< 2 Samuel 14 >
1 And Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
Yoabu mwana wa Seruya akatambua kwamba moyo wa mfalme ulitamani kumwona Absalomu.
2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said to her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments, I pray, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead;
Hivyo Yoabu akatuma neno huko Tekoa kumleta kwake mwanamke mwelevu. Akamwambia, “Tafadhari, vaa mavazi ya uombolezaji ujifanye kuwa mwombolezaji. Usijipake mafuta, lakini uwe kama mwanamke ambaye ameomboleza kwa muda mrefu kwa ajili yake aliyekufa.
3 and come to the king, and speak after this manner to him. And Joab put the words into her mouth.
Kisha ingia kwa mfalme na umwambiye maneno nitakayokueleza.” Hivyo Yoabu akamwambia maneno ambayo angeyasema kwa mfalme.
4 And the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, and she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Save, O king!
Wakati mwanamke kutoka Tekoa alipoongea na mfalme, aliinamisha uso wake chini na kusema,
5 And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.
“Mfalme, anisaidie.” Mfalme akamwambia, “Shida yako ni nini?” Akajibu, Ukweli ni kwamba mimi ni mjane, mme wangu alikufa.
6 And thy bondmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other and slew him.
Mimi, mtumishi wako, nilikuwa na wana wawili, wakagombana shambani, na hakukuwa na wa kuwaachanisha. Mmoja wao akampiga mwenziwe na kumwua.
7 And behold, the whole family is risen against thy bondmaid, and they say, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may put him to death, for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also: so they will quench my coal which is left, and will not leave to my husband a name or remnant on the earth.
Na sasa ukoo wote umeinuka juu ya mtumishi wako, wanasema, 'Mtoe aliyempiga nduguye, ili tumwue kulipe uhai wa nduguye aliyeuawa.' Na hivyo watamwangamiza mrithi. Hivyo watalizima kaa liwakalo nililobakiwa, hata kumwondolea mme wangu jina na mzao juu ya uso wa nchi.”
8 And the king said to the woman, Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
Hivyo mfalme akamwambia mwanamke, “Nenda nyumbani kwako, nami nitaagiza jambo la kukufanyia.”
9 And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, Upon me, my lord, O king, be the iniquity, and upon my father's house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.
Mwanamke kutoka Tekoa akamjibu mfalme, “Bwana wangu mfalme, hatia na iwe juu yangu na juu ya familia ya baba yangu. Mfalme na kiti chake cha enzi hawana hatia.”
10 And the king said, Whoever speaks to thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
Mfalme akasema, “Yeyote atakayekwambia neno umlete kwangu, naye hatakugusa tena.”
11 Then she said, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they cut off my son. And he said, [As] Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
Kisha mwanamke akasema, “Tafadhari mfalme amkumbuke Yahwe Mungu wake, ili kwamba mlipa kisasi cha damu asiaribu zaidi, ili kwamba wasimwangamize mwanangu.” Mfalme akajibu, “Kama Mungu aishivyo, hakuna hata unywele mmoja wa mwanao utaanguka chini.”
12 And the woman said, Let thy bondmaid, I pray thee, speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Speak.
Kisha mwanamke akasema, “Tafadhari acha mtumishi wako anene neno moja zaidi kwa bwana wangu mfalme.” Akasema, “Sema.”
13 And the woman said, Why then hast thou thought such a thing against God's people? and the king in saying this thing, is as one guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.
Hivyo mwanamke akasema, “Kwa nini basi umetenda kwa hila dhidi ya watu Mungu? Maana kwa kusema hivi, mfalme ni kama mtu mwenye hatia, kwa kuwa mfalme hamjamrudisha tena mwanaye aliyeondoka.
14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; and God has not taken away his life, but devises means that the banished one be not expelled from him.
Kwa maana sisi sote tutakufa, kwa kuwa tu kama maji yamwagwayo juu ya ardhi na kwamba hayawezi kukusanywa tena. Lakini Mungu hatachukua uhai; badala yake, utafuta njia kwa walio mbali kurejeshwa.
15 And now that I am come to speak of this thing to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid; and thy bondmaid said, I will now speak to the king; perhaps the king will perform the request of his handmaid.
Sasa basi, nimesema jambo hili kwa bwana wangu mfalme, kwa sababu watu wamenitisha. Hivyo mtumishi wako akajinenea nafsini mwake, 'Sasa nitaongea na mfalme. Huenda mfalme akampa mtumishi wake haja yake.
16 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.
Kwa maana mfalme atanisikiliza, ili kwamba kumtoa mtumishi wake katika mikono ya mtu ambaye angeniangamiza mimi na mwanangu pamoja, tutoke katika urithi wa Mungu.
17 And thy bondmaid said, Let the word of my lord the king now be comfortable; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad; and Jehovah thy God will be with thee.
