Abisalomu Akonzekera Zowukira
1Patapita nthawi, Abisalomu anadzipezera galeta ndi akavalo pamodzi ndi amuna makumi asanu amene amathamanga patsogolo pake. 2Iye amadzuka mmamawa ndi kuyima pa njira yopita ku chipata cha mzinda. Munthu wina aliyense akakhala ndi zodandaula zopita nazo kwa mfumu kuti akaweruze, Abisalomu amamuyitana iye ndi kumufunsa kuti, “Kodi ukuchokera ku limodzi mwa mafuko a Israeli?” 3Kenaka Abisalomu amanena kwa iye kuti, “Taona, madandawulo ako ndi abwino ndi oyenera, koma palibe woyimira mfumu woti akumvere.” 4Ndipo Abisalomu amawonjezera kunena kuti, “Ine ndikanangosankhidwa kukhala woweruza mʼdziko muno bwenzi munthu aliyense amene ali ndi madandawulo kapena milandu akubwera kwa ine ndipo ndikanaonetsetsa kuti chilungamo chachitika.”
5Ndipo nthawi zonse amati munthu akasendera pafupi ndi kumugwandira, Abisalomu amatambalitsa dzanja lake, kumuyimiritsa munthuyo ndi kupsompsona. 6Abisalomu amachitira izi Aisraeli onse amene amabwera kwa mfumu kuti adzaweruzidwe ndipo Abisalomuyo anagwira mtima anthu a mu Israeli.
7Patapita zaka zinayi Abisalomu anati kwa mfumu, “Loleni ndipite ku Hebroni kuti ndikakwaniritse lonjezo limene ndinachita kwa Yehova. 8Pamene mtumiki wanu amakhala ku Gesuri ku Aramu, anachita lonjezo ili: ‘Ngati Yehova adzandibweretsadi ku Yerusalemu, ndidzapembedza Yehovayo mu Hebroni.’ ”
9Mfumu inati kwa iye, “Pita mu mtendere” Kotero iye anapita ku Hebroni.
10Ndipo Abisalomu anatuma amithenga ake mwamseri kwa mafuko onse a Israeli kukanena kuti, “Mukangomva kulira kwa malipenga pamenepo munene kuti, ‘Abisalomu ndiye mfumu mu Hebroni.’ ” 11Anthu 200 ochokera mu Yerusalemu anapita naye Abisalomu. Iwo anayitanidwa monga alendo ndipo anapita osadziwa chilichonse pa nkhaniyi. 12Pamene Abisalomu amapereka nsembe, iye anayitanitsanso Ahitofele Mgiloni, mlangizi wa Davide, wa ku Gilo, kotero kuwukiraku kunakula kwambiri, ndipo anthu otsatira Abisalomu anapitirira kuchuluka.
Davide Athawa Abisalomu
13Munthu wina anabweretsa uthenga ndi kudzamuwuza Davide kuti, “Mitima ya Aisraeli onse ili pa Abisalomu.”
14Ndipo Davide anati kwa akuluakulu ake amene anali mu Yerusalemu. “Bwerani! Tiyeni tithawe, mwina palibe adzapulumuke kwa Abisalomu. Tiyeni tichoke msanga, mwina iye adzabwera msanga ndi kutipitirira, nʼkuwononga ife ndi mzinda wathu ndi lupanga.”
15Akuluakulu a mfumu anamuyankha kuti, “Antchito anu ndi okonzeka kuchita chilichonse chimene mbuye wathu mfumu mukufuna kuchita.”
16Mfumu inanyamuka pamodzi ndi banja lake lonse. Koma iye anasiya azikazi khumi kuti azisamalira nyumba yaufumu. 17Kotero mfumu inanyamuka pamodzi ndi anthu onse oyitsatira, ndipo anayima pamalo pena chapatalipo. 18Ankhondo ake onse anayamba kuyenda pamaso pa Davide, ndipo Akereti ndi Apeleti, pamodzinso ndi Agiti okwanira 600 amene anamutsata kuchokera ku Gati, nawonso anayenda pamaso pake.
