18

Axaloo tuag

¹Tavi txawm txheeb cov tuabneeg kws nrug nwg moog hab tsaa kuas muaj thawj kaav ib txheeb leej hab kaav ib puas leej. ²Tavi xaa nwg cov tub rog tawm moog ua peb paab, Yau‑a kaav ib paab, Anpisai kws yog Xeluya tug tub kaav ib paab hab Ithai kws yog tuabneeg Ka kaav ib paab. Vaajntxwv has rua nwg cov tub rog tas, “Kuv yuav nrug mej moog hab.” ³Tassws puab has tas, “Koj tsw xob moog. Yog peb yuav tswv, yeeb ncuab yuav tsw quav ntsej peb. Yog peb tuag ib nraab lawm, los puab yeej yuav tsw quav ntsej peb. Tassws koj muaj nqes npaum le peb ib vaam leej. Koj nyob huv lub moos xaa tuabneeg tuaj paab peb xwb mas zoo dua.” ⁴Vaajntxwv has rua puab tas, “Mej pum zoo le caag kuv yuav ua lawv le ntawd.” Vaajntxwv txhad sawv ntsug ntawm rooj loog ib saab saib thaus cov tub rog suavdawg tawm tuaj moog ua tej paab ib puas leej tej paab ib txheeb leej. ⁵Vaajntxwv has rua Yau‑a hab Anpisai hab Ithai tas, “Saib rua sau kuv es tsw xob ua nyaav rua tug tub hluas Axaloo hov.” Thaus vaajntxwv has txug Axaloo le nuav rua cov thawj rog suavdawg, mas cov tub rog suavdawg kuj puavleej nov.
⁶Cov tub rog txawm tawm moog ua rog rua cov Yixayee, puab sws ntaus sws tua rua huv haav zoov Efa‑i. ⁷Cov Yixayee kuj swb Tavi cov tub rog, mas nub hov muaj tuabneeg raug tua tuag coob kawg, tuag ob vaam leej rua hov ntawd. ⁸Kev ua rog nthuav daav moog thoob plawg lub tebchaws ntawd. Nub ntawd haav zoov noj tuabneeg coob dua nav ntaaj noj.
⁹Mas Axaloo ca le ntswb nthaav Tavi cov tub rog. Axaloo caij rawv luj txwv, mas thaus luj txwv dha moog rua huv qaab tug ntoo qheb kws ntxhuv ntxhuv, Axaloo lub taubhau txawm khuab nkaus rua huv tug ceg ntoo ceev ceev le. Thaus tug luj txwv kws nwg caij dha dhau lawm nwg txawm dai quas vag ib ntaa ntoo. ¹⁰Muaj ib tug yawm lug pum tes txawm moog has rua Yau‑a tas, “Kuv pum Axaloo dai sau ib tug ntoo qheb.” ¹¹Yau‑a has rua tug kws has rua nwg hov tas, “Ua le caag nua? Koj pum nwg lawm lov? Ua caag koj tsw muab nwg tua pov tseg rua hov ntawd? Kuv yuav zoo sab muab kaum lub txag nyaj hab ib txuj hlaab tawv rua koj.”
¹²Tassws tug yawm hov teb Yau‑a tas, “Txawm yog kuv txhais teg tau puag ib txheeb lub txag nyaj los kuv yuav tsw cev teg tawm tsaam vaajntxwv tug tub, tsua qhov peb lub qhov ntsej tau nov tej kws vaajntxwv has rua koj hab Anpisai hab Ithai lawm has tas, ‘Mej saib rua sau kuv es tsom kwm tug tub hluas Axaloo hov.’ ¹³Yog kuv tsw noog lug es txuv nwg txujsa lawm, yeej tsw muaj daabtsw yuav npog tau ntawm vaajntxwv, tes koj yuav tsw quav ntsej paab kuv.” ¹⁴Yau‑a txawm has tas, “Kuv yuav tsw nkim swjhawm rua koj le nuav.” Yau‑a txawm coj peb raab muv moog nkaug raug Axaloo lub plawv rua thaus nwg tseed caj dai sau tug ntoo qheb. ¹⁵Kaum tug tub rog hluas kws nqaa Yau‑a tej cuab yeej ua rog vej nkaus Axaloo hab muab nwg tua kag.
¹⁶Yau‑a txawm tshuab raaj kub yaaj, mas cov tub rog txhad rov qaab tsw lawv cov Yixayee lawm, vem yog Yau‑a tswj puab ca. ¹⁷Puab muab Axaloo lub cev tuag nrum rua huv ib lub qhov luj huv haav zoov, hab tib ib pawg pob zeb luj luj rua sau. Cov Yixayee suavdawg nyag taug nyag tswv rov moog tsev taag lawm. ¹⁸Thaus Axaloo tseed ua neej nyob nwg txhus ib tug ncej ua chaw ncu txug nwg rua huv lub Haav Vaajntxwv, vem nwg has tas, “Kuv tsw muaj tub kws yuav tuav kuv lub npe moog le.” Nwg txhad hu tug ncej hov lawv le nwg lub npe, luas txhad hu tas tug ncej Axaloo lug txug naj nub nwgnuav.
