1
Basi Yoabu, mwana wa Seruya, akatambua ya kuwa moyo wa mfalme unamwelekea Absalomu.
Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.
2
Yoabu akatuma watu waende Tekoa, akaleta kutoka huko mwanamke mwenye akili, akamwambia, Nakusihi, ujifanye kama unakaa matanga, ukavae nguo za kufiwa, nakusihi, wala usijitie mafuta, ila ukafanane na mwanamke aliyeomboleza siku nyingi kwa ajili yake aliyefariki;
So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.
3
kisha uingie kwa mfalme ukamwambie maneno haya. Hivyo Yoabu akamtia maneno kinywani.
Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.
4
Naye yule mwanamke wa Tekoa aliponena na mfalme, akaanguka kifulifuli chini, akamsujudia, akasema, Nisaidie, Ee mfalme.
When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, “Help me, O king!”
5
Mfalme akamwuliza, Una nini? Naye akajibu, Hakika ni mjane mimi, niliyefiwa na mume wangu.
“What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
6
Nami mjakazi wako nalikuwa na wana wawili, na hao wawili wakashindana uwandani, wala hapakuwa na mtu wa kuwaamua, lakini mmoja akampiga mwenzake, akamwua.
And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.
7
Na tazama, jamaa yote wameniinukia mimi mjakazi wako, wakasema, Mtoe yule aliyempiga nduguye, ili tupate kumwua yeye kwa maisha ya nduguye aliyemwua, hata na kumfisha mrithi pia; ndivyo watakavyolizima kaa langu lililobaki, wasimwachie mume wangu jina wala masalio usoni pa nchi.
Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother whom he killed. Then we will cut off the heir as well!’ So they would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on the earth.”
8
Mfalme akamwambia huyo mwanamke, Nenda nyumbani kwako, nami nitakufanyia agizo.
“Go home,” the king said to the woman, “and I will give orders on your behalf.”
9
Ndipo huyo mwanamke wa Tekoa akamwambia mfalme, Na uwe juu yangu, Ee bwana wangu mfalme, na juu ya nyumba ya baba yangu uovu huu; wala kwa mfalme na kwa kiti chake cha enzi pasiwepo hatia.
But the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and on my father’s house, and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”
10
Mfalme akasema, Ye yote atakaye kuambia neno, mlete kwangu, naye hatakugusa tena.
“If anyone speaks to you,” said the king, “bring him to me, and he will not trouble you again!”
11
Ndipo akajibu, Nakusihi, mfalme na amkumbuke Bwana, Mungu wako, ili mlipiza kisasi cha damu asizidi kuharibu, wasije kumharibu mwanangu. Naye akasema, Aishivyo Bwana, hautaanguka chini hata unywele mmoja wa mwanao.
“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
12
Mwanamke akasema, Mwache mjakazi wako, nakusihi, niseme neno moja kwa bwana wangu mfalme. Akasema, Haya nena.
Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied.
13
Mwanamke akasema, Kwa nini basi wewe umewafikiria mambo kama hayo watu wa Mungu? Kwani kwa kunena neno hili mfalme ni kama mwenye hatia, kwa kuwa mfalme hamleti kwao tena yule mfukuzwa wake.
The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?
14
Kwa kuwa hatuna budi kufa, nasi tu kama maji yaliyomwagika chini, yasiyowezekana kuzoleka tena; wala Mungu haondoi maisha ila hufikiri shauri, kwamba yeye aliyefukuzwa asiwe mkimbizi kwake.
For we will surely die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life, but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.
15
Hata sasa nilivyokuja mimi kunena neno hili na bwana wangu mfalme, ni kwa sababu watu wamenitisha; nami, mjakazi wako, nikasema, Mimi nitanena sasa kwa mfalme; labda itakuwa mfalme atanifanyia haja yangu mimi mtumwa wake.
Now therefore, I have come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the request of his maidservant.
16
Kwa kuwa mfalme atasikia, ili amwokoe mtumwa wake mkononi mwa yule mtu atakaye kuniharibu mimi na mwanangu pia katika urithi wa Mungu.
For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’
17
Ndipo mimi mjakazi wako nikasema, Neno la bwana wangu mfalme na liwe la kustarehesha; kwa kuwa kama malaika wa Mungu ndivyo alivyo bwana wangu mfalme, kuyapambanua yaliyo mema na yaliyo mabaya; naye Bwana, Mungu wako na awe pamoja nawe.
And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you.’”
