2 Samuela 18
1 Pea naʻe lau hake ʻe Tevita ʻae kakai naʻe ʻiate ia, mo ne fakanofo ʻae ngaahi ʻeiki ke pule ki he ngaahi toko afe, ngaahi ʻeiki ke pule ki he ngaahi toko teau.
David arranged his soldiers for the battle. He divided them into groups, and appointed a commander for each 100 soldiers and a commander for each 1,000 soldiers.
2 Pea naʻe fekau atu ʻe Tevita ʻa hono vahe tolu ʻoe kakai ke puleʻi ʻe Soape, mo hono vahe ʻe taha ke puleʻi ʻe ʻApisai ko e tama ʻo Seluia, ko e tokoua ʻo Soape, pea mo e vahe ʻe taha ke puleʻi ʻe Itei ko e tangata Kati. Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he tuʻi ki he kakai, “Ko au foki te u ʻalu atu moʻoni fakataha mo kimoutolu.”
He sent them out in three groups. Joab commanded one group, Joab’s brother Abishai commanded a second group, and Ittai from Gath commanded the third group. David said to them, “I myself will go with you [to the battle].”
3 Ka naʻe pehēange ʻe he kakai, “ʻE ʻikai te ke ʻalu atu: he kapau te mau hola, ʻe ʻikai tenau tokanga kiate kimautolu; pea kapau ʻe mate haʻamau vaheua mālie, ʻe ʻikai tenau tokanga kiate kimautolu: ka ko koe ʻoku ke mahuʻinga ʻi ha toko mano ʻokimautolu: ko ia foki ʻoku lelei hake ke ke tokoni mai koe kiate kimautolu mei he loto kolo.”
But his soldiers said, “No, we will not allow you to go with us. If they force us all to run away, they will not be concerned about that happening. Or if they kill half of us, that will also not be what they want. To them, [killing] you is more important than [killing] 10,000 of us. So it will be better that you [stay here] in the city and send help to us.”
4 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he tuʻi kiate kinautolu, “Ko e meʻa ʻoku lelei hake kiate kimoutolu te u fai pe ia.” Pea naʻe tuʻu ʻae tuʻi ki he veʻe matapā [ʻoe kolo], pea naʻe ʻalu atu ʻae kakai ʻi he ngaahi toko teau mo e ngaahi toko afe.
The king replied, “Okay, I will do whatever seems best to you.” So he stood at the gate [and watched] while his soldiers marched out, group by group.
5 Pea naʻe fekau ʻe he tuʻi kia Soape mo ʻApisai mo Itei, ʻo pehē, “Faifai mālie koeʻuhi ko au ki he talavou ko ʻApisalomi.” Pea naʻe ongoʻi ʻe he kakai kotoa pē ʻa ʻene tuku ʻe he tuʻi ʻae fekau naʻe kau kia ʻApisalomi.
[While they were leaving, ] the king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “For my sake, do not harm my son Absalom!” And all the troops heard it when David gave that order about Absalom to those three commanders.
6 Pea pehē, naʻe ʻalu atu ʻae kakai kituaʻā ke tauʻi ʻa ʻIsileli: pea naʻe hoko ʻae tau ʻi he vao ʻakau ʻi ʻIfalemi;
So the army went out to fight against the Israeli soldiers [who were with Absalom]. They fought the battle in the forest [where people from the tribe] of Ephraim [lived].
7 ʻAia naʻe tāmateʻi ʻi ai ʻae kakai ʻo ʻIsileli ʻi he ʻao ʻoe kau tamaioʻeiki ʻa Tevita, pea naʻe fai ʻi ai ʻae tāmateʻi lahi ʻi he ʻaho ko ia, ko e kau tangata ʻe toko ua mano.
David’s soldiers defeated Absalom’s soldiers. They killed 20,000 of them!
8 He naʻe fai ʻae tau ʻo foliaki ʻi he funga fonua kotoa pē: pea naʻe maumauʻi ʻo tokolahi hake ʻae kakai ʻi he vao ʻakau ʻi he ʻaho ko ia, kae siʻi ʻae maumau ʻe he heletā.
The battle was fought {They fought the battle} all over that area, and the number of men who died because of [dangerous things in] the forest [PRS] was greater than the number of men who were killed (in the battle/by swords).
