The Second Book of Samuel

19 Then, them tell Jo′ab say: “The king de cry and de mourn because of Ab′sa·lom.” 2 So all the soldiers start to mourn instead make them happy say them win that day, because them hear say the king de mourn im son. 3 The soldiers quiet come back to the city that day, like soldiers wey de shame because them win them for war. 4 The king cover im face and continue to cry with loud voice de talk say: “My son Ab′sa·lom! Ab′sa·lom my son, my son!”

5 Then Jo′ab enter inside the house go meet the king and talk say: “Today, you don make shame catch all your servants wey save your life* today and the life* of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines.* 6 You love people wey hate you, and hate people wey love you, because you don make-am clear today say you no see your commanders and servants as anything. Because I dey sure say if to say na only Ab′sa·lom dey alive today and the rest of us don die, you for like-am. 7 Now stand up make you go outside and talk wetin go make the mind of your servants come down,* because I de use the name of Jehovah swear say if you no go out, no man go dey with you this night. And this one go bad pass all the bad things wey don happen to you from when you small till now.” 8 So the king stand up and sitdown for the gate of the city. Them come tell all the people say: “The king don sitdown for gate.” Then all the people come where the king dey.

But the other Israel people* don run, each person don run go im house. 9 All the people for all the tribes of Israel come de quarrel de talk say: “The king save us from our enemies, and e save us from Phi·lisʹti·a people; but now e don run comot from the land because of Ab′sa·lom. 10 And Ab′sa·lom wey we anoint to rule us don die for the war. So now, why una no de do anything to bring the king back?”

11 King David send message to Za′dok and A·bi′a·thar wey be priests say: “Make una tell the elders of Judah say, ‘Why una want be the last people to bring the king back to im house, when the king don from im house hear the things wey all Israel people de talk? 12 Una be my brothers, and una be my own bone and flesh.* Why una go be the last people to bring the king back?’ 13 And make you tell A·ma′sa say: ‘You be my own bone and flesh, no be so? So make God punish me and add join-am if I no use you replace Jo′ab as the person wey de control my army.’”

14 So wetin e talk touch the heart of all the men of Judah like say na one person e talk to, and them send message to the king say: “Make you and all your servants come back.”

15 The king enter road start to go back. Then e reach River Jordan, and Judah people come Gil′gal to meet the king so that them go escort-am as e de cross River Jordan. 16 Then Shim′e·i the son of Ge′ra, wey come from Ba·hu′rim and wey be Benjamin person, quick-quick go down to follow the men of Judah go meet King David. 17 And 1,000 men wey come from the tribe of Benjamin dey with-am. Zi′ba too wey be servant for the house of Saul with im 15 sons and 20 servants rush go River Jordan before the king reach there. 18 E* cross the part of the river wey them fit use leg cross, to carry people for the king house cross and to do anything wey e want. But Shim′e·i the son of Ge′ra kneel down for front of the king when e want cross the Jordan. 19 E tell the king say: “Make my lord no judge me say I don do bad, and make e no remember the bad thing wey your servant do for the day wey my lord the king comot from Jerusalem. Make the king no put-am for mind, 20 because me your servant really know say I don sin. So today, na me be the first person for the whole house of Joseph to come down come meet my lord the king.”

21 Quick-quick, A·bish′ai the son of Ze·ru′iah talk say: “Them no suppose kill Shim′e·i because of this thing wey e do, as e curse the person wey Jehovah don anoint?” 22 But David talk say: “This sons of Ze·ru′iah, wetin concern una for this matter, wey una want do wetin I no want today? Them suppose kill anybody for Israel today? I no know say today na me be king for Israel?” 23 Then the king tell Shim′e·i say: “You no go die.” And the king swear to-am.

24 Me·phib′o·sheth wey be the grandson of Saul still come to come welcome the king. From the day wey the king comot till the day wey e come back in peace, Me·phib′o·sheth no wash im leg,* cut im beard-beard, or wash im cloths. 25 When e come Jerusalem* come meet the king, the king ask-am say: “Me·phib′o·sheth, why you no follow me go?” 26 So e talk say: “My lord the king, my servant deceive me. Because your servant be don talk say, ‘Make I ready my donkey so that I fit ride-am go follow the king,’ because your servant no fit waka. 27 But e lie about your servant to my lord the king. But, my lord the king just be like angel of the true God. So make you do anything wey good for your eye. 28 My lord the king for don kill everybody for my papa family, but still you put your servant as one of the people wey go de chop for your table. So which right I get to complain again to the king?”

29 But the king tell-am say: “Why you still de talk about this matter? I don decide say make you and Zi′ba share the land.” 30 So Me·phib′o·sheth tell the king say: “Make e take everything, now wey my lord the king don come back to im house and nothing happen to-am.”

31 Then Bar·zil′lai wey come from the family of Gilʹe·ad come from Ro·ge′lim come Jordan, so that e go escort the king go River Jordan. 32 Bar·zil′lai don old well-well, na 80 years e dey. When the king de stay for Ma·ha·na′im, Bar·zil′lai bring food come give-am, because e get money no be small. 33 So the king tell Bar·zil′lai say: “Follow me cross go Jerusalem, and I go de give you food for there.” 34 But Bar·zil′lai ask the king say: “How many days* remain for my life wey I want follow the king go* Jerusalem? 35 Na 80 years I dey today. I go fit still know wetin good and wetin bad? Me your servant go fit still know the taste of food wey I chop and wetin I drink? I go fit still de listen to the voice of man and woman wey de sing? So why you want make your servant come be more load to my lord the king? 36 E dey okay as me your servant fit escort the king come reach River Jordan. You no need to pay me back with this kind blessing. 37 Abeg make your servant go back so that I go die for my city, near the place wey them bury my papa and my mama. But your servant Chim′ham dey here. Make e follow my lord the king cross, and anything wey good for your eye, you fit do-am for-am.”

38 So the king talk say: “Chim′ham go follow me cross, and I go do anything wey good for your eye for-am, anything wey you tell me, I go do-am for you.” 39 All the people come start to cross River Jordan, and when the king want cross, e kiss Bar·zil′lai and bless-am, and Bar·zil′lai go back to im house. 40 When the king cross go Gil′gal, Chim′ham follow-am cross. Na so all Judah people and half of Israel people take escort the king cross.

41 Then all the men of Israel come meet the king and ask-am say: “Why our brothers, the men of Judah, hide carry you comot and carry the king and the people for im house cross River Jordan with all David men?” 42 All the men of Judah answer the men of Israel say: “Na because the king come from our family. Why una de vex about this matter? We don chop anything wey come from the king or e don give us any gift?”

43 But, the men of Israel answer the men of Judah say: “We be ten tribes, so na we get David pass una. So why una treat us like say we no be anything? No be we suppose be the first people to bring our king back?” But wetin the men of Judah talk strong pass wetin the men of Israel talk.