< 2 Samuel 14 >
1 And when now Joab the son of Zeruyah perceived that the heart of the king was [turned] toward Abshalom:
Yoabu mwana wa Seruya akatambua kwamba moyo wa mfalme ulitamani kumwona Absalomu.
2 Then sent Joab to Tekoa', and he fetched thence a wise woman, and said to her, Feign. I pray thee, as though thou mournest, and do put on mourning garments, and anoint thyself not with oil; but be as a woman that hath these many days been mourning 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 thou must come to the king and speak with him after these words: 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 from Tekoa' spoke to the king, and fell on her face to the ground, and bowed herself, and said, Help, O king!
Wakati mwanamke kutoka Tekoa alipoongea na mfalme, aliinamisha uso wake chini na kusema,
5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she said, Truly, I am a widow-woman; since 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 hand-maid had two sons, and they two quarreled together in the field, and there was no one between them to help [either]; so 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 up against thy handmaid, and they said, Give up the slayer of his brother, that we may have him put to death, for the life of his brother whom he hath killed; and we will destroy also the heir: and thus they will quench my coal which is remaining, so as not to allow to my husband either name or remainder upon the face of 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 unto the woman, Go to thy house, and I will issue [my] charge concerning thee.
Hivyo mfalme akamwambia mwanamke, “Nenda nyumbani kwako, nami nitaagiza jambo la kukufanyia.”
9 Then said the woman of Tekoa unto the king, On me, my Lord, O king, be the iniquity, and on my father's house: and may 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, Whosoever speaketh aught unto 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 said she, Let the king, I pray thee, remember the Lord thy God, so as not to suffer the avenger of the blood to cause yet more destruction, and that they may not destroy my son. And he said, As the Lord liveth, there shall not fall one hair of thy son 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 Then said the woman, Let thy hand-maid, I pray thee, speak unto my Lord the king one word. And he said, Speak on.
Kisha mwanamke akasema, “Tafadhari acha mtumishi wako anene neno moja zaidi kwa bwana wangu mfalme.” Akasema, “Sema.”
13 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? and since the king doth speak this thing, he is as a guilty man, if the king do not permit his banished one to return home.
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 which is spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; and yet doth God not take away life; and he deviseth thoughts, so that the banished one may not remain banished 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 unto my Lord the king of this thing, [happened] because the people made me afraid; and therefore thy hand-maid said, I will still speak unto the king; perhaps the king may act [in accordance with] the word of his hand-maid.
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 may hear [me], to deliver his hand-maid out of the hand of the man [that desireth] to exterminate 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 hand-maid said, May the word of my Lord the king now become [the means of giving] repose; for as an angel of God, so is my Lord the king to comprehend the good and the bad: and may the Lord thy God 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 Then answered the king and said unto the woman, Conceal not, I pray thee, from me a word concerning what I am going to ask thee. And the woman said, Let my Lord the king but 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 not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my Lord, O king! none can turn to the right or to the left from all that my Lord the king hath spoken; for it was thy servant Joab who hath bidden me, and it was he that hath put in the mouth of thy hand-maid all these words.
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 change the appearance of the matter hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my Lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all that is [done] on 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 unto Joab, Behold, now, thou hast done this thing: go then, bring back the young man Abshalom.
Hivyo mfalme akamwambia Yoabu, “Tazama, nitatenda jambo hili. Nenda na umrudishe huyo kijana Absalomu.”
22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself, and blessed the king: and Joab said, Today is thy servant convinced that I have found grace in thy eyes, my Lord, O king; since the king hath acted in accordance with the word of thy 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 Abshalom to Jerusalem.
Hivyo Yoabu akainuka na kwenda Geshuri, akamrejesha Absalomu Yerusalemu tena.
24 And the king said, Let him repair to his own house, but my face he shall not see. So Abshalom repaired to his own house, but the king's face he did not see.
Mfalme akasema, “Na arudi nyumbani kwake, lakini hasinione uso wangu.” Hivyo Absalomu akarudi katika nyumba yake mwenyewe, na hakuweza kuuona uso wa mfalme.
25 And like Abshalom there was no man as handsome in all Israel, so that he was greatly praised: from the sole of his foot up to the crown of his head there was no blemish on 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 off [the hair of] his head [and it was at the end of every year that he shaved it off; because it was too heavy on him, so that he had to shave it off: ] he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels by 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 there was born unto Abshalom three sons and one daughter, whose name was Thamar: this one was a woman of handsome appearance.
Kwake Absalomu walizaliwa wana watatu na binti mmoja, jina lake Tamari. Alikuwa mwanamke mzuri.
28 And Abshalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and the king's face he did not see.
Absalomu akaishi Yerusalem miaka miwili pasipo kuona uso wa mfalme.
29 Abshalom sent out therefore 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 He thereupon said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is alongside of mine, and he hath barley there: go and set it on fire. And Abshalom's servants set the field 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 did Joab arise, and he went to Abshalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set the field belonging to me on fire?
Kisha Yoabu akainuka na kwenda nyumbani kwa Absalomu akamwambia, “Kwa nini watumishi wako wamelichoma moto shamba langu?
32 And Abshalom said to Joab, Behold, I had sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it would be better for me were I yet there: and now let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him put me to death.
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 So Joab went to the king, and told it to him: and he called for Abshalom, who came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Abshalom.
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.