¹Zvino Dhavhidhi akaverenga vanhu vaakanga anavo, akagadza vakuru vezviuru navakuru vamazana pamusoro pavo.

¹David numbered the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.

²Dhavhidhi akatuma vanhu, chetatu chavo vachirairwa naJoabhu, nechetatu chavo vachirairwa naAbhishai mwanakomana waZeruya, munin'ina waJoabhu, nechatatu chavozve vachirairwa naItai muGiti. Mambo akati kuvanhu, Zvirokwazvo, neniwo ndimene ndichaenda nemi.

²David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the people, “I will surely go forth with you myself also.”

³Asi vanhu vakati, Hamungaendi, nekuti kana tikatiza isu, havangavi nehanya nesu; kunyange hafu yavanhu vedu vakaurawa havangavi nehanya nesu; asi imwi makafanana navanhu vedu vane zviuru zvine gumi; naizvozvo zviri nani kuti mugare makazvigadzira kuzotibatsira muri muguta.

³But the people said, “You shall not go forth; for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore now it is better that you are ready to help us out of the city.”

⁴Mambo akati kwavari, Ndichaita sezvamunofunga. Mambo akandomira kurutivi rwesuwo vanhu vose vakabuda vachiita mazana-mazana nezviuru-zviuru.

⁴The king said to them, “I will do what seems best to you.” The king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

⁵Zvino mambo akaraira Joabhu naAbhishai naItai, akati, nzwirai henyu jaya nyasha, iye Abhusaromu, nokuda kwangu. Vanhu vose vakanzwa mambo achiraira vakuru vose pamusoro paAbhusaromu.

⁵The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.” All the people heard when the king commanded all the captains concerning Absalom.

⁶Zvino vanhu vakabudira kusango kundorwa naIsiraeri, vakarwa mudondo raEfuremu.

⁶So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.

⁷Vanhu vaIsiraeri vakakundwapo pamberi pavaranda vaDhavhidhi, vakauraya vanhu vazhinji-zhinji zuva iro vakasvika zviuru zvina mazana maviri.

⁷The people of Israel were struck there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.

⁸nekuti kurwa kwakapararira panyika yose, dondo rikaparadza vanhu vazhinji kukunda vakaparadzwa nomunondo.

⁸For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹Zvino Abhusaromu akasangana navaranda vaDhavhidhi. Abhusaromu wakange akatasva hesera rake, hesera rikapinda napasi pamatavi makobvu omuoki mukuru, musoro wake ukabatwa pamuoki, iye ndokurembera pakati pedenga napasi; hesera raakanga akatasva rikaramba richifamba.

⁹Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the sky and earth; and the mule that was under him went on.

¹⁰Zvino mumwe murume akazviona, akandoudza Joabhu, akati, Tarira, ndaona Abhusaromu akarembera mumuoki.

¹⁰A certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”

¹¹Joabhu akati kumunhu wakamuudza, Wakazviona, ukaregereiko kumubaya ipapo? Ndingadai ndakakupa masirivha ane gumi nebhanhire.

¹¹Joab said to the man who told him, “Behold, you saw it, and why didn’t you strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver, and a sash.”

¹²Murume akati kuna Joabhu, Kunyange ndikapiwa masirivha ane chiuru muruoko rwangu, handingatambanudziri ruoko rwangu kumwanakomana wamambo, nekuti mambo wakaraira imwi naAbhishai naItai, isu tichizvinzwa, akati, Chenjerai kuti kusava nomunhu unogunzva jaya, iye Abhusaromu.

¹²The man said to Joab, “Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I still wouldn’t put forth my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.’

¹³Dai ndakanga ndamuuraya pakavanda (hakune shoko rinovanzirwa mambo), imwi mungadai mandiregera.

¹³Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hidden from the king), then you yourself would have set yourself against me.”

¹⁴Ipapo Joabhu akati, Handigoni kunonoka kudai newe pano. Zvino akatora mapfumo matatu muruoko rwake, akabaya Abhusaromu nawo pamoyo, achiri mupenyu mukati momuoki.

¹⁴Then Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this with you.” He took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

¹⁵Ipapo majaya ane gumi, aibata nhumbi dzokurwa nadzo dzaJoabhu, akakomba Abhusaromu, akamubaya, akamuuraya.

¹⁵Ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him.

¹⁶Zvino Joabhu akaridza hwamanda, vanhu vakadzoka pakuteverera vaIsiraeri, nekuti Joabhu wakadzivisa vanhu.

¹⁶Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people.

¹⁷Vakatora Abhusaromu, vakamukanda mugomba mudondo, vakatutira pamusoro pake murwi mukuru wamabwe; vaIsiraeri vose vakatizira murenje mumwe nomumwe kutende rake.

¹⁷They took Absalom, and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. Then all Israel fled everyone to his tent.

¹⁸Zvino Abhusaromu achiri mupenyu wakange atora shongwe akazvimutsira iyo pamupata wamambo, nekuti wakati, Handina mwanakomana ungayeudza vanhu zita rangu; akatumidza shongwe iyo zita rake, rikanzi shongwe yokuyeudzira Abhusaromu kusvikira nhasi.

