2 Samuel 15

1 Men nogen Tid efter skaffede Absalom sige Vogn og Heste og halvtredsindstyve Forløbere;

Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.

2 og om Morgenen stillede han sig ved Portvejen, og naar nogen gik til Kongen for at faa en Retssag afgjort, kaldte Absalom ham til sig og spurgte ham: »Hvilken By er du fra?« Naar han da svarede: »Din Træl er fra den eller den af Israels Stammer!«

He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out and ask, “What city are you from?” And if he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,”

3 saa sagde Absalom til ham: »Ja, din Sag er god og retfærdig; men hos Kongen finder du ikke Øre!«

Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.”

4 Og Absalom tilføjede: »Vilde man blot sætte mig til Dommer i Landet! Da maatte enhver, der har en Retssag eller Retstrætte, komme til mig, og jeg vilde hjælpe ham til hans Ret.«

And he would add, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then everyone with a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice.”

5 Og naar nogen nærmede sig for at kaste sig ned for ham, rakte han Haanden ud og holdt ham fast og kyssede ham.

Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.

6 Saaledes gjorde Absalom over for alle Israeliterne, som kom til Kongen for at faa deres Sager afgjort, og Absalom stjal Israels Mænds Hjerte.

Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for justice. In this way he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 Da der var gaaet fire Aar, sagde Absalom til Kongen: »Lad mig faa Lov at gaa til Hebron og indfri et Løfte, jeg har aflagt HERREN;

After four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD.

8 thi medens din Træl boede i Gesjur i Aram, aflagde jeg det Løfte: Hvis HERREN lader mig komme tilbage til Jerusalem, vil jeg ære HERREN i Hebron!«

For your servant made a vow while dwelling in Geshur of Aram, saying: ‘If indeed the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.’”

9 Kongen svarede ham: »Gaa med Fred!« Og han begav sig til Hebron.

“Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom got up and went to Hebron.

10 Men Absalom havde i al Hemmelighed sendt Bud ud i alle Israels Stammer og ladet sige: »Naar I hører, der stødes i Horn, saa skal I raabe: Absalom er blevet Konge i Hebron!«

Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’”

11 Og med Absalom fulgte fra Jerusalem 200 Mænd, som han havde indbudt, og som drog med i god Tro uden at vide af noget.

Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter.

12 Og da Absalom ofrede, Slagtofre, lod han Giloniten Akitofel, Davids Raadgiver, hente i hans By Gilo. Og Sammensværgelsen vandt i Styrke, idet flere og flere af Folket gik over til Absalom.

While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.

13 Da kom en og meldte David det og sagde: »Israels Hu har vendt sig til Absalom!«

Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”

14 Og David sagde til alle sine Folk, som var hos ham i Jerusalem: »Kom, lad os flygte; ellers kan vi ikke undslippe Absalom; skynd jer af Sted, at han ikke skal skynde sig og naa os, bringe ulykke over os og nedhugge Byens Indbyggere med Sværdet!«

And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! We must leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and put the city to the sword.”

15 Kongens Folk svarede: »Dine Trælle er rede til at gøre alt, hvad du finder rigtigt, Herre Konge!«

The king’s servants replied, “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are your servants.”

16 Saa drog Kongen ud, fulgt af hele sit Hus; dog lod Kongen ti Medhustruer blive tilbage for at se efter Huset.

Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.

17 Saa drog Kongen ud, fulgt af alle sine Folk. Ved det sidste Hus gjorde de Holdt,

So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house,

18 og alle Krigerne gik forbi ham, ligeledes alle Kreterne og Pleterne; ogsaa alle Gatiten Ittajs Mænd, 600 Mand, som havde fulgt ham fra Gat, gik forbi Kongen.

and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.

19 Da sagde Kongen til Gatiten Ittaj: »Hvorfor gaar ogsaa du med? Vend om og bliv hos Kongen; thi du er Udlænding og er vandret ud fra din Hjemstavn;

Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.

