1 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. 3 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city. 4 And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands. 5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
6 ¶ So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim; 7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men . 8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9 ¶ And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away. 10 And a certain man saw it , and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. 11 And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him , and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle. 12 And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. 13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me . 14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. 15 And ten young men that bare Joab’s armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him. 16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people. 17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
18 ¶ Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom’s place.
19 ¶ Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies. 20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead. 21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran. 22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready? 23 But howsoever, said he , let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi. 24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone. 25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near. 26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings. 27 And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings. 28 And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king. 29 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was . 30 And the king said unto him , Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still. 31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. 32 And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is .
33 ¶ And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Absalommi di ǁōb
1 Gao-aob Davidi ge ǁîb toroǃkhamaoga ǃnandi ǃnâ ǀgoraǂgā tsî ǂamkhoega danase ǁîdi ǂama ge mâi; ǀnîga ǀoadisigu danase tsî nauga kaidisigu danase. 2 Tsîb ge ǁîga ǃnona ǃâdi ǃnâ ge ǀgoraǂgā, ǀguisa Joab ǂgaeǂguis ǃnaka, ǀguisa Joab ǃgâsab Abisaib, Serujas ôab ǂgaeǂguis ǃnaka tsî ǀguisa Ittaib, Gats dib ǂgaeǂguis ǃnaka. Tsîb ge gao-aoba toroǂnubis ǃoa ge mî: “Tita ge aitsama sago ǀkha nî ǃgûǂoa.”
3 Xawe gu ge aoga ge mî: “Satsa tā sige ǀkha ǃgûǂoa. Sige ga ǁhâ, xawe gu ge ǁîga sige ǀkha ǁae tide; ǃkhare ǃâb sige dib ga ǁō, xawes tsîna gu ge ǁae tide, xawe sats ge disiǀoadisigu sige digu ase ī. ǃGâi ga ǃkhais ge ǃāsa xu ǀguits ga huiba sîba gesa.”
4 Ob ge gao-aoba “Tita ge sago a ǃgâiba khami nî dī” ti ge ǃeream. Tsîb ge gao-aoba hoaraga toroǂnubis ǃnandi kaidisise tsî ǀoadisise ra ǃgûǂoa hîa ǃās di dao-ams xōǀkhā sī ge mâ. 5 Tsîb ge gao-aoba Joab tsî Abisaib tsî Ittaib tsîga ge mîmā “Tita ǃaroma go ǂkham khoeb Absalomma ǂause sîsenū re.” Toroǂnubis hoas ge mâtib gao-aoba ǃkhōdana-aoga Absalommi ǂama ra mîmā ǃkhaisa ge ǁnâu.
6 Tsîs ge ǂnubisa Israeli ǃoagu nî ǃkhamse ǃgarob ai ge ǂoa tsî gu ge Efraimmi haiǀgoms ǃnâ ge ǃkhamgu. 7 Israelǁîgu ge Davidi aogu xa ge danhe tsîs ge kaise kai ǂnubisa ge ǃgamhe; ǀgamdisiǀoadisi aogu ge ǁnātsē ge ǁō. 8 Torob ge ǃaub hoab ǃnâ ge khoraǂuisen tsîn ge ǀgom haina ǁnātsē, ǃkhammi ǃnâ ge ǁōgu ǃgâ-ai ǃnāsa khoegu ǁōba ge ǃaroma.
9 ǃÂubasen tama hâseb ge Absalomma, muli-i aib ǃgapi hâ hîa Davidi khoegu ǀkha ge ǀhao. Mulib ge kai aikehais ǁnâugu ǃnaka a ǃkharu, os ge Absalommi danasa aikehais di ǃnau ǁnâugu ǃnâ ge ǁhaumâ. Mulib ge ge ǃkhoeǃkharu tsîb ge Absalomma ǁnāpa mâ gere ǀhara. 10 Ob ge ǀgui khoeba mû bib geo, Joaba sī ge mîba: “Absalomma ta ge aikehais ǃnâb mâ ra ǀharase go mû.”