18
Ndipo mfalme akajibu, akamwambia yule mwanamke, usinifiche, nakusihi, neno lo lote nitakalokuuliza. Na mwanamke akasema, Na anene sasa bwana wangu mfalme.
Then the king said to the woman, “I am going to ask you something; do not conceal it from me!” “Let my lord the king speak,” she replied.
19
Mfalme akasema, Je! Si mkono wa Yoabu ulio pamoja nawe katika haya yote? Mwanamke akajibu, akasema, Kama iishivyo roho yako, bwana wangu, mfalme, hapana mtu awezaye kugeuka kwa kuume, au kwa kushoto, kukana neno lo lote alilolisema bwana wangu mfalme; kwani mtumwa wako Yoabu ndiye aliyeniamuru, na kuyaweka maneno haya yote kinywani mwa mjakazi wako;
So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab behind all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave me orders; he told your maidservant exactly what to say.
20
mtumwa wako Yoabu ameyatenda haya ili kubadili uso wa jambo hili; na bwana wangu anayo akili, kama akili ya malaika wa Mungu, hata ajue mambo yote ya duniani.
Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens in the land.”
21
Basi mfalme akamwambia Yoabu, Angalia sasa, nimekata shauri hili; nenda, ukamrudishe tena yule kijana Absalomu.
Then the king said to Joab, “I hereby grant this request. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”
22
Naye Yoabu akaanguka kifulifuli hata nchi, akasujudu, akambariki mfalme, Yoabu akasema, Leo mimi mtumwa wako najua ya kwamba nimepata neema machoni pako, bwana wangu mfalme, kwa kuwa mfalme amemfanyia mtumwa wake haja yake.
Joab fell facedown in homage and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his request.”
23
Basi Yoabu akaondoka, akaenda Geshuri, akamleta Absalomu Yerusalemu.
So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24
Naye mfalme akasema, Ageukie nyumbani kwake, asinione uso wangu. Basi Absalomu akarejea nyumbani kwake, asimwone uso mfalme.
But the king added, “He may return to his house, but he must not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the face of the king.
25
Basi katika Israeli wote hapakuwa na mtu hata mmoja mwenye kusifiwa kwa uzuri wake kama huyo Absalomu; tangu nyayo za miguu yake hata utosi wa kichwa chake hapakuwa na ila kwake.
Now there was not a man in all Israel as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw.
26
Naye aliponyoa kichwa, (basi mwisho wa kila mwaka hunyoa; na kwa sababu nywele zilikuwa nzito kwake, kwa hiyo akanyoa;) hupima nywele za kichwa chake shekeli mia mbili kwa uzani wa mfalme.
And when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard.
27
Kisha wakazaliwa kwake Absalomu wana watatu na binti mmoja, ambaye jina lake aliitwa Tamari; naye alikuwa mwanamke mzuri wa uso.
Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman.
28
Absalomu akakaa miaka miwili mizima katika Yerusalemu; asimwone uso mfalme.
Now Absalom lived in Jerusalem two years without seeing the face of the king.
29
Ndipo Absalomu akatuma kumwita Yoabu, ampeleke kwa mfalme, lakini yeye akakataa kumjia; akatuma tena mara ya pili, lakini akakataa kuja.
Then he sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So Absalom sent a second time, but Joab still would not come.
30
Kwa hiyo akawaambia watumishi wake, Tazameni, shamba la Yoabu liko karibu na shamba langu, naye ana shayiri huko; nendeni mkalitie moto. Basi watumishi wa Absalomu wakalitia moto lile shamba.
Then Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire!” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
31
Ndipo akaondoka Yoabu, akamwendea Absalomu nyumbani kwake, akamwambia, Kwa nini watumishi wako wamelitia moto shamba langu?
Then Joab came to Absalom’s house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
32
Absalomu akamjibu Yoabu, Angalia, nilituma kwako, kusema, Njoo kwangu, ili nikupeleke kwa mfalme kunena, Mbona nimekuja kutoka Geshuri? Ingekuwa heri kwangu kama ningekuwako huko hata sasa; basi sasa na nimtazame uso mfalme; na ukiwapo uovu kwangu, na aniue.
“Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”
33
Basi Yoabu akamwendea mfalme, akamwambia hayo, naye alipomwita Absalomu, yeye akaja kwa mfalme, akainama kifulifuli hata nchi mbele ya mfalme; naye mfalme akambusu Absalomu. </p>
So Joab went and told the king, and David summoned Absalom, who came to him and bowed facedown before him. Then the king kissed Absalom.