Absalom Rebels against David
1 Some time later, Absalom got himself a chariot with horses to pull it, and he had 50 men run in front. 2 He would get up early each morning and wait by the side of the road that led to the city gate. Anyone who had a complaint to bring to King David would have to go that way, and Absalom would ask each of them, “Where are you from?”
If they said, “I'm from a tribe in the north,” 3 Absalom would say, “You deserve to win your case. It's too bad the king doesn't have anyone to hear complaints like yours. 4 I wish someone would make me the judge around here! I would be fair to everyone.”
5 Whenever anyone came to Absalom and started bowing down, he would reach out and hug and kiss them. 6 That's how he treated everyone from Israel who brought a complaint to the king. Soon everyone in Israel liked Absalom better than they liked David.
7 Four years later, Absalom said to David, “Please, let me go to Hebron. I have to keep a promise that I made to the Lord, 8 when I was living with the Arameans in Geshur. I promised that if the Lord would bring me back to live in Jerusalem, I would worship him in Hebron.”
9 David gave his permission, and Absalom went to Hebron. 10-12 He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him, but they had no idea what he was going to do. Absalom offered sacrifices in Hebron and sent someone to Gilo to tell David's advisor Ahithophel to come.
More and more people were joining Absalom and supporting his plot. Meanwhile, Absalom had secretly sent some messengers to the northern tribes of Israel. The messengers told everyone, “When you hear the sound of the trumpets, you must shout, ‘Absalom now rules as king in Hebron!’ ”
David Has To Leave Jerusalem
13 A messenger came and told David, “Everyone in Israel is on Absalom's side!”
14 David's officials were in Jerusalem with him, and he told them, “Let's get out of here! We'll have to leave soon, or none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry! If he moves fast, he could catch us while we're still here. Then he will kill us and everyone else in the city.”
15 The officials said, “Your Majesty, we'll do whatever you say.”
16-17 David left behind ten of his wives to take care of the palace, but the rest of his family and his officials and soldiers went with him.
They stopped at the last house at the edge of the city. 18 Then David stood there and watched while his regular troops and his bodyguards marched past. The last group was the 600 soldiers who had followed him from Gath. Their commander was Ittai.
19 David spoke to Ittai and said, “You're a foreigner from the town of Gath. You don't have to leave with us. Go back and join the new king! 20 You haven't been with me very long, so why should you have to follow me, when I don't even know where I'm going? Take your soldiers and go back. I pray that the Lord will be kind and faithful to you.”
21 Ittai answered, “Your Majesty, just as surely as you and the Lord live, I will go where you go, no matter if it costs me my life.”
22 “Then come on!” David said.
So Ittai and all his men and their families walked on past David.
David Sends the Sacred Chest Back to Jerusalem
23 The people of Jerusalem were crying and moaning as David and everyone with him passed by. He led them across Kidron Valley and along the road toward the desert.
24 Zadok and Abiathar the priests were there along with several men from the tribe of Levi who were carrying the sacred chest. They set the chest down, and left it there until David and his followers had gone out of the city.
25 Then David said:
Zadok, take the sacred chest back to Jerusalem. If the Lord is pleased with me, he will bring me back and let me see it and his tent again. 26 But if he says he isn't pleased with me, then let him do what he knows is best.
27 Zadok, you are a good judge of things, so return to the city and don't cause any trouble. Take your son Ahimaaz with you. Abiathar and his son Jonathan will also go back. 28 I'll wait at the river crossing in the desert until I hear from you.
29 Zadok and Abiathar took the sacred chest back into Jerusalem and stayed there. 30 David went on up the slope of the Mount of Olives. He was barefoot and crying, and he covered his head to show his sorrow. Everyone with him was crying, and they covered their heads too.
31 Someone told David, “Ahithophel is helping Absalom plot against you!”
David said, “Please, Lord, keep Ahithophel's plans from working!”
David Sends Hushai Back as a Spy
32 When David reached the top of the Mount of Olives, he met Hushai the Archite at a place of worship. Hushai's robe was torn, and dust was on his head. 33 David told him:
If you come with me, you might slow us down. 34 Go back into the city and tell Absalom, “Your Majesty, I am your servant. I will serve you now, just as I served your father in the past.”
