2 Samuel 19

19 ¹Word reach Joab: "Look am, di king dey cry and dey mourn for Absalom." ²So dat day di victory turn to mourning for all di people, because dem hear dat day say, "Di king belle dey pain am for im pikin."

³Di people waka enter di city quiet-quiet dat day, like people wey shame catch, wey dey comot silently after dem run comot from battle. ⁴Di king cover im face, dey cry loud-loud say, "My pikin Absalom! Absalom, my pikin, my pikin!"

⁵Joab come meet di king and talk say, "Today you don shame all your servants, wey save your life dis day, di life of your sons and daughters, and di life of your wives and concubines, ⁶because you dey love di people wey hate you and dey hate di people wey love you. Today you don show say your commanders and your servants mean notin to you. Now I know say if Absalom for still dey alive and all of us for don die, e for sweet you. ⁷So now, stand up, comot go outside, and talk kind word to your servants. I swear by our Papa, if you no comot go, no single man go stay with you dis night—and dat one go worse pass all di trouble wey don catch you since your young days."

David Come Back to Im People

⁸So di king stand up and go sidon for di gate. When dem tell di people say, "Look am, di king dey sidon for di gate," dem all come stand before am. Now Israel don run, everybody go im own house. ⁹For all di tribes of Israel di people dey argue say: "Di king save us from our enemies, e rescue us from di Philistines, but now e don run comot from di land because of Absalom. ¹⁰But Absalom, wey we anoint to rule us, don die for battle. So why we no dey talk anytin about how to bring di king come back?"

¹¹King David send word to Zadok and Abiathar di priests: "Tell di elders of Judah say, 'Why una wan be di last people to bring di king come back home, when di word of all Israel don reach di king for im house?' ¹²Una na my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why una go be di last people to bring di king come back? ¹³And una talk to Amasa say, 'Abi you no be my own flesh and blood? Make our Papa do me like dis and even more if you no become my army commander for life, to take Joab place.'" ¹⁴David win di heart of all di men of Judah as if na one man, and dem send word to di king say: "Come back, you and all your servants."

¹⁵So di king come back and reach di Jordan; and Judah come Gilgal to meet di king and carry am cross di Jordan.

David Show Mercy to Shimei

¹⁶Shimei son of Gera, di Benjaminite from Bahurim, rush come down with di men of Judah to meet King David. ¹⁷With am na 1,000 Benjaminites, and Ziba, di servant of Saul im house, with im fifteen sons and twenty servants. Dem rush go di Jordan before di king, ¹⁸and dem cross di shallow place to carry di king im household come over and do wetin go sweet am. Shimei son of Gera fall down before di king as di king dey about to cross di Jordan, ¹⁹and e talk say, "Abeg, my oga, no hold dis one against me, and no remember how your servant do wrong for di day wey my oga di king comot from Jerusalem. Abeg, my oga di king, no keep am for your mind. ²⁰Your servant know say I don sin. So today I don come first pass all di house of Joseph to meet my oga di king." ^a a v20 Di 'house of Joseph' na di northern tribes of Israel, wey come from Joseph im sons Ephraim and Manasseh.

²¹Then Abishai son of Zeruiah talk say, "Abi dem no suppose kill Shimei because e curse our Papa im anointed one?"

²²David talk say, "Wetin concern me and una, una sons of Zeruiah? Why una wan turn to my enemies today? Dem suppose kill anybody for Israel today? Abi I no know say today I be king over Israel?" ²³Di king tell Shimei say, "You no go die," and di king swear give am.

²⁴Mephibosheth, Saul im grandson, come down to meet di king. E no clean im feet, e no trim im beard, and e no wash im clothes from di day wey di king comot till di day e come back safe. ²⁵When e reach Jerusalem to meet di king, di king ask am say, "Why you no come with me, Mephibosheth?"

²⁶E talk say, "My oga di king, my servant deceive me. Your servant tok say, 'I go saddle my donkey and ride go with di king,' because your servant leg no dey work well. ²⁷E carry lie put your servant for mouth before my oga di king. But my oga di king be like di angel of our Papa; do wetin good for your eyes. ²⁸All my father im house no deserve anytin except death from my oga di king, but you still put your servant among di people wey dey chop for your table. So wetin right I still get to dey cry to di king again?"

²⁹Di king talk say, "Why you go still dey tok about your matter? I don decide: you and Ziba go share di land."

³⁰Mephibosheth talk to di king say, "Make e take everytin sef, now wey my oga di king don come home safe."

³¹Barzillai di Gileadite come down from Rogelim and cross di Jordan with di king, to see am off. ³²Barzillai, wey don old well-well, eighty years, na im bin dey feed di king during di time wey e stay for Mahanaim, because e be very rich man. ³³Di king tell Barzillai say, "Cross over come with me, and I go take care of you for my side for Jerusalem."

³⁴Barzillai talk to di king say, "How many years I still get wey I go take go up with di king to Jerusalem? ³⁵I don reach eighty years today. I fit still know di difference between good and bad? Your servant fit taste wetin e dey chop or drink? I fit still hear di voice of men and women wey dey sing? Why your servant go still add load for my oga di king? ³⁶Your servant go cross di Jordan small way with di king. Why di king go pay me back with dis kind big reward? ³⁷Abeg make your servant go back go die for my own city near di grave of my papa and my mama. But look your servant Chimham; make e cross over with my oga di king, and do for am wetin good for your eyes."

³⁸Di king talk say, "Chimham go cross with me, and I go do for am wetin go sweet you, and anytin wey you ask me, I go do am for you."

³⁹All di people cross di Jordan, and di king cross too. Di king kiss Barzillai and bless am, and Barzillai go back home. ⁴⁰Di king cross go Gilgal, Chimham dey with am. All di people of Judah, and half of di people of Israel, escort di king.

⁴¹Then all di men of Israel come meet di king and ask say, "Why our brothers, di men of Judah, thief you comot and carry di king and im household cross di Jordan, together with all David im men?"

⁴²All di men of Judah answer di men of Israel say, "Di king na our close family. Why una dey vex about dis matter? Abi we don chop any of di king food, or e don give us any gift?"

⁴³Di men of Israel answer di men of Judah say, "We get ten share for di king, and we get bigger claim on David pass una. So why una look us down? Abi no be we first tok about bringing our king come back?" But di word of Judah harsh pass di word of Israel.