2 Samweli 14

1 Yoabu mwana wa Seruya akatambua kwamba moyo wa mfalme ulitamani kumwona Absalomu.

When Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart longed for Absalom,

2 Hivyo Yoabu akatuma neno huko Tekoa kumleta kwake mwanamke mwelevu. Akamwambia, “Tafadhari, vaa mavazi ya uombolezaji ujifanye kuwa mwombolezaji. Usijipake mafuta, lakini uwe kama mwanamke ambaye ameomboleza kwa muda mrefu kwa ajili yake aliyekufa.

he sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, "Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave as a woman who has been mourning for the dead a long time.

3 Kisha ingia kwa mfalme na umwambiye maneno nitakayokueleza.” Hivyo Yoabu akamwambia maneno ambayo angeyasema kwa mfalme.

Go in to the king and say this to him." Then Joab told her what to say.

4 Wakati mwanamke kutoka Tekoa alipoongea na mfalme, aliinamisha uso wake chini na kusema,

And the woman of Tekoa went to the king, and she bowed down with her face to the ground and showed respect, and said, "Help, O king."

5 “Mfalme, anisaidie.” Mfalme akamwambia, “Shida yako ni nini?” Akajibu, Ukweli ni kwamba mimi ni mjane, mme wangu alikufa.

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

6 Mimi, mtumishi wako, nilikuwa na wana wawili, wakagombana shambani, na hakukuwa na wa kuwaachanisha. Mmoja wao akampiga mwenziwe na kumwua.

And your servant had two sons, and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.

7 Na sasa ukoo wote umeinuka juu ya mtumishi wako, wanasema, 'Mtoe aliyempiga nduguye, ili tumwue kulipe uhai wa nduguye aliyeuawa.' Na hivyo watamwangamiza mrithi. Hivyo watalizima kaa liwakalo nililobakiwa, hata kumwondolea mme wangu jina na mzao juu ya uso wa nchi.”

Look, the whole family has risen against your servant, and they say, 'Give us the man who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed.' Thus they would eliminate also the heir and the one ember I have left will be extinguished, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.

8 Hivyo mfalme akamwambia mwanamke, “Nenda nyumbani kwako, nami nitaagiza jambo la kukufanyia.”

Now therefore seeing that I have come to speak this word to the king, my lord, it is because the people have made me afraid: and your servant said, 'I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.'

9 Mwanamke kutoka Tekoa akamjibu mfalme, “Bwana wangu mfalme, hatia na iwe juu yangu na juu ya familia ya baba yangu. Mfalme na kiti chake cha enzi hawana hatia.”

For the king will hear and deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who is seeking to destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of the LORD.

10 Mfalme akasema, “Yeyote atakayekwambia neno umlete kwangu, naye hatakugusa tena.”

Then your servant said, 'Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May the LORD, your God, be with you.'"

11 Kisha mwanamke akasema, “Tafadhari mfalme amkumbuke Yahwe Mungu wake, ili kwamba mlipa kisasi cha damu asiaribu zaidi, ili kwamba wasimwangamize mwanangu.” Mfalme akajibu, “Kama Mungu aishivyo, hakuna hata unywele mmoja wa mwanao utaanguka chini.”

Then the king said, "Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you."

12 Kisha mwanamke akasema, “Tafadhari acha mtumishi wako anene neno moja zaidi kwa bwana wangu mfalme.” Akasema, “Sema.”

The woman of Tekoa said to the king, "My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house; and the king and his throne be guiltless."

13 Hivyo mwanamke akasema, “Kwa nini basi umetenda kwa hila dhidi ya watu Mungu? Maana kwa kusema hivi, mfalme ni kama mtu mwenye hatia, kwa kuwa mfalme hamjamrudisha tena mwanaye aliyeondoka.

The king said, "Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more."

14 Kwa maana sisi sote tutakufa, kwa kuwa tu kama maji yamwagwayo juu ya ardhi na kwamba hayawezi kukusanywa tena. Lakini Mungu hatachukua uhai; badala yake, utafuta njia kwa walio mbali kurejeshwa.

Then she said, "Please let the king remember the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son." He said, "As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground."

15 Sasa basi, nimesema jambo hili kwa bwana wangu mfalme, kwa sababu watu wamenitisha. Hivyo mtumishi wako akajinenea nafsini mwake, 'Sasa nitaongea na mfalme. Huenda mfalme akampa mtumishi wake haja yake.

Then the woman said, "Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." He said, "Say on."

16 Kwa maana mfalme atanisikiliza, ili kwamba kumtoa mtumishi wake katika mikono ya mtu ambaye angeniangamiza mimi na mwanangu pamoja, tutoke katika urithi wa Mungu.

The woman said, "Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of the LORD? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his exiled one.

17 Kisha mtumishi wako akaomba, 'Yahwe, tafadhari ruhusu neno la bwana wangu mfalme linipe msaada, kwa maana bwana wangu mfalme ni kama malaika wa Mungu kwa kutofautisha wema na ubaya.' Yahwe, Mungu na awe pamoja nawe.”

