Joab ge Davida ra ǀau
1 Joab ge gao-aob Davidi ra Absalommi ǂama ā tsî ǃoa ǃkhaisa ge mîbahe. 2 Nētis ge dans tsēsa Davidi toroǃkhamaogu hoaga ǃoab tsēse ge ība, gao-aob ǀgôab ǂama ra ǃoa ǃkhaisa gu ge ǁnâu xui-ao. 3 ǁNātsē gu ge toroǃkhamaoga ǃkhamma xu gu ra ǁhâ, o gu tao rase ra ǀkhuriǂgâxa khami ǃnōsase ǃās ǃnâ ge ǀkhuriǂgâxa. 4 Gao-aob ge ǃomkha ais âb ai ǁgui tsî ǃgarise “Ti ôa Absalomtse! Absalomtse, ti ôatse, ti ôatse!” ti ge ǂgaiǂui.
5 Ob ge Joaba gao-aob tawa ommi âb ǃnâ ǂgâ tsî ge mî: “Sats ge nētsē sa toroǃkhamaogu hoaga go tao kai; ǁîgu, sa ûiba go sâuga tsî ǁkhāti sa ôagu, sa ôadi, sa taradi tsî sa xōǀkhātaradi di ûib ona go sâuga. 6 Sats ge ǁkhan tsi hâna a ǀnam tsî satsa a ǀnamna ǁkhan hâ. Sats ge sa ǂamkhoegu tsî toroǃkhamaogu tsîn xū-e harebeba tsi tama ǃkhaisa go ǃgāsa kai. Mû ǁkhā ta ge a, Absalommi ga ûitsama hâ tsî ge ga sige hoage ǁō hâ, o i ga ǃgâiba tsi hâsa. 7 ǂOaxa ǁnâi nēsi, îts sa aoga sī ǂkhîǂkhîǂgao. ǃKhūb ǀons ǃnâ ta ra nūba tsi ǂoaxa tamats ka i, ob nē tsuxuba ǀguib tsîna sats tawa ǃgau tide ǃkhaisa. Ob ge nē tsūǃgâba, sa ûiǁaeb ǃnâts ge ǂgâǃnâ tsūǃgâgu hoagu xa nî kai.” 8 Tsî gao-aob ge ǂoa tsî ǃās dao-ams ǃnâ sī ge ǂnû tsî gu ge aogu hoaga ge mîbahe: “Kō, gao-aob ge ǃās dao-ams ǃnâ ǂnôa.” O gu ge gao-aob di toroǃkhamaogu hoaga ǁîb tawa ge ǀhao.
ǁAes ge Davida ra ǂhâba-oa
Israelǁîgu ge mâb hoaba oms âb ǁga ge ǃkhoeni. 9 ǁNās khaoǃgân ge Israeli ǃhaodi din hoana ǁîǃnābe ǂnoagutsoatsoa tsî ge mî: “Gao-aob Davidi ge sada khākhoen hoan di ǀgaiba xu ge huiǂui da; ǁîb ge Filisteǁîn ǁgâiǀāba xu ge huiǂui da, xaweb ge nēsi Absalommi ǃaroma ǃhūba xu ǁhâ hâ. 10 ǁKhātib ge Absalommi gao-aose da ge ǀnauba torob ǃnâ go ǁō. Tare xū-i ǃaroma i ǀgui khoe-i tsîna gao-aoba oaǀkhī kaisa dītsâ tama?”
11 Nē ǃhoas Israelǁîn ge ūhâ is di ǂhôasab ge Davida ge ǁnâu. Tsîb ge pristerkha, Sadoki tsî Abiatari tsîkha ge haisiba, î kha Judab ǂgaeǂgui-aoga sī dî: “Tare xū-i ǃaroma go kha sago nî ǀuniga khoe, gao-aoba ǁîb omma ǃoa nî oahā kai go? 12 Sago ge a ti khoe, sago ge ti ǀaokhoego. Tare xū-i ǃaroma go sago nî ǀuniga khoe tita nî oahā kai go? 13 Amasaba mîba: ‘Sats ge ti ǀaokhoetsa, satsa ta ga Joab soas ǃnâ ǀamose ti toroǂnubis danase mâi tama io, ab Eloba ǃgam te.’ ” 14 Nētib ge Judab aogu hoagu di ǂgaoga ǁîba ǃoa ge unu tsî gu ge ǁîga gao-aoba ge ǂanǂan: “Oaǀkhī go re, sats tsî sa ǂamkhoegu tsîgo hoago.”
