< Samuel 2 15 >
1 Emegbe la, Absalom ƒle tasiaɖam nyui aɖe kple sɔwo eye wòdi ame blaatɔ̃ siwo anɔ du ƒum le eŋgɔ.
Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.
2 Efɔna kaba ŋdi sia ŋdi, yia dua ƒe agbonu eye ne ame aɖe tsɔ nya aɖe gbɔna be fia nadrɔ̃ na ye la, Absalom yɔnɛ eye wòbianɛ be, “Du ka me nètso?” Ne ame la ɖo eŋu be “Wò dɔla tso Israel toawo dometɔ ɖeka me la,”
He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out and ask, “What city are you from?” And if he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,”
3 Absalom gblɔna be, “Mekpɔ be wò nya dzɔ; evem ŋutɔ be ame aɖeke mele Fia la ŋu si akpe ɖe eŋu le nya siawo dɔdrɔ̃ me o.”
Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.”
4 Absalom gagblɔna be, “Nyee anye ʋɔnudrɔ̃la la hafi, ekema ame sia ame ate ŋu atsɔ eƒe ʋɔnunya vɛ nam eye madrɔ̃ nya dzɔdzɔe nɛ!”
And he would add, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then everyone with a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice.”
5 Ne ame aɖe va be yeade ta agu nɛ la, melɔ̃na o, ke boŋ enaa asii eye wòkplaa asi kɔ nɛ boŋ.
Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.
6 Absalom to mɔ sia dzi eye wòna Israelviwo katã tsɔ lɔlɔ̃ tɔxɛ nɛ.
Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for justice. In this way he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 Le ƒe enelia ƒe nuwuwu la, Absalom gblɔ na Fia la be, “Na mayi Hebron eye maxe adzɔgbe aɖe si meɖe na Yehowa.
After four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD.
8 Esi wò subɔla nɔ Gesur le Aram la, meɖe adzɔgbe be, ‘Ne Yehowa akplɔm maɖo Yerusalem la, masubɔ Yehowa le Hebron.’”
For your servant made a vow while dwelling in Geshur of Aram, saying: ‘If indeed the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.’”
9 Fia la gblɔ nɛ be, “Enyo; yi nàsa vɔ la le adzɔgbe si nèɖe la nu.” Ale Absalom yi Hebron.
“Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom got up and went to Hebron.
10 Ke esi wònɔ afi ma la, eɖo ŋkutsalawo ɖe Israel ƒe to ɖe sia ɖe me be woagblɔ na amewo be; “Ne miese kpẽwo ƒe ɖiɖi ko la, mianya be wotsɔ Absalom ɖo fiae le Hebron.”
Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’”
11 Absalom kplɔ ame alafa eve ɖe asi tso Yerusalem abe eƒe amedzrowo ene ke womenya naneke tso eƒe tameɖoɖowo ŋu o.
Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter.
12 Esi wònɔ vɔ sam la, eɖo du ɖe Ahitofel, ame si nye David ƒe aɖaŋuɖolawo dometɔ ɖeka si nɔ Giloh. Ahitofel va de Absalom dzi abe ale si ame geɖewo wɔ ene, ale Absalom ƒe babla ɖe David ŋu nu sẽ ŋutɔ.
While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.
13 Le ɣeyiɣi kpui aɖe megbe la, ame aɖe va ɖo Yerusalem eye wògblɔ na Fia David be, “Israelviwo katã de Absalom dzi eye wobla ɖe ŋuwò!”
Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”
14 David gblɔ na eƒe amewo enumake be, “Ekema mina míasi enumake hafi sisi magava nɔ mía ŋu o. Ne míesi dzo le dua me hafi Absalom va ɖo la, ekema míawo kple Yerusalem du la siaa míakpɔ ɖeɖe.”
And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! We must leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and put the city to the sword.”
15 Eŋumewo ka ɖe edzi nɛ be, “Míeli kpli wò; wɔ nu si nyo na wò, míaƒe aƒetɔ fia.”
The king’s servants replied, “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are your servants.”
16 Ale David kple eƒe aƒemetɔwo dze mɔ enumake; eƒe ahiãvi ewo ko wògble ɖi be woanɔ fiasã la dzi kpɔm.
Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.
17 Ale fia la dze mɔ, eƒe amewo katã dze eyome eye wotɔ ɖe dua godo.
So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house,
18 Eƒe amewo kple Keretitɔwo kple Peletitɔwo kple Gititɔ alafa adeawo, ame siwo dze eyome tso Gat la va to eŋu eye wozɔ le fia la ŋgɔ.
and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.
