2 Samuel 14

1 Manghai kah a lungbuei tah Absalom taengla a om te Zeruiah capa Joab loh a ming.

Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.

2 Te dongah Joab loh Tekoa la ol a tah tih te lamkah huta aka cueih te a khuen. Te phoeiah anih te, “Nguekcoi mai lamtah nguekcoinah himbai bai mai laeh. Situi hluk boeh, aka duek ham khohnin yung ah aka nguekcoi huta bangla om laeh.

So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.

3 Te phoeiah manghai taengla cet lamtah amah taengah hekah ol bangla thui pah,” a ti nah tih Joab loh anih ka dongah ol a khueh pah.

Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 Tekoa nu loh manghai te a voek vaengah a maelhmai diklai la a buluk thil tih a bawk pueng. Te phoeiah ni, “Manghai nang loh ng'khang,” a ti nah.

When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, “Help me, O king!”

5 Te dongah amah te manghai loh, “Nang te ba dae lae,” a ti nah. Te vaengah, “Kai tah nuhmai nu tih ka va khaw duek coeng.

“What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for my husband is dead.

6 Na salnu taengkah capa panit he amamih rhoi Te lohma ah hnuei uh rhoi. Amih rhoi laklo ah sim uh pawh. Te dongah pakhat loh pakhat te a ngawn tih duek.

And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.

7 Te dongah a huiko boeih loh na salnu he m'pai thil tih, 'A manuca aka ngawn te han tloeng lamtah anih loh a ngawn a manuca kah hinglu ah anih te ka ngawn uh pawn eh. A pang tueng khaw ka phae uh ni,’ a ti uh. Te dongah ka hmai-alh aka sueng te thih koinih ka va ming neh a meet he diklai hman ah khueh rhoe khueh mahpawh he,” a ti nah.

Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother whom he killed. Then we will cut off the heir as well!’ So they would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on the earth.”

8 Te dongah manghai loh huta te, “Na im la mael laeh, nang ham Te kamah loh ka uen bitni,” a ti nah.

“Go home,” the king said to the woman, “and I will give orders on your behalf.”

9 Tedae Tekoa nu loh manghai taengah, “Ka boei manghai kathaesainah he kamah so neh a pa imkhui ah om saeh lamtah manghai neh a ngolkhoel ta ommongsitoe la om saeh,” a ti nah.

But the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and on my father’s house, and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”

10 Te phoeiah manghai loh, “Nang taengah aka thui te kamah taengla hang khuen, nang koep m'ben ham Te khoep boel saeh,” a ti nah.

“If anyone speaks to you,” said the king, “bring him to me, and he will not trouble you again!”

11 Te phoeiah, “BOEIPA na Pathen loh manghai te n'thoelh pawn saeh. Thii phu aka suk te a rhaep, rhaep la thup nawn saeh. Te daengah ni ka capa te a diil sak uh pawt eh,” a ti nah. Te vaengah manghai loh, “BOEIPA kah hingnah rhangneh na capa kah a sam pakhat pataeng diklai la rhul mahpawh,” a ti nah.

“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”

12 Te phoeiah huta loh, “Na salnu long he ka boeipa manghai taengah ol kan thui dae eh,” a ti nah hatah, “Thui saw,” a ti nah.

Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied.

13 Te dongah huta loh, “Balae tih tahae kah bangla, Pathen kah pilnam he na moeh thil. A heh uhTe manghai loh na khue pawt vaengah, a rhaem banghui la hekah ol he manghai loh a thui.

The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?

14 Diklai dongah tui a luh tih a coi thai voel pawt bangla n'duek rhoe n'duek uh pawn ni. Pathen loh a hinglu bawt pah pawt cakhaw a kopoek te a moeh pah ta. Te dongah a heh tangtae khaw amah taeng lamloh loh a bung moenih.

For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.

15 Te dongah he ol he ka boei manghai taengah thui ham ni ka pawk coeng. Pilnam loh kai ng'hih cakhaw a ti banglam ni na salnu loh manghai taengah ka thui eh. A salnu kah olka Te manghai loh a rhoirhi mai khaming.

Now therefore, I have come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the request of his maidservant.

16 Pathen kah rho dong lamloh kamah neh ka capa rhenten aka mitmoeng sak ham khaw, hlang kut lamloh a sal nu a huul ham khaw manghai loh ya pai saeh.

For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’

17 Na salnu long tah ka boei manghai kah ol he Pathen puencawn bangla duemnah la om saeh a ti dae ta. Ka boei manghai loh a thae a then khaw a yaak dongah BOEIPA na Pathen tah namah taengah om nawn saeh,” a ti nah.

And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you.’”