For your son is dead, and as water spilled on the ground can't be gathered up again, so he can't bring his life back again. But it seems sensible to the king to keep his exiled one away from him."

18 Ndipo mfalme akajibu na kumwambia yule mwanamke, Tafadhari usinifiche neno lolote nikuulizalo.” Mwanamke akajibu, “Basi bwana wangu mfalme na aseme sasa.

Then the king answered and said to the woman, "Please do not hide from me anything that I ask you." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king speak."

19 Mfalme akasema, Je siyo mkono wa Yoabu ulio pamoja nawe katika haya yote? Mwanamke akajibu na kusema, “Kama uishivyo bwana wangu mfalme, hakuna awezae kuelekea mkono wa kulia wala wa kushoto kwa yale bwana wangu mfalme aliyosema. Ni mtumishi wako Yoabu aliyeniambia na kuniagiza kusema kile mtumishi wako alichokisema.

So the king said, "Did Joab put you up to all this?" The woman answered, "As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who had me do this, and he put all these words in the mouth of your servant.

20 Mtumishi wako Yoabu amefanya hivi ili kubadilisha hali ya kile kinachotendeka. Bwana wangu ni mwenye akili kama hekima ya malaika wa Mungu, ajuaye yote yatendekayo ndani ya nchi.”

Your servant Joab did this in order to change this situation. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of an angel of God for knowing things in the land."

21 Hivyo mfalme akamwambia Yoabu, “Tazama, nitatenda jambo hili. Nenda na umrudishe huyo kijana Absalomu.”

Then the king said to Joab, "Look now, I have done according to your word. Go, bring back the young man Absalom."

22 HivyoYoabu akainamisha uso wake chini juu ya ardhi katika heshima na shukurani kwa mfalme. Yoabu akasema, “Mtumishi wako amejua kwamba amepata neema mbele zako, bwana wangu, mfalme, kwa vile mfalme amempa mtumishi wake haja ya moyo wake.

Then Joab bowed down with his face toward the ground, and blessed the king. And Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant."

23 Hivyo Yoabu akainuka na kwenda Geshuri, akamrejesha Absalomu Yerusalemu tena.

So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24 Mfalme akasema, “Na arudi nyumbani kwake, lakini hasinione uso wangu.” Hivyo Absalomu akarudi katika nyumba yake mwenyewe, na hakuweza kuuona uso wa mfalme.

The king said, "He must return to his own house, but he must not see my face." So Absalom returned to his own house, and did not see the king's face.

25 Hakukuwa na mtu katika Israeli aliyesifiwa kwa uzuri kama Absalomu. Kutoka katika wayo wa mguu wake hadi katika utosi wake hakuwa na waa lolote.

Moreover, Absalom – in Israel no one was so much admired as he for his fine appearance. From the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

26 Alipokata nywele za kichwa chake mwishoni mwa kila mwaka, kwa sababu zilikuwa nzito juu yake, alipima nywele zake zaidi ya shekeli mia mbili, kwa kiwango cha kipimo cha mfalme.

When he cut the hair of his head – now it was at the end of every year that he cut it, because it became too heavy, therefore he cut it – he weighed the hair of his head at one hundred shekels by the king's weight.

27 Kwake Absalomu walizaliwa wana watatu na binti mmoja, jina lake Tamari. Alikuwa mwanamke mzuri.

To Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.

28 Absalomu akaishi Yerusalem miaka miwili pasipo kuona uso wa mfalme.

Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem; and he did not see the king's face.

29 Kisha Absalome akatuma neno kwa Yoabu ili ampeleke kwa mfalme, lakini Yoabu hakwenda kwake. Hivyo Absalomu akatuma neno mara ya pili, lakini Yoabu hakuja bado.

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 Hivyo Absalomu akawambia watumishi wake, “Tazameni, shamba la Yoabu lipo karibu na langu, naye ana shayiri kule. Nendeni mkalichome moto” Hivyo watumishi wa Absalome wakalichoma moto lile shamba.

Therefore he said to his servants, "Look, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire." Absalom's servants set the field on fire. And the servants of Joab came to him with their clothes rent, and they said to him, "The servants of Absalom have set the field on fire."

31 Kisha Yoabu akainuka na kwenda nyumbani kwa Absalomu akamwambia, “Kwa nini watumishi wako wamelichoma moto shamba langu?

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

32 Absalomu akamjibu Yoabu, “Tazama nilituma neno kwako kusema, 'Njoo ili nikutume kwa mfalme kusema, “Kwa nini nilikuja kutoka Geshuri? Ingekuwa heri kwangu kama ningesalia huko. Kwa hiyo sasa niache niuone uso wa mfalme na kama nina hatia basi na aniue.”

And Absalom answered Joab, "Look, I sent to you, saying, 'Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there. Now therefore let me appear before the king. If I am guilty, put me to death.'"

33 Hivyo Yoabu akaenda kwa mfalme na kumwambia. Mfalme alipomwita, Absalomu alikuja kwa mfalme na akainama hadi juu ya uso nchi mbele ya mfalme na mfalme akambusu Absalomu.

So Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. And he came to the king and bowed himself with his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.