19 Fia la gblɔ na Itai, Gititɔ la be, “Nu ka ta nànɔ mía dome? Trɔ nàyi aɖanɔ Absalom ŋu. Amedzroe nènye, ame si si dzo le mia de.
Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.
20 Etsɔ ko nèva! Egbe la, ɖe mana nàtsa tsaglalã kpli mí, le esime nyemenya afi si yim nye ŋutɔ mele oa? Trɔ kple wò amewo. Amenuveve kple nuteƒewɔwɔ nanɔ kpli mi.”
In fact, you arrived only yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I do not know where I am going? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness.”
21 Ke Itai ɖo eŋu be, “Metsɔ Yehowa kple wò ŋutɔ wò agbe ka atam be afi sia afi si nàyi la, nye hã mayi; nya sia nya nedzɔ, nenye agbee hã, kue hã!”
But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!”
22 David ɖo eŋu be, “Enyo, miva míyi.” Ale Itai kple eƒe ame alafa adeawo kple woƒe aƒemetɔwo yi kpli wo.
“March on then,” said David to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.
23 Ame sia ame lé blanui le dua me esime fia la kple eƒe amewo va yina. Wotso Kidron tɔʋu la eye woɖo ta gbegbe la.
Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly as all the people passed by. And as the king crossed the Kidron Valley, all the people also passed toward the way of the wilderness.
24 Abiata kple Zadok kple Levitɔwo kɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la eye wodae ɖe mɔto va se ɖe esime ame sia ame va yi vɔ.
Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until the people had passed out of the city.
25 Fia la gblɔ na Zadok be, “Gbugbɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la yi dua me. Ne mekpɔ amenuveve le Yehowa ŋkume la, Yehowa ana magagbɔ ava kpɔe kple eƒe nɔƒe.
Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His dwelling place again.
26 Ke ne egblɔ be, ‘Nyemekpɔ ŋudzedze le ŋuwò o’ la, ekema mele klalo; newɔ nu sia nu si dze eŋu lam.”
But if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.”
27 Fia la gblɔ na Zadok be, “Kpɔ ɖa, medi be nàtrɔ le ŋutifafa me ayi dua me kple viwò Ahimaaz kple Abiata ƒe vi, Yonatan.
The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace—you with your son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar with his son Jonathan.
28 Matɔ ɖe Yɔdan tɔsisi la ƒe tɔtsoƒe va se ɖe esime mese nya aɖe tso gbɔwò. Na manya nu si le dzɔdzɔm le Yerusalem hafi mabu ɖe gbegbe la.”
See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
29 Ale Zadok kple Abiata gbugbɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la yi dua me eye wotsi afi ma.
So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 David zɔ mɔ si ɖo ta Amito la dzi henɔ avi fam. Etsyɔ nu ta eye wòɖe afɔ ƒuƒlu abe konyifafa ƒe dzesi ene. Eŋumewo hã tsyɔ nu ta henɔ avi fam le esime wonɔ to la liam.
But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
31 Esime ame aɖe gblɔ na David be eƒe aɖaŋuɖola Ahitofel dze Absalom yome la, David do gbe ɖa be, “Oo, Yehowa, meɖe kuku, na Ahitofel naɖo aɖaŋu gbegblẽ na Absalom!”
Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
32 Esi woɖo teƒe si le toa tame, afi si amewo subɔa Mawu le la, David kpɔ Husai, Arkitɔ la, wònɔ elalam; eƒe awuwo vuvu le eŋu eye ke nɔ tame nɛ.
When David came to the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.
33 David gblɔ nɛ be, “Ne èdze yonyeme la, agba ko nànye nam.
David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.
34 Ke ne ètrɔ yi dua me eye nègblɔ na Absalom be, ‘O fia, menye fofowò ƒe subɔla tsã, ke azɔ la, manye wò subɔla’ la, ekema àte ŋu akpe ɖe ŋunye to Ahitofel ƒe aɖaŋuɖoɖo me gbegblẽ me.
But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant.’
35 Nunɔla Zadok kple nunɔla Abiata manɔ afi ma kpli wò oa? Gblɔ nu sia nu si nàse le fiasã la me na wo.
Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report to them everything you hear from the king’s palace.
36 Wo viŋutsu eveawo, Ahimaaz, Zadok ƒe vi kple Yonatan, Abiata ƒe vi, le afi ma kpli wo. Gblɔ nu si nàse la na wo be woava gblɔ nam.”
Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.”
37 Ale David xɔlɔ̃ Husai trɔ yi dua me eye esi wòɖo teti ko la, Absalom hã va ɖo.
So David’s friend Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.