu ma utuka erike. 25 Nomutjevere arire tja tjivisa ihi kombara ama ravaere. Nombara arire tji ya tja: “Tje ri erike, ma yeta ombuze ombwa.” Nu omutupuke ngwi wa yenda ama ryama popezu.
26 Nomutjevere wa muna omurumendu outjavari ngu ma utuka erike, notja ravaera komuṱakamise womuvero ama tja: “Tara, maku utuka warwe erike rukwao.”
Nombara ya zira ai tja: “Ingwi wina ma eta ombuze ombwa.”
27 Nomutjevere arire tja tja: “Omurumendu ngwi omutenga ma tupuka otja Ahimaas, omuzandu wa Sadok.”
Ombara arire tji ya tja: “Eye omurumendu omusemba, nu ma eta ombuze ombwa.”
28 Ahimaas wa ravaera na tja nai kombara: “Ohange!” Neye wa wa onḓurumika komurungu wombara na tja: “Muhona, Ndjambi woye, nga tangwe! Eye we ku pe outoṋi kombanda yovarumendu, mba sekamena omuhona wandje ombara.”
29 Ombara arire tji ya pura nai: “Omurumendu omutanda, ingwi Absalom, u ri nawa?”
Ahimaas wa zira a tja: “Mba muna ezunganeno enene, omukarere wombara Joab tja hinda omukarere woye, nungwari hi nokutjiwa kutja pa tjitwa tjike.”
30 Nombara ya tja nai: “Humburuka, u kakurame mbena!” Neye wa humburuka, na kakurama mbo.
31 Tjazumba Omuetiopi otje ya na tja nai kombara: “Muhona wandje ombara, ami mbe ku etere ombuze ombwa! Ndino Muhona we ku pe outoṋi kombanda yaavehe mbe ku sekamena!”
32 Nombara ya pura kOmuetiopi ai tja: “Omuzandu omutanda, ingwi Absalom, u ri nawa?”
NOmuetiopi wa zira nai: “Muhona, ami me zeri kutja ihi tji tja tjitwa ku ye, tji tjitwe kovanavita na ove avehe, na ku imba avehe mbe ku sekamena.”
33 Ombara ya ṱoruhoze tjinene. Noyo ya karonda ketuwo rokombanda yomuvero worumbo nai riri. Nu ngunda amai ryanga metuwo, tjandje mai uru amai tja: “Muatje wandje Absalom! Muatje wandje, muatje wandje Absalom! Andakuzu owami ngu mba koka moruveze rwoye! Arikana Absalom, muatje wandje, muatje wandje!”
David Gets Ready for Battle
1 David divided his soldiers into groups of 100 and groups of 1,000. Then he chose officers to be in command of each group. 2 He sent out one third of his army under the command of Joab, another third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, and the rest under the command of Ittai from Gath. He told the soldiers, “I'm going into battle with you.”
3 But the soldiers said, “No, don't go into battle with us! It won't matter to our enemies if they make us all run away, or even if they kill half of us. But you are worth 10,000 of us. It would be better for you to stay in town and send help if we need it.”
4-6 David said, “All right, if you think I should.”
Then in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he said, “Joab! Abishai! Ittai! For my sake, be sure that Absalom comes back unharmed.”
David stood beside the town gate as his army marched past in groups of 100 and in groups of 1,000.
Joab Kills Absalom
The war with Israel took place in Ephraim Forest. 7-8 Battles were being fought all over the forest, and David's soldiers were winning. Twenty thousand soldiers were killed that day, and more of them died from the dangers of the forest than from the fighting itself.
9 Absalom was riding his mule under a huge tree when his head caught in the branches. The mule ran off and left Absalom hanging in midair. Some of David's soldiers happened by, 10 and one of them went and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in a tree!”
11 Joab said, “You saw Absalom? Why didn't you kill him? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a special belt.”
12 The man answered, “Even if you paid me 1,000 pieces of silver here and now, I still wouldn't touch the king's son. We all heard King David tell you and Abishai and Ittai not to harm Absalom. 13 He always finds out what's going on. I would have been risking my life to kill Absalom, because you would have let me take the blame.”
14 Joab said, “I'm not going to waste any more time on you!”
Absalom was still alive, so Joab took three spears and stuck them through Absalom's chest. 15 Ten of Joab's bodyguards came over and finished him off. 16 Then Joab blew a trumpet to signal his troops to stop chasing Israel's soldiers. 17 They threw Absalom's body into a deep pit in the forest and put a big pile of rocks over it.
Meanwhile, the people of Israel had all run back to their own homes.
18 When Absalom was alive, he had set up a stone monument for himself in King's Valley. He explained, “I don't have any sons to keep my name alive.” He called it Absalom's Monument, and that is the name it still has today.
Ahimaaz Wants To Tell David
19 Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Joab, let me run and tell King David that the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.”
20 Joab answered, “You're not the one to tell the king that his son is dead. You can take him a message some other time, but not today.”
21 Someone from Ethiopia was standing there, and Joab told him, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” The man knelt down in front of Joab, then got up and started running.
22 Ahimaaz spoke to Joab again, “No matter what happens, I still want to go. And besides, the Ethiopian has already left.”
Joab said, “Why should you go? You won't get a reward for the news you have!”
23 “I'll run no matter what!” Ahimaaz insisted.
“All right then, run!” Joab said.
Ahimaaz took the road through the Jordan Valley and outran the Ethiopian.
24 Meanwhile, David was sitting between the inner and outer gates in the city wall. One of his soldiers was watching from the roof of the gate-tower. He saw a man running toward the town 25 and shouted down to tell David.
David answered, “If he's alone, he must have some news.”
The runner was getting closer, 26 when the soldier saw someone else running. He shouted down to the gate, “Look! There's another runner!”
David said, “He must have some news too.”
27 The soldier on the roof shouted, “The first one runs just like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.”
This time David said, “He's a good man. He must have some good news.”
28 Ahimaaz called out, “We won! We won!” Then he bowed low to David and said, “Your Majesty, praise the Lord your God! He has given you victory over your enemies.”
29 “Is my son Absalom all right?” David asked.
Ahimaaz said, “When Joab sent your personal servant and me, I saw a noisy crowd. But I don't know what it was all about.”
30 David told him, “Stand over there and wait.”
Ahimaaz went over and stood there. 31 The Ethiopian came and said, “Your Majesty, today I have good news! The Lord has rescued you from all your enemies!”
32 “Is my son Absalom all right?” David asked.
The Ethiopian replied, “I wish that all Your Majesty's enemies and everyone who tries to harm you would end up like him!”
David Cries for Absalom
33 David started trembling. Then he went up to the room above the city gate to cry. As he went, he kept saying, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I could have died instead of you! Absalom, my son, my son!”