Kisha mtumishi wako akaomba, 'Yahwe, tafadhari ruhusu neno la bwana wangu mfalme linipe msaada, kwa maana bwana wangu mfalme ni kama malaika wa Mungu kwa kutofautisha wema na ubaya.' Yahwe, Mungu na awe pamoja nawe.”
18 And the king answered and said to the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.
Ndipo mfalme akajibu na kumwambia yule mwanamke, Tafadhari usinifiche neno lolote nikuulizalo.” Mwanamke akajibu, “Basi bwana wangu mfalme na aseme sasa.
19 And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, [As] thy soul liveth, my lord, O king, there is no turning to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king has spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words into the mouth of thy bondmaid:
Mfalme akasema, Je siyo mkono wa Yoabu ulio pamoja nawe katika haya yote? Mwanamke akajibu na kusema, “Kama uishivyo bwana wangu mfalme, hakuna awezae kuelekea mkono wa kulia wala wa kushoto kwa yale bwana wangu mfalme aliyosema. Ni mtumishi wako Yoabu aliyeniambia na kuniagiza kusema kile mtumishi wako alichokisema.
20 in order to turn the appearance of the thing has thy servant Joab done this thing; but my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.
Mtumishi wako Yoabu amefanya hivi ili kubadilisha hali ya kile kinachotendeka. Bwana wangu ni mwenye akili kama hekima ya malaika wa Mungu, ajuaye yote yatendekayo ndani ya nchi.”
21 And the king said to Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: so go, bring back the young man Absalom.
Hivyo mfalme akamwambia Yoabu, “Tazama, nitatenda jambo hili. Nenda na umrudishe huyo kijana Absalomu.”
22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and blessed the king; and Joab said, To-day thy servant knows that I have found favour in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.
HivyoYoabu akainamisha uso wake chini juu ya ardhi katika heshima na shukurani kwa mfalme. Yoabu akasema, “Mtumishi wako amejua kwamba amepata neema mbele zako, bwana wangu, mfalme, kwa vile mfalme amempa mtumishi wake haja ya moyo wake.
23 And Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
Hivyo Yoabu akainuka na kwenda Geshuri, akamrejesha Absalomu Yerusalemu tena.
24 And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. And Absalom withdrew to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
Mfalme akasema, “Na arudi nyumbani kwake, lakini hasinione uso wangu.” Hivyo Absalomu akarudi katika nyumba yake mwenyewe, na hakuweza kuuona uso wa mfalme.
25 But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
Hakukuwa na mtu katika Israeli aliyesifiwa kwa uzuri kama Absalomu. Kutoka katika wayo wa mguu wake hadi katika utosi wake hakuwa na waa lolote.
26 And when he shaved his head (for it was at every year's end that he shaved it, because it was heavy on him, therefore he shaved it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.
Alipokata nywele za kichwa chake mwishoni mwa kila mwaka, kwa sababu zilikuwa nzito juu yake, alipima nywele zake zaidi ya shekeli mia mbili, kwa kiwango cha kipimo cha mfalme.
27 And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a beautiful countenance.
Kwake Absalomu walizaliwa wana watatu na binti mmoja, jina lake Tamari. Alikuwa mwanamke mzuri.
28 So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king's face.
Absalomu akaishi Yerusalem miaka miwili pasipo kuona uso wa mfalme.
29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him; and he sent again the second time, but he would not come.
Kisha Absalome akatuma neno kwa Yoabu ili ampeleke kwa mfalme, lakini Yoabu hakwenda kwake. Hivyo Absalomu akatuma neno mara ya pili, lakini Yoabu hakuja bado.
30 Then he said to his servants, See, Joab's allotment is near mine and he has barley there: go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the allotment on fire.
Hivyo Absalomu akawambia watumishi wake, “Tazameni, shamba la Yoabu lipo karibu na langu, naye ana shayiri kule. Nendeni mkalichome moto” Hivyo watumishi wa Absalome wakalichoma moto lile shamba.
31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to [his] house, and said to him, Why have thy servants set my allotment on fire?
Kisha Yoabu akainuka na kwenda nyumbani kwa Absalomu akamwambia, “Kwa nini watumishi wako wamelichoma moto shamba langu?
32 And Absalom said to Joab, Behold, I sent to thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Why am I come from Geshur? it would have been better for me to be there still. And now let me see the king's face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him slay me.
Absalomu akamjibu Yoabu, “Tazama nilituma neno kwako kusema, 'Njoo ili nikutume kwa mfalme kusema, “Kwa nini nilikuja kutoka Geshuri? Ingekuwa heri kwangu kama ningesalia huko. Kwa hiyo sasa niache niuone uso wa mfalme na kama nina hatia basi na aniue.”
33 And Joab came to the king, and told him. And he called Absalom, and he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.
Hivyo Yoabu akaenda kwa mfalme na kumwambia. Mfalme alipomwita, Absalomu alikuja kwa mfalme na akainama hadi juu ya uso nchi mbele ya mfalme na mfalme akambusu Absalomu.