15 Ob ge gao-aoba ge oa; tsî Jordanǃāb tawab ra sī hîa gu ge Judab aoga ǁîba gu ǃgûǃoa tsî Jordanna nî ǃgâu-ūse Gilgals tawa ge ǀhao. 16 Ob ge Gerab ôab, Benjaminǁîb Bahurims dib Simeiba ǃnoesase Judab aogu ǀkha ge ǁgôa, gao-aob Davidab nî ǀhao-ūga. 17 ǀGuiǀoadisi aogu Benjaminni ǃhaos digu ge ǁîb ǀkha ge hâ i. Sibab, Sauli di danaǃgāb tsî ǁîb disikoroǀa ǀgôagu tsî ǀgamdisi ǃgāgu on ge ǁkhāti ge sī. ǁÎgu hoagu ge gao-aob aiǃâ Jordanǃāb tawa ge sī. 18 Tsî gu ge ǃāba ge ǃgâu, gao-aob tsî ǁîb ǀkha hâna gu nî ǃgâuxa-ūse tsî gao-aob ga ǂgao xū-i hoa-e gu nî dīse.
Davidi ge Simeiba ra ǀkhomxa
Jordannab nî ǃgâuseb gao-aoba ra ǂhomisen hîab ge Gerab ôab Simeiba gao-aob aiǃâ ǃgamǃgâ 19 tsî ge mî: “Gao-aotse tā toxopa ti dīsasa ǃgôaba te re, î tā ti tsūdīb Jerusalemsa xuts gere ǂoa tsēs diba ǂâis ǃnâ ūhâba te re. 20 ǂAn ta ge a tsūse ta ge dī ǃkhaisa. Tsî kō, nētsē ta ge tita, Josefi ǃhaos din ǃnâ a ǂguro, gao-aotsa ǃoa ra hāta.”
21 Nēs aib ge Serujas ôab Abisaiba ge dî: “Simeiba kha ǃgamheb tide, ǃKhūb di ǀnausabebab ge ǃhasara ǃkhais ǃaroma?”
22 Xaweb ge Davida ge ǃeream: “Mâ dīxū-e ta sakho ǀkha ūhâ Serujas ôakho, o kho nētsē tita ra khākhoe kaiba? Nētsēs tsîna i kha khoe-e Israeli ǃnâ nî ǃgamhe? Tita kom nētsē ta go Israeli gao-ao kai ǃkhaisa a ǂano.” 23 ǃAruǀîb ge gao-aoba Simeib ǃoa “Nūba tsi ta ra, ǃgamhets tidesa” ti ge mî.
Davidi ge Mefiboseta ra ǃgâidī
24 Sauli ǁnurib, Mefiboseti ge gao-aob ǀkhab nî ǀhaose ge hā. ǁÎb ge gao-aob ge Jerusalemsa xu ǃgû tsēsa xu, danaoseb ge oahā tsēs kōse, ǁanǂai tama i, ǀhō-ammi âba ǂkhomai tama i tsî saran âb tsîna ge ǁā tama hâ i. 25 Tsî Jerusalems ǃnâb ge gao-aob tawa a hā, ob ge gao-aoba “Tare-i ǃaromats ge tita ǀkha ǃgû tama hâ i, Mefiboset?” ti ge dî bi.
26 Ob ge ge ǃeream: “ǃGôahesa gao-aotse, ti ǃgāb ge ge gāxaǃnâ te. Tita ge ǁîba ge mîba, îb dâukiba ǃgaeǃgâba te, î ta gao-aotsa ǃgapisao, ǃhora khoeta a xui-ao. 27 ǁÎb ge tita xa satsa ge ǂhumiba, xawe ǃgôahesatse, sats ge Elob ǀhomǃgā-i khami ī; satsa a ǃgâiba khami ǁnâi dī re. 28 Ti îb surib dida hoada ge sats xa ǃgamhesa a anu, xawets ge sa tāb tawa ǂûsa ge mā-am te. ǃAruǀî ta gao-aots ai nî ǂgan xū-i xare-e ta ge ūhâ tama hâ.” 29 Ob ge gao-aoba ge ǃeream bi: “ǂHâbasa tama aiǃâts nî ǃhoa ǃkhaisa. Tita ge ra mîmā, î kho sats tsî Sibab tsîkho ǃhūǃâsa ǀgoragu.”
