2 Samũeli 14

1 Na rĩrĩ, Joabu mũrũ wa Zeruia nĩamenyete atĩ ngoro ya mũthamaki nĩyeriragĩria kuona Abisalomu.

Now it was clear to Joab, the son of Zeruiah, that the king's heart was turning to Absalom.

2 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, Joabu agĩtũma mũndũ athiĩ Tekoa akagĩĩre mũndũ-wa-nja warĩ mũũgĩ, areehwo kuuma kũu. Akĩĩra mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio atĩrĩ, “Wĩtue atĩ nĩũracakaya. Wĩhumbe nguo cia macakaya, na ndũkehake maguta o na marĩkũ. Wĩtue ta mũndũ-wa-nja ũikarĩte matukũ maingĩ akĩrĩrĩra mũndũ mũkuũ.

And Joab sent to Tekoa and got from there a wise woman, and said to her, Now make yourself seem like one given up to grief, and put on the clothing of sorrow, not using any sweet oil for your body, but looking like one who for a long time has been weeping for the dead:

3 Ũcooke ũthiĩ kũrĩ mũthamaki ũmwarĩrie ciugo ici.” Nake Joabu akĩmwĩra ũrĩa ekuuga.

And come to the king and say these words to him. So Joab gave her words to say.

4 Rĩrĩa mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio wa kuuma Tekoa aathiire kũrĩ mũthamaki, akĩĩgũithia, agĩturumithia ũthiĩ thĩ nĩguo amũhe gĩtĩĩo, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Wee mũthamaki, ndeithia!”

And the woman of Tekoa came to the king, and falling on her face, gave him honour and said, Give me help, O king.

5 Nake mũthamaki akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ kĩragũthĩĩnia?” Nake akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ti-itherũ niĩ ndĩ mũndũ-wa-nja wa ndigwa; mũthuuri wakwa nĩakuĩte.

And the king said to her, What is your trouble? And her answer was, Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

6 Niĩ ndungata yaku ndĩrarĩ na ariũ eerĩ. Nao maroogitana me mũgũnda, na harakĩaga mũndũ hau wa kũmateithũrana. Ũmwe aragũtha ũrĩa ũngĩ na aramũũraga.

And I had two sons, and the two of them had a fight in the field, and there was no one to come between them, and one with a blow put the other to death.

7 Na rĩrĩ, mũhĩrĩga wothe nĩũũkĩrĩire ndungata yaku; ũkoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Tũnengere mũndũ ũrĩa ũragĩte mũrũ wa nyina, nĩgeetha tũmũũrage nĩ ũndũ wa muoyo wa mũrũ wa nyina ũrĩa ooragĩte; tũkĩniine mũgai o nake.’ Nao mangĩĩka ũguo no mahorie ikara rĩrĩa rĩraakana, na no rĩo riiki ndigairie, maniine rĩĩtwa rĩa mũthuuri wakwa, o na maniine njiaro ciake gũkũ thĩ.”

And now all the family is turned against me, your servant, saying, Give up him who was the cause of his brother's death, so that we may put him to death in payment for the life of his brother, whose life he took; and we will put an end to the one who will get the heritage: so they will put out my last burning coal, and my husband will have no name or offspring on the face of the earth.

8 Nake mũthamaki akĩĩra mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio atĩrĩ, “Inũka, na nĩngũruta watho nĩ ũndũ waku.”

And the king said to the woman, Go to your house and I will give orders about this.

9 No mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio wa Tekoa akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Mũthamaki mwathi wakwa, reke ũũru ũcio ũnjookerere hamwe na nyũmba ya baba, na ũreke wee mũthamaki na gĩtĩ gĩaku gĩa ũthamaki wage gũcookererwo nĩ ũũru o na ũrĩkũ.”

And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, My lord, O king, may the sin be on me and on my family, and may the king and the seat of his kingdom be clear of sin!

10 Nake mũthamaki agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ o na ũ angĩkwĩra ũndũ o na ũrĩkũ, mũrehe kũrĩ niĩ, nake ndagacooka gũgũthĩĩnia rĩngĩ.”

And the king said, If anyone says anything to you, make him come to me, and he will do you no more damage.

11 Nake mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Reke mũthamaki agwete rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova Ngai wake, nĩguo agirĩrĩrie mũrĩhĩria wa thakame ndakae kũũragana rĩngĩ, nĩgeetha mũriũ wakwa ndakae kũũragwo.” Nake mũthamaki akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa Jehova atũũraga muoyo-rĩ, gũtirĩ rũcuĩrĩ o na rũmwe rwa mũtwe wa mũrũguo rũkũgũa thĩ.”

Then she said, Let the king keep in mind the Lord your God, so that he who gives punishment for blood may be kept back from further destruction and that no one may send death on my son. And he said, By the living Lord, not a hair of your son's head will come to the earth.

