撒母耳记下 18
1 大卫数点跟随他的人，立千夫长、百夫长率领他们。
And David having reviewed his people, appointed over them captains of thousands and of hundreds,
2 大卫打发军兵出战，分为三队：一队在约押手下，一队在洗鲁雅的儿子、约押兄弟亚比筛手下，一队在迦特人以太手下。大卫对军兵说：“我必与你们一同出战。”
And sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abisai the son of Sarvia Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ethai, who was of Geth: and the king said to the people: I also will go forth with you.
3 军兵却说：“你不可出战。若是我们逃跑，敌人必不介意；我们阵亡一半，敌人也不介意。因为你一人强似我们万人，你不如在城里预备帮助我们。”
And the people answered: Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not much mind us: or if half of us should fall, they will not greatly care: for thou alone art accounted for ten thousand: it is better therefore that thou shouldst be in the city to succour us.
4 王向他们说：“你们以为怎样好，我就怎样行。”于是王站在城门旁，军兵或百或千地挨次出去了。
And the king said to them: What seemeth good to you, that will I do. And the king stood by the gate: and all the people went forth by their troops, by hundreds and by thousands.
5 王嘱咐约押、亚比筛、以太说：“你们要为我的缘故宽待那少年人押沙龙。”王为押沙龙嘱咐众将的话，兵都听见了。
And the king commanded Joab, and Abisai, and Ethai, saying: Save me the boy Absalom. And all the people heard the king giving charge to all the princes concerning Absalom.
6 兵就出到田野迎着以色列人，在以法莲树林里交战。
So the people went out into the field against Israel and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.
7 以色列人败在大卫的仆人面前；那日阵亡的甚多，共有二万人。
And the people of Israel were defeated there by David’s army, and a great slaughter was made that day of twenty thousand men.
8 因为在那里四面打仗，死于树林的比死于刀剑的更多。
And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the country, and there were many more of the people whom the forest consumed, than whom the sword devoured that day.
9 押沙龙偶然遇见大卫的仆人。押沙龙骑着骡子，从大橡树密枝底下经过，他的头发被树枝绕住，就悬挂起来，所骑的骡子便离他去了。
And it happened that Absalom met the servants of David, riding on a mule: and as the mule went under a thick and large oak, his head stuck in the oak: and while he hung between the heaven and the earth, the mule on which he rode passed on.
10 有个人看见，就告诉约押说：“我看见押沙龙挂在橡树上了。”
And one saw this and told Joab, saying: I saw Absalom hanging upon an oak.
11 约押对报信的人说：“你既看见他，为什么不将他打死落在地上呢？你若打死他，我就赏你十舍客勒银子，一条带子。”
And Joab said to the man that told him: If thou sawest him, why didst thou not stab him to the ground, and I would have given thee ten sicles of silver, and belt?
12 那人对约押说：“我就是得你一千舍客勒银子，我也不敢伸手害王的儿子；因为我们听见王嘱咐你和亚比筛并以太说：‘你们要谨慎，不可害那少年人押沙龙。’
And he said to Joab: If thou wouldst have paid down in my hands a thousand pieces of silver, I would not lay my hands upon the king’s son: for in our hearing he king charged thee, and Abisai, and Ethai, saying: Save me the boy Absalom.
13 我若妄为害了他的性命，就是你自己也必与我为敌（原来，无论何事都瞒不过王。）”
Yea and if I should have acted boldly against my own life, this could not have been hid from the king, and wouldst thou have stood by me?
14 约押说：“我不能与你留连。”约押手拿三杆短枪，趁押沙龙在橡树上还活着，就刺透他的心。
And Joab said: Not as thou wilt, but will set upon him in thy sight. So he took three lances in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Absalom: and whilst he yet panted for life, sticking on the oak,
15 给约押拿兵器的十个少年人围绕押沙龙，将他杀死。
Ten young men, armourbearers of Joab, ran up, and striking him slew him.
16 约押吹角，拦阻众人，他们就回来，不再追赶以色列人。
And Joab sounded the trumpet, and kept back the people from pursuing after Israel in their flight, being willing to spare he multitude.
17 他们将押沙龙丢在林中一个大坑里，上头堆起一大堆石头。以色列众人都逃跑，各回各家去了。
And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the forest, and they laid an exceeding great heap of stories upon him: but all Israel fled to their own dwellings.