30 Ob ge Mefiboseta ge ǃeream: “Sats gao-aots go ǃnorasase oaǀkhī ǃkhais ǂâuba te hâ xuige ab Sibaba hoaraga ǃhūǃâsa ū.”
Davidi ge Barsilaiba ra ǃgâidī
31 Gileadǁîb, Barsilaib ge Rogelimsa xu, gao-aobab Jordanna nî ǁnūǃgâuse ge hā. 32 Barsilaib ge ǁkhaisadisi kurixa ge i tsî kaise ge kaira hâ i. ǁÎb ge ge ǃkhū hâ i tsîb ge gao-aob ge Mahanaims tawa hâ i, o ǁîba gere ǂûmā. 33 Ob ge gao-aoba Barsilaib ǃoa ge mî: “Tita ǀkha Jerusalems ǃoa ǃgû, o ta ge ǁnāpa nî ǃkhōǂhomi tsi.”
34 Xaweb ge ǁîba gao-aoba ge ǃeream: “Mâtikōse ta kha noxopa nî ûi, o ta gao-aots ǀkha Jerusalems ǁga nî ǃgû? 35 Tita ge ǀnai a ǁkhaisadisi kurixa tsî ta ge xū-i xare-i ǃnâ a ǃgâiǃgâisen ǁoa. ǂÛ tsî ta ra ā xūn ǁkhoaba ta ge hō tama hâ. ǁNae-aon di domga ta ge ǁnâu ǁkhā tama hâ. Tarexa ta ǁnâi gao-aotsa nî ǃgomǃgomba? 36 Tare xū-i ǃaromats kha gao-aotsa ra mādawa-am te ǂgao? Tita ge ǂkhari ǃgûdaoro-i ǀgui-e Jordanna xu gao-aots ǀkha ra ǃgû ǂgao. 37 Mā-am te, î ta oa tsî ti ǃās ǃnâ sī ǁō, ti îb tsî ti îs tsîra ǀhobas tawa. Kō, nēb ge sa ǃgāb Kimhamma. Ab ǁîba gao-aots ǀkha ǃgû, îts ǁîba sats ra ǂgao khami dība.”
38 Ob ge gao-aoba ge mî: “Kimhammi ge tita ǀkha a ǃgû ǁkhā tsî ta ge ǁîba sats ra ǂgao khami nî dība. Tita ge satsa ǂgants ka xū-i hoa-e nî dība.” 39 ǁNās khaoǃgâs ge hoaraga ǂnubis tsî gao-aob ona Jordanna ge ǃgâu. Ob ge gao-aoba Barsilaiba ǁoa tsî ge ǀkhae tsîb ge Barsilaiba ǁîb ǃāsa ǃoa ge ǁaru.
Judab tsî Israeli tsîkha ge gao-aob ǂama ra ǂnoagu
40 Gao-aob ge aiǃâb ǃoa Gilgals kōse ge ǃgû tsî Kimhammi ge ǁîb ǀkha ge ǃgû. Judab hoab tsî ǃkhare ǃâb Israelǁîn dib tsîn ge gao-aob ǀkha ge ǃgû. 41 On ge Israelǁîn hoana gao-aob tawa sī tsî ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Tare xū-i ǃaroma gu kha sige ǃgâsagu, Judab diga satsa ǃnari tsî gao-aots tsî omaris âts tsî sa aogu tsîna Jordanna go doeǃgâu-ū?”
42 On ge Judab khoen hoana ge ǃeream: “Gao-aob ge a sida ǀaokhoe. Tare-i ǃaroma du nē ǃkhais xa ra ǁaixa? Sida gao-aob ǂû-i xa ǂû da ge, tamas ka io ǀkhaexū-e ǁîb xa māhe da ge?”
43 On ge Israelǁîna Judab dina ge ǃeream: “Sida ge disi ǃnāde ǃnāsa mî-amǃnâ-e gaosis ai ūhâ tsî ǁkhāti Davidi on ai. Tarexa du ǁnâi sida ra sora? Si tamada ǂgurose ge gao-aob nî oaǀkhī ǃkhaisa ǂgan da?”
Xawes ge Judab din di mîsa Israelǁîn dis ǃgâ-ai ge ǀgaisa i.
Joab Reprimands David
1 Joab was told that King David was weeping and mourning for Absalom. 2 And so the joy of victory was turned into sadness for all of David's troops that day, because they heard that the king was mourning for his son. 3 They went back into the city quietly, like soldiers who are ashamed because they are running away from battle. 4 The king covered his face and cried loudly, “O my son! My son Absalom! Absalom, my son!”
5 Joab went to the king's house and said to him, “Today you have humiliated your men—the men who saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and of your wives and concubines. 6 You oppose those who love you and support those who hate you! You have made it clear that your officers and men mean nothing to you. I can see that you would be quite happy if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. 7 Now go and reassure your men. I swear by the Lord's name that if you don't, not one of them will be with you by tomorrow morning. That would be the worst disaster you have suffered in all your life.” 8 Then the king got up, and went and sat near the city gate. His men heard that he was there, and they all gathered around him.
