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!
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!”