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.
Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil; but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.
3 Ekema nàyi fia la gbɔ eye nàgblɔ nu si magblɔ na wò be nàgblɔ la nɛ.”
Go in to the king and speak like this to 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!”
When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”
5 Fia la biae be, “Nu kae le fu ɖem na wò.” Eɖo eŋu be, “Ahosie menye, srɔ̃nye ku.
The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is 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.
Your servant had two sons; and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck 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.”
Behold, the whole family has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface 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.”
The king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning 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.”
The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, may the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and may 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!”
The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you 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 she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall 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, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” 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.
The woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring 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 die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be 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 have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. Your servant said, ‘I will now speak to 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 who 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 your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May Yahweh, your God, be with you.’”
18 Fia la gblɔ be, “Medi be manya nu ɖeka.” Nyɔnu la biae be, “Nye aƒetɔ, nu kae?”
Then the king answered the woman, “Please don’t hide anything from me that I ask you.” 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.
The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your servant.
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!”
Your servant Joab has done this thing to change the face of the matter. 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.”
The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, and 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!”
Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his 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!”
The king said, “Let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, and didn’t see 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 no one 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 defect 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.
When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year’s end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut 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.
Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a woman with a beautiful face.
28 Absalom nɔ Yerusalem ƒe eve eye mekpɔ fia la o.
Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and he didn’t see the king’s 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. Then 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 to his servants, “Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So 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 to his house, and said to him, “Why have 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.”
Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore, let me see the king’s face; and if there is 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.