20 i Gaar kom du, og i Dag skulde jeg tage dig med paa vor Omflakken, jeg, som gaar uden at vide hvorhen! Vend tilbage og tag dine Landsmænd med; HERREN vise dig Miskundhed og Trofasthed!«

In fact, you arrived only yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I do not know where I am going? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness.”

21 Men Ittaj svarede Kongen: »Saa sandt HERREN lever, og saa sandt du, Herre Konge, lever: Hvor du, Herre Konge, er, der vil din Træl være, hvad enten det bliver Liv eller Død!«

But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!”

22 Da sagde David til Ittaj: »Vel, saa drag forbi!« Saa drog Gatiten Ittaj forbi med alle sine Mænd og hele sit Følge af Kvinder og Børn.

“March on then,” said David to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

23 Hele Landet græd højt, medens alle Krigerne gik forbi; og Kongen stod i Kedrons Dal, medens alle Krigerne gik forbi ham ad Vejen til Oliventræet i Ørkenen.

Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly as all the people passed by. And as the king crossed the Kidron Valley, all the people also passed toward the way of the wilderness.

24 Ogsaa Zadok og Ebjatar, som bar Guds Pagts Ark, kom til Stede; de satte Guds Ark ned og lod den staa, indtil alle Krigerne fra Byen var gaaet forbi.

Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until the people had passed out of the city.

25 Da sagde Kongen til Zadok: »Bring Guds Ark tilbage til Byen! Hvis jeg finder Naade for HERRENS Øjne, fører han mig tilbage og lader mig stedes for ham og hans Bolig;

Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His dwelling place again.

26 siger han derimod: Jeg har ikke Behag i dig! se, da er jeg rede; han gøre med mig, hvad ham tykkes godt!«

But if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.”

27 Og Kongen sagde til Præsten Zadok: »Se, du og Ebjatar skal med Fred vende tilbage til Byen tillige med eders to Sønner, din Søn Ahima'az og Ebjatars Søn Jonatan!

The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace—you with your son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar with his son Jonathan.

28 Se, jeg bier ved Vadestederne paa Jordansletten, indtil jeg faar Bud fra eder med Efterretning.«

See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

29 Zadok og Ebjatar bragte da Guds Ark tilbage til Jerusalem, og de blev der.

So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.

30 Men David gik grædende op ad Oliebjerget med tilhyllet Hoved og bare Fødder, og alle Krigerne, som fulgte ham, havde tilhyllet deres Hoveder og gik grædende opefter.

But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.

31 Da David fik at vide, at Akitofel var iblandt de sammensvorne, som holdt med Absalom, sagde han: »Gør Akitofels Raad til Skamme, HERRE!«

Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”

32 Da David var kommet til Bjergets Top, hvor man plejede at tilbede Gud, kom Arkiten Husjaj, Davids Ven, ham i Møde med sønderrevet Kjortel og Jord paa Hovedet.

When David came to the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.

33 Da sagde David til ham: »Hvis du drager med, bliver du mig til Byrde;

David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.

34 men vender du tilbage til Byen og siger til Absalom: Jeg vil være din Træl, Konge; din Faders Træl var jeg fordum, men nu vil jeg være din Træl! saa kan du gøre mig Akitofels Raad til Skamme.

But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant.’

35 Der har du jo Præsterne Zadok og Ebjatar; alt, hvad du hører fra Kongens Palads, maa du give Præsterne Zadok og Ebjatar Nys om.

Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report to them everything you hear from the king’s palace.

36 Se, de har der deres to Sønner hos sig, Zadoks Søn Ahima'az og Ebjatars Søn Jonatan; send mig gennem dem Bud om alt, hvad I hører.«

Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.”

37 Saa kom Husjaj, Davids Ven, til Byen, og samtidig kom Absalom til Jerusalem.

So David’s friend Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.