9 Pea naʻe fetaulaki ʻa ʻApisalomi mo e kau tamaioʻeiki ʻa Tevita. Pea naʻe heka ʻa ʻApisalomi ki ha miuli, pea naʻe ʻalu ʻae miuli ʻi he lalo vaʻa mālohi ʻoe oke lahi, pea naʻe ʻefihiaʻi hono ʻulu ʻi he oke, pea naʻe tautau hake ia ʻi he vahaʻa ʻoe langi mo e [funga ]kelekele; pea naʻe moleange ʻae miuli mei lalo ʻiate ia.
During the battle, Absalom suddenly came near [some of] David’s soldiers. Absalom was riding on his mule; and when the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak tree, Absalom’s head/hair was caught in the branches. The mule kept going, but Absalom was left dangling in the air.
10 Pea naʻe sio ki ai ʻae tangata ʻe tokotaha, ʻo ne tala ia kia Soape, ʻo pehē, “Vakai, naʻaku mamata kia ʻApisalomi kuo tautau ʻi ha oke.”
One of David’s soldiers saw what happened, and went and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Soape ki he tangata naʻe fakahā mai ia kiate ia, “Pea vakai, naʻa ke sio [ki ai], pea ko e hā naʻe ʻikai ai te ke taaʻi hifo ia ʻi ai ki he kelekele? Ka ne ke pehē, kuo u tuku kiate koe ha [sikeli ]siliva ʻe hongofulu pea mo ha noʻovala.”
Joab said to the man, “What? You say that you saw him hanging there, so why did you not kill him immediately [RHQ]? [If you had killed him, ] I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt!”
12 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he tangata kia Soape, “Ka ne u maʻu ha [sikeli ]siliva ʻe afe ki hoku nima, neongo ia ʻe ʻikai te u ala atu hoku nima ki he ʻalo ʻoe tuʻi: he naʻa mau fanongo ki he fekauʻi ʻa koe mo ʻApisai, mo Itei, ʻe he tuʻi, ʻo pehē, ‘Mou vakai kotoa pē telia naʻa alasi ʻae talavou ko ʻApisalomi.’
The man replied to Joab, “Even if you gave me 1,000 pieces of silver, I would not have done anything to harm [IDM] the king’s son. We all heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, do not harm my son Absalom!’
13 Ka ne u fai pehē, pehē kuo u fai ʻae lohiakiʻi ki heʻeku moʻui ʻaʻaku: he ʻoku ʻikai fufū ha meʻa mei he tuʻi, pea naʻa mo koe te ke ʻita kiate au.”
If I had disobeyed the king and killed Absalom, the king would have heard about it, because the king hears about everything, and even you would not have defended me!”
14 Pea naʻe toki pehē ʻe Soape, “ʻE ʻikai ʻaonga ʻa ʻeku tatali mo koe.” Pea naʻa ne toʻo ʻi hono nima ʻae foʻi tao ʻe tolu, ʻo ne velo ʻaki ia ke ʻasi ʻi he mafu ʻo ʻApisalomi lolotonga ʻa ʻene kei moʻui ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe [ʻakau ko e ]oke.
Joab said, “I am not going to waste time talking to you!” Then he took three spears [and went to where Absalom was], and thrust them into Absalom’s chest/heart while he was still alive, dangling from the oak tree.
15 Pea naʻe kāpui mo taaʻi ʻa ʻApisalomi ʻe he kau talavou ʻe toko hongofulu naʻe fua ʻae mahafutau ʻa Soape, ʻonau tāmateʻi ia.
Then ten young men who carried weapons for Joab surrounded Absalom and [finished] killing him.
16 Pea naʻe ifi ʻe Soape ʻae meʻalea, pea naʻe foki mai ʻae kakai mei heʻenau tuli ki ʻIsileli: he naʻe taʻofi ʻae kakai ʻe Soape.
Then Joab blew his trumpet [to signal that they should not fight any more], and his soldiers returned from pursuing those Israeli soldiers.
17 Pea naʻa nau ʻave ʻa ʻApisalomi ʻo lī ia ki ha fuʻu luo lahi naʻe ʻi he vao ʻakau, pea naʻe fokotuʻu ki ʻolunga ʻiate ia ha fuʻu ʻesi maka lahi; pea naʻe feholaki ʻa ʻIsileli kātoa taki taha ki hono fale fehikitaki.
They took Absalom’s body and threw it into a huge pit in the forest, and covered it with a huge pile of stones. Then all the remaining Israeli soldiers [who had been with Absalom] fled to their own towns.
