2 Samuel 18
1 David mah a taengah kaom kaminawk to pakoep moe, sangto ukkung hoi cumvaito ukkung kami to suek.
Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of hundreds and of thousands.
2 David mah angmah ih misatuh kaminawk to abu thumto ah tapraek moe, abu maeto loe Joab han uksak, kalah abu maeto loe Zeruiah capa, Joab ih amnawk Abishai han uksak pacoengah, kalah abu thumto haih loe Gith acaeng Ittai hanah uksak. Siangpahrang mah angmah ih misatuh kaminawk khaeah, Kai doeh nangcae hoi nawnto misatuk naah ka caeh toeng han, tiah a naa.
He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.”
3 Toe kaminawk mah, Nang loe caeh hmah; kaicae ka cawnh o langlacadoeh, misanawk han tidoeh avang mak ai; kami ahap ka duek o cadoeh avanghaih om mak ai; toe nang loe kaicae sang hato kami hoiah anghmong pongah, vangpui thung hoiah tha nang paek to mah khawt boeh, tiah a naa o.
But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will pay no attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better for now if you support us from the city.”
4 To naah siangpahrang mah nihcae khaeah, Nangcae mah hoih, tiah na poek o ih baktih toengah ka sak han, tiah a naa. To pongah siangpahrang loe vangpui sipae taengah angdoet; to naah kaminawk loe cumvaito abu, sangto abu hoiah caeh o.
“I will do whatever seems best to you,” the king replied. So he stood beside the gate, while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 Siangpahrang mah Joab, Abishai hoi Ittai khaeah, Ka mikhmai khethaih hoiah thendoeng Absalom to paquem oh, tiah lok a paek. Siangpahrang mah misatuh angraeng khaeah thuih pae ih lok to misatuh kaminawk boih mah thaih o.
Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.
6 Kaminawk loe Israel misatuk hanah, Ephraim taw ah caeh o.
So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel in the battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 David ih misatuh kaminawk mah Israel misatuh kaminawk to pazawk o; to na ni misatuk naah dueh kami paroeai pop o, kami sang pumphaeto oh.
There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men.
8 Misatukhaih loe prae boih ah pung; to na niah sumsen hoi hum ih kami pongah taw ah kadueh kami to pop kue.
The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword.
9 Absalom loe David ih tamnanawk hoiah angqum o. Absalom loe mule hrang pongah angthueng moe, kathah parai aqam kabuk oak thing tlim ah caeh naah, a sam to thing tanghang pongah angtang caeng; anih loe long hoi van salakah thing pongah angbang sut; mule hrang mah anih to caeh taak ving.
Now Absalom was riding on his mule when he met the servants of David, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so that he was suspended in midair.
10 Anih to kami maeto mah hnuk naah, Joab khaeah, Khenah, oak thing pongah kangbang sut Absalom to ka hnuk, tiah a naa.
When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11 To lok thuikung khaeah Joab mah, khenah, anih to na hnuk boeh to mah, tipongah long ah na hum ai loe? Na hum nahaeloe phoisa shekel hato hoi misatukhaih kaengkaeh kang paek han, tiah a naa.
“You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed. “Why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt!”
12 Toe to kami mah Joab khaeah, Phoisa shekel sangto ka ban ah nang paek cadoeh, siangpahrang capa nuiah ban ka phok mak ai. Aicae boih kangthaih ah siangpahrang mah, Mi kawbaktih doeh thendoeng, Absalom to sui o hmah, tiah Nang, Abishai hoi Ittai khaeah, lok ang thuih boeh to loe!
The man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels of silver were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king. For we heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’
13 Ka hinghaih amro hanah katoeng ai hmuen ka sak moeng nahaeloe, siangpahrang hmaa ah angphat thaih koi hmuen tidoeh om ai pongah, nang mah kasae nang net lat tih, tiah a naa.
If I had jeopardized my own life —and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.”
14 To naah Joab mah, Nang hoi nawnto ka om khing mak ai, tiah a naa. To pongah anih mah tayae thumto ban ah sinh moe, thing pongah kahingah kangbang Absalom to palung thuemah takhawh puet.
But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree.
15 Joab ih maiphaw kapu kami hato mah, Absalom to takui o pacoengah, anih to takroek o moe, hum o.
And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.
16 To naah Joab mah mongkah to uengh, to naah Israel kaminawk misa patomhaih hoiah amlaem o; Joab mah kaminawk to anghaksak.
Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab had restrained them.
17 Absalom to lak o moe, taw thung ih tangqom thungah vah o pacoengah, a nuiah thlung pakhueng o thuih; Israel kaminawk loe angmacae im ah cawnh o boih.
They took Absalom, cast him into a large pit in the forest, and piled a huge mound of stones over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled, each to his home.
18 Absalom loe hing nathuem ah, capa ka tawn ai pongah, ka hmin anghmat ving han ai ah pakuemkung ka tawn ai, tiah a poek; to pongah siangpahrang ih azawn thungah thlung maeto a tling moe, angmah ih ahmin to sak; to thlung loe vaihni ni khoek to, Absalom mah tling ih thlung ni, tiah thuih o.
During his lifetime, Absalom had set up for himself a pillar in the King’s Valley, for he had said, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he gave the pillar his name, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.
