2 Saamuʼeel 17
1 Ahiitofelis Abesaaloomiin akkana jedhe; “Ani namoota kuma kudha lama filadhee halkanuma kana Daawitin nan ariʼa.
Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Allow me to choose 12,000 men, and I will leave [with them] tonight to pursue David.
2 Anis yeroo inni dadhabee laafutti isa nan dhaʼa. Sodaa itti buusee akka namoonni isa wajjin jiran hundis baqatan nan godha. Ani mooticha qofa dhaʼee
We will attack him while he is tired and discouraged, and cause him to be very frightened. All the soldiers who are with him will run away. We will kill only the king.
3 namoota isaa hundas deebisee sittin fida. Duuti namicha ati barbaaddu sanaa deebiʼuu nama hundaa ti jechuu dha; ergasii namoonni hundinuu nagaan jiraatu.”
Then we will bring back all his soldiers to you, like [SIM] a (bride/woman comes to her husband when she is married). You are wanting to kill only one man; so the other people will not be harmed.”
4 Karoorri kunis Abesaaloomii fi maanguddoota Israaʼel hundatti waan gaarii fakkaate.
Absalom and all the Israeli leaders [who were with him] thought that what Ahithophel said would be good to do.
5 Abesaaloom garuu, “Mee Huushaayi namicha gosa Arkii sanas waamaatii waan inni jedhu haa dhageenyu” jedhe.
But Absalom said, “Summon Hushai also, and we will hear what he suggests.”
6 Abesaaloom yeroo Huushaayi isa bira dhufetti, “Ahiitofel gorsa kana nuu kenneera. Waan inni jedhe kana haa goonuu? Yoo taʼuu baate immoo yaada kee nuu kenni” jedheen.
So when Hushai arrived, Absalom told him what Ahithophel had suggested. Then he asked Hushai, “What do you think we should do? If you do not think that we should do what Ahithophel suggests, tell us [what you think that we should do].”
7 Huushaayis deebisee Abesaaloomiin akkana jedhe; “Gorsi Ahiitofel kenne yeroo kanatti gaarii miti.
Hushai replied, “This time what Ahithophel has suggested is not good advice.
8 Ati abbaa keetii fi namoota isaa ni beekta; isaan loltootaa fi warra akkuma amaaketa ilmaan ishee jalaa fudhatamteetti nama sodaachisanii dha. Kana irratti abbaan kee muuxannoo waraanaa guddaa qaba; inni halkan halkan loltoota bira hin bulu.
You know that your father and the men who are with him are strong soldiers, and that now they are very angry, like [SIM] a mother bear whose cubs have been stolen from her. Furthermore, your father knows how to fight because he has fought in many battles. He will not stay with his troops during the night.
9 Amma illee inni holqa keessa yookaan lafa biraa dhokatee jira taʼa. Yoo inni duraan dursee loltoota kee dhaʼe, namni waaʼee kanaa dhagaʼu kam iyyuu, ‘Loltoonni Abesaaloom duuka buʼan ni dhuman’ jedhee odeessa.
Right now he is probably already hiding in one of the pits, or in some other place. [If his soldiers start to attack your soldiers, and] if they kill some of them, whoever hears about that will say ‘Many of the soldiers with Absalom have been killed!’
10 Ergasii immoo sababii Israaʼeloonni hundinuu akka abbaan kee nama waraanaa taʼee fi akka warri isa wajjin jiranis jajjaboo taʼan beekaniif loltoonni ciccimoon warri onneen isaanii akka onnee leencaa taʼe sodaadhaan dhuman.
Then your other soldiers, even if they are as fearless [SIM, IDM] as lions, they will become very afraid. Do not forget that everyone in Israel knows that your father is a great/strong soldier, and that the soldiers who are with him are also very brave/courageous.
11 “Egaa wanni ani si gorsu kana: Israaʼeloonni lakkoobsi isaanii akka cirracha qarqara galaanaa baayʼatu kanneen Daanii hamma Bersheebaatti argaman hundi si biratti walitti haa qabamaniitii ati isaan dura buʼii lolatti seeni.
“So what I suggest is that you summon all the Israeli soldiers, from Dan [in the far north] to Beersheba [in the far south]. They will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore [HYP]. And then you yourself lead us into the battle.
