Samuel 2 14
1 Esi Aʋafia Yoab kpɔ be David di vevie be yeagakpɔ Absalom la,
Joab, son of Zeruiah, knew that the king kept on thinking about Absalom.
2 eɖo du ɖe nyɔnu nyanu aɖe si nɔ Tekoa. Esi nyɔnu la va la, Yoab gblɔ nɛ be, “Wɔ abe ɖe nèle konyi fam ene eye nàta funyivɔ. Mègavu ɖa o; wɔ ɖokuiwò abe nyɔnu si le fu nyim ɣeyiɣi didi aɖe ene.
So Joab sent a messenger to Tekoa to bring back a wise woman who lived there. He told her, “Pretend to be a mourner. Put on clothes for mourning, and don't use any scented oils. Be like a woman who has been in mourning for the dead a long time.
3 Ekema nàyi fia la gbɔ eye nàgblɔ nu si magblɔ na wò be nàgblɔ la nɛ.”
Then go to the king and tell him this.” Joab told her what to say.
4 Esi nyɔnu la ɖo fia la gbɔ la, emlɔ anyigba, tsyɔ mo anyi le fia la ŋkume eye wòdo ɣli be, “Oo, fia, nyo nam!”
When the woman from Tekoa went to see the king, she bowed facedown to the ground in respect, and said, “Please help me, Your Majesty!”
5 Fia la biae be, “Nu kae le fu ɖem na wò.” Eɖo eŋu be, “Ahosie menye, srɔ̃nye ku.
“What's the matter?” the king asked her. “Sadly I'm a widow. My husband is dead,” she replied.
6 Viŋutsu eve nɔ nye, wò dɔla si. Wowɔ avu kple wo nɔewo le gbedzi; ame aɖeke menɔ afi ma alé avu wo o. Ale ɖeka wu nɔvia.
“Your Majesty, I had two sons. They had a fight outside, and there was nobody there to stop them. One of them hit the other, and killed him.
7 Azɔ la, ƒometɔ mamlɛawo le biabiam be maɖe asi le esi wu nɔvia la ŋu ne woawu eya hã le ale si wòwu nɔvia la ta. Ne mewɔ woƒe gbe dzi la, viŋutsu aɖeke maganɔ asinye o, ekema srɔ̃nye ƒe ŋkɔ abu le anyigba dzi.”
Now the whole family is against me. They're saying, ‘Hand over your son who killed his brother so we can put him to death for murdering his brother. That way he won't inherit anything either!’ By doing this they would snuff out the last ember of hope I have to carry on my husband's name and family in the world.”
8 Fia la gblɔ nɛ be, “Gblẽ nya sia ɖe nye asi me; makpɔ egbɔ be ame aɖeke maka asi viwò ŋutsu la ŋu o.”
“Go on home,” the king told the woman, “and I myself will make sure your case is dealt with for you.”
9 Tekoa nyɔnu la gblɔ nɛ be, “Oo, nye aƒetɔ, meda akpe na wò; ne woaxa wò be nèkpe ɖe ŋunye alea la, maxɔ nya la ɖe ɖokuinye dzi.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” said the woman. “I and my family will take the blame, and may Your Majesty and your family be held to be innocent.”
10 Fia la yi edzi be, “Mègatsi dzi le akpa ma ŋu o. Ne ame aɖe melɔ̃ ɖe edzi o la, kplɔe vɛ nam. Meka ɖe edzi na wò be magagblɔ nya aɖeke o!”
“If anyone complains to you about it, bring him here to me, and he won't bother you again!” the king told her.
11 Nyɔnu la gblɔ na David be, “Meɖe kuku, tsɔ Yehowa, wò Mawu, ka atam nam be, yemaɖe mɔ ame aɖeke nawɔ nuvevi vinye la o. Nyemedi be woagakɔ ʋu bubu aɖeke ɖi o.” David ɖo eŋu be, “Metsɔ Yehowa ka atam na wò bena ame aɖeke manyɔ viwò la ƒe taɖa ɖeka pɛ gɔ̃ hã o!”
