2 Samuel 19

1 Te vaengah Joab taengah tah, “Manghai tah rhap tih Absalom ham nguekcoi coeng ke,” tila a puen pah.

Someone told Joab that the king was crying and mourning because Absalom had died.

2 Loeihnah khaw tekah khohnin ah tah pilnam boeih ham nguekcoinah la coeng. “A capa ham manghai a kothae,” a ti te te khohnin ah tah pilnam loh a yaak.

All of David’s soldiers became sad. Instead of rejoicing about defeating [the soldiers who had fought with Absalom], they were sad because they heard that the king was mourning because Absalom [was dead].

3 Caemtloek lamloh a rhaelrham uh vaengah a hmaithae uh tih pilnam loh a phaelhael bangla khopuei la kun ham khaw te khohnin ah tah pilnam khaw phaelhael uh.

The soldiers returned to the city quietly, like [SIM] soldiers do when they are ashamed because they ran away from battle.

4 Manghai loh a maelhmai a buenglueng. Te phoeiah manghai te ol ue la pang tih, “Ka capa Absalom, Absalom, ka capa aw, ka capa,” a ti.

The king covered his face [with his hands] and kept crying loudly, “O, my son Absalom! O, Absalom, my son! My son!”

5 Joab te manghai im la kun tih, “Tihnin ah namah hinglu, na capa rhoek neh na canu rhoek kah hinglu, na yupuei rhoek kah hinglu neh na yula rhoek kah hinglu aka hlawt na sal rhoek boeih kah maelhmai he tihnin ah yah na bai coeng.

Then Joab entered the room where the king was, and said to the king, “Today you have caused your soldiers to be ashamed! You have humiliated the men who saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and your ordinary wives and your slave wives!

6 Lungnah ham tueng te na thiinah tih thiinah ham tueng te na lungnah. Na mangpa rhoek neh na sal rhoek he tihnin ah na yan sumsoek coeng. Absalom te hing vetih tihnin ah kaimih boeih ka duek uh koinih na mikhmuh ah thuem sue tite tihnin ah ka ming ngawn.

[It seems that] you love those who hate you and [that] you hate those who love you. You have caused it to be clear today that your commanders and your officers are not at all important to you. I think that if Absalom were still alive and we were all dead today, you would be happy.

7 Thoo lamtah pongpa mai laeh. Na sal rhoek kah a lungbuei te hloep pah laeh. BOEIPA dongah ka toemngam coeng he, na cet pawt koinih hlaempang pakhat pataeng nang taengah hlang rhaeh mahpawh. Te vaengah na camoe lamloh tahae duela nang soah aka thoeng yoethaenah boeih lakah tahae kah he nang ham thae ngai coeng,” a ti nah.

So, now go and thank your soldiers [for what they did]. Because I solemnly declare that if you do not do that, none of them will still be with you by tomorrow morning and that would be worse [for you] than all the disasters/troubles that you have experienced since you were a boy.”

8 Manghai te thoo tih vongka ah ngol. Te vaengah pilnam boeih taengla puen uh tih, “Vongka ah manghai om ke,” a ti uh. Te daengah pilnam boeih te manghai kah mikhmuh ah ha pawk tih Israel amah kah dap la boeih rhaelrham van.

So the king got up and went and sat near the city gate. And all the people were told, “Hey, the king is sitting at the gate!” So they all came and gathered around him. Meanwhile, all the Israeli troops [who had been with Absalom] had returned to their homes.

9 Pilnam boeih a om vaengah Israel koca rhoek boeih taengah lai a thui tih, “Mamih kah thunkha kut lamkah he manghai long ni mamih n'huul, Philisti kut lamkah mamih m'poenghal sak. Tedae Absalom kongah ni khohmuen lamloh a yong he.

Then all the people throughout the tribes of Israel started to quarrel among themselves. They said to each other, “King David rescued us from the people of Philistia and from our other enemies. But now he has fled from Absalom and left Israel!

10 Mamih soah ng'koelh Absalom te caemtloek vaengah duek coeng. Te dongah balae tih manghai mael puei ham te hil na phah uh tarha,” a ti uh.

We appointed [MTY] Absalom to be our king, but he died in the battle [against David’s soldiers]. So (why does someone not try to bring King David back?/surely someone should try to bring King David back.)” [RHQ]

11 Te vaengah manghai David loh khosoih Zadok neh Abiathar te, “Judah patong rhoek te thui pah lamtah, ‘Balae tih a im la manghai mael puei ham te yulh na om uh eh, Israel pum kah ol long tah manghai te a imkhui ah a paan coeng.

