2 Samooel 18

jang kay liyay tayyaariyaan

¹daaood nay apnay faujiyon ka muaaina karkay hazaar hazaar aur sau sau afraad par aadmee muqarrar kiay. ²phir us nay unhen teen hisson men taqseem karkay ek hissay par yoaab ko, doosray par us kay bhaaee abeeshai bin zarooyaah ko aur teesray par ittee jaatee ko muqarrar kiya.

us nay faujiyon ko bataaya, “main khud bhee aap kay saath ladnay kay liyay nikaloonga.” ³lekin unhon nay etiraaz kiya, “aisa na karen! agar hamen bhaagna bhee paday ya hamaara aadha hissa maara bhee jaaay to abeesloom kay faujiyon kay liyay itna koee farq naheen padega. vah aap hee ko pakadna chaahatay hain, kyoonki aap un kay nazdeek ham men say 10,000 afraad say ziyaada ahem hain. chunaanchay behatar hai ki aap shaher hee men rahen aur vahaan say hamaaree himaayat karen.”

⁴baadshaah nay javaab diya, “theek hai, jo kuchh aap ko maaqool lagta hai vahee karoonga.” vah shaher kay darvaazay par khada hua, aur tamaam mard sau sau aur hazaar hazaar kay gurohon men us kay saamnay say guzar kar baahar niklay. ⁵yoaab, abeeshai aur ittee ko us nay hukm diya, “meree khaatir javaan abeesloom say narmee say pesh aana!” tamaam faujiyon nay teenon kamaandaron say yah baat sunee.

abeesloom kee shikast

⁶daaood kay log khulay maidaan men israaeeliyon say ladnay gaay. ifraaeem kay jangal men un kee takkar huee, ⁷aur daaood kay faujiyon nay mukhaalifon ko shikast-ay-faash dee. un kay 20,000 afraad halaak huay. ⁸ladaaee pooray jangal men phailtee gaee. yah jangal itna khatarnaak tha ki us din talvaar kee nisbat ziyaada log us kee zad men a kar halaak ho gaay.

⁹achaanak daaood kay kuchh faujiyon ko abeesloom nazar aaya. vah khachchar par savaar baloot kay ek baday darakht kay saay men say guzarnay laga to us kay baal darakht kee shaakhon men ulajh gaay. us ka khachchar aagay nikal gaya jabki abeesloom vaheen aasmaan-o-zameen kay darmiyaan latka raha. ¹⁰jin aadmiyon nay yah dekha un men say ek yoaab kay paas gaya aur ittila dee, “main nay abeesloom ko dekha hai. vah baloot kay ek darakht men latka hua hai.”

¹¹yoaab pukaara, “kya aap nay usay dekha? to usay vaheen kyoon na maar diya? phir main aap ko in’aam kay taur par chaandee kay das sikkay aur ek kamarband day deta.” ¹²lekin aadmee nay etiraaz kiya, “agar aap mujhay chaandee kay hazaar sikkay bhee detay to bhee main baadshaah kay betay ko haath na lagaata. hamaaray suntay suntay baadshaah nay aap, abeeshai aur ittee ko hukm diya, ‘meree khaatir abeesloom ko nuqsaan na pahunchaaen.’ ¹³aur agar main chupkay say bhee usay qatl karta to bhee is kee khabar kisee na kisee vaqt baadshaah kay kaanon tak pahunchtee. kyoonki koee bhee baat baadshaah say posheeda naheen rahetee. agar mujhay is soorat men pakda jaata to aap meree himaayat na kartay.”

¹⁴yoaab bola, “mera vaqt mazeed zaaay mat karo.” us nay teen nezay lay kar abeesloom kay dil men ghomp diay jab vah abhee zinda haalat men darakht say latka hua tha. ¹⁵phir yoaab kay das silaahabardaaron nay abeesloom ko gher kar usay halaak kar diya.

¹⁶tab yoaab nay narsinga baja diya, aur us kay faujee doosron ka taaqqub karnay say baaz a kar vaapas a gaay. ¹⁷baaqee israaeelee apnay apnay ghar bhaag gaay. yoaab kay aadmiyon nay abeesloom kee laash ko ek gaheray gadhay men phaink kar us par pattharon ka bada dher laga diya.

