Samuel 2 14

1 Esi Aʋafia Yoab kpɔ be David di vevie be yeagakpɔ Absalom la,

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward 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.

And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her: 'I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead;

3 Ekema nàyi fia la gbɔ eye nàgblɔ nu si magblɔ na wò be nàgblɔ la nɛ.”

and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him.' So Joab put the words in her mouth.

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!”

And when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and prostrated herself, and said: 'Help, O king.'

5 Fia la biae be, “Nu kae le fu ɖem na wò.” Eɖo eŋu be, “Ahosie menye, srɔ̃nye ku.

And the king said unto her: 'What aileth thee?' And she answered: 'Of a truth I am a widow, my husband being dead.

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.

And thy handmaid 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 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.”

And, behold, the whole family is risen against thy handmaid, and they said: Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew, and so destroy the heir also. Thus will they quench my coal which is left, and will leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the face of the earth.'

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.”

And the king said unto the woman: 'Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.'

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.”

And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king: 'My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.'

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!”

And the king said: 'Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.'

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!”

Then said she: 'I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.' And he said: 'As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.'

12 Nyɔnu la yi edzi be “Meɖe kuku, na magabia nu ɖeka wò, nye aƒetɔ fia la!” David gblɔ nɛ be, “Bia faa!”

Then the woman said: 'Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king.' And he said: 'Say on.'

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.

And the woman said: 'Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one that is guilty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one.

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.

For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person; but let him devise means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from 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.

Now therefore seeing that I am come to speak this word unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid; and thy handmaid said: I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.

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.’

For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

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.”

Then thy handmaid said: Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be for my comfort; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad; and the LORD thy God be with thee.'

18 Fia la gblɔ be, “Medi be manya nu ɖeka.” Nyɔnu la biae be, “Nye aƒetɔ, nu kae?”

Then the king answered and said unto the woman: 'Hide not from me, I pray thee, aught that I shall ask thee.' And the woman said: 'Let my lord the king now speak.'

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.

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 the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid;

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!”

to change the face 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 things that are in the earth.'

21 Ale David yɔ Yoab eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Enyo, yi nàkplɔ Absalom vɛ.”

And the king said unto Joab: 'Behold now, I have granted this request; go therefore, bring the young man 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!”

And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and prostrated himself, and blessed the king; and Joab said: 'To-day thy servant knoweth that I have found favour in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath performed the request of thy servant.'

23 Ale Yoab yi Gesur eye wòkplɔ Absalom gbɔ va Yerusalem.

So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom 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!”

And the king said: 'Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face.' So Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.

25 Ame aɖeke medze ɖeka le Israelnyigba dzi abe Absalom ene o eye womekafua ame bubu aɖeke hã nenema abe eya ene o.

Now 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.

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.

And when he polled his head — now it was at every year's end that he polled it; because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it — he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king's weight.

27 Viŋutsu etɔ̃ kple vinyɔnu ɖeka, Tamar, ame si dze tugbe ŋutɔ la nɔ Absalom si.

And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of a fair countenance.

28 Absalom nɔ Yerusalem ƒe eve eye mekpɔ fia la o.

And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem; and he saw not the kings face.

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.

Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him; and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

30 Ale Absalom ɖe gbe na eƒe subɔlawo be, “Miyi miatɔ dzo Yoab ƒe lugble si le tɔnye xa” eye woyi ɖatɔ dzoe.

Therefore he said unto his servants: 'See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire.' And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

31 Yoab yi Absalom gbɔ eye wòbiae be, “Nu ka ta wò subɔlawo tɔ dzo nye lugble ɖo?”

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him: 'Wherefore have thy 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.”

And Absalom answered Joab: 'Behold, I sent unto thee, saying: Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say: Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it were better for me to be there still; now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him 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 came to the king, and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.