2 Hamuera 14

1 Na ka kite a Ioapa tama a Teruia e anga ana te ngakau o te kingi ki a Apoharama,

Joab realized that the king yearned [IDM] to see Absalom.

2 Ka tono tangata a Ioapa ki Tekoa ki te tiki i tetahi wahine mohio i reira, a ka mea ki a ia, Me mea koe i a koe he wahine e tangi tupapaku ana, me kakahu he kakahu taua, kaua ano e whakawahi i a koe ki te hinu; engari kia rite ki te wahine kua ta ngi noa ake ki te tupapaku.

So Joab sent someone to Tekoa [town] to bring back a woman who was very clever. [When she arrived, ] Joab said to her, “Pretend that you are grieving because someone has died. Put on clothes that show that you are mourning. Do not put any lotion/ointment on your body. Act as if you are a woman who has been mourning for a long time.

3 A haere ki te kingi, a ko enei nga kupu mau ki a ia. Heoi hoatu ana e Ioapa nga kupu ki tona mangai.

And go to the king, and tell him what I tell you to say.” Then Joab told her what to say [MTY] [to the king].

4 Na korerotia ana e te wahine o Tekoa ki te kingi, me te tapapa ano ki te whenua, me te piko ano. I mea hoki, Whakaorangia, e te kingi.

So the woman from Tekoa went to the king. She prostrated herself in front of him and then bowed down to him, and said, “Your Majesty, help me!”

5 Na ka mea te kingi ki a ia, He aha tou mate? a ka ki tera, He wahine pouaru nei ahau, kua mate hoki taku tahu.

The king replied, “What is your problem?” She replied, “Please, sir, I am a widow. My husband died [some time ago].

6 Na tokorua nga tama a tau pononga, heoi whawhai ana raua ki a raua i te parae, a kahore he kaiwawao mo raua. Na patua iho tetahi e tetahi, a mate iho.

I had two sons. But one day they quarreled with each other out in the fields. There was no one to separate them, and one of them struck the other one and killed him.

7 Na ka whakatika nga whanaunga katoa ki tau pononga, e mea ana, Homai te kaipatu i tona teina kia whakamatea hei utu mo te matenga o tona teina, i patua nei e ia, a ka huna e matou te tangata mona te kainga. Na ka keto i a ratou taku ngarahu i te toe, a kahore noa iho e mahue he ingoa mo taku tahu, he toenga ranei i te mata o te whenua.

Now, all my family oppose me. They are insisting that I allow them to kill my son who is still alive [MTY], in order that they may get revenge for his killing his brother. But if they do that, I will not have any son to inherit [my husband’s possessions]. That would be like [MET] extinguishing the last coals of a fire, and my husband would not have a son to preserve our family’s name. [DOU]”

8 Na ka mea te kingi ki te wahine, Haere ki tou whare, a maku nga tikanga mo tau mea.

Then the king said to the woman, “Go back home; I will take care of this matter for you.”

9 Na ka mea taua wahine o Tekoa ki te kingi, Hei runga i ahau te kino, e toku ariki, e te kingi, hei runga ano hoki i te whare o toku papa: kia harakore ia te kingi me tona torona.

The woman from Tekoa replied to the king, “Your Majesty, if you are criticized [for helping me], my family and I will accept the blame. You and the royal family will (be innocent/not have done what is wrong).”

10 Na ka mea te kingi, Ki te korero tetahi ki a koe, kawea mai ia ki ahau, a e kore ia e pa ki a koe i muri iho.

The king said to her, “If anyone says anything [to threaten you/cause you trouble] you, bring that person to me, and [I will make sure that] he will never cause you trouble again.”

11 Katahi ia ka mea, Kia mahara ra te kingi ki a Ihowa, ki tou Atua, kia kaua te kaitakitaki toto e whakangaro a mua ake, kei huna taku tama. Na ka ki ia, E ora ana a Ihowa e kore tetahi makawe o tau tama e taka ki te whenua.

Then the woman said, “Your Majesty, please pray that Yahweh your God will not allow my relative, who [wants to get] revenge on my son for killing [MTY] his brother, to be able to do that.” David replied, “As surely as Yahweh lives, your son will not be harmed at all. [IDM]”

12 Na ka mea taua wahine, Tena, kia korerotia e tau pononga tetahi kupu ki toku ariki, ki te kingi. Ano ra ko ia, Korero.

Then the woman said, “Your Majesty, please allow me to say one more thing to you.” He replied, “Speak!”