King David [found out what the people were saying. So he] sent the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar, to say to the leaders of Judah, “The king says that he has heard that all the Israeli people [want him to be king again]. And he says, ‘(Why should you be the last ones to bring me back to my palace?/It is not right that you be the last ones to bring me back to my palace.) [RHQ]

12 Ka manuca rhoek nang, nangmih tah kamah rhuh, kamah saa ni. Te dongah balae tih manghai te mael puei ham te yulh na om uh eh?’ ti nah.

You are my relatives; we have the same ancestor [IDM]. So (why should you be the last ones to bring me back?/you should certainly not be the last ones to bring me back.) [RHQ]’”

13 Te phoeiah Amasa te, ‘Nang tah ka rhuh neh ka saa moenih a? Pathen loh kai taengah han saii nawn saeh. Joab yueng la hnin takuem ka mikhmuh ah caempuei mangpa la na om pawt atah amah loh rhoirhaep nawn saeh,’ ti nah,” a ti nah tih ol a tah.

And say to Amasa, “You are one of my relatives. I hope/desire that God strike me dead [IDM] if I do not appoint you to be, from now on, the commander of my army instead of Joab.”

14 Judah hlang boeih a thinko te hlang pakhat kah la a hong tih, “Namah neh na sal rhoek khaw boeih ha mael laeh,” tila manghai te a tah uh.

[By sending that message to them, ] David convinced all the people of Judah [IDM] [that they should (be loyal to him/accept him as their king]). So they sent a message to the king, saying “We want you and all your officials to return here.”

15 Te dongah manghai te mael tih Jordan la pawk. Te vaengah Judah te Gilgal la ha pawk tih manghai doe ham neh manghai te Jordan kat puei hamla cet.

So the king [and his officials started back toward Jerusalem]. When they reached the Jordan [River], the people of Judah came there to Gilgal to meet the king, and to bring him across the river.

16 Te vaengah Bahurim lamkah Benjamin koca, Gera capa Shimei tah puk cu tih manghai David doe hamla Judah hlang neh suntla.

Shimei, the man from the tribe of Benjamin, also came down quickly [to the river] with the people of Judah to meet King David.

17 Amah neh Benjamin lamkah hlang thawngkhat, Saul im kah tueihyoeih Ziba neh a capa hlang hlai nga, amah taengkah a sal pakul loh manghai te mikhmuh ah Jordan te a thaihtak thil uh.

There were 1,000 men from the tribe of Benjamin who came with him. And Ziba, who had been the servant of Saul, also hurried down to the Jordan [River], bringing 20 of his servants with him. They all came to the king,

18 Manghai imkhui khat puei ham neh a hmuh, a hmuh ah a then saii ham te vahcaeh ah kat. Jordan a kat vaengah manghai kah mikhmuh ah Gera capa Shimei a bakop pah.

and then they all [prepared to] take the king and all his family across the river, at the place where they could walk across it. They wanted to do whatever the king wanted them to do. As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei came to him and prostrated himself in front of the king.

19 Te phoeiah manghai te, “Ka boeipa kai sokah thaesainah te nawtna boel mai, ka boei manghai loh Jerusalem lamkah a nong khohnin ah na sal kah a paihaeh te poek voel boeh. Manghai loh a lungbuei te hnop mai saeh.

He said to the king, “Your Majesty, please forgive me. Please do not keep thinking about the terrible thing that I did on the day that you left Jerusalem. Do not think about it any more.

20 Kamah ka tholh te na sal loh a ming. Tedae tihnin ah ka boei manghai doe hamla aka suntla Joseph imkhui pum khuiah lamhma la ka pawk coeng he,” a ti nah.

Because I know that I have sinned. Look, I have come today, the first one from the northern tribes to come here to greet you today, Your Majesty.”

21 Zeruiah capa Abishai loh a doo tih, “BOEIPA kah a koelh mai thae aka phoei thil dongah Shimei te duek boel mai saeh a he,” a ti nah.

But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said, “He cursed the one that Yahweh appointed [MTY] to be the king! So (should he not be executed for doing that?/he certainly should be executed for doing that.)” [RHQ]

22 David loh, “Nangmih Zeruiah koca rhoek neh kai he me tlam lae, tihnin ah kai ham Satan la na om uh. Tihnin ah Israel khuiah hlang ng'ngawn aya? Tihnin ah kai loh Israel ka manghai thil te ka ming moenih a?” a ti nah.