“Please, Your Majesty,” the woman continued, “swear by the Lord your God that you will stop the person wanting to avenge the murder from making it worse by killing my son!” “As the Lord lives,” he promised, “not a single hair from your son's head will fall to the ground.”
12 Nyɔnu la yi edzi be “Meɖe kuku, na magabia nu ɖeka wò, nye aƒetɔ fia la!” David gblɔ nɛ be, “Bia faa!”
“Could I please ask for one other thing, Your Majesty?” the woman asked. “Go ahead,” he replied.
13 Nyɔnu la gblɔ be, “Ekema nu ka ta nèɖo nu sia tsitre ɖe Mawu ƒe amewo ŋuti? Elabena le nyametsotso si nèna nu la, fia la bu fɔ eɖokui le esime megbugbɔ via si wònya de gbe la va aƒee o.
“So why have you schemed in a similar way against the people of God?” the woman asked. “Since Your Majesty just decided my case by what you said, haven't you convicted yourself because you refuse to bring back the son you banished?
14 Mí katã míele kuku ge, mlɔeba la míaƒe agbe le abe tsi si wotrɔ kɔ ɖe anyigba ene, womagate ŋu aklui o. Ke Mawu ayra wò kple agbe didi wu, ne àto mɔ aɖe nu ana viwò Absalom nagbɔ va aƒe.
Yes, we all have to die. We're like water spilled on the ground that can't be collected again. But that's not what God does. Instead he works out ways for anyone who is banished to come back home to him.
15 “Eya ta meva be magblɔ nya sia na nye aƒetɔ, fia la elabena ameawo le vɔvɔ̃ dom nam. Wò subɔla bu be, ‘Maƒo nu kple fia la kpɔ; ɖewohĩ awɔ nu si eƒe subɔla la abia.
That's why I've come to explain this to Your Majesty, because someone has frightened me. So I thought to myself, I will go and speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant my request.
16 Ɖewohĩ fia la alɔ̃ be yeaɖe eƒe subɔla tso ame si le didim be yeana be nye kple vinye míaxɔ domenyinu si Mawu na mí o la si me.’
Perhaps the king will listen and save me from the man who would cut off both me and my son from God's chosen people.
17 “Ɛ̃, fia la agana eƒe asimeŋutifafa mí. Menya be èle abe mawudɔla ene eye ètea ŋu dzea si nyui tso vɔ̃ gbɔ. Yehowa, wò Mawu, nanɔ kpli wò.”
I thought: May what Your Majesty says bring me peace, for Your Majesty is able to tell the difference between good and evil, just like an angel of God. May the Lord your God be with you!”
18 Fia la gblɔ be, “Medi be manya nu ɖeka.” Nyɔnu la biae be, “Nye aƒetɔ, nu kae?”
“Please don't refuse to answer the question I'm about to ask,” the king said to the woman. “Please ask your question, Your Majesty,” she replied.
19 Fia la yi edzi be, “Yoab ye nye ame si dɔ wò ɖe afi sia?” Nyɔnu la ɖo eŋu be, “Nye aƒetɔ fia, aleke mate ŋu agblɔ be menye eyae o? Ɛ̃, Yoab ye dɔm ɖa eye wògblɔ nu si magblɔ na wò la nam.
“Is all this Joab's doing?” the king asked. The woman replied, “As you live, Your Majesty, no one can hide anything from you. Yes, it was Joab, your officer, who ordered me to do this—he told me exactly what to say.
20 Ewɔ nu sia, ale be yeatsɔ nya la aɖo wò ŋkume to mɔ bubu dzi. Ke wò nye aƒetɔ, ènyaa nu abe mawudɔla ene eye nènya nu sia nu si dzɔna!”
He did so to show the other side of the situation, but Your Majesty is as wise as an angel of God, and you know everything that happens in this country.”
