2 Samuel 18
1 David loh amah taengkah pilnam te a soep tih amih te thawngkhat kah mangpa, yakhat kah mangpa a khueh pah.
Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of hundreds and of thousands.
2 David loh pilnam hlop thum ah hlop at te Joab kut hmuiah, hlop thum ah hlop at te Joab mana Zeruiah capa Abishai kut hmuiah, hlop thum ah hlop at Ghitti Ittai kut hmuiah hlop at, a tueih. Te vaengah manghai loh pilnam te, “Kamah khaw nangmih taengah ka pawk rhoe ka pawk bitni,” a ti nah.
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 Tedae pilnam loh, “Cet boeh, rhaelrham khaw n'rhaelrham uh koinih mamih taengah lungbuei khueh hae mahpawh. Mamih khuikah he rhakthuem duek uh cakhaw mamih taengah lungbuei khueh uh mahpawh. Mamih bang mah thawng rha lo coeng. Te dongah khopuei lamloh a bom la nan bom ham Te kaimih ham hnothen la om coeng,” a ti nah.
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 Amih te manghai loh, “Nangmih mikhmuh ah a then te ka saii bitni,” a ti nah. Manghai te vongka kaep ah a pai vaengah pilnam boeih Te yakhat ah, thawngkhat ah khong uh.
“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 Manghai loh Joab, Abishai, Ittai te a uen tih, “Camoe taeng neh Abslom taengah khaw, kai ham tah hoelh hoelh ah ne,” a ti nah. Manghai loh mangpa taengah Absalom kawng neh rhip a uen te pilnam loh boeih a yaak.
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 Te vaengah pilnam tah Israel Te cuuk thil hamla lohma la khong uh. Te vaengah Ephraim duup ah caemtloek om coeng.
So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel in the battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 Israel pilnam he David sal rhoek kah mikhmuh ah pahoi yawk uh coeng. Te vaeng hnin ah thawng kul te lucik la muep om uh.
There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men.
8 Caemtloek te diklai hman tom ah taekyak la taekyak. Tekah khohnin ah cunghang loh a yoop lakah duup loh a yoop pilnam Te yet ngai.
The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword.
9 Absalom loh David kah sal rhoek te a mikhmuh ah a mah. Te vaengah Absalom Te muli-marhang dongah ngol tih muli-marhang loh rhokael bu talulh hmuiah a kun puei. Tedae a lu Te rhokael dongah vik kingkaek tih vaan laklo neh diklai laklo ah sut dingkoei. Te vaengah ah a hmuikah muli-marhang loh vik a yong tak.
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 Hlang pakhat loh a hmuh vaengah Joab taengah puen tih, “Absalom tah rhokael dongah a kuiok ka hmuh he,” a ti nah.
When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11 Te dongah Joab loh amah taengla aka puen hlang te, “Na hmuh tarha mai, balae tih anih Te diklai la na ngawn pahoi pawh, Te koinih ka pum dongkah tangka phikrha neh hni pakhat he nang kam paek suidae,” a ti nah.
“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 Te hlang loh Joab taengah, “Kai loh ka kut dongah tangka thawngkhat ka thuek pawt mai akhaw, manghai loh mamih hna ah namah khaw, Abishai neh Ittai taengah ah khaw, 'Absalom camoe Te ngaithuen uh,’ a ti tih ng'uen dongah manghai capa Te ka kut ka hlah thil mahpawh.
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 A hinglu te ka saii pah koinih ka hinglu he a honghi ni. Te dongah manghai taengah tah olka pakhat khaw phah mahpawh, namah khaw a hmaiah na pai van ni,” a ti nah.
If I had jeopardized my own life —and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.”
14 Tedae Joab loh, “Na mikhmuh ah ka rhing voel mahpawh,” a ti nah. Te phoeiah a kut dongah mancai pathum te a khuen tih rhokael bangli ah a hing la aka bat Absalom te a lungkoe ah hlut a daeng.
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 kah hnopai aka phuei cadong parha loh a vael tih Absalom te a ngawn uh dongah a duek sakuh.
And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.
16 Te phoeiah Joab loh tuki a ueng thil tih pilnam te Joab loh a hloh coeng dongah pilnam loh Israel hnuk aka hloem te a toeng.
Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab had restrained them.