David Starts Back to Jerusalem
Meanwhile all the Israelites had fled to their own hometowns. 9 All over the country they started quarreling among themselves. “King David saved us from our enemies,” they said to one another. “He rescued us from the Philistines, but now he has fled from Absalom and left the country. 10 We anointed Absalom as our king, but he has been killed in battle. So why doesn't somebody try to bring King David back?”
11 The news of what the Israelites were saying reached King David. So he sent the priests Zadok and Abiathar to ask the leaders of Judah, “Why should you be the last to help bring the king back to his palace? 12 You are my relatives, my own flesh and blood; why should you be the last to bring me back?” 13 David also told them to say to Amasa, “You are my relative. From now on I am putting you in charge of the army in place of Joab. May God strike me dead if I don't!” 14 David's words won the complete loyalty of all the men of Judah, and they sent him word to return with all his officials.
15 On his way back the king was met at the Jordan River by the men of Judah, who had come to Gilgal to escort him across the river. 16 At the same time the Benjaminite Shimei son of Gera from Bahurim hurried to the Jordan to meet King David. 17 He had with him a thousand men from the tribe of Benjamin. And Ziba, the servant of Saul's family, also came with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, and they arrived at the Jordan before the king. 18 They crossed the river to escort the royal party across and to do whatever the king wanted.
David Shows Kindness to Shimei
As the king was getting ready to cross, Shimei threw himself down in front of him 19 and said, “Your Majesty, please forget the wrong I did that day you left Jerusalem. Don't hold it against me or think about it any more. 20 I know, sir, that I have sinned, and this is why I am the first one from the northern tribes to come and meet Your Majesty today.”
21 Abishai son of Zeruiah spoke up: “Shimei should be put to death because he cursed the one whom the Lord chose as king.”
22 But David said to Abishai and his brother Joab, “Who asked your opinion? Are you going to give me trouble? I am the one who is king of Israel now, and no Israelite will be put to death today.” 23 And he said to Shimei, “I give you my word that you will not be put to death.”
David Shows Kindness to Mephibosheth
24 Then Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, came down to meet the king. He had not washed his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes from the time the king left Jerusalem until he returned victorious. 25 When Mephibosheth arrived from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Mephibosheth, you didn't go with me. Why not?”
26 He answered, “As you know, Your Majesty, I am crippled. I told my servant to saddle my donkey so that I could ride along with you, but he betrayed me. 27 He lied about me to Your Majesty, but you are like God's angel, so do what seems right to you. 28 All of my father's family deserved to be put to death by Your Majesty, but you gave me the right to eat at your table. I have no right to ask for any more favors from Your Majesty.”
29 The king answered, “You don't have to say anything more. I have decided that you and Ziba will share Saul's property.”
30 “Let Ziba have it all,” Mephibosheth answered. “It's enough for me that Your Majesty has come home safely.”
David Shows Kindness to Barzillai
31 Barzillai, from Gilead, had also come down from Rogelim to escort the king across the Jordan. 32 Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old. He was very rich and had supplied the king with food while he was staying at Mahanaim. 33 The king said to him, “Come with me to Jerusalem, and I will take care of you.”
34 But Barzillai answered, “I don't have long to live; why should I go with Your Majesty to Jerusalem? 35 I am already eighty years old, and nothing gives me pleasure any more. I can't taste what I eat and drink, and I can't hear the voices of singers. I would only be a burden to Your Majesty. 36 I don't deserve such a great reward. So I will go just a little way with you beyond the Jordan. 37 Then let me go back home and die near my parents' grave. Here is my son Chimham, who will serve you; take him with you, Your Majesty, and do for him as you think best.”
38 The king answered, “I will take him with me and do for him whatever you want. And I will do for you anything you ask.” 39 Then David and all of his men crossed the Jordan. He kissed Barzillai and gave him his blessing, and Barzillai went back home.
Judah and Israel Argue over the King
40 When the king had crossed, escorted by all the people of Judah and half the people of Israel, he went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. 41 Then all the Israelites went to the king and said to him, “Your Majesty, why did our brothers, the men of Judah, think they had the right to take you away and escort you, your family, and your men across the Jordan?”
42 The men of Judah answered, “We did it because the king is one of us. So why should this make you angry? He hasn't paid for our food nor has he given us anything.”
43 The Israelites replied, “We have ten times as many claims on King David as you have, even if he is one of you. Why do you look down on us? Don't forget that we were the first to talk about bringing the king back!”
But the men of Judah were more violent in making their claims than the men of Israel.