18 押沙龙活着的时候，在王谷立了一根石柱，因他说：“我没有儿子为我留名。”他就以自己的名称那石柱叫押沙龙柱，直到今日。
Now Absalom had reared up for himself, in his lifetime, a pillar, which is in the king’s valley: for he said: I have no son, and this shall be the monument of my name. And he called the pillar by is own name, and it is called the hand of Absalom, to this day.
19 撒督的儿子亚希玛斯说：“容我跑去，将耶和华向仇敌给王报仇的信息报与王知。”
And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said: I will run and tell the king, that the Lord hath done judgment for him from the hand of his enemies.
20 约押对他说：“你今日不可去报信，改日可以报信；因为今日王的儿子死了，所以你不可去报信。”
And Joab said to him: Thou shalt not be the messenger this day, but shalt bear tidings another day: this day I will not have thee bear tidings, because the king’s son is dead.
21 约押对古示人说：“你去将你所看见的告诉王。”古示人在约押面前下拜，就跑去了。
And Joab said to Chusai: Go, and tell the king what thou hast seen. Chusai bowed down to Joab, and ran.
22 撒督的儿子亚希玛斯又对约押说：“无论怎样，求你容我随着古示人跑去。”约押说：“我儿，你报这信息，既不得赏赐，何必要跑去呢？”
Then Achimaas the son of Sadoc said to Joab again: Why might not I also run after Chusai? And Joab said to him: Why wilt thou run, my son? thou wilt not be the bearer of good tidings.
23 他又说：“无论怎样，我要跑去。”约押说：“你跑去吧！”亚希玛斯就从平原往前跑，跑过古示人去了。
He answered: But what if I run? And he said to him: Run. Then Achimaas running by a nearer way passed Chusai.
24 大卫正坐在城瓮里。守望的人上城门楼的顶上，举目观看，见有一个人独自跑来。
And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman that was on the top of the gate upon the wall, lifting up his eyes, saw a man running alone.
25 守望的人就大声告诉王。王说：“他若独自来，必是报口信的。”那人跑得渐渐近了。
And crying out he told the king: and the king said: If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth. And as he was coming apace, and drawing nearer,
26 守望的人又见一人跑来，就对守城门的人说：“又有一人独自跑来。”王说：“这也必是报信的。”
The watchman saw another man running, and crying aloud from above, he said: I see another man running alone. And the king said: He also is a good messenger.
27 守望的人说：“我看前头人的跑法，好像撒督的儿子亚希玛斯的跑法一样。”王说：“他是个好人，必是报好信息。”
And the watchman said: The running of the foremost seemeth to me like the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said: He is a good man: and cometh with good news.
28 亚希玛斯向王呼叫说：“平安了！”就在王面前脸伏于地叩拜，说：“耶和华—你的 神是应当称颂的，因他已将那举手攻击我主我王的人交给王了。”
And Achimaas crying out, said to the king: God save thee, O king. And falling down before the king with his face to the ground, he said: Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath shut up the men that have lifted up their hands against the lord my king.
29 王问说：“少年人押沙龙平安不平安？”亚希玛斯回答说：“约押打发王的仆人，那时仆人听见众民大声喧哗，却不知道是什么事。”
And the king said: Is the young man Absalom safe? And Achimaas said: I saw a great tumult, O king, when thy servant Joab sent me thy servant: I know nothing else.
30 王说：“你退去，站在旁边。”他就退去，站在旁边。
And the king said to him: Pass, and stand here.
31 古示人也来到，说：“有信息报给我主我王！耶和华今日向一切兴起攻击你的人给你报仇了。”
And when he bad passed, and stood still, Chusai appeared: and coming up he said: I bring good tidings, my lord, the king, for the Lord hath judged for thee this day from the hand of all that have risen up against thee.
32 王问古示人说：“少年人押沙龙平安不平安？”古示人回答说：“愿我主我王的仇敌，和一切兴起要杀害你的人，都与那少年人一样。”
And the king said to Chusai: Is the young man Absalom safe? And Chusai answering him, said: Let the enemies of my lord, the king, and all that rise against him unto evil, be as the young man is.
33 王就心里伤恸，上城门楼去哀哭，一面走一面说：“我儿押沙龙啊！我儿，我儿押沙龙啊！我恨不得替你死，押沙龙啊，我儿！我儿！”
The king therefore being much moved, went up to the high chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went he spoke in this manner: My son Absalom, Absalom my son: would to God that I might die for thee, Absalom my son, my son Absalom.