12 Akkasiin lafa inni jirutti isa dhoofna; akkuma Fixeensi ganamaa lafa irra buʼuttis isa irra buuna. Innis taʼu namoonni isaa tokko iyyuu lubbuun hin hafan.
We will find [your father], wherever he is, and we will attack him [from all sides], like [SIM] dew covers all the ground. And neither he nor any of the soldiers who are with him will survive.
13 Yoo inni gara magaalaa sanaatti baqates, Israaʼeloonni hundinuu funyoo fidanii hamma dhagaan xinnaan tokko hin hafnetti magaalaa sana gara sululaatti harkifna.”
If he escapes into some city, all our soldiers will bring ropes and pull that city down into the valley. As a result, not one stone will be left there [on top of the hill where that city was]!”
14 Abesaaloomii fi Israaʼeloonni hundinuu, “Gorsa Ahiitofel caalaa gorsa Huushaayi namicha gosa Arkii sanaatu wayya” jedhan. Waaqayyo Abesaaloomitti badiisa fiduuf jedhee gorsa Ahiitofel gaarii sana faayidaa dhabsiiseeraatii.
Absalom and all the other Israeli men [who were with him] said, “What Hushai suggests is better than what Ahithophel suggested.” The reason that happened was that Yahweh had determined that if they would accept the good advice that Ahithophel had given them, [they would have been able to defeat/kill David]. But [as a result of their doing what Hushai suggested], Yahweh would cause a disaster to happen to Absalom.
15 Huushaayiis akkana jedhee Zaadoqii fi Abiyaataar lubootatti hime; “Ahiitofel, ‘Akkasii fi akkas godhaa’ jedhee Abesaaloomii fi maanguddoota Israaʼel gorsee ture; ani garuu, ‘Akkanaa fi akkana godhaa’ jedheen isaan gorse.
Then Hushai told the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar, what both he and Ahithophel had suggested to Absalom and the Israeli leaders.
16 Amma gara Daawititti ergamoota ergaatii, ‘Ati halkan kana holqawwan gammoojjii keessa hin bulin; utuu hin turin ceʼii deemi; yoo kanaa achii mootichii fi namoonni isa wajjin jiran hundinuu ni liqimfamtu’ jedhaa itti himaa.”
Then he said to them, “Send [a message] quickly to David. Tell him to not stay at the place where people walk across the river, near the desert. Instead, he and his soldiers must cross [the Jordan River] immediately, in order that they will not be killed/wiped out.”
17 Yeroo sanattis Yoonaataanii fi Ahiimaʼaz iddoo Een Roogeel jedhamu turan. Intalli xomboreen tokko dhaqxee isaanitti himti turte; isaan immoo dhaqanii Daawit mootichatti himu turan; isaan akka yeroo magaalaa seenanitti hin argamneef of eeggachaa turaniitii.
[The priest’s two sons, ] Jonathan and Ahimaaz, were waiting at En-Rogel [Spring], outside Jerusalem. They did not [dare to] enter the city, because if someone saw them, [he would report it to Absalom]. [While they were at En-Rogel, ] a female servant [of the two priests] would frequently go to them and report to them [what was happening], and then they would go and report it to King David.
18 Garuu dargaggeessi tokko isaan argee Abesaaloom itti hime. Kanaafuu lamaan isaanii iyyuu dafanii achii baʼanii mana namicha Bahuuriim keessa jiraatu tokkoo seenan. Namichi kunis dallaa isaa keessaa boolla qaba ture; isaanis boolla sana keessa lixan.
But a young man saw them, and went and reported it to Absalom. [They found out what the young man had done, ] so both of them left quickly and went to stay in the house of a man in Bahurim. That man had a well in his courtyard; so the two men went down into the well [to hide].
19 Niitiin namicha sanaas afaan boollichaa gubbaa waa diriirsitee midhaan achi irra afte. Namni tokko iyyuu waan kana hin beekne.
The man’s wife took a cloth/mat and covered the well, and scattered grain on top of it in order that no one would know [that two men were hiding inside it].
