¹Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

¹Laj Joab quixnau nak kßaxal ra saß xchßôl li rey David chirix laj Absalón.

²Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched there a wise woman, 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.

²Quixtakla xcßambal jun li ixk cuan aran Tecoa. Li ixk aßan cuan xnaßleb chixbânunquil cßaßak re ru chi naßlebil. Nak li ixk quicuulac riqßuin, quixye re: —Bânu âcuib joß nak ra saß âchßôl chirix xcamic jun lâ cuechßalal. Qßue châcuix li tßicr li naxcßut nak ra saß âchßôl. Mâqßue li sununquil ban. Bânu chi joßcan re nak tâcßutûnk nak ac junxil na-oc xrahil âchßôl.

³Go in to the king, and speak like this to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

³Tatxic riqßuin li rey David ut tâye re li cßaßru tinye âcue, chan. Ut laj Joab quixye re chanru tixye re laj David.

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

⁴Li ixk cô riqßuin li rey David ut quixcuikßib rib saß chßochß re xqßuebal xlokßal, ut quixye: —At rey, bânu usilal. Chinâtenkßa, chan.

⁵The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

⁵Laj David quixye re: —¿Cßaßru tâcuaj tinbânu? chan. Li ixk quixye re: —Lâin jun xmâlcaßan nebaßin. Camenak inbêlom.

⁶Your handmaid 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.

⁶At rey, cuanqueb cuib inyum. Abanan xeßpletic saß cßalebâl. Ut mâ ani xeßjachoc reheb chi pletic. Li jun quixcamsi li jun chic.

⁷Behold, the whole family has risen against your handmaid, 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.”

⁷Anakcuan chixjunileb li cuechßalal xeßjoskßoß saß inbên. Teßraj nak tinkßaxtesi saß rukßeb lin yum re teßxcamsi xban nak aßan quicamsin re li ras. Cui teßxcamsi lin yum, mâcßaßak chic inyoßon ut mâcßaßak chic li ralal xcßajol lin bêlom mokon. Tâsachekß lix cßabaß saß ruchichßochß, chan li ixk.

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

⁸Li rey David quixye re: —Ayu saß lâ cuochoch. Matcßoxlac xban nak lâin tinqßue junak chakßrab re âtenkßanquil, chan.

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

⁹Li ixk quixye re: —At rey, li mâc aßin chicanâk saß inbên lâin ut saß xbêneb li ralal xcßajol lin yucuaß. Incßaß chicanâk saß âbên lâat, at rey, chi moco saß xbên lâ cuanquilal, chan.

¹⁰The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more.”

¹⁰Li rey quixye re: —Cui ani tâchßißchßißînk âcue, cßam chak cuiqßuin. Lâin ninye âcue nak aßan incßaß chic tatxchßißchßißi, chan.

¹¹Then 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.”

¹¹Li ixk quixye cuißchic re laj David: —At rey, bânu usilal, tâtzßâma chiru li Kâcuaß lâ Dios nak li cuechßalal li târaj tixqßue rêkaj xcamic li jun, incßaß tixcamsi re nak incßaß tixnimobresi ru li raylal, chan. Li rey David quixye re: —Saß xcßabaß li Kâcuaß Dios, lâin ninye âcue nak lâ yum mâcßaß tixcßul. Mâ ani tâchßeßok re, chan.

¹²Then the woman said, “Please let your handmaid speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Say on.”

¹²Ut li ixk quixye re: —At rey, chinâcanab chi âtinac junpâtak chic âcuiqßuin, chan. Ut li rey David quixye re: —Us. Âtinan, chan.

¹³The 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.

¹³Li ixk quixye re: —At rey, ¿Cßaßut nak xabânu li incßaß us aßin reheb lix tenamit li Dios? Riqßuin li cßaßru xaye, nacßutun nak cuan âmâc. ¿Cßaßut nak incßaß nacaqßue xlesêns re tâchâlk cuißchic arin laj Absalón lâ cualal?

¹⁴For we must die, and are as water split 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.

¹⁴Chikajunilo tocâmk. Chanchano li haß hoybil saß chßochß. Incßaß chic naru xxocbal. Li Kâcuaß Dios mâ ani narisi xyußam. Naxsicß ban xyâlal chanru nak tâsukßîk cuißchic riqßuin li najt cuan riqßuin.

¹⁵Now therefore seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and your handmaid said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.’

¹⁵Lâin xinchal chi âtinac âcuiqßuin xban nak xinxucuac xban li cßaßru xeßxye cue li tenamit. Lâin xinye nak tinâtinak âcuiqßuin xban nak mâre tâbânu li cßaßru tintzßâma châcuu.

¹⁶For 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.

¹⁶At rey, cui lâat tâcuabi li cßaßru yôquin chixtzßâmanquil châcuu, lâat târûk toâcol re nak incßaß teßxsach ku saß li naßajej aßin li xqßue ke li Kâcuaß.

¹⁷Then your handmaid 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.’”

¹⁷Lâin ninnau nak li cßaßru tinâsume cuiß tixcßojob inchßôl. Lâat chanchanat lix ángel li Kâcuaß. Nacanau xqßuebal retal cßaßru li us ut cßaßru li incßaß us. Aß taxak li Kâcuaß lâ Dios chicuânk âcuiqßuin, chan li ixk.

¹⁸Then 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.”

