1 Joab knew that David couldn't stop thinking about Absalom, 2-3 and he sent someone to bring in the wise woman who lived in Tekoa. Joab told her, “Put on funeral clothes and don't use any makeup. Go to the king and pretend you have spent a long time mourning the death of a loved one.” Then he told her what to say.
4 The woman from Tekoa went to David. She bowed very low and said, “Your Majesty, please help me!”
5 David asked, “What's the matter?”
She replied:
My husband is dead, and I'm a widow. 6 I had two sons, but they got into a fight out in a field where there was no one to pull them apart, and one of them killed the other. 7 Now all of my relatives have come to me and said, “Hand over your son! We're going to put him to death for killing his brother.” But what they really want is to get rid of him, so they can take over our land.
Please don't let them put out my only flame of hope! There won't be anyone left on this earth to carry on my husband's name.
8 “Go on home,” David told her. “I'll take care of this matter for you.”
9 The woman said, “I hope your decision doesn't cause any problems for you. But if it does, you can blame me.”
10 He said, “If anyone gives you trouble, bring them to me, and it won't happen again!”
11 “Please,” she replied, “swear by the Lord your God that no one will be allowed to kill my son!”
He said, “I swear by the living Lord that no one will touch even a hair on his head!”
12 Then she asked, “Your Majesty, may I say something?”
“Yes,” he answered.
13 The woman said:
Haven't you been hurting God's people? Your own son had to leave the country. And when you judged in my favor, it was the same as admitting that you should have let him come back. 14 We each must die and disappear like water poured out on the ground. But God doesn't take our lives. Instead, he figures out ways of bringing us back when we run away.
15 Your Majesty, I came here to tell you about my problem, because I was afraid of what someone might do to me. I decided to come to you, because I thought you could help. 16 In fact, I knew that you would listen and save my son and me from those who want to take the land that God gave us.
17 I can rest easy now that you have given your decision. You know the difference between right and wrong just like an angel of God, and I pray that the Lord your God will be with you.
18 Then David said to the woman, “Now I'm going to ask you a question, and don't try to hide the truth!”
The woman replied, “Please go ahead, Your Majesty.”
19 David asked, “Did Joab put you up to this?”
The woman answered, “Your Majesty, I swear by your life that no one can hide the truth from you. Yes, Joab did tell me what to say, 20 but only to show you the other side of this problem. You must be as wise as the angel of God to know everything that goes on in this country.”
21 David turned to Joab and said, “It seems that I have already given my decision. Go and bring Absalom back.”
22 Joab bowed very low and said, “Your Majesty, I thank you for giving your permission. It shows that you approve of me.”
23 Joab went to Geshur to get Absalom. But when they came back to Jerusalem, 24 David told Joab, “I don't want to see my son Absalom. Tell him to stay away from me.” So Absalom went to his own house without seeing his father.
Absalom Was Handsome
25 No one in all Israel was as handsome and well-built as Absalom. 26 His hair grew so thick and heavy that when he got it cut once a year, it weighed over two kilograms.
27 Absalom had three sons. He also had a daughter named Tamar, who grew up to be very beautiful.
Absalom Finally Sees David
28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing his father. 29 He wanted Joab to talk to David for him. So one day he sent a message asking Joab to come over, but Joab refused. Absalom sent another message, but Joab still refused. 30 Finally, Absalom told his servants, “Joab's barley field is right next to mine. Go set it on fire!” And they did.
31 Joab went to Absalom's house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
32 Absalom answered, “You didn't pay any attention when I sent for you. I want you to ask my father why he told me to come back from Geshur. I was better off there. I want to see my father now! If I'm guilty, let him kill me.”
33 Joab went to David and told him what Absalom had said. David sent for Absalom, and Absalom came. He bowed very low, and David leaned over and kissed him.
Yowabu la feeroo ka Abusalomu murundi
1 Saayiŋ Yowabu ye a loŋ ne ko, mansa hakiloo be looriŋ Abusalomu kaŋ ne. 2 Wo to le, Yowabu ye moo kii Tekowa, ka musu ñaamendiŋo doo samba naŋ ka bo jee. A ko a ye ko, “I faŋ ke ko meŋ ye saŋo soto. I paree ko saŋatiyo, aduŋ i kana seerandi feŋ maa. I faŋ ke ko musoo, meŋ tarata saŋakumboo la fo tili jamaa furewo la kuwo kamma. 3 Taa mansa yaa, i ye ñiŋ kumakaŋolu fo a ye.” Bituŋ Yowabu naata kumoolu bee fo a ye, a ñanta mennu fo la mansa ye.