12 Ningĩ mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Reke ndungata yaku ĩkwĩre kiugo wee mũthamaki, mwathi wakwa.” Nake agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Kĩarie.”

Then the woman said, Will the king let his servant say one word more? And he said, Say on.

13 Mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmĩte wee ũthondeke ũndũ ta ũyũ wa gũũkĩrĩra andũ a Ngai? Rĩrĩa mũthamaki oiga ũguo-rĩ, githĩ tiwe wĩtuĩrĩire ciira, nĩgũkorwo mũthamaki ndacooketie mũriũ wake ũrĩa mũingate mũciĩ?

And the woman said, Why have you had such a thought about the people of God? (for in saying these very words the king has put himself in the wrong because he has not taken back the one whom he sent far away.)

14 Ta ũrĩa maaĩ maitĩkaga thĩ, marĩa matangĩoeka-rĩ, no taguo arĩ o nginya ithuĩ tũkue. No Ngai ndarutaga mũndũ muoyo; handũ ha gwĩka ũguo-rĩ, athondekaga njĩra nĩgeetha mũndũ ũrĩa mũingate ndakae gũtũũra ta ateetwo biũ agathengio harĩ we.

For death comes to us all, and we are like water drained out on the earth, which it is not possible to take up again; and God will not take away the life of the man whose purpose is that he who has been sent away may not be completely cut off from him.

15 “Na rĩrĩ, njũkĩte gũkwĩra ũhoro ũyũ wee mũthamaki mwathi wakwa tondũ andũ nĩmatũmĩte niĩ ndĩtigĩre. Ndungata yaku ĩciirĩtie atĩrĩ, ‘Niĩ nĩngwarĩria mũthamaki; no gũkorwo nĩegwĩka ũrĩa ndungata yake ĩkũmũũria;

And now it is my fear of the people which has made me come to say these words to my lord the king: and your servant said, I will put my cause before the king, and it may be that he will give effect to my request.

16 no gũkorwo mũthamaki nĩegwĩtĩkĩra kũhonokia ndungata yake kuuma guoko-inĩ kwa mũndũ ũrĩa ũrageria gũtũniina niĩ hamwe na mũriũ wakwa, matweherie kuuma kũrĩ igai rĩrĩa twaheirwo nĩ Ngai.’

For the king will give ear, and take his servant out of the power of the man whose purpose is the destruction of me and my son together from the heritage of God.

17 “Na rĩrĩ, ndungata yaku ĩgũkwĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Kiugo gĩaku mũthamaki mwathi wakwa kĩrondeehere ũhurũko, nĩgũkorwo mũthamaki mwathi wakwa ahaana ta mũraika wa Ngai wa gũkũũrana wega na ũũru. Jehova Ngai waku aroikara nawe.’”

Then your servant said, May the word of my lord the king give me peace! for my lord the king is as the angel of God in his hearing of good and bad: and may the Lord your God be with you!

18 Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũthamaki akĩĩra mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio atĩrĩ, “Ndũkaahithe ũndũ o wothe ũrĩa ngũkũũria.” Nake mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Mũthamaki mwathi wakwa nĩakĩarie.”

Then the king said to the woman, Now give me an answer to the question I am going to put to you; keep nothing back. And the woman said, Let my lord the king say on.

19 Nake mũthamaki akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Githĩ mũtinyiitanĩire na Joabu ũhoro-inĩ ũyũ wothe?” Nake mũndũ-wa-nja akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa ũtũũraga muoyo, wee mũthamaki mwathi wakwa, gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩĩhũgũra mwena wa ũrĩo kana wa ũmotho, aregane na ũndũ o wothe ũrĩa mũthamaki mwathi wakwa angiuga. Ĩĩ nĩguo, nĩ ndungata yaku Joabu yanjĩĩrire njĩke ũndũ ũyũ, na nĩwe wĩkĩrĩte ciugo ici ciothe kanua-inĩ ka ndungata yaku.

And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman in answer said, By the life of your soul, my lord the king, it is not possible for anyone to go to the right hand or to the left from anything said by the king: your servant Joab gave me orders, and put all these words in my mouth:

20 Nake Joabu, ndungata yaku nĩwe wĩkĩte ũguo nĩgeetha agarũre ũndũ ũrĩa ũrĩ ho ihinda rĩĩrĩ. Mwathi wakwa arĩ ũũgĩ ta wa mũraika wa Ngai; nĩamenyaga ũndũ wothe ũrĩa wĩkĩkaga bũrũri-inĩ.”

This he did, hoping that the face of this business might be changed: and my lord is wise, with the wisdom of the angel of God, having knowledge of everything on earth.

21 Mũthamaki akĩĩra Joabu atĩrĩ, “Nĩ wega, nĩngwĩka ũguo. Thiĩ, ũcookie mwanake ũcio ti Abisalomu.”

And the king said to Joab, See now, I will do this thing: go then and Come back with the young man Absalom.

