David Gets Ready for Battle
1 David divided his soldiers into groups of 100 and groups of 1,000. Then he chose officers to be in command of each group. 2 He sent out one third of his army under the command of Joab, another third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, and the rest under the command of Ittai from Gath. He told the soldiers, “I'm going into battle with you.”
3 But the soldiers said, “No, don't go into battle with us! It won't matter to our enemies if they make us all run away, or even if they kill half of us. But you are worth 10,000 of us. It would be better for you to stay in town and send help if we need it.”
4-6 David said, “All right, if you think I should.”
Then in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he said, “Joab! Abishai! Ittai! For my sake, be sure that Absalom comes back unharmed.”
David stood beside the town gate as his army marched past in groups of 100 and in groups of 1,000.
Joab Kills Absalom
The war with Israel took place in Ephraim Forest. 7-8 Battles were being fought all over the forest, and David's soldiers were winning. Twenty thousand soldiers were killed that day, and more of them died from the dangers of the forest than from the fighting itself.
9 Absalom was riding his mule under a huge tree when his head caught in the branches. The mule ran off and left Absalom hanging in midair. Some of David's soldiers happened by, 10 and one of them went and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in a tree!”
11 Joab said, “You saw Absalom? Why didn't you kill him? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a special belt.”
12 The man answered, “Even if you paid me 1,000 pieces of silver here and now, I still wouldn't touch the king's son. We all heard King David tell you and Abishai and Ittai not to harm Absalom. 13 He always finds out what's going on. I would have been risking my life to kill Absalom, because you would have let me take the blame.”
14 Joab said, “I'm not going to waste any more time on you!”
Absalom was still alive, so Joab took three spears and stuck them through Absalom's chest. 15 Ten of Joab's bodyguards came over and finished him off. 16 Then Joab blew a trumpet to signal his troops to stop chasing Israel's soldiers. 17 They threw Absalom's body into a deep pit in the forest and put a big pile of rocks over it.
Meanwhile, the people of Israel had all run back to their own homes.
18 When Absalom was alive, he had set up a stone monument for himself in King's Valley. He explained, “I don't have any sons to keep my name alive.” He called it Absalom's Monument, and that is the name it still has today.
Ahimaaz Wants To Tell David
19 Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Joab, let me run and tell King David that the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.”
20 Joab answered, “You're not the one to tell the king that his son is dead. You can take him a message some other time, but not today.”
21 Someone from Ethiopia was standing there, and Joab told him, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” The man knelt down in front of Joab, then got up and started running.
22 Ahimaaz spoke to Joab again, “No matter what happens, I still want to go. And besides, the Ethiopian has already left.”
Joab said, “Why should you go? You won't get a reward for the news you have!”
23 “I'll run no matter what!” Ahimaaz insisted.
“All right then, run!” Joab said.
Ahimaaz took the road through the Jordan Valley and outran the Ethiopian.
24 Meanwhile, David was sitting between the inner and outer gates in the city wall. One of his soldiers was watching from the roof of the gate-tower. He saw a man running toward the town 25 and shouted down to tell David.
David answered, “If he's alone, he must have some news.”
The runner was getting closer, 26 when the soldier saw someone else running. He shouted down to the gate, “Look! There's another runner!”
David said, “He must have some news too.”
27 The soldier on the roof shouted, “The first one runs just like Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.”
This time David said, “He's a good man. He must have some good news.”
28 Ahimaaz called out, “We won! We won!” Then he bowed low to David and said, “Your Majesty, praise the Lord your God! He has given you victory over your enemies.”
29 “Is my son Absalom all right?” David asked.
Ahimaaz said, “When Joab sent your personal servant and me, I saw a noisy crowd. But I don't know what it was all about.”
30 David told him, “Stand over there and wait.”
Ahimaaz went over and stood there. 31 The Ethiopian came and said, “Your Majesty, today I have good news! The Lord has rescued you from all your enemies!”
32 “Is my son Absalom all right?” David asked.
The Ethiopian replied, “I wish that all Your Majesty's enemies and everyone who tries to harm you would end up like him!”
David Cries for Absalom
33 David started trembling. Then he went up to the room above the city gate to cry. As he went, he kept saying, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I could have died instead of you! Absalom, my son, my son!”
