2 Samuel 14

14 ¹Now Joab, Zeruiah im pikin, come sabi say di king heart dey long for Absalom. ²Joab send message go Tekoa go bring one wise woman from there. E tell am, "Abeg, do like say you dey mourn: wear mourning cloth, no rub oil for body, and act like woman wey don dey cry for dead person plenty days. ³Go meet di king and talk dis words give am." Joab put di words for her mouth.

⁴Di woman of Tekoa come meet di king, fall face down for ground to honour am, and talk say, "Help me, king!"

⁵Di king ask am, "Wetin do you?" She talk say, "I be widow; my husband don die.

⁶Your servant get two sons. Dem fight for field, nobody dey to separate dem, and one kill di other one. ⁷Di whole family don rise against your servant, dey talk say, 'Hand over di one wey strike im brother; we go kill am because of di brother wey e kill, and we go finish di heir sef.' Dem wan quench my last small fire wey remain, so dat dem no go leave any name or any person wey go survive for my husband for di ground."

⁸Di king talk give di woman say, "Go house, and I go give order concerning your case."

⁹Di woman of Tekoa talk give di king say, "My oga di king, make di blame dey for me and for my papa house; make di king and im throne clean."

¹⁰Di king talk say, "Anybody wey talk anything to you, bring am come meet me—e no go touch you again."

¹¹She talk say, "Abeg make di king remember your Papa, so dat di person wey dey revenge blood no go add more killing, and dem no go destroy my son." E talk say, "As our Papa dey alive, no be even one hair for your son head go fall for ground." ^a a v11 Di person wey dey revenge blood na family person wey tradition put di work for hand to kill anybody wey kill dem family person.

¹²Di woman talk say, "Abeg make your servant talk one word give my oga di king." E talk say, "Talk."

¹³Di woman talk say, "Why then you don plan dis kind thing against di people of our Papa? As di king dey talk dis thing, e dey judge im own self, because e never bring back im own person wey e comot. ¹⁴For sure we go die, like water wey pour for ground wey dem no fit gather again. But our Papa no dey take life—e dey plan ways so dat di person wey comot no go stay far from am. ^b b v14 Even for here, dem show say our Papa dey plan ways to bring di person wey comot come house, instead make e take life — na di same heart wey dey run after every person wey waka comot to bring am back come im side. ¹⁵Now I don come talk dis thing give my oga di king because di people put fear for my body. Your servant tink say: Make I talk to di king; maybe e go do wetin im servant dey beg. ¹⁶Maybe di king go listen and save im servant from di hand of di man wey wan cut off me and my son from di inheritance of our Papa.'" ¹⁷Your servant tink say: "Make my oga di king word bring rest, because my oga di king dey like angel of our Papa, wey sabi separate good and evil. Make your Papa dey with you."

¹⁸Di king talk give di woman say, "No hide anything from me for wetin I go ask you." She talk say, "Make my oga di king talk."

¹⁹Di king ask, "Na Joab hand dey behind all dis thing?" Di woman answer, "As you dey alive, my oga di king, nobody fit turn right or left comot from anything wey my oga di king talk. Na your servant Joab command me; na im put all dis words for your servant mouth.

²⁰Na your servant Joab do dis thing to change how di matter dey look. But my oga get wisdom like angel of our Papa, wey sabi everything wey dey for di land."

²¹Then di king talk give Joab say, "Ok o, I go do dis thing. Go, bring di young man Absalom come back."

²²Joab fall face down for ground, bow, and bless di king. "Today your servant know say I don find favour for your eyes, my oga di king," e talk, "because di king don do wetin im servant dey beg."

²³So Joab stand up go Geshur and bring Absalom come back Jerusalem. ²⁴Di king talk say, "E must go im own house, but e no go see my face." So Absalom go im house and e no see di king face. ²⁵For all Israel, dem no praise anybody for fine like Absalom; from im foot bottom go reach di top of im head, e no get any mark for body. ²⁶Anytime e shave im head—e dey shave am every year, because e dey heavy for am—e go weigh di hair of im head: e reach like five pounds for di king weight. ²⁷Dem born three sons give Absalom, and one daughter wey dem name Tamar. She be fine woman.

²⁸Absalom live for Jerusalem two full years without seeing di king face. ²⁹Absalom send for Joab to beg am make e talk to di king for am, but Joab refuse to come meet am. E send again, second time, but Joab still refuse to come. ³⁰Absalom tell im servants say, "See, Joab field dey near my own, and e get barley for there. Go, burn am." So Absalom servants burn di field.

³¹Joab stand up, go Absalom house, and ask, "Why your servants take fire burn my field?"

³²Absalom answer Joab say, "I send you word: 'Come here, so dat I fit send you go ask di king why I comot from Geshur—e for better say I stay there.' Now make I see di king face; if I do any wrong, make e kill me."

³³Joab go meet di king and tell am. Di king call Absalom, wey come inside and bow with im face for ground in front of am. Then di king kiss Absalom.