21 Ale David yɔ Yoab eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Enyo, yi nàkplɔ Absalom vɛ.”
The king said to Joab, “Fine, I'll do it. Go and bring young Absalom back.”
22 Yoab mlɔ anyigba le fia la ŋkume eye wòyra fia la hegblɔ be, “Nye aƒetɔ fia, egbe nye wò dɔla medze sii mlɔeba be èlɔ̃m elabena èlɔ̃ ɖe nu si mebia wò la dzi!”
Joab bowed down with his face to the ground in respect, and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “I, your servant, know that you approve of me, Your Majesty, because you have granted my request.”
23 Ale Yoab yi Gesur eye wòkplɔ Absalom gbɔ va Yerusalem.
Joab went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
24 Fia David de se be, “Absalom ate ŋu ayi eya ŋutɔ ƒe nɔƒe le fiasã sia me gake mekpɔ mɔ ado ɖe nye ŋkume le afi sia gbeɖe o. Nyemedi be makpɔe kura o!”
But the king gave this order, “He may return to his home, but he's not to come and see me.” So Absalom returned to his own home, but he didn't go and see the king.
25 Ame aɖeke medze ɖeka le Israelnyigba dzi abe Absalom ene o eye womekafua ame bubu aɖeke hã nenema abe eya ene o.
Absalom was admired as the most handsome man in the whole of Israel. He didn't have a single blemish from head to toe.
26 Ekoa eƒe taɖa zi ɖeka pɛ ko le ƒe blibo ɖeka me. Nu si ta ko wòkonɛ zi ɖeka ma hãe nye be taɖa la tona ʋutuu, eye ne edae la ekpena kilogram etɔ̃ sɔŋ eye wòkpena le ta nɛ akpa.
He cut his hair every year because it got so heavy—it weighed two hundred royal shekels.
27 Viŋutsu etɔ̃ kple vinyɔnu ɖeka, Tamar, ame si dze tugbe ŋutɔ la nɔ Absalom si.
He had three sons, and a daughter named Tamar—a very beautiful woman.
28 Absalom nɔ Yerusalem ƒe eve eye mekpɔ fia la o.
Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years but was not permitted to see the king.
29 Eɖo du ɖe Yoab be wòava aɖe kuku na ye fofo na ye gake Yoab gbe meyi o. Absalom gaɖo du ɖee zi evelia eye wògagbe yiyi.
Absalom called Joab to arrange for him to see the king, for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come. Absalom called Joab again, but Joab still wouldn't come.
30 Ale Absalom ɖe gbe na eƒe subɔlawo be, “Miyi miatɔ dzo Yoab ƒe lugble si le tɔnye xa” eye woyi ɖatɔ dzoe.
So Absalom told his servants, “Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley growing there. Go and set it on fire!” Absalom's servants went and set the field on fire.
31 Yoab yi Absalom gbɔ eye wòbiae be, “Nu ka ta wò subɔlawo tɔ dzo nye lugble ɖo?”
Joab went to Absalom's house and asked “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
32 Absalom ɖo eŋu be, “Elabena medi be nàbia fia la nam be, nu ka ta wòkplɔm gbɔe tso Gesur ne medi be yeakpɔm o? Anye ne manɔ afi ma hafi. Na maƒo nu kple fia la eye ne ekpɔ be mewu ame la, wòawum.”
“Look here,” said Absalom, “I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here. I want you to go to the king and ask: Why did I bother coming back from Geshur? It would have been better for me to stay there.’ So go and arrange for me to see the king, and if I'm guilty of anything, he can kill me.”
33 Yoab gblɔ nya si Absalom gblɔ la na fia la eye David yɔ Absalom mlɔeba. Eva, de ta agu na fia la eye wòkpla asi kɔ nɛ.
So Joab went and told the king what Absalom had said. Then David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed down with his face to the ground before him in respect. Then the king kissed Absalom.
