2 Samuel 18
1 Devid gụkọtara ndị ya na ha so ma họpụta ndịisi agha. Doo ụfọdụ ka ha chịa ọtụtụ puku ndị agha, ụfọdụ ka ha chịa ọtụtụ narị ndị agha.
David organized the men who were with him and put commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds in charge of them.
2 Devid zipụrụ ndị agha ya, otu ụzọ nʼime ụzọ atọ nʼokpuru Joab, Ọ họpụtakwara Abishai, nwanne Joab, nwa Zeruaya, ka ọ chịa otu ụzọ. Ma otu ụzọ nke fọdụrụ ka o tinyere nʼaka Itai onye Gat. Eze gwara ndị agha ahụ sị, “Mụ onwe m ga-edu unu gaa agha.”
David sent the army out divided into three sections. One third was commanded by Joab, one third was commanded by Abishai, son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third was commanded by Ittai the Gittite. The king told the men, “I myself will go out into battle with you.”
3 Ma ndị ikom ahụ sịrị, “Ị gaghị apụkwa ọzọ nʼihi na ọ bụrụ na anyị atụgharịa bido ịgba ọsọ, ọ bụrụkwa na otu ọkara nʼime anyị anwụọ, nke ahụ agaghị emetụ ha nʼobi. Naanị gị ka ha na-achọ. Ị dịkwa mkpa karịa puku ndị agha iri. Ọ ga-akara anyị mma ugbu a ka ị na-ezitere anyị inyeaka site nʼime obodo.”
But the men replied, “No, you must not go out into battle! For if we have to run away, they won't care about us. Even if half of us die, they won't care about that either. But you are worth ten thousand of us, so it's better if you stay here and send us help from the town.”
4 Eze zara nʼikpeazụ sị, “Ihe ọbụla dị mma nʼanya unu ka m ga-eme.” Ya mere, eze guzoro nʼakụkụ ọnụ ụzọ ama dịka ndị ikom ya niile na-apụ nʼusu nke ọtụtụ narị, nakwa nʼusu nke ọtụtụ puku.
“I will do whatever you think best,” the king replied. The king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 Eze nyere ndịisi agha ya, bụ Joab, Abishai na Itai, iwu sị ha, “Bikonu, nʼihi m, werenụ nwayọọ nʼebe nwokorobịa ahụ bụ Absalọm nọ.” Ndị agha niile nụkwara mgbe eze nyere ndịisi niile iwu a banyere Absalọm.
The king ordered Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Treat young Absalom gently for me.” All the men heard the king giving orders to each of his commanders about Absalom.
6 Ndị agha Devid si nʼobodo pụọ izute ndị Izrel nʼagha. Alụrụ agha a nʼọhịa Ifrem.
David's army marched out to face the Israelites in battle, which was fought in the forest of Ephraim.
7 Ndị agha Devid tigbukwara ndị agha Izrel. Ha gburu iri puku ndị agha abụọ nʼụbọchị ahụ.
The Israelites were defeated by David's men and many were killed that day—some twenty thousand.
8 Agha ahụ gbasara nʼelu ala ahụ niile. Ndị nwụrụ nʼọhịa nʼetiti ụmụ Izrel karịrị ndị e gburu egbu.
The battle covered the whole countryside, and that day more died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.
9 Absalọm zutere ndị agha Devid. Ọ na-anọkwasị nʼelu ịnyịnya ya nʼoge a, dịka ịnyịnya ahụ sitere nʼokpuru osisi ook ukwu dị nʼọhịa ahụ na-agbafee, agịrị isi ya konyere nʼalaka osisi ahụ, tụhịkọtaakwa, nke mere na ọ kwụrụ nʼetiti eluigwe na ala. Ma ịnyịnya ya gbaara na-aga.
Absalom ran into some of David's men while he was riding on his mule. As the mule went under the twisted branches of a large oak tree, Absalom's hair got caught in the tree. The mule he was riding kept going, leaving him hanging between earth and sky.
10 Otu nʼime ndị ikom ahụ hụrụ ya, kọọrọ Joab, “Lee, ahụrụ m Absalọm ebe ọ kwụ nʼelu osisi ook.”
One of David's men saw what happened, so he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree!”
11 Joab sịrị nwoke ahụ onye gwara gị, “Gịnị, ị hụrụ ya? Gịnị mere i tigbughị ya ka o ruo nʼala nʼebe ahụ? Mgbe ahụ, agaara m enye gị shekel ọlaọcha iri, na belịt a na-enye onye bụ dike nʼagha.”
“What! You saw him like that?” Joab said to the man. “Why didn't you kill him right then and there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a soldier's belt as a reward!”