11 Ob ge Joaba ǁnāsa go ǂanǂan bi khoeb ǃoa ge mî: “Mû bits go, o tare-i ǃaromats ǃkhais ai ǃgam bi tama go i? O ta ge tita disi ǀhaiǀuri maridi tsî ǀō-aisa ǃgaesenni tsîna ga mā tsi hâ.”
12 Xaweb ge ǁnā khoeba Joaba ge ǃeream: “ǀOadisi ǀhaiǀuri maride ta ga ti ǃommi ǃnâ māhe, xawes tsîna ta ga ti ǃomma gao-aob ôab ǃoagu ūkhâi tama i hâ. Sige hoage kom ge ǁnâuo, gao-aob ge sats tsî Abisaib tsî Ittaib tsîgo ‘Tita ǃaroma ǂkham khoeb Absalomma sâu re’ ti mîmāsa.” 13 ǁÎb ge ǃaruǀî ge mî: “Tsî tsūse ta ga dī hâ, xaweb ge gao-aoba ga ǂan hâ, xū-i xare-i ǁîba ǂganǃgâsaba tama xui-ao. Tsî sats ge ga hui te tama hâ.”
14 Ob ge Joaba “Sats ǀkha ta nēti mâ ǁaeǁore tide” ti mî tsî ǃnona ǁhâigôaga ū tsî ǁîga noxopab ûitsamase aikehais ǃnâ mâ ra ǀhara hîa Absalommi ǂgaob ǃnâ ge ǃkhāǂgā. 15 Tsî gu ge disi khoegu Joab ǁâtanina ra taniga Absalomma xāǂgā tsî ge ǂnauǃan.
16 Ob ge Joaba xâiǁnâsa ge xâi tsîs ge ǁîb toroǂnubisa Israelǁîga ge ǃgôaǃgonǀû. ǁNātib ge Joaba toroǂnubisa ge oaǀkhī kai. 17 Tsî gu ge Absalommi sorosa ū tsî haiǀgoms tawa, ǃgam āb ǃnâ aoǂgā tsî ǁîb ai kai ǁkhobos ǀuiga ge ǀhaoǀhaoǂnûi. Israelǁîn hoan ge omdi ân ǁga ge ǃkhoeni.
18 Absalommi ge noxopab a ûitsama hîa ǂâiǂâisensaosa gao-aogu ǃgoaǃnāb ǃnâ ge dībasen hâ i, ǁîb ǀonsa nî aiǃgû kai ǀgôabab ge ūhâ tama hâ i xui-ao. ǁNā-amagab ge ǁnā saosa ǁîb ǀons ǃoa ge ǀonǂgai tsîs ge nētsēs kōse “Absalommi ǂÂiǂâisensaos” ti ra ǀonǂgaihe.
Davidi ge Absalommi ǁōba ra ǂhôahe
19 Ob ge Sadoki ôab Ahimaasa ge mî: “A ta ǃkhoe tsî gao-aoba nē ǃgâi ǂhôa-e sī mîba, ǃKhūb go khākhoeb âba xu ǃnora kai bi ǃkhaisa.”
20 Xaweb ge Joaba ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Sa tidets ge nētsē nē ǂhôa-e nî ǃgû-ūtsa. ǀKhara tsēts ge ǁnāsa a dī ǁkhā, xawe nētsēs ose, gao-aob ôab go ǁō amaga.” 21 Tsîb ge Kusǁîba ge mîmā: “ǃGû, îts gao-aoba mûts gona sī mîba.” Ob ge ǁîba Joab aiǃâ ǃhon tsî ǁnāpa xu ge ǃkhoe.
22 Ob ge Sadoki ôab Ahimaasa ǁkhāba Joab ǃoa ge mî: “Tare-i ǀgui-i ga ī xawe a ta Kusǁîba ǃkhoesao.”
Ob ge Joaba “Tare-i ǃaromats ra ǃkhoe ǂgao, ti ôa? Sats kom matare-i xare-e ǁnās ǃaroma ǃkhōǃoa tideo” ti ge ǃeream.