18 Te phoeiah manghai loh huta te a doo tih, “Namah kan dawt bangla kai taengah ol phah boel mai,” a ti nah. Te vaengah huta long khaw, “Ka boei manghai nang thui laeh,” a ti nah.

Then the king said to the woman, “I am going to ask you something; do not conceal it from me!” “Let my lord the king speak,” she replied.

19 Te vaengah manghai loh, “Nang taengkah olka boeih dongah he Joab kah kutngo om nama?,” a ti nah. Te dongah huta loh a doo tih, “Ka boei manghai kah na hinglu kah hingnah vanbangla ka boei manghai loh a thui te pakhat khaw banvoei bantang la a hlihloeh moenih. Na sal Joab loh kai ng'uen tih he rhoek kah olka boeih he na salnu kah a ka dongah a khueh.

So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab behind all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave me orders; he told your maidservant exactly what to say.

20 Olka te a hmuethma hoilae ham ni hekah olka he na sal Joab loh a saii. Tedae ka boeipa tah Pathen puencawn kah cueihnah bangla a cueih dongah, diklai hman kah khaw boeih a ming,” a ti nah.

Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens in the land.”

21 Te daengah manghai loh Joab te, “Ol he ka tloek bitni ne, cet lamtah Absalom camoe te lo laeh,” a ti nah.

Then the king said to Joab, “I hereby grant this request. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”

22 Te dongah Joab loh a maelhmai te diklai la a buluk tih a bawk phoeiah manghai te a uem. Te phoeiah Joab loh, “Tihnin ah tah ka boei manghai na mikhmuh ah mikdaithen ka dang te na sal loh ka ming. Na sal kah a sal patoeng ol he manghai loh a rhoi coeng,” a ti.

Joab fell facedown in homage and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “your servant knows that he has found favor with you, my lord the king, because the king has granted his request.”

23 Joab Te thoo tih Geshuri la cet tih Absalom te Jerusalem la a mael puei.

So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24 Tedae manghai loh, “Amah im la mael saeh lamtah ka maelhmai he hmu boel saeh,” a ti nah. Te dongah Absalom Te amah im la mael tih manghai kah maelhmai khaw hmu pawh.

But the king added, “He may return to his house, but he must not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the king.

25 Absalom bangla sakthen hlang he Israel boeih khuiah a om moenih. A khopha lamloh a luki duela thangthen hamla om. A pum dongah a lolhmaih pakhat khaw om pawh.

Now there was not a man in all Israel as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw.

26 A kum, kum ah apat a pha atah a lu Te vok. Te khaw amah mat a nan vaengah ni a. vok pueng. A lu dongkah sam te a vok tih a thuek vaengah manghai coilung ah shekel yahnih a lo pah.

And when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard.

27 Absalom loh capa pathum neh canu pakhat a sak. A canu ming tah Tamar tih, a mueimae khaw sakthen nu la om.

Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman.

28 Absalom tah Jerusalem ah khohnin la kum nit kho a sak dae manghai maelhmai hmuh pawh.

Now Absalom lived in Jerusalem two years without seeing the face of the king.

29 Te dongah Absalom loh Joab te a tah tih manghai taengla a tueih. Tedae a taengla a pawk pah ham te a ngaih pah moenih. Te dongah a pabae la koep a tueih dae lo sak ham ngaih pah pawh.

Then he sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So Absalom sent a second time, but Joab still would not come.

30 Te vaengah a sal rhoek taengah, “So uh lah, Joab kah lo he kamah kut ah om, te lamkah cangtun te paan uh lamtah hmai neh hlup la hlup pa uh,” a ti nah. Te dongah Absalom kah sal rhoek loh lo te hmai neh a hlup uh.

Then Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire!” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31 Te daengah Joab Te too tih Absalom te a im la a paan. Te vaengah, “Balae tih na sal rhoek loh kai lo ke hmai neh a hlup uh,” a ti nah.

Then Joab came to Absalom’s house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”

32 Absalom loh Joab te, “'Hela halo dae,’ ka ti tih la nang te kan tah. Te daengah man manghai te voek hamla nang te kan tueih ve. Geshuri lamkah ka pawk parhiTe kai hamla balae a then, ka om palueng vetih manghai kah maelhmai ka hmuh laeh mako, tedae kai pum dongah thaesainah a om atah kai he ng'ngawn saeh,” a ti nah.

“Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”

33 Joab Te manghai taengla cet tih a thui pah. Te daengah Absalom te a khue tih manghai taengla koep ha pawk. Te vaengah manghai kah mikhmuh ah a maelhmai diklai la a buluk tih a bawk. Manghai loh Absalom te a mok.

So Joab went and told the king, and David summoned Absalom, who came to him and bowed facedown before him. Then the king kissed Absalom.