20 Namoonni Abesaaloom yommuu dubartittii bira mana dhufanitti, “Ahiimaʼazii fi Yoonaataan meerre?” jedhanii gaafatan. Dubartittiinis, “Isaan laga ceʼanii deemaniiru” jettee isaaniif deebifte. Jarris barbaadanii isaan dhaban; kanaafuu Yerusaalemitti deebiʼan.
Some of Absalom’s soldiers [found out where the two men had gone. So they] went to the house, and asked the woman, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” She replied, “They crossed the river.” So the soldiers [crossed the river and] searched for them. But they could not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.
21 Erga namoonni Abesaaloom deemanii booddee Ahiimaʼazii fi Yoonaataan boolla keessaa ol baʼanii Daawit mootichatti himuu dhaqan. Isaanis, “Ammuma kana kaʼiitii laga ceʼi; Ahiitofel, ‘Akkasii fi akkas godhaa’ jedhee sirratti isaan gorseeraa” jedhaniin.
After they had gone, the two men came out of the well and went and reported to King David [what had happened and] what Ahithophel had suggested. Then they said to him, “Cross the river quickly!”
22 Kanaafuu Daawitii fi namoonni isaa hundi kaʼanii Yordaanosin ceʼan. Yeroo lafti bariitetti namni utuu Yordaanosin hin ceʼin hafe tokko iyyuu hin turre.
So David and all his soldiers quickly started to cross the Jordan [River], and by dawn they had all crossed to the other side.
23 Ahiitofelis yommuu akka gorsi isaa fudhatama dhabe beeketti harree isaa feʼatee gara magaalaa iddoo mana jireenya isaatti qajeele. Innis erga mana isaa tottolfatee booddee of fannise. Akkasiinis duʼee awwaala abbaa isaa keessatti awwaalame.
When Ahithophel realized that Absalom was not going to do what he suggested, he put a saddle on his donkey and returned to his own town. He gave [to his family] instructions about his possessions, and then he hanged himself [because he knew that Absalom would be defeated and that he would be considered a traitor and be killed]. His body was buried in the tomb where his ancestors [had been buried].
24 Daawit gara Mahanayiim deeme; Abesaaloom immoo namoota Israaʼel hunda wajjin Yordaanosin ceʼe.
David [and his soldiers] arrived at Mahanaim. And Absalom [and all his Israeli soldiers] also crossed the Jordan [River].
25 Abesaaloomis Amaasaa qooda Yooʼaab ajajaa loltootaa godhee muude; Amaasaan kun ilma namicha gosa Israaʼel kan Yitraa jedhamu isa Abiigayiil haadha Yooʼaab, obboleettii Zeruuyaa, intala Naaʼaash sana fuudhee ture.
Absalom had appointed [his cousin] Amasa to be the commander of his army, instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Jether, a descendant of Ishmael. Amasa’s mother was Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Joab’s mother Zeruiah.
26 Israaʼeloonnii fi Abesaaloom biyya Giliʼaad keessa qubatan.
Absalom and his Israeli soldiers set up their tents in [the] Gilead [region].
27 Yommuu Daawit Mahanayiim gaʼettis, Shoobiin ilmi Naahaash namichi gosa Amoon kan Rabbaadhaa dhufe, Maakiir ilmi Amiiʼeel kan Lodebaarii dhufee fi Barzilaayiin namichi gosa Giliʼaad kan Rogeliimii dhufe
When David [and his soldiers] arrived at Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah [city] in the Ammon area, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-Debar [city], and Barzillai from Rogelim [town] in [the] Gilead [region]
28 afata, waciitii fi miʼoota suphee irraa hojjetaman fidan. Akkasumas akka isaan nyaataniif qamadii fi garbuu, daakuu fi akaayii, baaqelaa fi misira,
brought sleeping mats, bowls, clay pots, barley, wheat flour, parched grain, beans, and lentils to them.
29 dammaa fi itittuu, hoolotaa fi baaduu aannan loon Daawitii fi namoota isaatiif fidan. Isaanis, “Namoonni lafa gammoojjiitti beelaʼaniiru, dadhabaniiru, dheebotaniirus” jedhanii turaniitii.
They brought honey and curds, sheep, and some cream/cheese for David and his soldiers to eat. They knew that David and his soldiers would be hungry and tired and thirsty [from marching] in the desert.