18 Ka ko eni, lolotonga ʻa ʻene kei moʻui naʻe ngaohi mo fokotuʻu ʻe ʻApisalomi maʻana ha fuʻu pou, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he teleʻa ʻoe tuʻi: he naʻa ne pehē, ʻOku ʻikai haku foha ke manatuʻi ai ʻa hoku hingoa: pea naʻa ne ui ʻae pou ki hono hingoa ʻoʻona: pea ʻoku ui ia ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho ni, Ko e potu ʻo ʻApisalomi.
Absalom had no sons to preserve his [family] name. So, while Absalom was alive, he built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley [near Jerusalem, in order that people would remember him]. He put his name on the monument, and people still call it Absalom’s monument.
19 Pea naʻe toki pehē ʻe ʻAhimasi ko e foha ʻo Satoki, “Tuku eni ke u lele, pea ʻave ʻae ongoongo ki he tuʻi, ʻoe totongi kuo fai ʻe Sihova ki hono ngaahi fili.”
[After Absalom had been killed, ] Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said to Joab, “Allow me to run to the king to tell him the good news that Yahweh has rescued him from the power of his enemies!”
20 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Soape kiate ia, “ʻE ʻikai te ke ʻave ha ongoongo he ʻaho ni, ka te ke ʻave ʻae ongoongo ʻi ha ʻaho ange: ka ko e ʻaho ni ʻe ʻikai te ke ʻave ha ongoongo, he kuo pekia ʻae ʻalo ʻoe tuʻi.”
But Joab said to him, “No, I will not allow you to take news to the king today. Some other day I will allow you to take some news, but not today. [If you took news today it would not be good news for the king, ] because his son is dead.”
21 Pea naʻe toki pehē ʻe Soape kia Kusi, “ʻAlu ʻo tala ki he tuʻi ʻaia kuo ke mamata ki ai.” Pea naʻe punou hifo ʻa Kusi kia Soape, ʻo ne lele.
Then Joab said to David’s servant who was from Ethiopia, “You go and tell the king what you have seen.” So the man from Ethiopia bowed in front of Joab, and started to run.
22 Pea naʻe toe pehē ai ʻe ʻAhimasi ko e foha ʻo Satoki kia Soape, “ʻOku ou kole kiate koe, ha meʻa pe ʻe fai, kae tuku pe au ke u lele muimui ʻia Kusi.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Soape, “Ko e hā ka ke ka lele ai koe, hoku foha, ka ʻoku ʻikai ʻiate koe ha ongoongo ʻoku lelei?”
Then Ahimaaz said again to Joab, “Even though [that man from Ethiopia is running], allow me to run behind him.” Joab replied, “My boy/son, why do you want to do that? You will not receive any reward for your news!”
23 [Pea naʻa ne pehē], “Neongo ia tuku ke u lele.” Pea naʻa ne pehē kiate ia, “Lele.” Pea naʻe toki lele ai ʻa ʻAhimasi ʻi he hala ʻoe toafa, pea naʻa ne liʻaki ʻa Kusi.
But Ahimaaz replied, “That does not matter, I want to go.” So Joab said, “Okay, go.” So Ahimaaz ran along [another] road through the Jordan Valley and arrived [where David was] before the man from Ethiopia arrived.
24 Pea naʻe nofo ʻa Tevita ʻi he vahaʻa ʻoe ongo matapā ʻoe kolo: pea naʻe ʻalu hake ʻae tangata leʻo ki he tuʻafale ʻi he ʻā ʻo feʻunga hake mo e matapā, pea naʻa ne hanga hake hono mata, ʻo ne sio, pea vakai naʻe lele mai ʻae tangata naʻe tokotaha pe.
David was sitting between the outer gate and the inner gate [of the city]. The watchman/lookout went up on top of the city wall and stood on the roof over the gates. He looked out and saw one man running alone.
25 Pea naʻe kalanga ʻe he tangata leʻo, ʻo ne fakahā [ia ]ki he tuʻi. Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he tuʻi, “Kapau ʻoku ne tokotaha pe ʻoku ai ha ongoongo ʻi hono ngutu.” Pea naʻa ne haʻu fakatoʻotoʻo pe, ʻo[ne ]fakaofiofi mai.
The watchman called down and reported it to the king. The king said, “If he is alone, [that indicates/means that] he is bringing [good] news.” The man who was running continued to come closer.
26 Pea naʻe mamata ʻe he tangata leʻo ki he tangata kehe ʻe tokotaha ʻoku lele: pea naʻe ui ʻe he tangata leʻo ki he tangata naʻe tauhi matapā, ʻo ne pehē, “Vakai ʻoku lele mai tokotaha pe ʻae tangata kehe.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he tuʻi, “ʻOku ʻomi ʻae ongoongo ʻe ia foki.”
