2 Samuel 14

1 Da nu Joab, Zerujas Søn, mærkede, at Kongens Hjerte hang ved Absalom,

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

2 sendte han Bud til Tekoa efter en klog Kvinde og sagde til hende: »Lad, som om du har Sorg, ifør dig Sørgeklæder, lad være at salve dig med Olie, men bær dig ad som en Kvinde, der alt i lang Tid har sørget over en afdød;

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 gaa saa til Kongen og sig saaledes til ham« — og Joab lagde hende Ordene i Munden.

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

4 Kvinden fra Tekoa gik saa til Kongen, faldt til Jorden paa sit Ansigt, bøjede sig og sagde: »Hjælp Konge!«

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

5 Kongen spurgte hende: »Hvad fattes dig?« Og hun sagde: »Jo, jeg er Enke, min Mand er død.

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

6 Din Trælkvinde havde to Sønner; de kom i Klammeri ude paa Marken, og der var ingen til at bilægge deres Tvist; saa slog den ene den anden ihjel.

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 Men nu træder hele Slægten op imod din Trælkvinde og siger: Udlever Brodermorderen, for at vi kan slaa ham ihjel og hævne Broderen, som han dræbte! Saaledes siger de for at faa Arvingen ryddet af Vejen og slukke den sidste Glød, jeg har tilbage, saa at min Mand ikke faar Eftermæle eller Efterkommere paa Jorden!«

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 Da sagde Kongen til Kvinden: »Gaa kun hjem, jeg skal jævne Sagen for dig!«

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

9 Men Kvinden fra Tekoa sagde til Kongen: »Lad Skylden komme over mig og mit Fædrenehus, Herre Konge, men Kongen og hans Trone skal være skyldfri!«

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 Kongen sagde da: »Enhver, som vil dig noget, skal du bringe til mig, saa skal han ikke mere volde dig Men!«

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

11 Men Kvinden sagde: »Vilde dog Kongen nævne HERREN din Guds Navn, for at Blodhævneren ikke skal volde endnu mere Ulykke og min Søn blive ryddet af Vejen!« Da sagde han: »Saa sandt HERREN lever, der skal ikke krummes et Haar paa din Søns Hoved!«

“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 Da sagde Kvinden: »Maa din Trælkvinde sige min Herre Kongen et Ord?« Han svarede: »Tal!«

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

13 Og Kvinden sagde: »Hvor kan du da tænke paa at gøre det samme ved Guds Folk — naar Kongen taler saaledes, dømmer han jo sig selv — og det gør Kongen, naar han ikke vil lade sin forstødte Søn vende tilbage.

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 Thi vi skal visselig alle dø, vi er som Vandet, der ikke kan samles op igen, naar det hældes ud paa Jorden; men Gud vil ikke tage det Menneskes Liv, der omgaas med den Tanke, at en forstødt ikke skal være forstødt for stedse.

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 Naar jeg nu er kommet for at tale om denne Sag til min Herre Kongen, saa er det, fordi de Folk har gjort mig bange; din Trælkvinde tænkte: Jeg vil tale til Kongen, maaske opfylder Kongen sin Trælkvindes Bøn;

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 thi Kongen vil bønhøre mig og fri sin Trælkvinde af den Mands Haand, som tragter efter at udrydde mig tillige med min Søn af Guds Arvelod.

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 Og din Trælkvinde tænkte: Min Herre Kongens Ord vil være mig en Lindring; thi min Herre Kongen er som en Guds Engel til at skønne over godt og ondt! HERREN din Gud være med dig!«

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 Da sagde Kongen til Kvinden: »Svar mig paa det Spørgsmaal, jeg nu stiller dig, dølg ikke noget!« Kvinden sagde: »Min Herre Kongen tale!«

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 Da sagde Kongen: »Har Joab en Finger med i alt dette?« Og Kvinden svarede: »Saa sandt du lever, Herre Konge, det er umuligt at slippe uden om, hvad min Herre Kongen siger. Ja, det var din Træl Joab, som paalagde mig dette og lagde din Trælkvinde alle disse Ord i Munden.

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 For at give Sagen et andet Udseende har din Træl Joab gjort saaledes. Men min Herre er viis som en Guds Engel, saa han ved alle Ting paa Jorden!«

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 Derpaa sagde Kongen til Joab: »Vel, jeg vil gøre det! Gaa hen og bring den unge Mand, Absalom, tilbage!«

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

22 Da faldt Joab paa sit Ansigt til Jorden og bøjede sig og velsignede Kongen og sagde: »Nu ved din Træl, at jeg har fundet Naade for dine Øjne, Herre Konge, siden Kongen har opfyldt sin Træls Bøn!«

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 Derpaa begav Joab sig til Gesjur og hentede Absalom tilbage til Jerusalem.

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

24 Men Kongen sagde: »Lad ham gaa hjem til sit Hus; for mit Aasyn bliver han ikke stedet!« Da gik Absalom hjem til sit Hus, og for Kongens Aasyn blev han ikke stedet.

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 Men ingen Mand i hele Israel blev beundret saa højt for sin Skønhed som Absalom; fra Fodsaal til Isse var der ikke en Lyde ved ham.

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 Og naar han lod sit Haar klippe — han lod det klippe, hver Gang der var gaaet et Aar, fordi det blev ham for tungt, derfor maatte han lade det klippe — vejede det 200 Sekel efter kongelig Vægt.

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 Der fødtes Absalom tre Sønner og een Datter ved Navn Tamar; hun var en smuk Kvinde.

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

28 Absalom boede nu to Aar i Jerusalem uden at blive stedet for Kongen.

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

29 Da sendte Absalom Bud efter Joab for at faa ham til at gaa til Kongen; men han vilde ikke komme. Han sendte Bud een Gang til, men han vilde ikke komme.

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 Da sagde han til sine Folk »Se den Bygmark, Joab har der ved Siden af min! Gaa hen og stik Ild paa den!« Og Absaloms Folk stak Ild paa Marken.

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 Da begav Joab sig ind til Absalom og sagde til ham: »Hvorfor har dine Folk stukket Ild paa min Mark?«

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

32 Absalom svarede Joab: »Se, jeg sendte Bud efter dig og bad dig komme herhen, for at jeg kunde sende dig til Kongen og sige: Hvorfor kom jeg tilbage fra Gesjur? Det havde været bedre for mig, om jeg var blevet der! Men nu vil jeg stedes for Kongen; er der Skyld hos mig saa lad ham dræbe mig!«

“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 gik da til Kongen og overbragte ham disse Ord. Saa lod han Absalom kalde, og han kom ind til Kongen; og han bøjede sig for ham og faldt paa sit Ansigt til Jorden for Kongen. Saa kyssede Kongen Absalom.

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.