¹⁸kuchh der pahelay abeesloom is khayaal say baadshaah kee vaadee men apnee yaad men ek satoon khada kar chuka tha ki mera koee beta naheen hai jo mera naam qaaim rakhay. aaj tak yah ‘abeesloom kee yaadgaar’ kahelaata hai.

daaood ko abeesloom kee maut kee khabar miltee hai

¹⁹akheemaaz bin sadoq nay yoaab say darakhwaast kee, “mujhay daud kar baadshaah ko khushkhabaree sunaanay den ki rabb nay usay dushmanon say bacha liya hai.” ²⁰lekin yoaab nay inkaar kiya, “jo paighaam aap ko baadshaah tak pahunchaana hai vah us kay liyay khushkhabaree naheen hai, kyoonki us ka beta mar gaya hai. kisee aur vaqt main zaroor aap ko us kay paas bhej doonga, lekin aaj naheen.” ²¹us nay ethopiya kay ek aadmee ko hukm diya, “jaaen aur baadshaah ko bataaen.” aadmee yoaab kay saamnay aundhay munh jhuk gaya aur phir daud kar chala gaya.

²²lekin akheemaaz khush naheen tha. vah israar karta raha, “kuchh bhee ho jaaay, meharbaanee karkay mujhay us kay peechhay daudnay den!” ek aur baar yoaab nay usay roknay kee koshish kee, “betay, aap jaanay kay liyay kyoon tadaptay hain? jo khabar pahunchaanee hai us kay liyay aap ko in’aam naheen milega.” ²³akheemaaz nay javaab diya, “koee baat naheen. kuchh bhee ho jaaay, main har soorat men daud kar baadshaah kay paas jaana chaahata hoon.” tab yoaab nay usay jaanay diya. akheemaaz nay darya-ay-yardan kay khulay maidaan ka raasta liya, is liyay vah ethopiya kay aadmee say pahelay baadshaah kay paas pahunch gaya.

²⁴us vaqt daaood shaher kay baahar aur andar vaalay darvaazon kay darmiyaan baitha intizaar kar raha tha. jab paheredaar darvaazay kay oopar kee faseel par chadha to usay ek tanha aadmee nazar aaya jo daudta hua un kee taraf a raha tha. ²⁵paheredaar nay aavaaz day kar baadshaah ko ittila dee. daaood bola, “agar akela ho to zaroor khushkhabaree lay kar a raha hoga.” yah aadmee bhaagta bhaagta qareeb a gaya, ²⁶lekin itnay men paheredaar ko ek aur aadmee nazar aaya jo shaher kee taraf daudta hua a raha tha. us nay shaher kay darvaazay kay darbaan ko aavaaz dee, “ek aur aadmee daudta hua dikhaaee day raha hai. vah bhee akela hee a raha hai.” daaood nay kaha, “vah bhee achchhee khabar lay kar a raha hai.” ²⁷phir paheredaar pukaara, “lagta hai ki pahela aadmee akheemaaz bin sadoq hai, kyoonki vahee yoon chalta hai.” daaood ko tasallee huee, “akheemaaz achchha banda hai. vah zaroor achchhee khabar lay kar a raha hoga.”

²⁸door say akheemaaz nay baadshaah ko aavaaz dee, “baadshaah kee salaamatee ho!” vah aundhay munh baadshaah kay saamnay jhuk kar bola, “rabb aap kay khuda kee tamjeed ho! us nay aap ko un logon say bacha liya hai jo meray aaqa aur baadshaah kay khilaaf uth khaday huay thay.” ²⁹daaood nay poochha, “aur mera beta abeesloom? kya vah mahfooz hai?” akheemaaz nay javaab diya, “jab yoaab nay mujhay aur baadshaah kay doosray khaadim ko aap kay paas rukhsat kiya to us vaqt badee afra-tafree thee. mujhay tafseel say maaloom na hua ki kya ho raha hai.” ³⁰baadshaah nay hukm diya, “ek taraf ho kar meray paas khaday ho jaaen!” akheemaaz nay aisa hee kiya.

³¹phir ethopiya ka aadmee pahunch gaya. us nay kaha, “meray baadshaah, meree khushkhabaree sunen! aaj rabb nay aap ko un sab logon say najaat dilaaee hai jo aap kay khilaaf uth khaday huay thay.” ³²baadshaah nay savaal kiya, “aur mera beta abeesloom? kya vah mahfooz hai?” ethopiya kay aadmee nay javaab diya, “meray aaqa, jis tarah us kay saath hua hai, us tarah aap kay tamaam dushmanon kay saath ho jaaay, un sab kay saath jo aap ko nuqsaan pahunchaana chaahatay hain!”

³³yah sun kar baadshaah laraz utha. shaher kay darvaazay kay oopar kee faseel par ek kamra tha. ab baadshaah rotay rotay seedhiyon par chadhnay laga aur cheekhtay chillaatay us kamray men chala gaya, “haay meray betay abeesloom! meray betay, meray betay abeesloom! kaash main hee teree jagah mar jaata. haay abeesloom, meray betay, meray betay!”