12 Ma nwoke ahụ zara sị, “A sịkwarị na e nyere m puku ọlaọcha nʼaka m a, agaraghị m egbu ya. Nʼihi na anyị niile nụrụ mgbe eze na-agwa gị na Abishai na Itai sị, ‘Lezienụ anya banyere nwokorobịa bụ Absalọm, nʼihi m.’
But the man replied, “Even if you gave me a thousand shekels of silver, I wouldn't hurt the king's son. We all heard the king give the order to you, Abishai, and Ittai, ‘Look after young Absalom for me.’
13 A sị na m gburu ya, ọ ga-abụ imegide eze. Ọ ga-emesiekwa chọpụta onye mere ya. Ma gị onwe gị agaraghị apụta kwuchite ọnụ m.”
If I had disobeyed and killed Absalom—and the king finds out everything—you yourself wouldn't have defended me.”
14 Joab sịrị, “Ọ bụghị otu a ka m ga na-eche nʼihu gị.” Ya mere, ọ chịịrị ùbe atọ nʼaka ya, dubaa ha nʼobi Absalọm, mgbe Absalọm ka dị ndụ makwụrụ nʼelu osisi ook.
“I'm not going to waste time waiting around like this with you!” Joab told him. He grabbed three spears and drove them into Absalom's heart while he was still alive, hanging from the oak tree.
15 Ụmụ okorobịa iri ndị na-ebu ihe agha Joab gbara Absalọm gburugburu, tigbuo ya.
Ten of Joab's armor-bearers surrounded Absalom and hacked him to death.
16 Emesịa, Joab fụrụ opi ike nke mere ka ndị agha Devid na-achụ ndị Izrel kwụsị ịchụ ha ọsọ, nʼihi na Joab kwụsịrị ha.
Then Joab blew the ram's horn, and his men stopped chasing the Israelites because Joab had signaled them to stop.
17 Ha buuru ozu Absalọm tụba ya nʼolulu ukwu dị nʼoke ọhịa ahụ, werekwa nkume tụọ ya nʼelu. Ndị agha Izrel niile gbalara nʼụlọ ha.
They took Absalom and threw him into a deep pit in the forest, and piled a large heap of stones over him. All the Israelites ran away to their homes.
18 Nʼoge Absalọm dị ndụ, o wuuru onwe ya ogidi ncheta. O wuru ogidi a na Ndagwurugwu Eze, nʼihi na o chere nʼime onwe ya sị, “Enweghị m nwa nwoke ga-aza aha m.” Ya mere, ọ gụrụ ogidi ahụ aha nke ya onwe ya. Ọ bụkwa Ogidi Absalọm ka a na-akpọ ya ruo taa.
Absalom while he was alive had made a stone pillar and set it up in the King's Valley as a memorial to himself, for he thought to himself, “I don't have a son to keep the memory of my name alive.” He named the pillar after himself, and it's called Absalom's Monument even today.
19 Mgbe ahụ, Ahimaaz, nwa Zadọk, bịakwutere Joab sị ya, “Biko, ka m gbara ọsọ gaa zie eze oziọma a, na Onyenwe anyị azọpụtala ya site nʼaka ndị iro ya.”
Then Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, said, “Please let me run and take the good news to the king that the Lord has vindicated him over his enemies.”
20 Ma Joab zara sị ya, “Ọ bụghị gị ga-ezi eze ozi taa. I nwere ike ime ya mgbe ọzọ, ma ọ bụghị taa, nʼihi na nwa eze nwụrụ.”
“You're not the man to take the good news today,” Joab replied. “You can do it some other time, but don't do it today, because the king's son is dead.”
21 Joab gwara otu nwoke onye Kush sị ya, “Gaa gwa eze ihe ị hụrụ.” Nwoke ahụ kpọrọ isiala, gbapụ ọsọ.
So Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, “Go and tell the king what you have seen.” He bowed to Joab and ran off.
22 Ahimaaz nwa Zadọk rịọkwara Joab ọzọ sị ya, “Otu ọbụla o si dị, biko kwere ka m gbaso onye Kush a.” Ma Joab zara sị, “Nwa m nwoke, gịnị mere i ji chọọ ị ga? I nweghị ozi ọbụla ị ga-ezi nke ga-ewetara gị ụgwọ ọrụ.”
Ahimaaz asked Joab again, “Never mind what happens, please let me run too, after the Ethiopian!” “Son, why do you want to run—you won't get anything for it?” Joab replied.
23 Ọ rịọrọ sị, “Otu ọbụla o si dị, hapụ m ka m gaa.” Nʼikpeazụ Joab kwenyere sị ya, “Ọ dị mma, gbara ọsọ gaa.” Ahimaaz sitere nʼụzọ dị mkpụmkpụ nke gafere obosara ala Jọdan buru nwoke Kush ahụ ụzọ gbaruo.
