The Second Book of Samuel

17 Then A·hith′o·phel tell Ab′sa·lom say: “Abeg, allow me choose 12,000 men, make we go pursue David this night. 2 I go attack-am when e don tire and no get power,* and I go make-am confuse, and all the people wey dey with-am go run comot, and I go kill only the king. 3 Then I go bring all the people come back for you. Whether the people go come back depend on wetin happen to the man wey you de find. Na that time peace go dey for all the people.” 4 This advice just good for the eye of Ab′sa·lom and all the elders for Israel.

5 But Ab′sa·lom talk say: “Abeg, call Hu′shai wey be Ar′chite person too, and make we hear wetin e go talk.” 6 So Hu′shai come meet Ab′sa·lom. Then Ab′sa·lom tell-am say: “See the advice wey A·hith′o·phel give. Make we follow im advice? If e no good, make you tell us.” 7 So Hu′shai tell Ab′sa·lom say: “The advice wey A·hith′o·phel give this time no good!”

8 Hu′shai come still talk say: “You know say your papa and im men strong, and them ready to do anything,* like bear wey im children don lost for bush. Apart from that one, your papa na warrior, and for night, e no go sleep for the place wey the people go sleep. 9 As we de talk now, e fit be say e de hide for one of the caves,* or for another place. And if e first attack us, the people wey go hear-am go talk say, ‘Them don win the people wey de follow Ab′sa·lom!’ 10 Then fear go really catch even the man wey im heart strong like lion own, because everybody for Israel know say your papa na strong man, and say the men wey dey with-am na men wey no de fear. 11 My advice be say: Make them gather all Israel people come meet you, from Dan go reach Be′er-she′ba, make them plenty like sand for the side of sea, and make you dey front for the fight. 12 We go attack-am for anywhere wey we see-am, and we go fall ontop-am the way dew de fall for ground, and nobody among them go survive. E no go survive, and the men wey dey with-am no go survive. 13 Even if e run enter any city, all Israel people go carry rope go that city, and use-am drag the city down enter the lowland* until one single stone no go remain.”

14 Then Ab′sa·lom and all the men of Israel talk say: “The advice wey Hu′shai wey be Ar′chite person give better pass the advice wey A·hith′o·phel give!” This one happen because Jehovah don already decide* say e go spoil the better advice wey A·hith′o·phel give, so that Jehovah go fit bring problem for Ab′sa·lom.

15 After, Hu′shai come tell Za′dok and A·bi′a·thar wey be priests say: “See wetin A·hith′o·phel advice Ab′sa·lom and the elders of Israel, and see wetin I advice them. 16 So make una quick send message to David and warn-am say: ‘This night, make you no stay for the place wey them fit use leg cross the water wey dey near the wilderness,* instead, you must cross go the other side of the river, so that them no go come kill* the king and all the people wey dey with-am.’”

17 Jon′a·than and A·him′a·az be de stay for En-ro′gel. So one girl wey be servant go meet them and tell them, and them go tell King David because them no fit try-am enter the city make person see them. 18 But, one young man be see them and e tell Ab′sa·lom, so the two of them run comot quick-quick, come reach the house of one man for Ba·hu′rim wey get well for im compound, them come enter inside the well. 19 The man wife come use cloth cover the mouth of the well, and put wheat wey them don break ontop-am and nobody know anything about this one. 20 Ab′sa·lom servants come meet the woman for im house and ask-am say: “Where A·him′a·az and Jon′a·than dey?” Then the woman tell them say: “Them pass here de go the side wey the river dey.” So the men go find them but them no see them, so them go back to Jerusalem.

21 After the men don go, them come out from the well, go meet King David and tell-am wetin de happen. Them tell-am say: “Make you stand up and cross the river quick-quick, because see wetin A·hith′o·phel advice say make them do you.” 22 Quick-quick, David and all the people wey dey with-am stand up, and cross River Jordan. By the time day break, e no get one single person wey never cross River Jordan.

23 When A·hith′o·phel see say them no follow im advice, e ready im donkey, and ride-am go im house for im town. After e don tell im family wetin them go do, e hang imself. Na so e die, and them bury-am for the place wey them bury im papa-papa them.

24 As this one de happen, David go Ma·ha·na′im, and Ab′sa·lom cross River Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25 Ab′sa·lom come choose A·ma′sa to replace Jo′ab as oga of the soldiers. A·ma′sa na the son of one Israel man wey im name na Ith′ra. This man be sleep with Ab′i·gail the daughter of Na′hash, wey be the sister of Ze·ru′iah, wey be Jo′ab mama. 26 Israel people and Ab′sa·lom come set camp for the land of Gil′e·ad.

27 As David just reach Ma·ha·na′im, Sho′bi wey be the son of Na′hash wey come from Rab′bah wey be Am′mon people city, Ma′chir wey be the son of Am′mi·el wey come from Lo-de′bar, and Bar·zil′lai wey come from the family of Gil′e·ad and wey de stay for Ro·ge′lim 28 bring beds, basins, clay pots, wheat, barley, flour, grain wey them roast, green beans, lentils, and grain wey them dry, 29 honey, butter, sheep, and cheese. Them bring all this things come for David and the people wey dey with-am to chop, because them talk say: “Hunger don finish this people for wilderness, them don tire and their throat don dry.”