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!
Absalom ta sindwa e ta dhipagwa
1 Omukwaniilwa David okwa gongele aantu ye ayehe e te ya topola momatanga geyuvi nogethele e te ga pe aawiliki. 2 Nena okwe ya tumu moongundu ndatu. Joab okwa li omuwiliki gwongundu yimwe, omumwayina Abisai ogwongundu onkwawo naIttai gwokuGat gwongundu ontintatu. Omukwaniilwa nokwa ti kaantu ye: “Otandi yi nane ngame mwene.”
3 Aantu oya yamukula ya ti: “Ku na kuya natse. Itashi ti unene sha komutondi, ngele yamwe yomutse taa fadhuka po, nenge ngaa nokuli etata lyetu tali dhipagwa po; ihe ngoye ou na ondilo u thike paantu omayuvi omulongo gomutse. Otashi opala, nge to kala mpoka moshilando e to tu tumine ekwatho.”
4 Omukwaniilwa okwa yamukula a ti: “Ote ningi shoka tamu tala shu uka.” Nena okwa thikama pooha dhosheelo, aalumentu ye sho taa katuka momatanga geyuvi nogethele. 5 Okwa lombwele Joab, Abisai naIttai a ti: “Inamu ehameka omugundjuka Absalom molwandje.” Omatanga agehe oga li gu uvite ko sho David ta lombwele omalenga ge.
6 Aakwiita yaDavid oya yi e taa kondjitha Aaisraeli mokuti kwaEfraim. 7 Aaisraeli oya sindika kaakwiita yaDavid. Olugodhi olwa li olululululu; aalumentu omayuvi omilongo mbali ya dhipagwa esiku ndyoka. 8 Olugodhi lwa taandele noshikandjo ashihe, aantu oyendji noya sile mokuti ye vule mboka ya sile molugodhi.
9 Ohaluka Absalom a tsakaneke yamwe yomaantu yaDavid. Absalom okwa li a londa kemulutiya, nolyo sho lye ende meni lyomuti omunene gwomwandi, okwa patekene pokati kiitayi. Emulutiya lya fadhuka po, naAbsalom okwa kala e endjelela. 10 Gumwe gwomaantu yaDavid okwe mu mono e te shi tseyithile Joab ta ti: “Tatekulu, onda mono Absalom e endjelela momwandi!”
11 Joab okwa yamukula a ti: “Ngele owe mu mona, omolwashike inoo mu dhipagela mo? Ando ngame mwene otii ku pe iimaliwa yiisiliveli omulongo nekwamo.”
12 Ihe omulumentu okwa yamukula a ti. “Nando nee u pe ndje iimaliwa yiisiliveli eyuvi, ite yelutha omunwe, ndi kondjithe omuna gwokombanda. Tse otu uvu shoka omukwaniilwa te mu kumagidha ne naAbisai naIttai, sho a ti: ‘Omugundjuka Absalom inamu mu ehameka omolwandje.’ 13 Ihe ngele ine vulika komukwaniilwa e tandi dhipaga Absalom, omukwaniilwa one shi uvu, ndishi ihu uvilwa nangoye ito ka popila ndje.”
14 Joab okwa ti: “Itandi mana po ethimbo nangoye.” Okwa kutha omagonga gatatu e te ga tsu montulo yaAbsalom, manga e na omwenyo e endjelela momwandi. 15 Nena aakwiita yaJoab omulongo oya hedha ko noya sigula Absalom.
16 Joab okwa hikitha ohiya, olugodhi lu zimbuke, nomatanga ge oga galuka kokutidha Aaisraeli. 17 Oya kutha ko omudhimba gwaAbsalom e taye gu umbile moshilambo oshile mokuti e taa siikile ko nondumba onene yomamanya. Aaisraeli ayehe oya fadhuka po, shaa ngoka kaandjawo.
18 Absalom sho a li e na omwenyo, okwi idhikithile ondhimbuluthomanya ye mwene mEsilu lyaakwaniilwa, oshoka ka li e na omwanamati a kaleke po edhina lye li na omwenyo. Okwe yi ilukile ye mwene, nosigo onena oya tseyika “Ondhimbulutho yaAbsalom.”