But David said, “You sons of Zeruiah, what am I going to do with you? (OR, you are not the ones who should decide [what to do to him]). [It is as though] you have become my enemies today. I know that I am the one who has now become the king of Israel, [so I say that] certainly no one [RHQ] in Israel should be executed today.”

23 Te phoeiah manghai loh Shimei te, “Na duek mahpawh,” a ti nah tih anih te manghai loh a toemngam thil.

Then the king said to Shimei, “I solemnly promise that I will not execute you.”

24 Saul capa Mephibosheth khaw manghai doe hamla suntla. Te vaengah a kho yuut pawh, a hmui khaw huih pawh. Manghai a caeh hnin lamloh sading la ha pawk hnin duela a himbai khaw suk pawh.

Then Miphibosheth, Saul’s grandson, came down [to the river] to greet the king. He had not washed his feet or trimmed his beard or washed his clothes, from the time that the king left Jerusalem until the day that he returned.

25 Te tlam te om tih manghai doe ham te Jerusalem a pha. Te vaengah anih te manghai loh, “Mephibosheth balae tih kamah taengah na pongpa pawh,” a ti nah.

When he arrived from Jerusalem to greet the king, the king said to him, “Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?”

26 Te dongah, “Ka boei manghai aw, ka sal loh kai m'phok. Na salpa long he, ‘Kamah ham laak ka khit saeh lamtah ka ngol eh. Te phoeiah na sal aka khaem he manghai taengla ka cet eh,’ a ti coeng.

He replied, “Your Majesty, [you know that] I am crippled. [When I heard that you were leaving Jerusalem, ] I said to my servant [Ziba], ‘Put a saddle on my donkey in order that I can ride on it and go with the king.’ But he deceived me [and left without me].

27 Tedae ka boei manghai taengah na sal te a thainawn thil. Ka boei manghai tah Pathen kah puencawn banghui ni. Na mikhmuh ah then na ti bangla n'saii nawn.

And he lied to you about me. But, Your Majesty, you are [as wise] as God’s angel. So do whatever seems right to you.

28 A pa kah a cako he boeih om voel pawh. Ka boei manghai taeng lamkah loh hlang duek la om uh coeng dae na sal te na caboei dongah buh caak puei ham na paek sak, manghai taengah koep ka pang ham akhaw kai hamla duengnah om pueng aya?” a ti nah.

All of my grandfather’s family expected/deserved that we would be executed. But [you did not execute me; ] you allowed me to eat food with you at your table! So I certainly do not have [RHQ] the right to request you for anything more.”

29 Te dongah anih te manghai loh, “Balae tih ol koep na thui, ‘Nang neh Ziba te khohmuen tael uh rhoi,’ ka ti,” a ti nah.

The king replied, “You certainly do not need to say any more. I have decided that you and Ziba will divide [equally] the land [that belonged to your grandfather Saul].”

30 Mephibosheth loh manghai taengah, “Boeih lo ngawn saeh, ka boei manghai loh sading la a im te a paan coeng atah,” a ti nah.

Mephibosheth replied to the king, “Your Majesty, [I am content that] you have returned safely. So allow him to take all the land.”

31 Giladi Barzillai khaw Rogelim lamkah suntla tih Jordan ngan, Jordan ngan ah thak hamla manghai te Jordan a kat puei.

Barzillai, the man from [the] Gilead [region], had come down to the Jordan [River] from [his town of] Rogelim, to escort the king across the river.

32 Barzillai tah kum sawmrhet lo coeng tih bahoeng patong ca coeng. Anih tah hlang len muep a om dongah manghai te Mahanaim ah a yalh vaengah anih loh a cangbam.

Barzillai was a very old man, 80 years old. He was a very wealthy man, and he had provided food for the king [and his soldiers] while they were at Mahanaim.

33 Te dongah manghai loh Barzillai te, “Nang tah kamah neh kat sih lamtah Jerusalem ah tah kamah taengah nang te kan cangbam bitni,” a ti nah.

The king said to Barzillai, “Come with me to Jerusalem, and I will take care of you.”

