2 Samweli 14
1 Yoabu mwana wa Seruya akatambua kwamba moyo wa mfalme ulitamani kumwona Absalomu.
Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart desired to see 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.
So Joab sent word to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought to him. He said to her, “Please pretend you are a mourner and put on mourning clothes. Please do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.
3 Kisha ingia kwa mfalme na umwambiye maneno nitakayokueleza.” Hivyo Yoabu akamwambia maneno ambayo angeyasema kwa mfalme.
Then go to the king and speak to him about what I will describe.” So Joab told her the words she was to say to the king.
4 Wakati mwanamke kutoka Tekoa alipoongea na mfalme, aliinamisha uso wake chini na kusema,
When the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king, she lay facedown on the ground and said, “Help me, king.”
5 “Mfalme, anisaidie.” Mfalme akamwambia, “Shida yako ni nini?” Akajibu, Ukweli ni kwamba mimi ni mjane, mme wangu alikufa.
The king said to her, “What is wrong?” She answered, “The truth is that 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.
I, your servant, had two sons, and they fought together in the field, and there was no one to separate them. 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.”
Now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, 'Give into our hand the man who struck his brother, so that we may put him to death, to pay for the life of his brother whom he killed.' So they would also destroy the heir. Thus they will put out the burning coal that I have left, and they will leave for my husband neither name nor descendant on the surface of the earth.”
8 Hivyo mfalme akamwambia mwanamke, “Nenda nyumbani kwako, nami nitaagiza jambo la kukufanyia.”
So the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will command something to be done for you.”
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.”
The woman of Tekoa replied to the king, “My master, king, may the guilt be on me and on my father's family. The king and his throne are guiltless.”
10 Mfalme akasema, “Yeyote atakayekwambia neno umlete kwangu, naye hatakugusa tena.”
The king replied, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.”
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 she said, “Please, may the king call to mind Yahweh your God, so that the avenger of blood will not destroy anyone further, so that they will not destroy my son.” The king replied, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son will fall to the ground.”
12 Kisha mwanamke akasema, “Tafadhari acha mtumishi wako anene neno moja zaidi kwa bwana wangu mfalme.” Akasema, “Sema.”
Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a further word to my master the king.” He said, “Speak on.”
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.
So the woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in saying this thing, the king is like someone who is guilty, because the king has not brought back home again his banished son.
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.
For we all must die, and we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life; instead, he finds a way for those who were driven away to be restored.
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.
Now then, seeing that I have come to speak this thing to my master the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. So your servant said to herself, 'I will now speak to the king. It may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.
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.
Perhaps the king will listen to me and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together, out of the inheritance God gave us.'
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.”
Then your servant prayed, 'Yahweh, please let the word of my master the king give me relief, for as an angel of God, so is my master the king in telling good from evil.' May Yahweh your God be with you.”
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 will ask you.” The woman replied, “Let my master the king now 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.
The king said, “Is not the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, “As you live, my master the king, no one can escape to the right hand or to the left from anything that my master the king has spoken. It was your servant Joab who commanded me and told me to say these things that your servant has spoken.
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 has done this to change the course of what is happening. My master is wise, like the wisdom of an angel of God, and he knows everything that is happening in the land.”
21 Hivyo mfalme akamwambia Yoabu, “Tazama, nitatenda jambo hili. Nenda na umrudishe huyo kijana Absalomu.”
So the king said to Joab, “Look now, I will do this thing. Go then, and bring the young man Absalom back.”
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.
So Joab lay facedown on the ground in honor and gratitude to the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my master, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”
23 Hivyo Yoabu akainuka na kwenda Geshuri, akamrejesha Absalomu Yerusalemu tena.
So Joab arose, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back 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 may return to his own house, but he may not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but 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.
Now in all Israel there was no one praised for his handsomeness more than Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top 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 at the end of every year, because it was heavy on him, he weighed his hair; it would weigh about two hundred shekels, which is measured by the weight of the king's standard.
27 Kwake Absalomu walizaliwa wana watatu na binti mmoja, jina lake Tamari. Alikuwa mwanamke mzuri.
To Absalom 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, without seeing 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 word for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. So Absalom sent word a second time, but Joab still did 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.
So Absalom said to his servants, “See, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom's servants 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 at 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.”
Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent word to you saying, 'Come here so I may send you to the king to say, “Why did I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to still be there. Now therefore let me see the king's face, and if I am guilty, let him kill me.”'”
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. When the king called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed low to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.
