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

Absalom’s Defeat and Death

¹And David numbered the people who were with him, and ⚓set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. ²Then David sent out one third of the people under the hand of Joab, ⚓one third under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one third under the hand of ⚓Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, “I also will surely go out with you myself.”
³⚓But the people answered, “You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us now. For you are now more help to us in the city.”
⁴Then the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. ⁵Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” ⚓And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains orders concerning Absalom.
⁶So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the ⚓woods of Ephraim. ⁷The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day. ⁸For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
⁹Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and ⚓his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on. ¹⁰Now a certain man saw it and told Joab, and said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth tree!”
¹¹So Joab said to the man who told him, “You just saw him! And why did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt.”
¹²But the man said to Joab, “Though I were to receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son. ⚓For in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware lest anyone touch the young man Absalom!’ ¹³Otherwise I would have dealt falsely against my own life. For there is nothing hidden from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against me.”
¹⁴Then Joab said, “I cannot linger with you.” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. ¹⁵And ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him.
¹⁶So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab held back the people. ¹⁷And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and ⚓laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel ⚓fled, everyone to his tent.
¹⁸Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which is in ⚓the King’s Valley. For he said, ⚓“I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.

David Hears of Absalom’s Death

¹⁹Then ⚓Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me run now and take the news to the king, how the Lord has avenged him of his enemies.”
²⁰And Joab said to him, “You shall not take the news this day, for you shall take the news another day. But today you shall take no news, because the king’s son is dead.” ²¹Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” So the Cushite bowed himself to Joab and ran.
²²And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, “But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.”
So Joab said, “Why will you run, my son, since you have no news ready?”
²³“But whatever happens,” he said, “let me run.”
So he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.
²⁴Now David was sitting between the ⚓two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone. ²⁵Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he came rapidly and drew near.
²⁶Then the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “There is another man, running alone!”
And the king said, “He also brings news.”
²⁷So the watchman said, “I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.”
And the king said, “He is a good man, and comes with ⚓good news.”
²⁸So Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “All is well!” Then he bowed down with his face to the earth before the king, and said, ⚓“Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king!”
²⁹The king said, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what it was about.”
³⁰And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.
³¹Just then the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “There is good news, my lord the king! For the Lord has avenged you this day of all those who rose against you.”
³²And the king said to the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
So the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against you to do harm, be like that young man!”

David’s Mourning for Absalom

³³Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: ⚓“O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, ⚓my son!”