The Second Book of Samuel

18 Then David count the men wey dey with-am and e choose people wey go de control one-one thousand soldiers, and people wey go de control hundred-hundred soldiers. 2 Then David divide them into three group and send them go fight. Na Jo′ab be the oga of the first group. Then Jo′ab brother wey im name na A·bish′ai the son of Ze·ru′iah, be oga for the second group. And na It′tai wey come from Gath be the oga for the third group. The king come tell the men say: “I go follow una go.” 3 But them talk say: “No follow us go. Because if we run, them no go worry about us;* and even if half of us die, them no go still worry because only you na 10,000 of us for them. So, e go better if you stay for the city de help us.” 4 The king tell them say: “Anything wey una want, I go do-am.” So the king stand near the city gate, and all the men de comot de go, hundred by hundred and thousand by thousand. 5 Then the king command Jo′ab and A·bish′ai and It′tai say: “Make una sofri handle the young man Ab′sa·lom because of me.” All the men hear-am when the king give the oga them this command about Ab′sa·lom.

6 The men comot go the bush go meet Israel people, and them fight for the forest wey dey E′phra·im. 7 For there, the servants of David win Israel people and them kill plenty people that day—20,000 men. 8 The fight reach everywhere for the area. Another thing be say, the people wey the forest kill that day plenty pass the people wey them use sword kill.

9 At last, Ab′sa·lom come see say e don come meet the servants of David face-to-face. Ab′sa·lom be de ride mule.* As e de ride the mule de go, the mule enter under the big-big branch of one big tree, im head come hook for the big tree, so Ab′sa·lom body come hang for air, but the mule continue to run de go. 10 Then somebody see-am and go tell Jo′ab say: “See! I don see Ab′sa·lom as e hang for one big tree.” 11 Then Jo′ab tell the man wey tell-am this thing say: “If you see-am, why you no kill-am for there? If to say you kill-am, I for happy and give you ten pieces of silver and one belt.” 12 But the man tell Jo′ab say: “Even if them give me 1,000 pieces of silver,* I no go raise my hand attack the king son, because we hear-am when the king command you and A·bish′ai and It′tai say, ‘No matter who you be, protect the young man Ab′sa·lom.’ 13 If to say I no obey and kill-am,* e no get how them for hide-am wey the king no go later know, and you for no fit save me.” 14 So Jo′ab talk say: “I no go dey here de waste time with you again!” So e take three iron wey their mouth sharp* and chuk-am straight for Ab′sa·lom heart as e still dey alive for where e hang for the big tree. 15 Then ten servants wey carry Jo′ab weapons come, and them chuk Ab′sa·lom until e die. 16 Jo′ab come blow the horn. So the men stop to pursue Israel people and come back. Jo′ab call them say make them stop the fight. 17 Them come carry Ab′sa·lom body throw inside one big hole for the forest, and them pack plenty-plenty stone take cover-am. And all Israel people run go their house.

18 When Ab′sa·lom still dey alive, e be carry one pillar and set-am for imself for the Lowland* of the King, because e talk say: “I no get son wey them go use de remember my name.” So e use im own name call the pillar. And them de call-am Ab′sa·lom pillar till today.

19 So A·him′a·az wey be the son of Za′dok talk say: “Abeg, allow me make I run go tell the king wetin don happen, because Jehovah don judge the king matter well, as e free-am from im enemies.” 20 But Jo′ab tell-am say: “No be you go go talk wetin happen today. If something happen another day, you fit go talk. But today, you no go talk wetin happen. Because na the king son die so.” 21 Then Jo′ab tell one Cush person say: “Make you go tell the king wetin you don see.” So the Cush person bow for Jo′ab and run go. 22 A·him′a·az the son of Za′dok come tell Jo′ab again say: “Abeg, anyhow e be, allow me make I run follow the Cush person.” But Jo′ab tell-am say: “Why you want go, my pikin, when you no get anything wey you go talk?” 23 But e still talk say: “No matter how e be, allow me make I run go.” So Jo′ab tell-am say: “Make you run go!” So A·him′a·az run go, and e follow the road wey dey Jordan area, at last, e pass the Cush person for road.

24 That time, David sitdown for the middle of the two city gates, and the watchman climb go the roof of the gate near the wall. When e look up, e see one man wey only-am de run come. 25 So the watchman raise im voice call the king and tell-am. Then the king talk say: “If na only-am de run come, e mean say e get something wey e want tell us.” As the man de near the city more-more, 26 the watchman see another man wey de run come. Then the watchman call the gateman and tell-am say: “Another man de run come, and na only-am de come.” The king come talk say: “This one get something wey e want tell us too.” 27 The watchman talk say: “I de see say the first man de run like A·him′a·az the son of Za′dok,” so the king talk say: “Na better person e be, and na better news e de carry come.” 28 Then A·him′a·az call the king and talk say: “We don win!” E come bow down face ground for front of the king. Then e talk say: “Make Jehovah your God get praise, because e don put the people wey turn against* my lord the king for im hand!”

29 But the king ask-am say: “Everything dey okay with the young man Ab′sa·lom?” Then A·him′a·az talk say: “When Jo′ab send the king servant and me* say make we come meet you, O king, I see say plenty people de make noise, but I no know wetin happen.” 30 So the king talk say: “Comot from there, make you stand here.” So e comot from there and stand for where the king tell-am.

31 Then the Cush person run reach there, and talk say: “Make my lord the king accept this message: Today Jehovah don judge the matter well as e free you from the hand of all the people wey turn against you.” 32 But the king ask the Cush person say: “Everything dey okay with the young man Ab′sa·lom?” So the Cush person talk say: “Make all the enemies of my lord the king and all the people wey turn against you to wound you be like the young man!”

33 This one pain the king no be small, e climb go the room wey dey the roof ontop the gate and cry. As e de waka, e de talk say: “My son, Ab′sa·lom, my son, my son Ab′sa·lom! E for better make I die instead of you, my son Ab′sa·lom, my son!”