2 Samuel 14

1 Joab, nwa Zeruaya matara na obi eze dị nʼebe Absalọm nọ.

Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.

2 Joab zigara ozi na Tekoa, si nʼebe ahụ kpọta otu nwanyị maara ihe. Mgbe nwanyị ahụ bịaruru, Joab gwara ya sị, “Mee onwe gị dịka onye na-eru ụjụ. Yiri akwa mkpe, etekwala mmanụ otite. Kpaa agwa dịka nwanyị nọ nʼiru ụjụ ogologo oge.

So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.

3 Emesịa, jekwuru eze, gwa ya okwu ndị a m na-agwa gị.” Joab tinyere okwu ndị ahụ nʼọnụ ya.

Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 Mgbe nwanyị ahụ si Tekoa gara na nke eze, ọ dara nʼala kpuo ihu ya nʼala ịsọpụrụ eze. Ọ sịrị, “Biko nyere m aka, gị onye a na-asọpụrụ!”

When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, “Help me, O king!”

5 Eze jụrụ ya ajụjụ sị, “Gịnị bụ mkpa gị?” Ọ zara sị, “Abụ m nwanyị isi mkpe, di m anwụọla.

“What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for my husband is dead.

6 Enwere m ụmụ ndị ikom abụọ ndị gara lụọ ọgụ nʼọhịa. Mgbe ha na-alụ ọgụ ahụ, o nweghị onye pụtara gboo ha. Nʼihi ya, otu nʼime ha tigburu ibe ya.

And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.

7 Ma ugbu a, ndị ikwu di m na-esogbu m na-asị ‘Kpọpụta onye ahụ gburu nwanne ya ka anyị gbuo ya nʼihi ndụ nwanne ya o wepụrụ, ka anyị si otu a memilaa onye nke fọdụrụ ga-erita oke ezinaụlọ.’ Ha chọrọ isi otu a menyụọ icheku ọkụ nke fọdụụrụ m, nke bụ na di m agaghị enwezikwa aha maọbụ onye fọdụụrụ ya nʼelu ụwa.”

Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother whom he killed. Then we will cut off the heir as well!’ So they would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on the earth.”

8 Eze sịrị nwanyị ahụ, “Laa nʼụlọ gị, aga m ahụ na o nweghị onye metụrụ ya aka.”

“Go home,” the king said to the woman, “and I will give orders on your behalf.”

9 Ma nwanyị ahụ si Tekoa sịrị ya, “Ka onyenwe m, bụ eze, gbaghara mụ na ezinaụlọ m, ka ikpe ọmụma ọbụla ghara ịdịrị eze na ocheeze ya.”

But the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and on my father’s house, and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”

10 Eze zara ya, “Enyela onwe gị nsogbu maka nke ahụ. Ọ bụrụ na onye ọbụla agwa gị okwu ọbụla, kpọtara m ya. Onye dị otu a agaghị enyekwa gị nsogbu ọzọ.”

“If anyone speaks to you,” said the king, “bring him to me, and he will not trouble you again!”

11 Mgbe ahụ ọ zara, “Biko, ka eze kpọkuo aha Onyenwe anyị Chineke ya ka ọ kwụsị onye na-agwa ọchụ, ka ọ ghara igbu onye ọzọ, ka a gharakwa ịla nwa m nwoke nʼiyi.” Ọ sịrị, “Dịka Onyenwe anyị na-adị ndụ, otu agịrị isi agaghị esi nʼisi nwa gị dapụ nʼala.”

“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”

12 Mgbe ahụ, nwanyị ahụ sịrị, “Biko kwere ka ohu gị nwanyị gwa onyenwe m eze otu mkpụrụ okwu ọzọ.” Ọ sịrị, “Gaa nʼihu kwuo.”

Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied.

13 Nwanyị ahụ sịrị, “Ọ bụ nʼihi gịnị ka ị chere ihe dị otu a megide ndị nke Chineke? Mgbe eze na-ekwu otu a, ọ bụ na ọ dịghị ama onwe ya ikpe, nʼihi na eze a jụla ịkpọghachi nwa ya a chụpụrụ achụpụ?

The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?

14 Anyị niile ga-anwụ. Anyị dịkwa ka mmiri a wụsara nʼala, nke a na-apụghị ịchịkọtakwa ọzọ. Ma Chineke adịghị anapụ mmadụ ndụ ya, ma ọ na-emeghepụ ụzọ ga-eme ka onye ọ chụpụrụ achụpụ lọghachikwutekwa ya.

For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.

15 “Ma ugbu a, ebe m bịara ịgwa onyenwe m bụ eze, okwu a, nʼihi na ndị mmadụ emenyela m egwu. Ohu gị chere nʼobi ya, ‘Aga m agwa eze okwu; ma eleghị anya, ọ ga-emezuru ohu ya nwanyị ihe ọ rịọrọ.

Now therefore, I have come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the request of his maidservant.

16 Ma eleghị anya eze ga-anapụta ohu ya nwanyị site nʼaka nwoke ahụ na-agbalị ibipụ mụ na nwa m nwoke site nʼihe nketa nke Chineke.’

For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’

17 “Ugbu a, ohu gị nwanyị na-asị, ‘Ka okwu onyenwe m eze kwuru wetara m izuike, nʼihi onyenwe m eze na-enyochapụta ihe ọma maọbụ ihe ọjọọ dịka mmụọ ozi Chineke. Ka Onyenwe anyị Chineke gị nọnyere gị.’”