Hushai, if you do that, you can help me ruin Ahithophel's plans. 35 Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you, and you can tell them everything you hear in the palace. 36 Then they can send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what you've heard.
37 David's advisor Hushai slipped back into Jerusalem, at just about the same time Absalom was coming in.
Abusalomu unozwilulwamisila kupanduka
1 Shule kwa ikoku Abusalomu kazwishakila koloyi ye ngwa ne mbizi ne balume bali makumi mashanu (50) banolabuka mbeli kukwe. 2 Wakabe egala emuka kutji mangwanana enoma pawunde ye zila inoyenda ku nkoba we nzinkulu. Kwakabe kuti ha nthu ezha eshokozwiyisa mbeli kwa mambo kuwozwimimila, Abusalomu wakabe en'dana ebhuzwa eti, “Unodwa ku nzi upi kene?” Ha edabila eti, “Nlanda wenyu unodwa mu gumwe ludzi gwe Iziraela,” 3 Abusalomu unowobe edwilila endwa eti, “Bona, ndebeleko iyo inohwika kakale yakatambunuka koga akuna nthu wakabigwa ndi mambo ungakuteedza.” 4 Abusalomu unowobe endwa kakale eti, “Ha ndabe ndakabigwa nsumikilisi we shango ino, mmwe ne mmwe unobe eti ezha kundili nge ndebeleko ndinshingila ndulamo.” 5 Kwakabe kuti ha nthu ezha kuwonthigamila, ebe embhata nge luboko gugwe emputa. 6 Nditjo tjakabe tjithamwa ndi Abusalomu mu nthu mmwe ne mmwe we Iziraela wakabe ezha kuna mambo kuti athamigwe ndulamo, saikoko, katola mazwiwo wose e bathu be Iziraela.
7 Shule kwe makole manna, Abusalomu kadwa mambo kati, “Ndokumbila yenda ku Heburoni kunoshingikadza kugadzabgwe kwandakathama ngotuna kuna Yahwe. 8 Nlanda wenyu wakati atjigele ku Geshuri mu Aramu, atuna nditi, ‘Ha Yahwe bangandibgwiliza ku Jerusalema, ndowothigamila Yahwe ku Heburoni.’ ”
9 Mambo bakandwa bakati, “Yendazo nge mbakiso.” Ndizo kabe emilika eyenda ku Heburoni. 10 Koga Abusalomu katuma batumwa nge kwakasumbikala mu njudzi dzose dze Iziraela kabadwa kati, “Kuti koga muhwa kulila kwe lunyanga mumimile muti, ‘Abusalomu wabe mambo ku Heburoni!’ ” 11 Kwakabe kuna balume bali mazana mabili (200) bakabe bakokiwa ndi Abusalomu edwa nabo mu Jerusalema, bakayenda basingazibe tjimwe ngekwe gwanga gwakabe gwalukiwa. 12 Ngono kukati Abusalomu atjapisa zwibhayilo, katuma nthu ku nzi we Gilo kunodana Ahithofele wakabe ali mmwe we bakumbuludzi ba Mambo Dafite. Ngono ndangano ikakula, ne batobeli ba Abusalomu bakadwilila ngowanda.
13 Ntumwa kazha kuna Dafite kandwa kati, “Moyo ye Baiziraela yatjitendebukila kuna Abusalomu.”
14 Ndizo Dafite kadwa batungamili babe bose baakabe anabo ku Jerusalema kati, “Milikani titizhe, atisatizha akuna sekwa tingazwitjidza muna Abusalomu! Libilidzani! Ungadwa etiwana tjinyolotjo, ebe etithamila kwakabipa, elobesa nzi wose nge thumo.”
15 Ngono batungamili ba mambo bakandwa bakati, “Bonani, balanda benyu bakazwilulwamisila kuthama sekwa kumbula tetshi.”
16 Ndizo mambo kamilika ne be nsha uwe ne hadzasha dzidze, kuzhe kwe bakadzi be balongwana bali gumi (10) bakasala bakatjengeta ng'umba ye bushe.