“Doesn't matter, I want to run anyway,” he said. “Fine, start running!” Joab told him. Ahimaaz took the route over flatter ground and overtook the Ethiopian.
24 Devid nọ nʼọnụ ụzọ ama nʼoge a. Mgbe onye nche rigoruru nʼelu mgbidi ebe ọ na-anọ, ọ hụrụ otu nwoke ka ọ na-agba ọsọ naanị ya.
David was sitting between the inside and outside gates. The watchman climbed up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. He looked out, and saw a man running by himself.
25 Onye nche ahụ kpọrọ Devid oku gwa ya na o nwere onye na-abịa. Ma eze zara ya sị, “Ọ bụrụ naanị ya, o nwere oziọma.” Mgbe onyeozi ahụ na-abịaru nso,
So he shouted down to tell the king. “If he's by himself then he's bringing good news,” the king replied. As the first runner got closer,
26 onye nche ahụ lepụkwara anya hụ otu nwoke ọzọ ka o ji ọsọ na-abịa naanị ya. Ọ kpọkwara oku ọzọ sị, “Onye ọzọ na-abịakwa.” Eze zara sị, “Onye ahụ ga-enwekwa oziọma.”
the watchman saw someone else running, and he shouted down to the gatekeeper, “Look! There's another man running by himself!” “He'll also be bringing good news,” said the king.
27 Onye nche ahụ zara sị, “Onye nke mbụ na-abịa dị ka Ahimaaz, nwa Zadọk,” Eze zara sị, “Ọ bụ ezi mmadụ, ọ bụkwa oziọma ka o ji na-abịa.”
“The first man seems to me to be running like Ahimaaz, son of Zadok,” said the watchman. “He's a good man,” he king replied. “He'll bring good news.”
28 Mgbe ahụ, Ahimaaz kpọrọ eze oku sị, “Udo!” Ọ kpọrọ isiala nye eze. Kpuokwa ihu ya nʼala sị, “Ngọzị na-adịrị Onyenwe anyị Chineke gị. Onye nke mebiri nzube ndị ahụ niile weliri aka imegide onyenwe m bụ eze.”
Ahimaaz shouted out greetings to the king, Then he came and he bowed facedown before the king. “Blessed be the Lord your God!” he said. “He has defeated the men who rebelled against Your Majesty!”
29 Eze jụrụ ya sị, “Oleekwanụ maka nwokorobịa ahụ bụ Absalọm? Ọ nọkwa nʼudo?” Ahimaaz zara sị, “Mgbe Joab zipụrụ ohu eze, na mụ onwe m, oke ụzụ dị, ma amaghị m ihe kpatara ya.”
“How is young Absalom? Is he alright?” the king asked. Ahimaaz answered, “It was very chaotic when your officer Joab sent me, your servant. I really don't know what was happening.”
30 Eze gwara ya sị, “Chere nʼebe a.” Ahimaaz chigharịrị chere.
“Stand to one side and wait,” the king told him. So Ahimaaz stood to one side and waited.
31 Mgbe ahụ, onye Kush ahụ bịarutere sị, “Onyenwe m bụ eze, nụrụ oziọma a. Taa Onyenwe anyị ekpepụtala gị site nʼịnapụta gị nʼaka ndị niile biliri imegide gị.”
Right then the Ethiopian arrived and said, “Your Majesty, listen to the good news! Today the Lord has defeated all those who rebelled against you!”
32 Eze jụrụ onye Kush ahụ, “Nwokorobịa ahụ bụ Absalọm, ọ nọkwa nʼudo?” Onye Kush ahụ zaghachiri, “Ka ndị iro onyenwe m bụ eze na ndị niile na-ebili imejọ gị dị ka nwokorobịa ahụ!”
“How is young Absalom? Is he alright?” the king asked. The Ethiopian replied, “May what has happened to the young man happen to Your Majesty's enemies, and to everyone who rebels against you!”
33 Okwu a metụrụ eze nʼahụ nke ukwuu, o biliri rigoo nʼụlọ nke dị nʼọnụ ụzọ ama, nọdụ nʼebe ahụ kwaa akwa. Ọ nọ na-akwa akwa mgbe ọ na-aga, na-eti mkpu akwa na-asị, “O, nwa m, Absalọm! O nwa m, nwa m, Absalọm. A sịkwarị na m nwụrụ nʼọnọdụ gị! O, Absalọm nwa m, nwa m oo!”
The king broke down. He went up to the room over the gate and cried. As he walked, he sobbed out, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I'd died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