23 “Tare-i ǀgui-i ga ī xawe ta ge nî ǃkhoe” tib ge ǁîba ge mî.
Ob ge Joaba “O ǁnâi ǃkhoe re” ti ge ǃeream bi. Ob ge Ahimaasa Jordanǀkharib ǂgāsa-u ǃkhoe tsî Kusǁîba ge ǃkharuǀkhā.
24 ǃĀs di dao-ams ǃnâb Davida ǂnôa hîab ge ǃkhē-aoba ǂnubiǂgoab ai ǂoa tsî dao-ams ǀgapise sī ge mâ; tsî kōkhâib ge, ob ge ǀguri ǃkhoeǃgoaxa khoeba ge mû. 25 Ob ge ǃkhē-aoba gao-aob ǃoa ǂgai tsî ǁnā ǃkhaisa ge mîba bi. Ob ge gao-aoba “ǀGurib ga hâ, ob ge ǂhôa-e ūhâ” ti ge mî. Tsî ǃkhoe-aob ge ǃaruǀîǀgui ge ǃkhoeǀgū.
26 ǃKhē-aob ge noxopa ǀnî khoeb hîa ǃkhoeǃgoaxaba mû tsî ǃās di dao-ams ǃûi-aob ǃoa ǂgai tsî “Kō, noxopab ge ǀnî khoeba ǀguri ǃkhoeǃgoaxa” ti ge mî.
Ob ge gao-aoba “ǁÎb tsîn ge ǂhôa-e ra hā-ū” ti ge ǃeream.
27 ǃAruǀîb ge ǃkhē-aoba ge mî: “ǂGurob ge Sadoki ôab Ahimaasi khami ra ǃkhoe.”
Ob ge gao-aoba ge mî: “ǁNāb ge ǃgâi khoeba, ǁîb ge ǃgâi ǂhôa-e ra hā-ū.”
28 Ahimaasi ge “ǂKhîb” ti ǂgaiǂui tsî gao-aob aiǃâ ǃhūb kōse ǃgamǃgâ tsî ge mî: “Ab koahe re ǃKhūb sa Elob, ǁnā khoegu gao-aots ǃoagu go khâikhâisenga go hîkākāba.”
29 “ǂKham khoeb Absalomma ǃgâiseb hâ?” tib ge gao-aoba ge dî.
Ob ge Ahimaasa ge ǃeream: “Sa ǂamkhoeb Joab go sî te ǁaeb ai ta ge kai ǀgarusasiba go mû, xawe ta ge a ǀū tare-i go ī ǃkhaisa.”
30 Gao-aob ge “Nauǀkhāb ai sī mâ” ti a mîmā bi, ob ge sī ge mâ.
31 Tsîb ge Kusǁîba hā tsî gao-aob ǃoa ge mî: “Gao-aotse, ǃgâi ǂhôa-e ta ge ūba tsi hâ. ǃKhūb ge nētsē, ǁnāgu sa ǃoagu ra khâikhâisenga xu go ǃnora kai tsi.”
32 Tsî gao-aob ge “ǂKham khoeb Absalomma ǃgâiseb hâ?” ti ge dî bi.
Ob ge Kusǁîba ge ǃeream: “Gao-aots di khākhoen tsî ǁnān satsa ra mâǃoan tsîna an ǁnā ǂkham khoeb khami hābahe.”
33 Ob ge gao-aoba kaise tsūse ge tsâ tsîb ge ǃās di dao-ams ǀgapise hâ ǃnā-oms ǃoa ǂoa tsî sī ge ā. Tsîb ge ǃgûgaruse “Ti ôa Absalomtse, ti ôatse, ti ôa Absalomtse. Tita ge ǁnâi sa ǃās ǃnâ ga ǁō hâ, ti ôa Absalomtse, ti ôatse, ti ôatse” ti gere mî.
