2 Samuel 14

1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom. 2 Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, "Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil; but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead. 3 Go in to the king and speak like this to him." So Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, "Help, O king!"

5 The king said to her, "What ails you?"

She answered, "Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead. 6 Your servant had two sons; and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him. 7 Behold, the whole family has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth."

8 The king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you."

9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, "My lord, O king, may the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and may the king and his throne be guiltless."

10 The king said, "Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you any more."

11 Then she said, "Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son."

He said, "As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth."

12 Then the woman said, "Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king."

He said, "Say on."

13 The woman said, "Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one. 14 For we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him. 15 Now therefore, seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. Your servant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.’ 16 For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God. 17 Then your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May Yahweh, your God, be with you.’"

18 Then the king answered the woman, "Please don’t hide anything from me that I ask you."

The woman said, "Let my lord the king now speak."

19 The king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?"

The woman answered, "As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your servant. 20 Your servant Joab has done this thing to change the face of the matter. My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth."

21 The king said to Joab, "Behold now, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, and bring the young man Absalom back."

22 Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant."

23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 The king said, "Let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face." So Absalom returned to his own house, and didn’t see the king’s face. 25 Now in all Israel there was no one to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty. From the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no defect in him. 26 When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year’s end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels,*14:26 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 200 shekels is about 2 kilograms or about 4.4 pounds. after the king’s weight. 27 Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a woman with a beautiful face. 28 Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and he didn’t see the king’s face. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. Then he sent again a second time, but he would not come. 30 Therefore he said to his servants, "Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire." So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31 Then Joab arose and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?"

32 Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore, let me see the king’s face; and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me."’"

33 So Joab came to the king and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.

Ka Hoki a Apohārama ki Hiruhārama

1 Nā, ka kite a Ioapa tama a Teruia e anga ana te ngākau o te kīngi ki a Apohārama. 2 Ka tono tāngata a Ioapa ki Tekoa ki te tiki i tētahi wahine mōhio i reira, ā, ka mea ki a ia, "Me mea koe i a koe he wahine e tangi tūpāpaku ana, me kākahu he kākahu tauā, kaua anō e whakawahi i a koe ki te hinu; engari kia rite ki te wahine kua tangi noa ake ki te tūpāpaku. 3 Ā, haere ki te kīngi, ā, ko ēnei ngā kupu māu ki a ia." Heoi, hoatu ana e Ioapa ngā kupu ki tōna māngai.

4 Nā, kōrerotia ana e te wahine o Tekoa ki te kīngi, me te tāpapa anō ki te whenua, me te piko anō, i mea hoki, "Whakaorangia, e te kīngi."

5 Nā, ka mea te kīngi ki a ia, "He aha tōu mate?"

Ā, ka kī tērā, "He wahine pouaru nei ahau, kua mate hoki tāku tahu. 6 Nā, tokorua ngā tama a tāu pononga, heoi whawhai ana rāua ki a rāua i te pārae, ā, kāhore he kaiwawao mō rāua. Nā, patua iho tētahi e tētahi, ā, mate iho. 7 Nā, ka whakatika ngā whanaunga katoa ki tāu pononga, e mea ana, ‘Hōmai te kaipatu i tōna teina kia whakamatea hei utu mō te matenga o tōna teina, i patua nei e ia, ā, ka hunā e mātou te tangata mōna te kāinga.’ Nā, ka keto i a rātou tāku ngārahu i te toe, ā, kāhore noa iho e mahue he ingoa mō tāku tahu, he toenga rānei i te mata o te whenua."

8 Nā, ka mea te kīngi ki te wahine, "Haere ki tōu whare, ā, māku ngā tikanga mō tāu mea."

9 Nā, ka mea taua wahine o Tekoa ki te kīngi, "Hei runga i ahau te kino, e tōku ariki, e te kīngi, hei runga anō hoki i te whare o tōku pāpā; kia harakore ia te kīngi me tōna torōna."

10 Nā, ka mea te kīngi, "Ki te kōrero tētahi ki a koe, kawea mai ia ki ahau, ā, e kore ia e pā ki a koe i muri iho."

11 Kātahi ia ka mea, "Kia mahara rā te kīngi ki a Ihowā, ki tōu Atua, kia kaua te kaitakitaki toto e whakangaro ā mua ake, kei hunā tāku tama."

Nā, ka kī ia, "E ora ana a Ihowā e kore tētahi makawe o tāu tama e taka ki te whenua."

12 Nā, ka mea taua wahine, "Tēnā, kia kōrerotia e tāu pononga tētahi kupu ki tōku ariki, ki te kīngi."

Anō rā ko ia, "Kōrero."

13 Nā, ka mea taua wahine, "He aha rā koe i hē ai ki te iwi a te Atua, i whakaaro ai i tēnei mea? I te kīngi hoki e kōrero ana i tēnei mea, e rite ana ia ki te tangata kua hē, i te kīngi e kore nei e whakahoki mai i tāna i peia atu rā. 14 Mō te mate nei hoki tātou, ā, ka rite ki te wai i maringi ki te whenua, kāhore nei e kohikohia ake. Nā, kāhore te Atua e tango atu ana i te ora, engari e whakaaro ana i ngā whakaaro e kore ai e peia rawatia atu i a ia te mea i peia.