4 Kabiriŋ ñiŋ Tekowa musoo taata mansa yaa, a ñoyita a bitita bankoo to ka buuñaa dii a la. Bituŋ a ko a ye ko, “Hee, ite mansa, m maakoyi!”
5 Bituŋ mansa naata a ñininkaa ko, “Muŋ ne be i batandi kaŋ?”
A ko mansa ye ko, “Nte mu furuyaamusoo le ti, n keemaa faata le. 6 Nte i la joŋo, ŋa dinkee fula le soto. Ì dunta ñoo la keloo la kunkoo to, moo maŋ soto jee ka ì fata. Doo ye doo busa, a ye a faa. 7 Saayiŋ kaabiiloo moolu bee wulita nte i la joŋo kamma, ì ko, ŋa n ñiŋ dinkee doo dii ì la, meŋ ye a baadiŋo faa, ka wo fanaa faa, ka ke niikumakaaraŋo ti a baadiŋo ye, a ye meŋ faa. Wo le mu ka keetaalaa faa, meŋ mu n jikiraŋo ti, ka n keemaa bula wo ñaama duniyaa kono, too nte sako koomalanka.”
8 Mansa ko musoo ñiŋ ye ko, “Taa suwo kono, m be kaŋo taamandi la le i la kuwo kamma la.”
9 Bari Tekowa musoo ñiŋ ko a ye le ko, “Jalayiroo be tara la nte niŋ m faamaa la dimbaayaa la karoo le la, bari a te tara la mansa niŋ a la mansakundaa kaŋ.”
10 Mansa ye a jaabi ko, “Niŋ moo-wo-moo ye feŋ-wo-feŋ fo i ye, a maarii samba n ye naŋ, a te i batandi la kotenke.”
11 Musoo ñiŋ ko mansa ye ko, “Mansa, i hakiloo bulandi Yaawe* la, i la Alla, ka n dinkewo tanka m baadiŋo ma, meŋ mu julujoolaa ti, fo meŋ si a tinna, a te n dinkewo faa noo la.”
Mansa ko, “A be koyiriŋ ñaameŋ ko Yaawe be baluuriŋ ne, i dinkewo, hani a kuntiña kesoo te laa la bankoo to.”
12 Bituŋ musoo ñiŋ ko a ye ko, “M batu, i la joŋo ye kuma kiliŋ fo ite mansa ye.”
Mansa ye a jaabi ko, “A fo.”
13 Musoo ñiŋ ko a ye ko, “Muŋ ne ye a tinna, i ye ñiŋ kuu siifaa hame Alla la moolu ye? Niŋ mansa ye ñiŋ fo, fo ate faŋo le maŋ a faŋ muta baŋ, a maŋ a dinkewo samba naŋ, luwaa ye meŋ muta? 14 Ntolu bee ñanta faa la le. Ntolu ka munta le ko jiyo, meŋ bonta bankoo to, meŋ te kafu noo la ñoo ma kotenke. Bari Alla te niyo bo la, a be feeroolu le miira la, i si a je, moo meŋ be luwaa la mutoo kono, si muruŋ a la karoo la kotenke. 15 Saayiŋ n naata le, ka ñiŋ kumoo fo m maarii mansa ye, kaatu moolu ye n silandi le. I la joŋo, nte ye a miira le ko, m be diyaamu kaŋ mansa ye le, ka m maakoyi kuwolu to, ŋa mennu daani a bulu. 16 Wo to mansa be soŋ na le, ka a la joŋo bondi kewo bulu, meŋ tarata a kata kaŋ, ka nte faa aniŋ n dinkewo, ka bo keetaafeŋo to, Alla ye meŋ dii ǹ na. 17 N ko m faŋ ye le ko, i la laahidoo be nte tankandi la le, kaatu mansa ka munta le ko Alla la malaayikoo, aduŋ a si kuu betoo niŋ kuu kuruŋo bo noo ñoo to le. Allamaa Yaawe i la Alla tara la i fee!”
18 Mansa ko a ye ko, “M be i ñininkaa la kumoo doo le la, aduŋ i ñanta tooñaa bee fo la n ye le.”
Musoo ñiŋ ko a ye ko, “N ñininkaa feŋ-wo-feŋ na i la mansayaa buuñaa kaŋ.”
