2 Samweli 17

1 Kisha Ahithofeli akamwambia Absalomu, “Niruhusu sasa nichague watu elfu kumi na mbili nami nitaondoka na kumfuatia Daudi usiku huu.

Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me take out twelve thousand men and this very night I will go after David:

2 Nitampata kwa ghafla wakati amechoka na dhaifu nami nitamstukiza kwa hofu. Watu waliopamoja naye watakimbia nami nitamshambulia mfalme peke yake.

And I will come up with him when he is tired and feeble, and make him full of fear: and all the people with him will go in flight; and I will make an attack on the king only:

3 Nitawarejesha watu wote kwako kama bibi harusi ajavyo kwa bwana wake, na watu wote watakuwa katika amani chini yako.”

And I will make all the people come back to you as a bride comes back to her husband: it is the life of only one man you are going after; so all the people will be at peace.

4 Alichokisema Ahithofeli kikampendeza mfalme na wazee wote wa Israeli.

And the saying was pleasing to Absalom and to the responsible men of Israel.

5 Kisha Absalomu akasema, “Sasa mwiteni pia Hushai Mwarki ili tusikie yeye pia anasemavyo.”

Then Absalom said, Now send for Hushai the Archite, and let us give ear to what he has to say.

6 Hushai alipofika kwa Absalomu, Absalomu akamweleza kile ambacho Ahithofeli alikuwa amesema na kisha akamwuliza Hushai, “Je tufanye alivyosema Ahithofeli? Ikiwa hapana, tueleze kile unachoshauri.”

And when Hushai came, Absalom said to him, This is what Ahithophel has said: are we to do as he says? if not, what is your suggestion?

7 Hivyo Hushai akamwambia Absalomu, “Ushauri aliotoa Ahithofeli siyo mzuri kwa wakati huu.”

And Hushai said to Absalom, Ahithophel's idea is not a good one at this time.

8 Hushai akaongeza, “Unamjua baba yako na kwamba watu wake ni mashujaa na kwa sasa wanauchungu, ni kama dubu aliyenyang'anywa watoto wake mwituni. Baba yako ni mtu wa vita; hatalala na jeshi usiku huu.

Hushai said further, You have knowledge of your father and his men, that they are men of war, and that their feelings are bitter, like those of a bear in the field whose young ones have been taken from her: and your father is a man of war, and will not take his night's rest with the people;

9 Tazama, kwa wakati huu pengine amejificha katika shimo fulani au mahali pengine. Itakuwa kwamba baadhi ya watu wako watakapokuwa wameuawa mwanzoni mwa shambulio hata kila mtu atakayesikia atasema, mauaji yamefanyika kwa askari wanaomfuata Absalomu.'

But he will certainly have taken cover now in some hole or secret place; and if some of our people, at the first attack, are overcome, then any hearing of it will say, There is destruction among the people who are on Absalom's side.

10 Kisha hata askari jasiri zaidi ambao moyo wao ni kama moyo wa simba, wataogopa kwa kuwa Israeli yote inajua kwamba baba yako ni mtu mwenye nguvu na kwamba watu alionao ni wenye nguvu sana.

Then even the strongest, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will become like water; for all Israel is conscious that your father is a man of war, and those who are with him are strong and without fear.

11 Hivyo ninashauri kwamba Israeli wote wakutanike kwako pamoja kutoka Dani hadi Beersheba, wengi kama mchanga ufuoni mwa bahari na kwamba wewe mwenyewe uende vitani.

But my suggestion is that all Israel, from Dan as far as Beer-sheba, comes together to you, a great army like the sands of the sea in number; and that you yourself go out among them.

12 Kisha tutampata popote atakapokuwa nasi tutamfunika kama umande uangukavyo juu ya nchi. Hatutamwachia hata mmoja aliye hai kati ya watu wake wala yeye mwenyewe.

Then we will come on him in some place, wherever he may be, falling on him as the dew comes on the earth: and of him and all the men who are with him not one will get away with his life.

13 Ikiwa ataingia ndani ya mji kisha Israeli wote tutaleta kamba juu ya mji huo na kuukokotea mtoni, hata kusionekane hata jiwe moja dogo lililosalia.”

And if he has gone into some town, then let all Israel take strong cords to that town, and we will have it pulled into the valley, till not one small stone is to be seen there.

14 Kisha Absalomu na watu wa Israeli wakasema, “Shauri la Hushai Mwarki ni jema kuliko lile la Ahithofeli. Yahwe aliwafanya wakatae shauri jema la Ahithofeli ili kumwangamiza Absalomu.

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, Hushai's suggestion is better than that of Ahithophel. For it was the purpose of the Lord to make the wise designs of Ahithophel without effect, so that the Lord might send evil on Absalom.

15 Kisha Hushai akawambia Sadoki na Abiathari makuhani, “Ahithofeli alimshauri Absalomu na wazee wa Israeli hivi na hivi, lakini mimi nimeshauri vinginevyo.

Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, This is the suggestion made by Ahithophel to Absalom and the responsible men of Israel, and this is what I said to them.