15 "Koia ahau i haere mai ai ki te kōrero i tēnei mea ki te kīngi, ki tōku ariki, he wehi nōku i tā te iwi; koia tāu pononga i mea ai, ‘Me kōrero ahau ki te kīngi; tērā pea te kīngi e mea i tā tāna pononga e kōrero ai. 16 Tērā hoki te kīngi e rongo, e whakaora i tāna pononga i te ringa o te tangata e hunā ai māua tahi ko tāku tama i tō te Atua wāhi tupu.’

17 "Koia tāu pononga i mea ai, ‘Ākuanei he whakamārie te kupu a tōku ariki, a te kīngi; e rite ana hoki tōku ariki, te kīngi ki te anahera a te Atua, hei whakarongo ki te pai, ki te kino; hei hoa anō mōu a Ihowā, te Atua.’ "

18 Nā, ka whakahoki te kīngi, ka mea ki te wahine, "Nā, kaua e hunā ki ahau te kupu e uia e ahau ki a koe."

Nā, ka mea te wahine, "Tēnā, kia kōrero tōku ariki, te kīngi."

19 Nā, ka mea te kīngi, "Kāhore ianei te ringa o Ioapa i a koe i tēnei mea katoa?"

Anō rā ko te wahine, i mea ia, "E ora ana tōu wairua, e tōku ariki, e te kīngi, inā, kāhore he tahuritanga mō tētahi ki matau, ki mauī, i ngā kupu katoa i kōrero ai tōku ariki, te kīngi. Nā tāu pononga hoki, nā Ioapa, nāna ahau i whakahau, nāna hoki i hōmai ēnei kupu katoa ki te māngai o tāu pononga. 20 He whakaahua kē i te tikanga o tēnei kōrero i mea ai tāu pononga, a Ioapa i tēnei mea; ā, he mōhio tōku ariki, he pērā me te mōhio o te anahera a te Atua, he mōhio ki ngā mea katoa o te whenua."

21 Nā, ka mea te kīngi ki a Ioapa, "Nā, kua meatia nei tēnei mea e ahau; tīkina, whakahokia mai taua tamaiti, a Apohārama."

22 Nā, ka tāpapa a Ioapa ki te whenua, ka piko, ka whakapai i te kīngi; i mea anō a Ioapa, "Nō tēnei rā tāu pononga i mōhio ai e manakohia ana ahau e koe, e tōku ariki, e te kīngi, nō te kīngi hoki ka whakamana i te kupu a tāna pononga."

23 Heoi, whakatika ana a Ioapa, ā, haere ana ki Kehuru, ā, kawea ana e ia a Apohārama ki Hiruhārama. 24 Nā, ka mea te kīngi, "Kia tahuri atu ia ki tōna whare, kaua hoki ia e kite i tōku kanohi." Nā, tahuri ana a Apohārama ki tōna whare, kīhai hoki i kite i te kanohi o te kīngi.

Ka Whakahoa anō a Apohārama rāua ko Rāwiri

25 Nā, kāhore he rite mō Apohārama, te kōrerotia tōna ātaahua i roto i a Īharaira katoa; kāhore ōna koha i te kapu o tōna waewae ā tae noa ki tōna tumuaki. 26 Ā, ka kutikutia e ia tōna mātenga (i kutikutia hoki e ia i te takanga o te tau; he taimaha hoki nōna koia i kutikutia ai), nā, ka pāunatia e ia ngā makawe o tōna mātenga, e rua rau ngā hekere o tā te kīngi pāuna. 27 Ā, tokotoru ngā tama i whānau mā Apohārama, kotahi hoki te kōtiro, ko tōna ingoa ko Tāmara; he wahine kanohi ātaahua anō ia.

28 Nā, e rua tino tau i noho ai a Apohārama ki Hiruhārama, ā, kīhai i kitea e ia te kanohi o te kīngi. 29 Nā, ka tono tangata a Apohārama ki a Ioapa, he mea kia tonoa ia ki te kīngi; heoi kīhai tērā i pai ki te haere mai ki a ia. Nā, ka tono anō ia, otiia kīhai tērā i pai ki te haere mai. 30 Nā reira ka mea ia ki āna pononga, "Nanā, tata tonu ki tōku tō Ioapa wāhi whenua, he pārei anō tāna kei reira; tīkina tahuna ki te ahi." Nā, kua tahuna e ngā tāngata a Apohārama ki te ahi.

31 Nā, ka whakatika a Ioapa, ā, haere ana ki a Apohārama ki te whare, ā, ka mea ki a ia, "He aha i tahuna ai tōku wāhi e āu tāngata ki te ahi?"

32 Nā, ka mea a Apohārama ki a Ioapa, "Nanā, i tono tangata ahau ki a koe, i mea: ‘Haere mai ki konei kia tonoa ai koe e ahau ki te kīngi hei mea, "Mō te aha ahau i haere mai ai i Kehuru? He pai kē mōku me i noho tonu ahau ki reira." ’ Ko tēnei kia kite ahau i te kanohi o te kīngi; ā, ki te mea he kino tōku, me whakamate ahau e ia."

33 Heoi, haere ana a Ioapa ki te kīngi, ki te kōrero ki a ia. Nā, ka karangatia a Apohārama e ia, ā, haere ana ia ki te kīngi. Nā, piko ana ia ki a ia, ahu ana tōna mata ki te whenua i te aroaro o te kīngi; ā, kihia ana a Apohārama e te kīngi.