Abusalomu la saayaa
1 Mansa Dawuda ye a la moolu bee bendi ñoo kaŋ, a ye ì talaŋ-talaŋ wuliwuloolu niŋ kemekemoolu ti, a ye ñaatonkoolu ke ì bee la. 2 Bituŋ a ye ì bula, ì kafu sabamaa taata, ì niŋ Yowabu aniŋ Yowabu kotoomaa Abisayi, meŋ mu Seruya dinkewo ti, aniŋ Itayi meŋ bota Kati, meŋ-wo-meŋ keta kafoo le la ñaatonkoo ti. Aduŋ mansa ko a la kewolu ye ko, “Ali niŋ nte faŋo be taa ñoo la le.”
3 Bari kewolu ko, “I maŋ ñaŋ na finti la. Niŋ ì ye m̀ forisee, fo m̀ borita, ì maŋ taa la ì hakili tu la ntolu to. Hani niŋ ntolu talantewo faata, ì te a kalamuta la, bari ite le ye nafaa soto ntolu ti ko siiñaa wuli taŋ. Saayiŋ a be beteyaa la le, niŋ i ye maakoyiroo ke ǹ ye ka bo naŋ saatewo to.”
4 Mansa ye ì jaabi ko, “Feŋ-wo-feŋ beteyaata ali fee, m be wo le ke la.” Wo to le mansa loota saatee dundaŋ daa daala, kabiriŋ kewolu ka finti niŋ wuli kiliŋolu niŋ kemoolu la. 5 Mansa ye Yowabu, Abisayi niŋ Itayi yaamari ko, “N na kuwo kamma la, ali kana kuu jawoo ke Abusalomu la.” Aduŋ kelediŋ kafoolu bee ye a moyi le, kabiriŋ mansa be Abusalomu la kuwo dandalaaroo dii la kelediŋ kuntiyolu la.
6 Kelediŋolu fintita kenoo kono, ka taa Banisirayilankoolu kele, aduŋ keloo keta Efurayimu* sutoo le kono. 7 Dawuda la kewolu ye Banisirayilankoolu noo keloo la le, ì ye ì noo baake le, kaatu wo luŋo ì ye kee wuli muwaŋ ne faa. 8 Keloo janjanta bankoo dandaŋo la, aduŋ kee jamaa le faata sutoo kono, ka tambi ì ye mennu faa niŋ hawusaroo* la.
9 Saayiŋ Abusalomu terenta Dawuda la kewolu ma. A be a la bahalewo* le borindi kaŋ nuŋ. Bituŋ kabiriŋ bahalewo dunta yiri baa bulu dibiriŋolu koto, Abusalomu kuntiñoo sakita yiribuloo bala. A tuta sakiriŋ foñoo kono, wo ye a tara bahalewo kenseŋo be bori la ka taa. 10 Kabiriŋ kee kiliŋ ye ñiŋ je, a ko Yowabu ye ko, “Saayiŋ-saayiŋ ne ŋa Abusalomu je dendiŋ yiri baa santo.”
11 Yowabu ko kewo ye, meŋ ye a fo a ye ko, “Muŋ! I ye a je le. Muŋ ne ye a tinna, i maŋ a faa? M be kodiforo kuntu taŋ ne dii la i la, aniŋ teesitiraŋo, niŋ a ye a tara, i ye a faa.” 12 Bari keendiŋo ko Yowabu ye ko, “Hani a ye a tara, i ye kodiforo kuntu wuli kiliŋ ne dii n na, n te m buloo maa la mansa dinkewo la, kaatu ŋà a moyi ǹ tuloolu la le, mansa ka ite, Abisayi aniŋ Itayi dandalaa, ka a fo ko, ‘N na kuwo kamma la, ali si Abusalomu tankandi.’ 13 Bari niŋ ŋa mansa soosoo, ŋa Abusalomu faa, mansa be a moyi la le, kaatu kuu-wo-kuu buka mansa kumpa, aduŋ ite te n tankandi la.”
14 Yowabu ko, “M maŋ taa n na haajoo tiñaa la i la kuwo la kotenke.” A ye soora saba taa, a ye ì suuri Abusalomu sisoo kono, kabiriŋ a be baluuriŋ, a be dendiŋ yiri baa santo. 15 Wo to le Yowabu la kelejooraŋ sambalaa taŋ katata Abusalomu la, ì ye a labaŋ.
16 Yowabu ye saakotoŋ binoo* fee, fo ì si i foño keloo la, aduŋ kelediŋ kafoolu ye i foño, ka Banisirayilankoolu bayindi. 17 Ì ye Abusalomu taa, ì ye a fayi dinka baa kono sutoo kono, ì ye beroolu juruma a kaŋ, fo a keta jurumi baa ti. Banisirayilankoolu bee borita, ì seyita ì la suwolu kono.