19Mfumu inati kwa Itai Mgiti, “Nʼchifukwa chiyani iwe ukupita ndi ife? Bwerera ndipo ukakhale ndi mfumu Abisalomu. Iwe ndiwe mlendo munthu wothawa kwawo. 20Wangobwera dzulo lomweli, lero ndikutenge kuti uziyendayenda ndi ife, pamene ine sindikudziwa kumene ndikupita? Bwerera, ndipo tenga abale ako. Chifundo ndi kukhulupirika zikhale nawe.”
21Koma Itai anayankha mfumu kuti, “Pali Yehova wamoyo, kulikonse kumene mbuye wanga mfumu mudzakhala, kaya ndi moyo kapena imfa, mtumiki wanu adzakhala komweko.”
22Davide anati kwa Itai, “Tiye pita nafe” Kotero Itai Mgiti anayenda pamodzi ndi anthu ake ndi mabanja amene anali naye.
23Anthu onse a madera ozungulira analira mofuwula pamene anthu onsewo amadutsa. Mfumunso inawoloka chigwa cha Kidroni, ndipo anthu onse anayenda kulowera ku chipululu.
24Zadoki anali nawonso, ndipo Alevi onse amene anali naye ananyamula Bokosi la Chipangano la Mulungu. Iwo anayika pansi Bokosi la Mulungulo ndipo Abiatara ankapereka nsembe mpaka pamene anthu onse anamaliza kutuluka mu mzinda.
25Kenaka mfumu inati kwa Zadoki, “Tenga Bokosi la Mulungu ubwerere nalo mu mzinda. Ngati ndidzapeza chifundo pamaso pa Yehova, adzandibweretsa kuti ndilionenso ndi malo ake okhalamo. 26Koma iye anati, ‘Akapanda kukondwera nane,’ chabwino, andichite chimene chimukomere.”
27Mfumu inatinso kwa wansembe Zadoki, “Kodi siwe mlosi? Bwerera mu mzinda mwamtendere pamodzi ndi mwana wako Ahimaazi ndi Yonatani mwana wa Abiatara. Iwe ndi Abiatara tengani ana anu awiri. 28Ine ndidzadikira powolokera Yorodani ku chipululu mpaka nditalandira mawu ochokera kwa iwe ondiwuza mmene zilili zinthu.” 29Kotero Zadoki ndi Abiatara ananyamula Bokosi la Mulungu lija nabwerera nalo ku Yerusalemu, ndipo anakakhala kumeneko.
30Koma Davide anapitirira ndi kukakwera phiri la Olivi akupita nalira. Anafunda kumutu koma sanavale nsapato. Anthu onse amene anali naye anafundanso kumutu, ndipo nawonso amalira pamene amapita. 31Tsono Davide anamva kuti, “Ahitofele ali pakati pa anthu owukira pamodzi ndi Abisalomu.” Choncho Davide anapemphera, “Inu Yehova, musandutse uphungu wa Ahitofele ukhale uchitsiru.”
32Davide atafika pamwamba pa phiri pomwe anthu ankapembedzerapo Mulungu, Husai Mwariki anadzakumana naye atangʼamba mkanjo wake ndi kudzithira fumbi kumutu. 33Davide anati kwa iye, “Ngati iwe upite ndi ine, udzakhala chondilemetsa. 34Koma ngati ubwerera ku mzinda ndi kukanena kwa Abisalomu kuti, ‘Inu mfumu ine ndidzakhala wantchito wanu.’ Mʼmbuyomu ndinali wantchito wa abambo anu koma tsopano ndidzakhala wantchito wanu. Ukatero udzandithandiza kulepheretsa malangizo a Ahitofele. 35Kodi ansembe, Zadoki ndi Abiatara, sakukhala nawe kumeneko? Ukawawuze zonse zimene umamva mʼnyumba yaufumu. 36Ana awo awiri, Ahimaazi wa Zadoki, ndi Yonatani mwana wa Abiatara ali nawo pamodzi, uzikawatuma kwa ine ndi china chilichonse chimene ukamve.”
37Ndipo Husai bwenzi la Davide anafika ku Yerusalemu pamene Abisalomu amalowa mu mzinda.
Absalom Makes Secret Plans Against David
1Some time later, Absalom got a chariot and horses for himself. He also got 50 men to run in front of him. 2He would get up early. He would stand by the side of the road that led to the city gate. Sometimes a person would come with a case for the king to decide. Then Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “I’m from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are based on the law. So you have every right to make them. But the king doesn’t have anyone here who can listen to your case.” 4Absalom would continue, “I wish I were appointed judge in the land! Then anyone who has a case or a claim could come to me. I would make sure they are treated fairly.”