16 Sasa basi, nendeni haraka na mmtaarifu Daudi kusema, 'Usipige kambi usiku huu katika vivuko vya Araba, lakini kwa namna yoyote vukeni, tofauti na hapo mfalme atamezwa pamoja na watu wote walio pamoja naye.”

So now send the news quickly to David, and say, Do not take your night's rest by the way across the river to the waste land, but be certain to go over; or the king and all the people with him will come to destruction.

17 Yonathani na Ahimaasi walikuwako katika chemichemi za En Rogeli. Hivyo kijakazi mmoja alikuwa akienda na kuwapasha habari waliyopaswa kuifahamu, ili kwamba wasihatarishe maisha yao kwa kuonwa wakiingia mjini. Ujumbe ulipofika ndipo huenda na kumtaarifu mfalme Daudi.

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting by En-rogel; and a servant-girl went from time to time and gave them news and they went with the news to King David, for it was not wise for them to let themselves be seen coming into the town.

18 Lakini kijana mmoja akawaoni mara akamwambia Absalomu. Hivyo Yonathani na Ahimaasi wakaenda kwa haraka na wakaingia katika nyumba ya mtu mmoja huko Bahurimu, aliyekuwa na kisima katika ua wake wakaingia humo.

But a boy saw them, and gave word of it to Absalom: so the two of them went away quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim who had a water-hole in his garden, and they went down into it.

19 Mke wa mtu huyo akachukua kifuniko na kukikufunika kwenye mlango wa kisima kisha akaanika nafaka juu yake, hivyo hakuna aliyejua kwamba Yonathani na Ahimaasi walikuwa kisimani.

And a woman put a cover over the hole, and put crushed grain on top of it, and no one had any knowledge of it.

20 Watu wa Absalomu wakaja kwa mwanamke na kumwuliza, “Ahimaasi na Yonathani wako wapi?” Mwanamke akawaambia, “Wamevuka mto.” Hivyo baada ya kuwatafuta bila kuwaona kurejea Yerusalemu.

And Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house and said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them, They have gone from here to the stream. And after searching for them, and seeing nothing of them, they went back to Jerusalem.

21 Ikawa baada yao kuondoka Yonathani na Ahimaasi wakatoka ndani ya kisima. Wakaenda kumtaarifu mfalme Daudi; wakamwambia, “Inuka na uvuke maji haraka kwa maana Ahithofeli ametoa mashauri haya na haya juu yako.”

Then after the servants had gone away, they came up out of the water-hole and went to give King David the news; and they said, Get up and go quickly over the water, for such and such are Ahithophel's designs against you.

22 Kisha Daudi akainuka pamoja na watu wote walikuwa pamoja naye, nao wakauvuka Yordani. Hata ilipofika alfajiri hakuna hata mmoja aliyesalia kwa kutouvuka Yordani.

So David and all the people who were with him went up over Jordan: when dawn came, every one of them had gone over Jordan.

23 Ikawa Ahithofeli alipoona kwamba ushauri wake haukufuatwa, akapanda punda wake na kuondoka. Akaenda nyumbani katika mji wake mwenyewe, akaweka mambo yake katika utaratibu na kisha akajinyonga. Kwa hiyo akafa na kuzikwa katika kaburi la baba yake.

Now when Ahithophel saw that his suggestion was not acted on, he got his ass ready, and went back to his house, to the town where he came from, and having put his house in order, he put himself to death by hanging; so he came to his end and was put in the resting-place of his father.

24 Ndipo Daudi akaja Mahanaimu. Lakini Absalomu yeye akavuka Yordani yeye pamoja na watu wote wa Israeli waliokuwa pamoja naye.

And David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom, with all the men of Israel, went over Jordan.

25 Absalomu alikuwa amemweka Amasa juu ya jeshi badala ya Yoabu. Naye huyo Amasa alikuwa mwana wa Yetheri Mwishmaeli, aliyekuwa amelala na Abigaili, aliyekuwa binti Nahashi na dada wa Seruya, mamaye Yoabu.

And Absalom put Amasa at the head of the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite, who had been the lover of Abigail, the daughter of Jesse, sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

26 Kisha Israeli na Absalomu wakapiga kambi katika nchi ya Gileadi.

And Israel and Absalom put up their tents in the land of Gilead.

27 Ikawa wakati Daudi alipokuwa amekuja Mahanaimu, huyo Shobi mwana wa Nahashi kutoka Raba ya Waamoni na Makiri mwana wa Amieli wa kutoka Lo Debari, na Berzilai Mgileadi wa Rogelimu,

Now when David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi, the son of Nahash of Rabbah, the Ammonite, and Machir, the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

28 wakaleta magodoro na mabulangeti, mabakuri na vyungu, na ngano, unga wa shayiri, nafaka zilizokaangwa, maharage, dengu,

Came with beds and basins and pots, and grain and meal, and all sorts of dry foods,

29 asali, siagi, kondoo na samli, ili kwamba Daudi na watu waliokuwa pamoja naye waweze kula. Kwani walisema, “Watu wana njaa, wamechoka na wana kiu huko nyikani.”

And honey and butter and sheep and milk-cheeses, for David and his people: for they said, This people is in the waste land, needing food and drink and rest.