¹⁸Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar, which is in the king’s dale; for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in memory.” He called the pillar after his own name; and it is called Absalom’s monument, to this day.

¹⁹Zvino Ahimaazi mwanakomana waZadhoki, akati, Regai ndimhanye zvino ndindoudza mambo shoko iri, kuti Jehovha wakamutsiva kuvavengi vake.

¹⁹Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me now run, and bear the king news, how that Yahweh has avenged him of his enemies.”

²⁰Joabhu akati kwaari, Iwe haungaendi neshoko nhasi, asi ungaenda neshoko rimwe zuva; asi nhasi haungaendi neshoko, nekuti mwanakomana wamambo wafa.

²⁰Joab said to him, “You shall not be the bearer of news this day, but you shall bear news another day. But today you shall bear no news, because the king’s son is dead.”

²¹Zvino Joabhu akati kumuKushi, Enda iwe undoudza mambo zvawaona. MuKushi akakotamira pasi pamberi paJoabhu, akamhanya.

²¹Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen!” The Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran.

²²Ahimaazi mwanakomana waZadhoki akatizve kuna Joabhu, Kunyange zvakadaro hazvo, nditendere ndimhanye neniwo, nditevere muKushi. Joabhu akati, Unoda kumhanyireiko, mwana wangu, nekuti hauna shoko raungakumikidza?

²²Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, “But come what may, please let me also run after the Cushite.” Joab said, “Why do you want to run, my son, since that you will have no reward for the news?”

²³Iye akati, Kunyange zvakadaro hazvo, ndichamhanya hangu. Akati kwaari, Mhanya hako. Ipapo Ahimaazi akamhanya nenzira yomubani, akapfuura muKushi.

²³“But come what may,” he said, “I will run.” He said to him, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite.

²⁴Zvino Dhavhidhi wakange agere pakati pamasuwo maviri, nharirire ikakwira padenga resuwo parusvingo rweguta, akatarira, akaona murume achimhanya ari oga.

²⁴Now David was sitting between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man running alone.

²⁵Nharirire ikadanidzira, ikaudza mambo. Mambo akati, Kana ari oga, ane shoko mumuromo make Akaramba achifamba, akaswedera.

²⁵The watchman cried, and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” He came closer and closer.

²⁶Nharirire ikaona mumwe munhuzve achimhanya; nharirire ikadanidzira kumutariri wesuwo, ikati, Tarira, kuno mumwe munhuzve unomhanya ari oga. Mambo akati, Naiye unouya neshoko.

²⁶The watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the porter, and said, “Behold, a man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings news.”

²⁷Nharirire ikati, Ndinofunga kuti kumhanya kowokutanga kwakafanana nokumhanya kwaAhimaazi mwanakomana waZadhoki. Mambo akati, Iye munhu wakanaka, unouya neshoko rakanaka.

²⁷The watchman said, “I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man, and comes with good news.”

²⁸Ahimaazi akadanidzira akati kuna mambo, Rugare! Akakotamira pasi nechiso chake pamberi pamambo, akati, Jehovha Mwari wenyu ngaakudzwe, wakaisa kwamuri vanhu vakanga vatambanudzira maoko avo kunashe wangu mambo.

²⁸Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, “All is well.” He bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, “Blessed is Yahweh your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king!”

²⁹Mambo akati, Ko jaya, iye Abhusaromu, wakafara here? Ahimaazi akapindura, akati, Pakutumwa komuranda wenyu, iyeni muranda wenyu, naJoabhu, ndakaona nyongano huru, asi ndakanga ndisingazivi kuti chinyiko.

²⁹The king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, even me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I don’t know what it was.”

³⁰Mambo akati, Tsauka, umire pano. Akatsauka, akaramba amirepo.

³⁰The king said, “Turn aside, and stand here.” He turned aside, and stood still.

³¹Zvino muKushi akasvika. MuKushi akati, Ndine shoko kunashe wangu mambo; nekuti Jehovha wakakutsivai nhasi kuna vose vakanga vakumukirai.

³¹Behold, the Cushite came. The Cushite said, “News for my lord the king; for Yahweh has avenged you this day of all those who rose up against you.”

³²Mambo akati kumuKushi, Ko jaya, iye Abhusaromu, wakafara here? MuKushi akapindura akati, Vavengi vashe wangu mambo, navose vanokumukirai, ngavave sejaya iro.

³²The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you to do you harm, be as that young man is.”

³³Mambo akavhunduka kwazvo, akakwira kukamuri yakanga iri pamusoro pesuwo, akachema; akaramba achifamba, achiti, Haiwa, mwana wangu Abhusaromu! Ndingadai ndakafa hangu panzvimbo yako, haiwa Abhusaromu, mwana wangu, mwana wangu!

³³The king was much moved, and went up to the room over the gate, and wept. As he went, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died for you, Absalom, my son, my son!”