5Sometimes people would approach Absalom and bow down to him. Then he would reach out his hand. He would take hold of them and kiss them. 6Absalom did that to all the Israelites who came to the king with their cases or claims. That’s why the hearts of the people were turned toward him.
7After Absalom had lived in Jerusalem for four years, he went and spoke to the king. He said, “Let me go to Hebron. I want to keep a promise I made to the Lord. 8When I was living at Geshur in Aram, I made a promise. I said, ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I’ll go to Hebron and worship him there.’ ”
9The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went to Hebron.
10Then Absalom sent messengers secretly to all the tribes of Israel. They said, “Listen for the sound of trumpets. As soon as you hear them, say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron.’ ” 11Absalom had taken 200 men from Jerusalem with him to Hebron. He had invited them to be his guests. They went without having any idea what was going to happen. 12While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel. Ahithophel was David’s adviser. He came to Absalom from Giloh, his hometown. The number of people who followed Absalom kept growing. So he became more and more able to carry out his plans against David.
David Runs Away From Absalom
13A messenger came and spoke to David. He told him, “The hearts of the Israelites are turned toward Absalom.”
14Then David spoke to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem. He said, “Come on! We have to leave right away! If we don’t, none of us will escape from Absalom. He’ll move quickly to catch up with us. He’ll destroy us. His men will kill everyone in the city with their swords.”
15The king’s officials answered him, “You are our king and master. We’re ready to do anything you want.”
16The king started out. Everyone in his whole family went with him. But he left ten concubines behind to take care of the palace. 17So the king and all those with him left. They stopped at the edge of the city. 18All of David’s officials marched past him. All the Kerethites and Pelethites marched along with them. And all of the 600 men who had come with him from Gath marched in front of him.
19The king spoke to Ittai. He was from Gath. The king said to him, “Why do you want to come along with us? Go back. Stay with King Absalom. You are an outsider. You left your own country. 20You came to join me only a short time ago. So why should I make you wander around with us now? I don’t even know where I’m going. So go on back. Take your people with you. And may the Lord be kind and faithful to you.”
21But Ittai replied to the king, “You are my king and master. I want to be where you are. It doesn’t matter whether I live or die. And that’s just as sure as the Lord and you are alive.”
22David said to Ittai, “Go ahead then. Keep marching with my men.” So Ittai, the Gittite, kept marching. All his men and their families marched with him.
23All the people in the countryside wept out loud as David and all his followers passed by. The king went across the Kidron Valley. He and all the people with him moved on toward the desert.
24Zadok also went with them. Some of the Levites went with him. They were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark. Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had left the city.
25Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If the Lord is pleased with me, he’ll bring me back. He’ll let me see the ark again. He’ll also let me see Jerusalem again. That’s the place where he lives. 26But suppose he says, ‘I am not pleased with you.’ Then I accept that. Let him do to me what he thinks is best.”
27The king said again to Zadok the priest, “Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you. Also take Abiathar and his son Jonathan with you. 28I’ll wait at the place in the desert where we can go across the Jordan River. I’ll wait there until you send word to let me know what’s happening.” 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem. They stayed there.
30But David went on up the Mount of Olives. He was weeping as he went. His head was covered, and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too. And they were weeping as they went up. 31David had been told, “Ahithophel, along with Absalom, is one of the people making secret plans against you.” So David prayed, “Lord, make Ahithophel’s advice look foolish.”
32David arrived at the top of the Mount of Olives. That’s where people used to worship God. Hushai, the Arkite, was there to meet him. His robe was torn. There was dust on his head. 33David said to him, “If you go with me, you will be too much trouble for me. 34So return to the city. Say to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I’ll be your servant. In the past, I was your father’s servant. But now I’ll be your servant.’ If you do that, you can help me by making sure Ahithophel’s advice fails. 35Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there with you. Tell them everything you hear in the king’s palace. 36They have their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan there with them. Send them to tell me everything you hear.”
37So David’s trusted friend Hushai went to Jerusalem. He arrived just as Absalom was entering the city.