¹⁸Li rey David quixye re li ixk: —Nacuaj patzßoc âcue ut nacuaj nak tâsume chi tzßakal li cßaßru tinpatzß âcue, chan. Ut li ixk quixye: —Us. Patzß li cßaßru tâcuaj, chan.

¹⁹The 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, he urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid;

¹⁹Li rey David quixye re: —¿Ma mâcuaß laj Joab li xtaklan chak âcue chi âtinac cuiqßuin? chan. Ut li ixk quixye re: —At rey, saß âcßabaß lâat tinsume li cßaßru xapatzß cue ut tinye lix yâlal âcue. Laj Joab, li nacßanjelac châcuu, aßan li xyehoc cue nak tinchâlk âcuiqßuin chi âtinac. Ut aßan ajcuiß xyehoc cue li cßaßru xinye âcue.

²⁰to change the face of the matter has your servant Joab done this thing. My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.”

²⁰Laj Joab xbânu chixjunil aßin re âtenkßanquil. Aßan naraj nak tâyîbâk ru li chßaßajquilal aßin. At rey, lâat cuan ânaßleb joß jun x-ángel li Dios. Lâat nacanau chixjunil li na-uxman saß ruchichßochß, chan.

²¹The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have done this thing. Go therefore, bring the young man Absalom back.”

²¹Ut li rey David quixye re laj Joab: —Ac xinyîb ru li chßaßajquil. Lâin tinbânu li xatzßâma chicuu. Ayu ut tâcßam chak laj Absalón, chan.

²²Joab 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, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”

²²Laj Joab quixcuikßib rib saß chßochß re xqßuebal xlokßal laj David ut quixye: —Aß taxak li Dios chi-osobtesînk âcue, at rey. Anakcuan ninnau nak xsahoß âchßôl cuiqßuin xban nak xabânu li cßaßru xintzßâma châcuu, chan.

²³So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

²³Laj Joab quicuacli ut cô Gesur. Ut quixcßam cuißchic chak laj Absalón saß li tenamit Jerusalén.

²⁴The 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.

²⁴Abanan li rey David quixye re nak laj Absalón tîc tâxic saß rochoch. Incßaß tâcßamekß saß rochoch laj David xban nak incßaß quiraj rilbal ru. Joßcan nak laj Absalón quicuan saß rochoch ut incßaß quicuulac saß rochoch laj David.

²⁵Now in all Israel there was none 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 blemish in him.

²⁵Mâ jun chic cuînk cuan Israel joß laj Absalón. Tzßakal re ru lix tibel. Mâcßaß xpaltil. Xban nak cßajoß xchakßal ru, chixjunileb nequeßxqßue xlokßal.

²⁶When 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, after the king’s weight.

²⁶Rajlal, nak ac rakecß re li chihab, naxqßue chi besecß lix jolom xban nak kßaxal nabal li rismal ut nachßißchßißîc xban. Li rismal li nabeseß numenak ôb libras râlal joß nequeßbisoc cuiß saß rochoch li rey.

²⁷To Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a beautiful face.

²⁷Queßcuan oxib li ralal laj Absalón ut jun lix rabin kßaxal chßinaßus, xTamar xcßabaß.

²⁸Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem; and he didn’t see the king’s face.

²⁸Laj Absalón quicuan Jerusalén cuib chihab chi incßaß quiril ru li rey.

²⁹Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

²⁹Quixtakla xbokbal laj Joab re nak tâxic chi âtinac riqßuin li rey saß xcßabaß laj Absalón. Abanan laj Joab incßaß quiraj xic riqßuin laj Absalón. Quixtakla cuißchic xbokbal xcaß sut, abanan laj Joab incßaß ajcuiß quiraj xic.

³⁰Therefore he said to his servants, “Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

³⁰Joßcan nak laj Absalón quixye reheb lix môs: —Qßuehomak retal. Lix naßaj lix cebada laj Joab cuan chixcßatk li cue. Texxic ut têcßat lix cebada laj Joab, chan. Ut eb lix môs queßxbânu joß quiyeheß reheb.

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

³¹Ut laj Joab cô saß li rochoch laj Absalón ut quixye re: —¿Cßaßut nak xeßxcßat lin cebada eb lâ môs? chan.

³²Absalom 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.”’”

³²Laj Absalón quixye re: —Xeßxcßat xban nak xintakla âbokbal ut incßaß xatcßulun chicuilbal. Xcuaj raj nak tatxic chi âtinac riqßuin li rey saß incßabaß lâin. Xatintakla raj chixyebal re, “¿Cßaßru aj e nak xatakla incßambal arin? Us raj chokß cue cui ta xincana aran Gesur”. Lâin tincuaj rilbal ru li rey. Cui cuan inmâc chiru, chinixcamsihak, chan laj Absalón.Joßcan nak laj Joab cô chi âtinac riqßuin li rey David ut quixye re li cßaßru quixye laj Absalón. Li rey quixtakla xbokbal laj Absalón. Cô laj Absalón riqßuin ut quixcuikßib rib saß chßochß. Li rey quixcßul ut quirutzß ru.

³³So 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.

³³Joßcan nak laj Joab cô chi âtinac riqßuin li rey David ut quixye re li cßaßru quixye laj Absalón. Li rey quixtakla xbokbal laj Absalón. Cô laj Absalón riqßuin ut quixcuikßib rib saß chßochß. Li rey quixcßul ut quirutzß ru.