And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you.’”

18 Mgbe ahụ, eze gwara nwanyị ahụ okwu sị, “Achọrọ m ka ị gwa m eziokwu nʼajụjụ a m na-aga ịjụ gị.” Nwanyị ahụ zara sị, “Ka onyenwe m, bụ eze kwuo ihe dị ya nʼobi.”

Then the king said to the woman, “I am going to ask you something; do not conceal it from me!” “Let my lord the king speak,” she replied.

19 Devid jụrụ ya sị, “Aka Joab ọ dị nʼokwu ndị a niile?” Nwanyị ahụ zara sị ya, “Dịka ị na-adị ndụ, onyenwe m, bụ eze, ọ dịghị onye ọbụla ga-esi nʼihe onyenwe m bụ eze kwuru, chee ihu nʼaka nri maọbụ nʼaka ekpe. E, ọ bụ ohu gị Joab nyere m iwu ime nke a, ya gwakwara ohu gị nwanyị okwu niile ndị a.

So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab behind all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave me orders; he told your maidservant exactly what to say.

20 Ohu gị bụ Joab mere ihe a ka ọ gbanwee otu ọnọdụ ihe dị ugbu a. Onyenwe m nwere amamihe dịka ndị mmụọ ozi Chineke. Ọ maakwara ihe niile na-eme nʼala.”

Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens in the land.”

21 Eze sịrị Joab, “Ọ dị mma, aga m eme ya. Gaa kpọghachite nwokorobịa ahụ bụ Absalọm.”

Then the king said to Joab, “I hereby grant this request. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”

22 Joab dara nʼala kpuo ihu ya nʼala, kpọọ isiala, gọzie eze. Joab sịrị, “Taa ka ohu gị maara na ahụtala m amara nʼihu gị, onyenwe m bụ eze, nʼihi na eze e merela ohu ya ihe ọ rịọrọ.”

Joab fell facedown in homage and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “your servant knows that he has found favor with you, my lord the king, because the king has granted his request.”

23 Joab biliri gaa Geshua, kpọlata Absalọm na Jerusalem.

So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24 Mgbe ha bịaruru, eze gwara Joab okwu sị, “Gwa ya ka ọ laa nʼụlọ ya. Ọ gaghị abịa nʼihu m, nʼihi na-achọghị m ịhụ ya anya.” Ya mere, Absalọm lara nʼụlọ ya. Ọ hụkwaghị eze anya.

But the king added, “He may return to his house, but he must not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the king.

25 Ọ dịghị nwoke mara mma dịka Absalọm nʼala Izrel niile. Ọ dịkwaghị onye na-adịghị ekwu okwu banyere ịma mma ya. Nʼihi na ntụpọ ọbụla adịghị ya nʼahụ site nʼopi isi ya ruo nʼọbọ ụkwụ ya.

Now there was not a man in all Israel as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw.

26 Mgbe ọbụla ọ kpụchara ntutu isi ya, nʼihi na ọ bụ otu ugboro nʼafọ ka ọ na-akpụcha agịrị isi mgbe o bidoro ịnyị ya arọ. Ọ na-atụ agịrị isi a na-akpụchapụta ya nʼisi, ịdị arọ ya na-eru narị shekel abụọ ma a tụọ ya nʼihe ọtụtụ eze.

And when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard.

27 Absalọm mụtara ụmụ ndị ikom atọ, na otu nwanyị, aha ya bụ Tama. Nwaagbọghọ a mara mma nke ukwuu.

Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman.

28 Mgbe Absalọm nọrọ afọ abụọ na Jerusalem na-ahụghị eze anya,

Now Absalom lived in Jerusalem two years without seeing the face of the king.

29 o ziri ozi ka Joab bịa, ka ọ gaa ziere ya eze ozi, ma Joab abịaghị. Absalọm zigakwara ozi ọzọ ka ọ bịa ma Joab ekweghị ịbịa.

Then he sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So Absalom sent a second time, but Joab still would not come.

30 Nʼikpeazụ, Absalọm gwara ndị na-ejere ya ozi okwu sị ha, “Gaanụ sunye ubi ọka balị Joab dị nʼakụkụ nke m ọkụ.” Ha mekwara dịka a gwara ha.

Then Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire!” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31 Mgbe ahụ, Joab biliri jee nʼụlọ Absalọm, ma sị ya, “Gịnị mere ndị na-ejere gị ozi ji gbaa ubi m ọkụ?”

Then Joab came to Absalom’s house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”

32 Absalọm sịrị ya, “Lee ezitere m gị ozi, sị, ‘Bịa nʼebe a ka m ziga gị na nke eze ka ị jụta, “Nʼihi gịnị ka m ji site na Geshua lọghachita? Ọ gara a kara m mma ma a sị na m nọ nʼebe ahụ ruo ugbu a.”’ Ugbu a, achọrọ m ka mụ hụ ihu eze, ọ bụrụ na onwe ajọ omume dị nʼime m, ya mee ka m nwụọ.”

“Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”

33 Joab gakwuru eze, gwa ya ihe Absalọm kwuru. Mgbe ahụ, eze kpọrọ Absalọm, onye batara ma kpọọ isiala nʼihu eze. Eze sutukwara ya ọnụ.

So Joab went and told the king, and David summoned Absalom, who came to him and bowed facedown before him. Then the king kissed Absalom.