Then the watchman saw another man running. So he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look! There is another man running!” And the king said, “He also is bringing [some good] news.”
27 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he tangata leʻo, “ʻOku ou mahalo ʻoku lele ʻaia ʻoku muʻomuʻa ʻo hangē ko e lele ʻa ʻAhimasi, ko e foha ʻo Satoki.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he tuʻi, “Ko e tangata lelei ia, pea ʻoku ʻomi ʻe ia ʻae ongoongolelei.”
The watchman said, “I think the first man [must be Ahimaaz, because he] is running like Ahimaaz runs.” The king said, “He is a good man, and [I am sure] he is coming with good news.”
28 Pea naʻe ui ʻa ʻAhimasi, ʻo ne pehē ki he tuʻi, “Ke ke fiemālie.” Pea naʻa ne tōmapeʻe hifo ʻi hono mata ki he kelekele ʻi he ʻao ʻoe tuʻi, ʻo ne pehē, “Fakafetaʻi kia Sihova ko ho ʻOtua, ʻaia kuo ne fakamoʻua ʻae kau tangata naʻe hiki hake honau nima ke angatuʻu ki hoku ʻeiki ko e tuʻi.”
[When] Ahimaaz [reached the king, he] called out “I hope/desire that things will go well with you!” Then he prostrated himself on the ground in front of the king and said, “Your Majesty, praise Yahweh our God, who has rescued you from the men who were rebelling against you!”
29 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he tuʻi, “ʻOku lelei koā ʻae talavou ko ʻApisalomi?” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ʻAhimasi, “ʻI heʻene fekau ʻa Soape ʻae tamaioʻeiki ʻae tuʻi pea mo au ko hoʻo tamaioʻeiki, naʻaku mamata ki he fuʻu vākē lahi ka naʻe ʻikai te u ʻilo ʻa hono ʻuhinga.”
The king said, “Is the young man Absalom safe/all right?” Ahimaaz [did not want to answer that question, so he] replied, “When Joab sent me, I saw that there was a lot of confusion, but I do not know what it was about.”
30 Pea naʻe pehē atu ʻe he tuʻi, “Tuʻu atu koe ki hena.” Pea naʻa ne tuʻu atu, mo ne tatali ai.
Then the king said, “Stand aside.” So Ahimaaz stepped aside and stood there.
31 Pea vakai, naʻe haʻu ʻa Kusi; pea naʻe pehē ʻe Kusi, “ʻE hoku ʻeiki ko e tuʻi, ʻoku ou ʻomi ʻae ongoongo: he kuo fai totongi he ʻaho ni ʻe Sihova maʻau kiate kinautolu kotoa pē naʻe tuʻu angatuʻu hake kiate koe.”
Suddenly the man from Ethiopia arrived, and said, “Your Majesty, I have good news for you! Yahweh has enabled your soldiers to defeat all those who rebelled against you!”
32 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he tuʻi kia Kusi, “ʻOku lelei koā ʻae talavou ko ʻApisalomi?” Pea naʻe pehēange ʻe Kusi, “Ke tatau mo e tangata talavou na, ʻae ngaahi fili ʻo hoku ʻeiki ko e tuʻi, pea mo kinautolu kotoa pē ʻoku tuʻu hake ke fai ha kovi kiate koe.”
The king said to him, “Is the young man Absalom safe/all right?” And the man from Ethiopia replied, “Sir, I wish/desire that what happened to him would happen to all of your enemies and to all those who rebel against you!”
33 Pea naʻe mamahi lahi ʻaupito ʻae tuʻi, pea naʻa ne ʻalu hake ki he potu fale naʻe ʻi ʻolunga ʻi he matanikolo mo ne tangi ai: pea lolotonga ʻa ʻene ʻalu naʻe pehē ʻa ʻene lea, “ʻE ʻApisalomi ko hoku foha, ʻa hoku foha, ʻa hoku foha ko ʻApisalomi, taumaiā kuo u mate koeʻuhi ko koe, ʻe ʻApisalomi, ko hoku foha, ko hoku foha.”
The king [realized that he meant that Absalom was dead, so he] became (extremely distressed/overcome with grief), and he went up to the room above the gateway and cried. While he was going up, he kept crying out, “O, my son Absalom! My son! O, my son Absalom, I desire/wish that I had died instead of you!”