18 Abusalomu la baluwo waatoo kono, a ye samasiŋo loo a faŋo ye le Mansa la Wulumbaŋo kono, kaatu a maŋ dinkee soto, ka a too tu baluuriŋ. Bituŋ a ye a toolaa a faŋo le la. Ka naa bula bii la, ì ka jee kumandi Abusalomu la Samasiŋo le la.
Dawuda ye Abusalomu la saayaa moyi
19 Saayiŋ Ahimaasi Sadoki dinkewo ko, “M batu ŋa bori, ŋa taa ñiŋ kibaaroo futandi mansa la ko, Yaawe* ye a tankandi a jawoolu ma le.”
20 Yowabu ko a ye ko, “Bii ite maŋ ke moo ti, meŋ ñanta kibaaroo futandi la. I si kibaaroo futandi luŋ koteŋ, bari bii i te a ke la, kaatu mansa dinkewo faata le.” 21 Wo to le Yowabu ko Kusinka* doo ye ko, “Taa, a fo mansa ye, i ye meŋ je.” Kusinkoo ñoyita Yowabu ñaatiliŋo la, bituŋ a borita.
22 Bituŋ Ahimaasi Sadoki dinkewo ko Yowabu ye kotenke ko, “Meŋ be ke la, a ye ke. M batu ŋa m bori Kusinkoo nooma.”
Bari Yowabu ye a jaabi ko, “N dinkewo, muŋ ne ye a tinna, ì lafita taa la? I te jayiri soto la ñiŋ kuwo to.”
23 A ko, “Meŋ be ke la, a ye ke, n lafita taa la le.”
Wo to le Yowabu ko, “Taa.” Bituŋ Ahimaasi borita niŋ Yoridani wulumbaŋo maafaŋo la, fo a tambita Kusinkoo la.
24 Kabiriŋ Dawuda be siiriŋ saatee dundaŋ daa fuloo teema, kantarilaa seleta tata sansaŋo santo. Biriŋ a ye banta juubee, a ye kewo je, a dammaa ka bori. 25 Kantarilaa ye mansa kumandi, a ye a fo a ye. Mansa ko, “Niŋ a dammaa le mu, a be kibaari diimaa le fo la.” Bituŋ keendiŋo ka kata naŋ domaŋ-domaŋ.
26 Wo to le kantarilaa ye moo doo je, a ka bori, bituŋ a ye bundaa kantalaa kumandi ko, “A juubee, keendiŋ doo dammaa le ka bori naŋ.”
Mansa ko, “A fanaa be ke la kibaari diimaa naatilaa le ti.”
27 Kantarilaa ko, “Foloo boriñaa ka munta le ko Ahimaasi Sadoki dinkewo.”
Mansa ko, “Kee kende baa le mu. A niŋ kibaari diimaalu le ka naa.”
28 Bituŋ Ahimaasi ye mansa kumandi. A ko, “Kuwolu bee beteyaata le.” A ñoyita mansa ye, a ye a kuŋo jimi bankoo to, a ko, “M maarii mansa, jayiroo be Yaawe, i la Alla ye. A ye a ke le, ì ye kewolu noo, mennu ye keloo wulindi ì kamma.”
29 Mansa ye a ñininkaa ko, “Fo Abusalomu tankata le baŋ?”
Ahimaasi ye a jaabi ko, “Kabiriŋ Yowabu ye Kusinkoo, mansa la dookuulaa kii, aniŋ nte, i la dookuulaa, kuu jamaa le be keriŋ, bari nte maŋ a loŋ, meŋ mu.”
30 Mansa ko, “Loo kara la, i ye i batu.” Bituŋ a jenketa kara la, a loota jee.
31 Bituŋ Kusinkoo futata, a ko, “M maarii mansa, i lamoyi ñiŋ kibaari diimaa la. Bii Yaawe ye i tankandi moolu ma le, mennu wulita i la kuwo kamma, ka i kele.”
32 Mansa ye Kusinkoo ñininkaa ko, “Fo tana te Abusalomu la baŋ?”
Kusinkoo ye a jaabi ko, “Allamaa m maarii mansa jawoolu mennu lafita ka a kele ye ke ko wo fondinkewo.”
33 Mansa niyo toorata. A taata fo konoto buŋo to, meŋ be tatoo santo, a kumboota. Kabiriŋ a ka taa, a ko, “Hee, n diŋo Abusalomu! N dinkewo! N diŋo Abusalomu! Nte le ñanta faa la, janniŋ ite ka faa. Hee Abusalomu! N diŋo, n diŋo!”
