< 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: “I will choose for myself twelve thousand men, and rising up, I will pursue David this night.
2 Nitampata kwa ghafla wakati amechoka na dhaifu nami nitamstukiza kwa hofu. Watu waliopamoja naye watakimbia nami nitamshambulia mfalme peke yake.
And rushing against him, for he is weary and has weakened hands, I will strike him. And when all the people who are with him will have fled, I will strike down the king in isolation.
3 Nitawarejesha watu wote kwako kama bibi harusi ajavyo kwa bwana wake, na watu wote watakuwa katika amani chini yako.”
And I will lead back the entire people, returning in the manner of one man. For you are seeking only one man. And all the people shall be in peace.”
4 Alichokisema Ahithofeli kikampendeza mfalme na wazee wote wa Israeli.
And this word pleased Absalom and all those greater by birth of Israel.
5 Kisha Absalomu akasema, “Sasa mwiteni pia Hushai Mwarki ili tusikie yeye pia anasemavyo.”
But Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Archite, and let us hear what he also may 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 had gone to Absalom, Absalom said to him: “Ahithophel has spoken a word in this manner. Should we do it or not? What counsel do you give?”
7 Hivyo Hushai akamwambia Absalomu, “Ushauri aliotoa Ahithofeli siyo mzuri kwa wakati huu.”
And Hushai said to Absalom, “The counsel that Ahithophel has given at this time is not good.”
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.
And again Hushai declared, “You know your father, and the men who are with him, to be very strong and bitter in soul, comparable to a bear raging in the forest when her young have been taken away. Moreover, your father is a man of war, and so he will not live among 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.'
Perhaps now he hides in pits, or in another place, wherever he wills. And if by chance, in the beginning, anyone may fall, whoever hears about it, no matter what he has heard, will say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who were following Absalom.’
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.
And even the very strong, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will be weakened out of fear. For all the people of Israel know your father to be a valiant man, and that all who are with him are robust.
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 this seems to me to be the right counsel: Let all of Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, like the sand of the sea which is innumerable. And you will be in their midst.
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.
And we shall rush against him in whatever place he will have been found. And we shall cover him, as the dew usually falls upon the ground. And we shall not leave behind even one of the men who are with him.
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 will enter into any city, all of Israel shall encircle that city with ropes. And we will pull it into the torrent, so that there may not be found even one small stone from it.”
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.
And Absalom, with all the men of Israel, said: “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” So, by an act of the Lord, the useful counsel of Ahithophel was defeated, in order that the Lord might lead evil over Absalom.
15 Kisha Hushai akawambia Sadoki na Abiathari makuhani, “Ahithofeli alimshauri Absalomu na wazee wa Israeli hivi na hivi, lakini mimi nimeshauri vinginevyo.
And Hushai said to the priests, Zadok and Abiathar: “Ahithophel gave counsel to Absalom and to the elders of Israel in this and that manner. And I gave counsel in such and such a manner.
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.”
Now therefore, send quickly, and report to David, saying: ‘You shall not stay this night in the plains of the desert. Instead, without delay, go across. Otherwise the king may be engulfed, and all the people who are with him.’”
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.
But Jonathan and Ahimaaz remained beside the Fountain of Rogel. And a handmaid went away and reported it to them. And they set out, so that they might carry the report to king David. For they could not be seen, nor enter into the city.
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 certain young man saw them, and he revealed it to Absalom. Yet truly, they traveled quickly and entered into the house of a certain man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, and they descended 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.
Then a woman took and spread a covering over the mouth of the well, as if drying hulled barley. And so the matter was hidden.
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 when the servants of Absalom had entered into the house, they said to the woman, “Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And the woman responded to them, “They passed through hurriedly, after they had taken a little water.” But those who were seeking them, when they had not found them, returned 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.”
And when they had gone, they ascended from the well. And traveling, they reported to king David, and they said: “Rise up, and go across the river quickly. For Ahithophel has given a counsel of this kind 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.
Therefore, David rose up, and all the people who were with him, and they crossed over the Jordan, until first light. And not even one of them was left behind who had not crossed over the river.
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.
Then Ahithophel, seeing that his counsel had not been done, saddled his donkey, and he rose up and went away to his own house and to his own city. And putting his house in order, he killed himself by hanging. And he was buried in the sepulcher of his father.
24 Ndipo Daudi akaja Mahanaimu. Lakini Absalomu yeye akavuka Yordani yeye pamoja na watu wote wa Israeli waliokuwa pamoja naye.
Then David went to the encampment, and Absalom crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.
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.
Truly, Absalom appointed Amasa in place of Joab over the army. Now Amasa was the son of a man who was called Ithra of Jezrael, who entered to Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, the sister of Zeruiah, who was the mother of Joab.
26 Kisha Israeli na Absalomu wakapiga kambi katika nchi ya Gileadi.
And Israel made camp with Absalom 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,
And when David had arrived at the encampment, Shobi, the son of Nahash, from Rabbah, of the sons of Ammon, and Machir, the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai, the Gileadite of Rogelim,
28 wakaleta magodoro na mabulangeti, mabakuri na vyungu, na ngano, unga wa shayiri, nafaka zilizokaangwa, maharage, dengu,
brought to him bedding, and tapestries, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and cooked grain, and beans, and lentils, and fried chick peas,
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, sheep and fattened calves. And they gave these to David and to the people who were with him to eat. For they suspected that the people were faint with hunger and thirst in the desert.