19 Zadok capa Ahimaaz mah, ka cawnh moe, a misa ban thung hoiah Angraeng mah pahlong boeh, tiah siangpahrang khaeah ka thuih pae han, tiah a poek.
Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.”
20 Joab mah anih khaeah, Vaihniah tamthang na thui mak ai; kalah niah na thui tih hmang; siangpahrang capa duek boeh pongah, vaihniah tamthang na thui mak ai, tiah a naa.
But Joab replied, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”
21 To naah Joab mah Kush kami maeto khaeah, Caeh loe, na hnuk ih hmuennawk to siangpahrang khaeah thui paeh, tiah a naa. Kush kami loe Joab hmaa ah akuep pacoengah, cawnh poe.
So Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running.
22 Zadok capa Ahimaaz mah Joab khaeah, Kawbangah doeh om nasoe, Kush kami hnukah na cawnsak ah, tiah a naa. Toe Joab mah, Ka capa, tangqum hnuk han ih tamthang tidoeh om ai, tipongah cawnh han na koeh khruek loe? tiah a naa.
Ahimaaz son of Zadok, however, persisted and said to Joab, “Regardless of whatever may happen, please let me also run behind the Cushite!” “My son,” Joab replied, “why do you want to run, since you will not receive a reward?”
23 Toe anih mah, Kawbangah doeh om nasoe, na cawnsak ah, tiah a naa. To naah anih mah, Cawn ah, tiah a naa. Ahimaaz loe azawn bang hoiah cawnh pongah, Kush kami hmaa ah phak.
“No matter what, I want to run!” he replied. “Then run!” Joab told him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
24 To naah David loe khongkha hnetto salakah anghnut; to naah misatoep kami maeto loe tapang bang hoiah sipae khongkha imphu nuiah dawh tahang, anih mah khet naah, angmabueng kacawn kami maeto a hnuk.
Now David was sitting between the two gates when the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall, looked out, and saw a man running alone.
25 Misatoep kami loe hang moe, siangpahrang khaeah thuih pae. Siangpahrang mah, Angmabueng nahaeloe tamthang kahoih sin tih, tiah a naa. To tiah kacawn kami loe anghnai aep aep.
So he called out and told the king. “If he is alone,” the king replied, “he bears good news.” As the first runner drew near,
26 Misatoep kami mah kalah kami maeto kacawn to a hnuk let bae; misatoep kami mah khongkha toepkung khaeah, Khenah, kalah kami maeto doeh ang cawnh let bae vop, tiah a naa. Siangpahrang mah, Anih doeh tamthang ni sin tih, tiah naa let bae.
the watchman saw another man running, and he called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!” “This one also brings good news,” said the king.
27 Misatoep kami mah hmaloe ah kacawn kami loe, Zadok capa hoi anghmong, tiah a naa. Siangpaharng mah, anih loe kahoih kami ni; tamthang kahoih ni na sin tih, tiah a naa.
The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news.”
28 To naah Ahimaaz mah, siangpahrang khaeah, Tamthang loe hoih boih, tiah a naa. Anih mah siangpahrang hmaa ah long ah akuep moe, Na Angraeng Sithaw loe tahamhoihaih om nasoe; ka angraeng siangpahrang nuiah ban phok kaminawk to Angraeng mah tamit boih boeh, tiah a naa.
Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” And he bowed facedown before the king. He continued, “Blessed be the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my lord the king.”
29 Siangpahrang mah, Thendoeng Absalom loe ngancuem hmang maw? tiah a naa. To naah Ahimaaz mah, Na tamna Joab mah na tamna kai ang patoeh naah, paroeai lokpunghaih atuennawk to oh; toe tih hmuen maw oh, tiah ka panoek ai, tiah a naa.
The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.”
30 Siangpahrang mah, Angqoi ah loe, kalah bangah angdoe ah, tiah a naa. To pongah anih loe angnawn moe, kalah bangah angdoet.
“Move aside,” said the king, “and stand here.” So he stepped aside.
31 To naah Khenah, Kush acaeng to angzoh moe, anih khaeah, Ka angraeng siangpahrang, Tamthang hae tahngai ah; nang tuk hanah misa angthawk kaminawk ban thung hoiah vaihniah Angraeng mah ang pahlong boeh, tiah a naa.
Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: Today the LORD has avenged you of all who rose up against you!”
32 Siangpahrang mah Kush kami khaeah, Thendoeng Absalom loe ngancuem hmang maw? tiah a naa. Kush kami mah, Ka angraeng siangpahrang ih misanawk hoi nang tuk hanah angthawk kaminawk boih loe, to ih thendoeng baktiah oh o boih boeh, tiah a naa.
The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And the Cushite replied, “May what has become of the young man happen to the enemies of my lord the king and to all who rise up against you to harm you.”
33 To naah siangpahrang loe tasoehhaih hoiah oh; khongkha ranui ih imkhaan thungah caeh tahang moe, Aw ka capa Absalom; ka capa; ka capa Absalom; Sithaw mah nang zuengah na duehsak halat nahaeloe hoih han to mah; Aw Absalom; ka capa, ka capa, tiah qah.
The king was shaken and went up to the gate chamber and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
