2 Samuelova 14

1 A Joab, sin Sarvijin, opazi da se kraljevo srce okreće k Abšalomu.

Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.

2 Zato Joab pošalje u Tekou po jednu pametnu ženu i reče joj: “Učini se kao da si u žalosti za mrtvim, obuci žalobne haljine, nemoj se mazati uljem, nego budi kao žena koja je već dugo vremena u žalosti za mrtvim.

So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.

3 Otići ćeš kralju i govorit ćeš mu ovako.” I Joab je nauči što će govoriti.

Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 Žena iz Tekoe ode kralju, pade ničice na zemlju i pokloni se, zatim reče: “Pomozi, kralju!”

When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, “Help me, O king!”

5 Kralj je upita: “Što ti je?” A ona odgovori: “Ah, ja sam udovica. Muž mi je umro,

“What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for my husband is dead.

6 a tvoja je službenica imala dva sina. Oni se posvadiše u polju, a nije bilo nikoga da ih razdvoji te je jedan od njih udario svoga brata i ubio ga.

And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.

7 I sad se podiže sav rod na tvoju službenicu i reče: 'Predaj nam toga što je ubio svoga brata: mi ćemo ga pogubiti za život njegova brata koga je ubio, a time ćemo zatrti i baštinika.' Tako hoće da ugase žeravicu koja mi je ostala, da ne ostave mome mužu ni imena ni potomstva na zemlji.”

Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother whom he killed. Then we will cut off the heir as well!’ So they would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on the earth.”

8 A kralj reče ženi: “Idi svojoj kući, ja ću odrediti što treba za te.”

“Go home,” the king said to the woman, “and I will give orders on your behalf.”

9 A žena iz Tekoe reče kralju: “Gospodaru kralju! Neka na me i na moj očinski dom padne krivica; kralj i njegovo prijestolje nedužni su u tome!”

But the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and on my father’s house, and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”

10 A kralj nastavi: “Onoga koji ti se zaprijetio dovedi k meni! Taj te neće više dirnuti!”

“If anyone speaks to you,” said the king, “bring him to me, and he will not trouble you again!”

11 A ona reče: “Neka se kralj udostoji spomenuti ime Jahve, svoga Boga, da krvni osvetnik neće umnožiti zator i da neće pogubiti moga sina!” A on obeća: “Tako mi živog Jahve, nijedna vlas neće pasti s glave tvome sinu!”

“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”

12 A žena nastavi: “Dopusti da tvoja službenica kaže jednu riječ svome gospodaru kralju.” A on odvrati: “Govori!”

Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied.

13 A žena reče: “Dakle, zašto je kralj - jer se izričući ovakvu presudu sam priznao krivim - donio protiv naroda Božjega odluku da ne pušta kući onoga koga je prognao?

The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?

14 Mi smo svi osuđeni na smrt, slični smo vodi koja se prolije na zemlju i više se ne može skupiti, i Bog ne podiže mrtvaca: neka, dakle, kralj misli na to da prognanik ne ostane izagnan daleko od njega.

For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.

15 A razlog zašto sam došla da iznesem pred svoga gospodara kralja ovu stvar bio je taj što su me zaplašili ljudi, pa je mislila tvoja službenica: moram govoriti s kraljem, možda će kralj učiniti ono što mu njegova službenica kaže.

Now therefore, I have come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the request of his maidservant.

16 Jer će kralj poslušati svoju službenicu i izbaviti je iz ruku čovjeka koji hoće da me istrijebi zajedno s mojim sinom iz Božje baštine.

For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’

17 Zato je tvoja službenica pomislila: neka mi riječ moga gospodara i kralja bude na umirenje. Jer moj je gospodar i kralj kao Božji anđeo koji sluša dobro i zlo. Jahve, tvoj Bog, neka bude s tobom!”

And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you.’”

18 Tada progovori kralj i reče ženi: “Nemoj mi sada zatajiti ono što ću te pitati!” A žena odgovori: “Neka govori moj gospodar kralj!”