13 Na ka mea taua wahine, He aha ra koe i he ai ki te iwi a te Atua, i whakaaro ai i tenei mea? i te kingi hoki e korero ana i tenei mea, e rite ana ia ki te tangata kua he, i te kingi e kore nei e whakahoki mai i tana i peia atu ra.

The woman said, “Why have you done this bad thing to God’s people? You have not allowed your son Absalom to return home. By saying what you have just said, you have certainly declared [RHQ] that what you have done is wrong.

14 Mo te mate nei hoki tatou, a ka rite ki te wai i maringi ki te whenua, kahore nei e kohikohia ake; na kahore te Atua e tango atu ana i te ora, engari e whakaaro ana i nga whakaaro e kore ai e peia rawatia atu i a ia te mea i peia.

We all die; we are like [SIM] water that cannot be picked up after it is spilled on the ground. But God does not just cause us to die; he creates ways to bring us back when we become separated from him.

15 Koia ahau i haere mai ai ki te korero i tenei mea ki te kingi, ki toku ariki, he wehi noku i ta te iwi; koia tau pononga i mea ai, Me korero ahau ki te kingi; tera pea te kingi e mea i ta tana pononga e korero ai.

“Now, Your Majesty, I have come to you because others have threatened me. So I said to myself, ‘I will go and talk to the king, and perhaps he will do what I request him to do.

16 Tera hoki te kingi e rongo, e whakaora i tana pononga i te ringa o te tangata e huna ai maua tahi ko taku tama i to te Atua wahi tupu.

Perhaps he will listen to me, and save me from the man who is trying to kill my son. If my son is killed, it would result in us disappearing from the land that God gave to us.’

17 Koia tau pononga i mea ai, Akuanei he whakamarie te kupu a toku ariki, a te kingi; e rite ana hoki toku ariki, te kingi ki te anahera a te Atua, hei whakarongo ki te pai, ki te kino; hei hoa ano mou a Ihowa, te Atua.

“And I thought, ‘What the king says will comfort/encourage me, because the king is like [SIM] an angel of God. He knows what is good and what is evil.’ I pray/desire that Yahweh our God will (be with/direct) you.”

18 Na ka whakahoki te kingi, ka mea ki te wahine, Na, kaua e huna ki ahau te kupu e uia e ahau ki a koe. Na ka mea te wahine, Tena, kia korero toku ariki, te kingi.

Then the king said to the woman, “I will now ask you a question. Answer it, and tell me the truth. [LIT]” The woman replied, “Your majesty, ask your question.”

19 Na ka mea te kingi, Kahore ianei te ringa o Ioapa i a koe i tenei mea katoa? Ano ra ko te wahine, i mea ia, E ora ana tou wairua, e toku ariki, e te kingi, ina, kahore he tahuritanga mo tetahi ki matau, ki maui, i nga kupu katoa i korero ai toku ariki, te kingi: na tau pononga hoki, na Ioapa, nana ahau i whakahau, nana hoki i homai enei kupu katoa ki te mangai o tau pononga.

The king said, “Was Joab the one who told you to do this?” She replied, “Yes, Your Majesty, as surely as you live, I cannot avoid telling you what is true. Yes, indeed, it was Joab who told me to come here, and who told me what to say.

20 He whakaahua ke i te tikanga o tenei korero i mea ai tau pononga, a Ioapa i tenei mea: a he mohio toku ariki, he pera me te mohio o te anahera a te Atua, he mohio ki nga mea katoa o te whenua.

He did it in order to cause you to think differently about this matter. Your Majesty, you are as wise as God’s angels, and [it seems that] you know everything [that happens] on the earth, [so you know why Joab sent me here].”

21 Na ka mea te kingi ki a Ioapa, Na kua meatia nei tenei mea e ahau: tikina, whakahokia mai taua tamaiti, a Apoharama.

Then the king [summoned] Joab [and] said to him, “Listen! I have decided to do [what you want]. So go and get that young man Absalom and bring him back [to Jerusalem].”

22 Na ka tapapa a Ioapa ki te whenua, ka piko, ka whakapai i te kingi: i mea ano a Ioapa, No tenei ra tau pononga i mohio ai e manakohia ana ahau e koe, e toku ariki, e te kingi, no te kingi hoki ka whakamana i te kupu a tana pononga.

Joab prostrated himself on the ground, and then he bowed down before the king, and [asked God to] bless him. Then Joab said, “Your Majesty, today I know that you are pleased with me, because you have agreed to do what I requested.”