17 Ngono mambo kabhuda akatungamila, bathu bose bakantobela, ngono bakati botjibhuda mu nzi, bakama kulingisana ne ng'umba ye bupelo. 18 Balanda babe bose bakapinda panli, na bose Bakhereti, na bose Bapeleti, na bose Bagiti bali mazana ali kutathatu (600) bakantobela bedwa ku Gati na ibo bakapinda mbeli kwa mambo. 19 Ipapo mambo kadwa Itai ntungamili we Bagiti kati, “Ini wayendabo naswi? Shanduka, usale na mambo ngobe iwe untaya, kakale untizhi wakatizha kanyi kwenyu. 20 Ndiko kwawakabe utjaswika madekwe, ngono apa ndikutole kakale uyendayende naswi, apa autobona kuti nami andithu aziba kwandinoyenda kene? Shanduka ne hama dzidzo, ngono ludo gwa Yahwe gusingazunguzike ne kugalikabgwe kwabo zwibe namwi.”
21 Koga Itai kadabila eti, “Tetshi wangu, ndotuna ne zina la Yahwe banotjila, kumwe ne kumwe kwamunoyenda ndoyenda namwi, nenguba kungabe kuli kunoyisa ku lufu.”
22 Ngono Dafite Kadwa Itai kati, “Pinda, uyendezo!” Ndizo Itai we N'giti kapinda ne bathu babe bose ne batjetjana bose baakabe anabo.
23 Shango yose ikalila, bathu bekuila pezhugwi, pakabe batobeli ba Dafite beyenda. Mambo katjuluka nkuku we Kidironi ana bathu bose bakayendila ku tjilambanyika.
24 Ngono bonani, Zadoki ne Balevi bose bakabe banaye bakasenga Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu, bakalibiga pasi, kudzina bathu bose bebhuda mu nzi, Abiathari wakabe alipo. 25 Ndizo mambo kadwa Zadoki kati, “Bgwiliza Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu ku nzi. Ha Yahwe bangama nami, limwe zhuba banowondibuza azha ndilibona kose ne bugalo gwalo. 26 Koga ha bangati abana tjimwe nami, kowobe kwakalulwama, bangandithama sekwabanowobe babona kwakabalulwamila.” 27 Mambo bakadwa Zadoki we mpirisiti bakati, “Linga, apa unobona kene? Tola nkololo uwo Ahimaazi na Jonatani nkololo wa Abiathari mubgwilile ku nzi nge kunyalala. 28 Bona, ndowolinda ndili panotjulukiwa kugwizi mu tjilambanyika, kuswikila ndiwana dama le zibiso lidwa ku kuli.” 29 Ndizo Zadoki na Abiathari bakasenga Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu bakabgwilila ku Jerusalema, ngono bakanogalako.
30 Koga Dafite katatha nge matathilo e Dombo le Mitoba, eyenda elila, etshamba nge gumbo akafuka nsholo, ne bathu bose baakabe anabo bakafuka misholo, bakatathilabo pezhugwi bali shule kukwe beyenda belila. 31 Kukati Dafite ebudziwa kuyi, “Ahithofele umu ndangano na Abusalomu.” Dafite kabe eti, “Imwi Yahwe shandulani gumbuludzo la Ahithofele libe bulengwe.”
32 Kukati Dafite eswika pezhugwi kwe dombo, pakabe Ndzimu unamatigwapo, nzwalani uwe unoyi Hushai we N'ariki unogalikabgwe kanshanganidza akapalula zwiambalo ne nsholo uwe uli zhele mavu. 33 Dafite kandwa kati, “Ha ungayenda nami, ungabe ntolo mundili. 34 Koga ha ungashandukila ku nzi, ube uswika udwa Abusalomu uti, ‘Ndowobe nlanda wenyu, imwi mambo, sekwandakabe ndili nlanda wa tate benyu ntolo, ndizo ngweno ndowobe nlanda wenyu, ndizo unonyanyaidza nkumbulo mmwe ne mmwe unowobe udusiwa ndi Ahithofele. 35 Bapirisiti bo Zadoki na Abiathari banowobe banawe, ubabudze tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaunowohwa mu ng'umba ya mambo. 36 Bona, bakololo babo babili banabo ikweno, Ahimaazi nkololo wa Zadoki na Jonatani nkololo wa Abiathari unowotuma ibo kuwondibudza tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaunowobe wahwa.’ ” 37 Ndizo Hushai nzwalani wa Dafite kangina mu nzi, nge tjibaka tjakabe Abusalomu engina mu Jerusalema.