22 Joabu akĩĩgũithia aturumithĩtie ũthiũ thĩ nĩguo amũhe gĩtĩĩo, na akĩrathima mũthamaki. Joabu akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũmũthĩ ndungata yaku nĩyamenya atĩ nĩĩrĩkĩtie gwĩtĩkĩrĩka maitho-inĩ maku mũthamaki mwathi wakwa, tondũ mũthamaki nĩetĩkĩrĩte ihooya rĩa ndungata yake.”

Then Joab, falling down on his face on the earth, gave the king honour and blessing; and Joab said, Today it is clear to your servant that I have grace in your eyes, my lord king, because the king has given effect to the request of his servant.

23 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Joabu agĩthiĩ Geshuru, na agĩcookia Abisalomu Jerusalemu.

So Joab got up and went to Geshur and came back again to Jerusalem with Absalom.

24 Nowe mũthamaki akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “No nginya athiĩ mũciĩ gwake mwene; ndakarekwo oone ũthiũ wakwa.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Abisalomu agĩthiĩ mũciĩ gwake na ndaigana kuona ũthiũ wa mũthamaki.

And the king said, Let him go to his house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom went back to his house and did not see the face of the king.

25 Thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli guothe gũtiarĩ mũndũ ũngĩ o na ũmwe waganagwo gũthakara ta Abisalomu. Kuuma rũcuĩrĩ rwake rwa mũtwe nginya nyarĩrĩ ciake ndaarĩ na kameni.

Now in all Israel there was no one so greatly to be praised for his beautiful form as Absalom: from his feet to the crown of his head he was completely beautiful.

26 Rĩrĩa rĩothe eenjaga njuĩrĩ cia mũtwe wake, nĩenjagwo o mwaka wathira rĩrĩa njuĩrĩ yamũritũhĩra mũno, angĩamĩthimire, ũritũ wayo wakoragwo ũrĩ cekeri magana meerĩ, kũringana na gĩthimi kĩa mũthamaki.

And when he had his hair cut, (which he did at the end of every year, because of the weight of his hair; ) the weight of the hair was two hundred shekels by the king's weight.

27 Nake Abisalomu nĩaciarire aanake atatũ na mũirĩtu ũmwe. Nake mwarĩ eetagwo Tamaru, na aarĩ mũndũ-wa-nja mũthaka.

And Absalom was the father of three sons and of one daughter named Tamar, who was very beautiful.

28 Abisalomu aatũũrire mĩaka ĩĩrĩ Jerusalemu atarĩ oona ũthiũ wa mũthamaki.

For two full years Absalom was living in Jerusalem without ever seeing the face of the king.

29 Ningĩ Abisalomu agĩtũmanĩra Joabu nĩguo amũtũme kũrĩ mũthamaki, no Joabu akĩrega gũthiĩ kũrĩ we. Ningĩ akĩmũtũmanĩra riita rĩa keerĩ, no akĩrega gũthiĩ.

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 Hĩndĩ ĩyo akĩĩra ndungata ciake atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, mũgũnda wa Joabu ũhakanĩte na wakwa, na arĩ na cairi kuo. Thiĩi mũmĩcine na mwaki.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ndungata cia Abisalomu ikĩgwatia mũgũnda ũcio mwaki ũkĩhĩa.

So he said to his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley in it; go and put it on fire. And Absalom's servants put the field on fire.

31 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Joabu agĩthiĩ mũciĩ kwa Abisalomu, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩatũma ndungata ciaku icine mũgũnda wakwa?”

Then Joab came to Absalom in his house and said to him, Why have your servants put my field on fire?

32 Nake Abisalomu akĩĩra Joabu atĩrĩ, “Ndagũtũmanĩire, ngĩkwĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Ũka, nĩguo ngũtũme kwa mũthamaki, ũkamũũrie atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩatũmire nyume Geshuru? Ũngĩrĩ ũndũ mwega korwo nĩkuo ndũũraga o na rĩu!”’ Rĩu-rĩ, nĩngwenda kuona ũthiũ wa mũthamaki, na hangĩkorwo nĩ harĩ na ũndũ njĩkĩte mũũru, nĩakĩĩnjũrage.”

And Absalom's answer was, See, I sent to you saying, Come here, so that I may send you to the king to say, Why have I come back from Geshur? it would be better for me to be there still: let me now see the king's face, and if there is any sin in me, let him put me to death.

33 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Joabu agĩthiĩ kũrĩ mũthamaki, na akĩmũhe ũhoro ũcio. Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũthamaki agĩĩta Abisalomu, nake agĩũka, akĩinamĩrĩra aturumithĩtie ũthiũ thĩ mbere ya mũthamaki. Nake mũthamaki akĩmumunya Abisalomu.

So Joab went to the king and said these words to him: and when the king had sent for him, Absalom came, and went down on his face on the earth before the king: and the king gave him a kiss.