David ta hokololelwa eso lyaAbsalom
19 Nena Ahimaaz yaSadok okwa ti kuJoab: “Pitika, ndi ye komukwaniilwa nda tya onkundana ombwanawa tayi hokolola Omuwa e mu hupitha kaatondi ye.”
20 Joab okwa ti: “Aawe, nena ito fala oonkundana oombwanawa. Esiku lyanofu oto ke shi ninga, ihe hanena, oshoka omuna gwokombanda okwa si.” 21 Nena okwa ti komupika gwe Omukusha: “Inda, u ka lombwele omukwaniilwa shoka wa mono.” Omupika okwi inyongamene pevi e ta yi ta matuka.
22 Ahimaaz okwa tsitsimike a ti: “Hi na ko naashoka tashi ningwa. Pitika ndje, ndi fale wo onkundana.”
Joab okwe mu pula a ti: “Mentu gwandje, omolwashike ano wa hala oku shi ninga? Ito ka mona ondjambi yasha.”
23 Ahimaaz okwa ti ishewe: “Onda hala okuya.”
Nena Joab okwa ti: “Inda.” Osho ngaaka Ahimaaz a matuka nondjila yesilu lyaJordan, nokwa pitilile nziya omupika.
24 David okwa li a kuutumba pomapitilo pokati komiyelo adhihe mbali dhoshilando. Omupekapeki okwa ka londa kombanda yekuma e ta thikama kontala yekuma lyopomiyelo. Okwa ligamene ko e ta mono omuntu ti imatukile oye awike. 25 Okwi igidha ta lombwele omukwaniilwa. Omukwaniilwa okwa ti: “Ngele oye awike, ote eta onkundana ombwanawa.” Omumatuki okwa hedha popepi, te ya, te ya.
26 Nena omupekapeki okwa mono omumatuki omukwawo e li awike, nokwi igidha komukeeleli gwomweelo ta ti: “Tala! Otaku zi ishewe omuntu ta matuka.”
Omukwaniilwa okwa yamukula a ti: “Nguka wo ote eta onkundana ombwanawa.”
27 Omupekapeki okwa ti: “Ote vulu okumona kutya omumatuki gwokomeho oku na iimatuka ya fa yaAhimaaz.”
Omukwaniilwa okwa ti: “Ote eta onkundana ombwanawa, oshoka oye omulumentu omwaanawa.”
28 Ahimaaz okwi igidha ekundo komukwaniilwa, okwi ihata pevi komeho gomukwaniilwa e ta ti: “Hambelela Omuwa Kalunga koye, ngoka e ku pe esindano lyokusinda aantu mboka ye ku tukulile oshipotha, ye ku kondjithe, Nkeyama!”
29 Omukwaniilwa okwa pula a ti: “Omugundjuka Absalom oku li tuu nawa?”
Ahimaaz okwa yamukula a ti: “Tatekulu, elenga lyoye Joab sho lya tumu ndje, onda mono epiyagano enene, ihe ite vulu okutya, olyashike.”
30 Omukwaniilwa okwa ti: “Thikama ano mpee,” nokwa yi e ta thikama poluha.
31 Nena omupika okwa thiki e ta ti komukwaniilwa: “Onde eta onkundana ombwanawa, Nkeyama. Nena Omuwa okwe ku pe esindano lyokusinda ayehe mboka ye ku tukulile oshipotha!”
32 Omukwaniilwa okwa pula a ti: “Omugundjuka Absalom oku li nawa?”
Omupika okwa yamukula a ti: “Onda hala shoka she mu ningilwa, otashi ningilwa aatondi yoye ayehe, tatekulu, notashi ningilwa ayehe mboka taye ku tukulile oshipotha.”
33 Omukwaniilwa nokwa kwatwa koluhodhi olunene. Okwa londo a yi mondunda kombanda yosheelo e ta lili. Manga te ende, okwa lili ta ti: “Mentu gwandje! Omumwandje Absalom! Absalom, mentu gwandje! Ando nda sile peha lyoye, mentu gwandje! Absalom omumwandje!”