¹⁹Xantau tug tub Ahima‑a has tas, “Ca kuv dha coj xuv moog has rua vaajntxwv paub tas Yawmsaub cawm nwg dim huv nwg cov yeeb ncuab txhais teg lawm.” ²⁰Yau‑a has rua nwg tas, “Nub nua koj tsw xob coj xuv moog. Koj coj xuv moog dua rua lwm nub kuj tau, tassws nub nua koj tsw xob coj xuv moog tsua qhov vaajntxwv tug tub tuag lawm.” ²¹Yau‑a has rua ib tug tuabneeg Khuj tas, “Koj ca le coj xuv moog has rua vaajntxwv lawv le koj qhov muag pum.” Tug tuabneeg Khuj hov kuj nyo hau pe Yau‑a hab dha moog. ²²Xantau tug tub Ahima‑a txawm rov has rua Yau‑a tas, “Txawm le caag kuj xwj, thov ca kuv dha lawv tug tuabneeg Khuj hov moog.” Yau‑a has tas, “Miv tub, koj yuav dha moog ua daabtsw, tsua qhov koj yuav tsw tau nqe zug xaa tsaab xuv nuav?” ²³Nwg has tas, “Txawm le caag los xwj kuv yuav dha moog.” Yau‑a has rua nwg tas, “Dha los maj.” Tes Ahima‑a txawm dha taug txujkev nraag taj moog, fuas tau tug tuabneeg Khuj ntej moog.
²⁴Thaus ntawd Tavi nyob tsawg ntawm ob txheej rooj loog ntu nruab nraab. Muaj ib tug faaj xwm nce moog rua sau lub ntsaa loog moog sawv txheej saab sau lub rooj loog. Thaus nwg tsaa muag saib pum ib tug yawm dha tuab leeg lug. ²⁵Tug faaj xwm qw has rua vaajntxwv paub. Vaajntxwv has tas, “Yog tuab leeg lug xwb, yeej yog coj xuv zoo lug.” Tug yawm hov dha lug ze quas zug. ²⁶Tug faaj xwm pum dua ib tug dha lug hab. Tug faaj xwm qw rua tug kws zuv rooj loog tas, “Saib nawj, muaj dua ib tug dha tuab leeg lug hab.” Vaajntxwv has tas, “Yog nwg coj xuv zoo lug hab.” ²⁷Tug faaj xwm has tas, “Kuv saib mas tug kws dha ua ntej dha zoo yaam nkaus le Xantau tug tub Ahima‑a.” Vaajntxwv has tas, “Nwg yog tuabneeg zoo. Nwg coj xuv zoo lug.”
²⁸Tes Ahima‑a qw rua vaajntxwv tas, “Zoo lauj!” Nwg txawm khoov ntshws ua lub plhu ti nkaus aav pe has tas, “Qhuas Yawmsaub kws yog koj tug Vaajtswv kws tau muab cov tuabneeg faav xeeb kws tawm tsaam kuv tug tswv cob rua huv vaajntxwv txhais teg lawm.” ²⁹Vaajntxwv has tas, “Tug tub hluas Axaloo nyob zoo lov?” Ahima‑a teb tas, “Thaus Yau‑a khaiv kuv kws yog koj tug qhev lug nuav, kuv pum muaj tuabneeg coob vej quas vog kuas tsw paub tas sov yog daabtsw.” ³⁰Vaajntxwv has tas, “Ca le lug sawv ntawm nuav.” Nwg txawm moog sawv ntsug tuabywv.
³¹Ua cav tug tuabneeg Khuj hov txawm dha lug txug. Nwg has tas, “Muaj xuv zoo has rua vaajntxwv kws yog kuv tug tswv, tsua qhov nub nua Yawmsaub cawm koj dim huv cov tuabneeg suavdawg kws sawv tawm tsaam koj txhais teg lawm.” ³²Vaajntxwv nug tug tuabneeg Khuj tas, “Tug tub hluas Axaloo nyob zoo lov?” Tug tuabneeg Khuj teb tas, “Thov ca vaajntxwv tej yeeb ncuab hab txhua tug kws sawv tawm tsaam vaajntxwv kws yog kuv tug tswv zoo le tug tub hluas hov.” ³³Vaajntxwv nyuaj sab heev kawg, nwg nce moog rua ib chaav tsev kws nyob txheej sau lub rooj loog hab quaj quaj. Thaus nwg nce moog nwg has tas, “Au kuv tug tub Axaloo, kuv tug tub, kuv tug tub Axaloo 'e, kuv xaav tuag thij koj. Au Axaloo, kuv tug tub, kuv tug tub 'e.”