23 Heoi whakatika ana a Ioapa, a haere ana ki Kehuru, a kawea ana e ia a Apoharama ki Hiruharama.

Then Joab got up and went to Geshur, and got Absalom and brought him back to Jerusalem.

24 Na ka mea te kingi, Kia tahuri atu ia ki tona whare, kaua hoki ia e kite i toku kanohi. Na tahuri ana a Apoharama ki tona whare, kihai hoki i kite i te kanohi o te kingi.

But the king said/commanded that Absalom would not be permitted to live in the palace. He said, “I do not want him to come to see me.” So Absalom lived in his own house, and did not go to [talk to] the king.

25 Na kahore he rite mo Apoharama, te korerotia tona ataahua i roto i a Iharaira katoa: kahore ona koha i te kapu o tona waewae a tae noa ki tona tumuaki.

Absalom was very handsome. He looked perfect, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. In all of Israel there was no one whom people admired more than Absalom.

26 A ka kutikutia e ia tona matenga; i kutikutia hoki e ia i te takanga o te tau: he taimaha hoki nona koia i kutikutia ai: na ka paunatia e ia nga makawe o tona matenga, e rua rau nga hekere o ta te kingi pauna.

His hair was very thick, and he cut it only once each year, when it became too heavy for him. Using the standard weights, he would weigh the hair [that he cut off], and it always weighed about five pounds.

27 A tokotoru nga tama i whanau ma Apoharama, kotahi hoki te kotiro, ko tona ingoa ko Tamara; he wahine kanohi ataahua ano ia.

Absalom had three sons and one daughter named Tamar. She was a very beautiful woman.

28 Na e rua tino tau i noho ai a Apoharama ki Hiruharama, a kihai i i kitea e ia te kanohi o te kingi.

[After] Absalom [returned to] Jerusalem, he lived there two years, and during that time he never [was allowed to] see the king.

29 Na ka tono tangata a Apoharama ki a Ioapa, he mea kia tonoa ia ki te kingi; heoi kihai tera i pai ki te haere mai ki a ia. Na ka tono ano ia, otiia kihai tera i pai ki te haere mai.

So he sent [a messenger] to Joab to ask him to come [and talk to him], but Joab refused to come. So Absalom sent [a message to him] a second time, but he still would not come.

30 Na reira ka mea ia ki ana pononga, Nana, tata tonu ki toku to Ioapa wahi whenua, he parei ano tana kei reira; tikina tahuna ki te ahi. Na kua tahuna e nga tangata a Apoharama ki te ahi.

Then Absalom said to his servants, “You know that Joab’s field is next to mine, and that he has barley [growing] there. Go and light a fire there [to burn his barley].” So Absalom’s servants [went there and] lit a fire, [and all his barley burned].

31 Na ka whakatika a Ioapa, a haere ana ki a Apoharama ki te whare, a ka mea ki a ia, He aha i tahuna ai toku wahi e au tangata ki te ahi?

Joab [knew who had done it, so he] went to Absalom’s house and said to him, “Why have your servants burned [the barley in] my field?”

32 Na ka mea a Apoharama ki a Ioapa, Nana, i tono tangata ahau ki a koe, i mea, Haere mai ki konei kia tonoa ai koe e ahau ki te kingi hei mea, Mo te aha ahau i haere mai ai i Kehuru? He pai ke moku me i noho tonu ahau ki reira; ko tenei kia kite a hau i te kanohi o te kingi; a ki te mea he kino toku, me whakamate ahau e ia.

Absalom replied, “Because [you did not come to me when] I sent messages to you [requesting that you come]. I wanted to request that you go to the king to say to him, ‘Absalom (wants to know what good it did/says that is was useless) [RHQ] for him [RHQ] to leave Geshur and come here. [He thinks that] it would have been better for him to have stayed there. [He wants you to] allow him to talk to you. And if you think that he has done something that is wrong, you can [command that] he be executed.’”

33 Heoi haere ana a Ioapa ki te kingi, ki te korero ki a ia. Na ka karangatia a Apoharama e ia, a Haere ana ia ki te kingi. Na piko ana ia ki a ia, ahu ana tona mata ki te whenua i te aroaro o te kingi: a kihia ana a Apoharama e te kingi.

So Joab went to the king, and told him [what Absalom had said]. Then the king [summoned Absalom], and he came to the king and knelt down in front of him with his face touching the ground. Then the king kissed Absalom [to show that he was pleased to see him].