19 Mansa ye a ñininkaa ko, “Fo i niŋ Yowabu le be dendiŋ ñiŋ kuwo la baŋ?”
Musoo ye a jaabi ko, “M maarii mansa, ko i be baluuriŋ teŋ ñaameŋ, a keta le ko ite m maarii mansa ye a fo ñaameŋ. Haa, i la dookuulaa Yowabu le keta moo ti, meŋ ye m bula ñiŋ kuwo la, aduŋ ate le keta moo ti, meŋ ye kumoolu fo nte i la jommusoo ye, n ñanta mennu bee fo la. 20 Bari a ye ñiŋ ke le, ka kuwolu bee faliŋ. M maarii, i la londoo be le komeŋ Alla la malaayikoo, ka feŋo bee loŋ, meŋ keta bankoo kaŋ.”
21 Wo to le mansa naata a fo Yowabu ye ko, “I lafita meŋ na, m be a ke la le. Taa, i ye Abusalomu samba naŋ jaŋ.”
22 Yowabu ye a faŋ fayi bankoo to Dawuda ñaatiliŋo la horomoo kono, a kumata ko, “Allamaa Alla neema la i ma, ite maralilaa. Saayiŋ ŋa a loŋ ne ko, i kontaanita n na kuwo la le, kaatu i ye n na daaniroo muta le.” 23 Bituŋ a wulita, a taata Kesuri, a ye Abusalomu murundi naŋ Yerusalaamu. 24 Mansa kumata ko, “Ali a bula, a ye taa a faŋo la buŋo to, a maŋ ñaŋ na naa la n ñaatiliŋo la.” Wo to le, Abusalomu taata a faŋo la buŋo kono, a maŋ naa mansa ñaatiliŋo la.
Abusalomu niŋ Dawuda diyaata kotenke
25 Saayiŋ, Banisirayila bee kono, moo te jee, moo si meŋ na ñiiñaa selendi Abusalomu kaŋ. Ka bo a sinkondiŋ labaŋo to, ka taa fo a kuŋo to, sootaari feŋ te jee. 26 A kuntiña kesoo warata le, aduŋ a ka a kuntu saŋo kono siiñaa kiliŋ ne, niŋ a jamfata aniŋ niŋ a kuliyaata a kuŋo to. A kuntiñoo la kuliyaa si taa le fo kilo fula, mansa la sumandirilaŋo to. 27 Abusalomu ye dinkee saba le soto, aniŋ dimmusu kiliŋ, meŋ too mu Tamara ti. Musu ñiimaa baa le mu a ti.
28 Abusalomu ye sanji kende fula le ke Yerusalaamu, a maŋ naa, niŋ a niŋ mansa ñaa si ñoo je. 29 Bituŋ a naata kiilaa kii Yowabu ye, ka a kii mansa kaŋ, bari Yowabu maŋ naa. A ye kiilaa fulanjaŋo kii, bari hani wo Yowabu maŋ naa. 30 Bituŋ a ko a la dookuulaalu ye ko, “Yowabu la kunkoo niŋ n na kunkoo le be naaneeriŋ, aduŋ baali* siimaŋo be jee le. Ali taa, ali ye dimbaa duŋ a la siimaŋ kunkoo la.” Bituŋ Abusalomu la dookuulaalu naata dimbaa duŋ kunkoo la.
31 Wo to le Yowabu taata Abusalomu kaŋ a la buŋo kono. A ko a ye ko, “Muŋ ne ye a tinna, i la dookuulaalu ye dimbaa duŋ n na kunkoo la?”
32 Abusalomu ye Yowabu jaabi ko, “Ŋa kumoo kii i kaŋ ne ko, i ye naa jaŋ, ŋa i kii mansa kaŋ, ka ñiŋ kumakaŋo ñininkaa a bulu ko, ‘Muŋ ne ye a tinna, nte bota naŋ Kesuri? A be beteyaa la le, niŋ m be jee hani saayiŋ.’ Saayiŋ, m batu, ŋa taa mansa ñaatiliŋo la, niŋ boyoo be nte le la karoo la, a ye m faa!”
33 Bituŋ Yowabu taata mansa yaa, a ye a fo a ye. Bituŋ mansa naata Abusalomu kili. A naata a kaŋ, a ñoyita a ye, a ye a kuŋo jimi duuma mansa ñaatiliŋo la, bituŋ mansa ye Abusalomu sumbu.