18

¹David mustered the men who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ²David sent out his troops, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king told the troops, “I myself will surely march out with you.”
³But the men said, “You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten thousand of us.⚓ It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.”
⁴The king answered, “I will do whatever seems best to you.”
So the king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands. ⁵The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.
⁶David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. ⁷There Israel’s troops were routed by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great—twenty thousand men. ⁸The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.
⁹Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.
¹⁰When one of the men saw what had happened, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.”
¹¹Joab said to the man who had told him this, “What! You saw him? Why didn’t you strike him to the ground right there? Then I would have had to give you ten shekels⚓ of silver and a warrior’s belt.”
¹²But the man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels⚓ were weighed out into my hands, I would not lay a hand on the king’s son. In our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.⚓ ’ ¹³And if I had put my life in jeopardy⚓ —and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have kept your distance from me.”
¹⁴Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this for you.” So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. ¹⁵And ten of Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.
¹⁶Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and the troops stopped pursuing Israel, for Joab halted them. ¹⁷They took Absalom, threw him into a big pit in the forest and piled up a large heap of rocks over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled to their homes.
¹⁸During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

David Mourns

¹⁹Now Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the Lord has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.”
²⁰“You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”
²¹Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.
²²Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.”
But Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.”
²³He said, “Come what may, I want to run.”
So Joab said, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain⚓ and outran the Cushite.
²⁴While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates, the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked out, he saw a man running alone. ²⁵The watchman called out to the king and reported it.
The king said, “If he is alone, he must have good news.” And the runner came closer and closer.
²⁶Then the watchman saw another runner, and he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look, another man running alone!”
The king said, “He must be bringing good news, too.”
²⁷The watchman said, “It seems to me that the first one runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.”
“He’s a good man,” the king said. “He comes with good news.”
²⁸Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” He bowed down before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise be to the Lord your God! He has delivered up those who lifted their hands against my lord the king.”
²⁹The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
Ahimaaz answered, “I saw great confusion just as Joab was about to send the king’s servant and me, your servant, but I don’t know what it was.”
³⁰The king said, “Stand aside and wait here.” So he stepped aside and stood there.
³¹Then the Cushite arrived and said, “My lord the king, hear the good news! The Lord has vindicated you today by delivering you from the hand of all who rose up against you.”
³²The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man.”
³³The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!”⚓