Then the king said to the woman, “I am going to ask you something; do not conceal it from me!” “Let my lord the king speak,” she replied.

19 Tada kralj upita: “Nisu li Joabovi prsti s tobom u svemu tome?” A žena odgovori: “Tako bio živ, gospodaru kralju, zaista se ne može ni desno ni lijevo od svega što je kazao moj gospodar i kralj! Jest, tvoj mi je sluga Joab zapovjedio, on je naučio tvoju službenicu sve ove riječi.

So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab behind all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave me orders; he told your maidservant exactly what to say.

20 Tvoj je sluga Joab to učinio da bi svemu dao drugo lice, ali je moj gospodar mudar kao Božji anđeo, on zna sve što se zbiva na zemlji.”

Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens in the land.”

21 Tada se kralj okrenu Joabu i reče mu: “Dobro, učinit ću to. Idi i dovedi natrag mladića Abšaloma!”

Then the king said to Joab, “I hereby grant this request. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”

22 A Joab pade licem na zemlju, pokloni se i zahvali kralju; zatim reče Joab: “Danas vidi tvoj sluga da je našao milost u tvojim očima, gospodaru kralju, kad je kralj ispunio molbu svoga sluge.”

Joab fell facedown in homage and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “your servant knows that he has found favor with you, my lord the king, because the king has granted his request.”

23 Potom se diže Joab, ode u Gešur i dovede Abšaloma natrag u Jeruzalem.

So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24 Ali kralj reče: “Neka ide u svoju kuću, a meni neka ne dolazi na oči!” I Abšalom se povuče u svoju kuću i ne dođe kralju na oči.

But the king added, “He may return to his house, but he must not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the king.

25 U svemu Izraelu ne bijaše čovjeka tako lijepa kao Abšalom komu bi se mogle izreći tolike pohvale: od pete do glave nije bilo na njemu mane.

Now there was not a man in all Israel as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw.

26 A kad bi šišao kosu - a šišao ju je na koncu svake godine, jer mu je bila preteška pa ju je morao šišati - mjerio bi svoju kosu: bila bi teška dvije stotine šekela, po kraljevskoj mjeri.

And when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard.

27 Abšalomu se rodiše tri sina i jedna kći po imenu Tamara; bila je to vrlo lijepa žena.

Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman.

28 Abšalom provede dvije godine u Jeruzalemu a da nije došao kralju na oči.

Now Absalom lived in Jerusalem two years without seeing the face of the king.

29 Tada Abšalom pozva Joaba k sebi da bi ga poslao kralju, ali Joab ne htjede doći k njemu; i posla drugi put po njega, ali on opet ne htjede doći.

Then he sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So Absalom sent a second time, but Joab still would not come.

30 Tada Abšalom zapovjedi slugama: “Znate Joabovo polje koje je pokraj mojega i na kojem raste ječam: idite i zapalite ga!” I Abšalomove sluge zapališe ono polje.

Then Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire!” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31 Tada se diže Joab, dođe k Abšalomu u kuću i upita ga: “Zašto su tvoje sluge zapalile moje polje?”

Then Joab came to Absalom’s house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”

32 A Abšalom odgovori Joabu: “Ja sam poslao k tebi i poručio ti: 'Dođi ovamo, želio bih te poslati kralju s ovom porukom: Zašto sam se vratio iz Gešura?' Bolje bi bilo za mene da sam još ondje. Zato sad hoću da dođem kralju na oči, pa ako ima na meni kakva krivica, neka me pogubi!”

“Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”

33 Joab ode kralju i javi mu te riječi. Zatim kralj pozva Abšaloma. Dođe on pred kralja, pokloni mu se i pade ničice pred kralja. I kralj poljubi Abšaloma.

So Joab went and told the king, and David summoned Absalom, who came to him and bowed facedown before him. Then the king kissed Absalom.