2 Samuel 14

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

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was towards 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;

Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil; but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.

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

Go in to the king and speak like this to him.” So 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 of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”

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

The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and 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.

Your servant had two sons; and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the 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!«

Behold, the whole family has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth.”

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

The king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you.”

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!«

The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, may the iniquity 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!«

The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you any more.”

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!«

Then she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”

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

Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Say on.”

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 said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one.

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 we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast 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, seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. Your servant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.’

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, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

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!«

Then your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. 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 answered the woman, “Please don’t hide anything from me that I ask you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king now speak.”

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.

The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your servant.

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!«

Your servant Joab has done this thing to change the face of the matter. My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.”

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

The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, and bring the young man Absalom back.”

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 to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favour in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”

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

So Joab arose and 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.

The king said, “Let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, and didn’t see the king’s face.

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 in all Israel there was no one to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty. From the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no defect in him.

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.

When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year’s end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight.

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

Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a woman with a beautiful face.

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

Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and he didn’t see the king’s face.

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

Therefore he said to his servants, “Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So 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 arose and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, “Why have 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!«

Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore, 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 came to the king and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.