34 Barzillai loh manghai te, “Ka hingnah a kum khohnin meyet nim aka om tih Jerusalem manghai taengla ka caeh eh.

But Barzillai replied, “I certainly do not have [RHQ] many more years to live. So (why should I go with you to Jerusalem?/there is certainly no reason for me to go with you to Jerusalem.) [RHQ]

35 Tihnin ah kai kum sawmrhet aka lo ca long he a laklo ah a thae a then khaw ka ming aya? Ka caak, ka ok te na sal loh a tuep thai aya? Huta tongpa kah a hlo hlai ol te a yaak pueng aya? Balae tih na sal he ka boei manghai ham hnorhih la koep a om suidae.

I am now 80 years old. I do not [RHQ] know what is enjoyable and what is not enjoyable. I cannot [RHQ] enjoy what I eat and what I drink. I cannot [RHQ] hear the voices of men and women as they sing. So (why should I be another burden to you?/I do not want to be another burden to you.) [RHQ]

36 Na sal loh manghai te Jordan bet m'poeng puei bitni. Ba ham lae manghai loh he bang khoboe neh kai nan thuung aih eh.

I will cross the Jordan [River] with you and go a little further, and that will be all the reward that I need [for helping you].

37 Na sal he mael mai pawn saeh lamtah a nu a pa kah phuel kaep kamah kho ah ka duek mai eh. Na sal Khimham loh ka boei manghai te ng'kat puei saeh, anih te na mikhmuh ah then na ti bangla saii nawn,” a ti nah.

Then please allow me to return to my home, because that is where I want to die, near my parents’ grave. But here is [my son] Chimham. Your Majesty, allow him to go with you [and serve you], and do for him whatever seems good to you!”

38 Te dongah manghai loh, “Khimham loh kai n'kat puei saeh lamtah na mikhmuh ah a then la anih te ka khueh bitni. Nang ham na ngaih boeih te kamah lamkah loh ka saii bitni,” a ti nah.

The king replied, “Okay, he will cross [the river] with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you. And I will do for you whatever you want me to do.”

39 Pilnam loh Jordan te Jordan boeih a kat daengah ni manghai te a kat pueng. Manghai loh Barzillai te a mok tih yoethen a paek phoeiah amah hmuen la mael.

Then King David and all the others crossed the Jordan [River]. He kissed Barzillai and [asked God to] bless him. Then Barzillai returned to his home.

40 Manghai loh Gilgal poeng duela Khimham loh a caeh puei. Te vaengah Judah pilnam boeih neh Israel pilnam rhakthuem loh manghai a thak rhoela a thak uh.

[After they crossed the river, ] Chimham went with the king, and all the army of Judah and half the army of the other Israeli tribes escorted/accompanied the king to Gilgal.

41 Te vaengah Israel hlang boeih te manghai taengla pakcak pawk uh tih manghai taengah, “Balae mah manuca Judah hlang rhoek nang ng'liim tih manghai neh a imkhui khaw, David kah a hlang rhoek boeih te khaw, Jordan a poeng puei uh,” a ti uh.

Then all the soldiers from the other Israeli tribes came to the king and said, “(Why is it that our relatives, the men from Judah, took you away from us and wanted to be the only ones to escort you and your family across the river, along with all your men?/It is not right that our relatives, the men from Judah, took you away from us and wanted to be the only ones to escort you and your family across the river, along with all your men.) [RHQ] [Why did you not request us to do that]?” [RHQ]

42 Te vaengah Judah hlang boeih loh Israel hlang te, “Manghai he kaimih neh ka yoei uh ta, tedae balae tih he olka dongah nangmih taengah a lungoe, manghai taengkah te ka caak khaw ka caak uh nim, kamamih ham ka phueih khaw ka phueih uh nim?” a ti uh.

The soldiers from Judah replied, “We did it because the king is from Judah. So (why are you angry about that?/you should not be angry about that.) [RHQ] The king has never paid for our food, and he has never given us any gifts.”

43 Te dongah Israel hlang loh Judah hlang te a doo tih, “Kai neh manghai taengah ban parha om ta, nang lakah tah David khaw kamah ni. Balae tih kai nan hnaep, ka manghai mael puei ham he kamah taengah lamhma la ol ana om moenih,” a ti nah. Tedae Judah hlang kah a ol te Israel hlang kah ol lakah lalh.

The men of the other Israeli tribes replied, “[There are ten tribes in Israel, and only one in Judah. So] it is ten times more right for us to say that David [is our king] than it is for you to say that. So why are you despising us [RHQ]? We were certainly [RHQ] the first ones to talk about bringing David back [to Jerusalem to be our king again].” But the men of Judah spoke more harshly than the men from the other tribes of Israel did.