17 Absalom te a loh uh tih duup kah rhom a len khuiah a voeih uh. Te phoeiah anih Te lungkuk lung a len la muep a hmoek thil uh. Israel pum te khaw amah, amah kah dap la boeih rhaelrham uh.
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 loh, “Ka ming aka thoelh ham ca ka khueh pawh,” a ti dongah amah a hing vaengah amah ham lungpang pakhat te manghai kol ah a thoh. Te dongah lungpang te anih ming a phom thil tih tihnin duela Absalom ngolbuel a khue.
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 Te vaengah Zadok capa Ahimaaz loh, “BOEIPA loh a thunkha kut lamloh anih a tang sak te ka yong laeh vetih manghai taengah ka phong laeh mako,” a ti.
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 Tedae anih te Joab loh, “Tihnin nang he olthangthen aka khuen hlang moenih, a tloe khohnin ah na phong bitni, tihnin ah phong boel dae manghai capa he duek pueng,” a ti nah.
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 Te phoeiah Joab loh Kushi te, “Na hmuh taengtae te cet lamtah manghai taengah thui pah,” a ti nah. Te dongah Kushi loh Joab te a bawk tih yong.
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 loh koep a rhaep tih Joab taengah, “Metlam khaw om mai saeh, Kushi hnukah ka yong van mai eh?,” a ti nah. Tedae Joab loh, “Ka ca na yong te ba ham lae? Olthangthen Te na dang hae moenih,” a ti nah.
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 Tedae, “Metlam khaw om mai saeh ka yong ni,” a ti nah. Te dongah, “Yong laeh,” a ti nah. Ahimaaz tah vannaem longpuei ah yong tih Kushi te a khal coeng.
“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 Te vaengah David Te vongka rhoi laklo ah ngol. Te vaengah rhaltawt te vongtung longah vongka imphu la cet. A mik te a huel tih a sawt hatah hlang pakhatTe amah bueng tarha a yong pah.
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 Rhaltawt te a doek tih manghai taengla a puen hatah manghai loh, “Amah bueng koinih a ka dongah Te olthangthen coini,” a ti. Te vaengah a yoei la voeh voeh a caeh pah.
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 Te vaengah rhaltawt loh hlang tloe ha yong te a hmuh bal. Te dongah hlang dawn loh thoh tawt te a khue tih, “Hlang pakhat amah bueng ha yong ke,” a ti nah. Tedae manghai loh, “Anih khaw olthang aka phong ni,” a ti.
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 Rhaltawt loh, “Lamhma la aka yong te Zadok capa Ahimaaz kah a yong bangla ka hmuh,” a ti nah. Te vaengah manghai loh, “Anih Te hlang then ni, olthangthen neh a then la ha pawk coeng,” a ti.
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 Ahimaaz te a khue hatah manghai te, “Ngaimong la,” a ti nah. Te phoeiah manghai hmaiah a maelhmai te diklai la a bakop pah. Te phoeiah, “Ka boei manghai mai a kut aka thueng thil hlang rhoek te na kut dongah aka det BOEIPA na Pathen tah a yoethen pai,” a ti nah.
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 Manghai loh, “Camoe Absalom tah a sading a?” a ti nah. Te vaengah Ahimaaz loh, “Manghai kah sal Joab neh na sal pakhat lohhlang tueih hamla hukhuk a tawn uh te ka hmuh dae mebang khaw ka ming moenih,” a ti nah.
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 Te dongah manghai loh, “Hela hoeih pai lah,” a ti nah tih hoeih pai tangloeng.
“Move aside,” said the king, “and stand here.” So he stepped aside.
31 Te vaengah Kushi te pakcak ha pawk tih Kushi loh, “Ka boei manghai loh phong pai saeh. Tihnin ah tah BOEIPA loh nang aka tlai thil hlang boeih kah kut lamloh nang n'tang sak coeng,” a ti nah.
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 Te dongah manghai loh Kushi te, “Camoe Absalom te a sading a? a ti nah. Te vaengah Kushi loh, “Ka boei manghai kah thunkha rhoek neh nang taengah boethae neh aka tlai thil boeih tah camoe bangla om van saeh,” a ti nah.
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 Manghai te a tlai neh vongka imhman la yoeng tih rhap. Te vaengah a caeh doela ka capa Absalom, ka capa aw, ka capa Absalom ka capa Absalom, nang yueng la kamah ka duek ham u long m'paek eh? ka capa Absalom, ka capa aw,” a ti.
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!”
