2 Samuel 14

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

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

And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:

3 gå så til Kongen og sig således til ham" - og Joab lagde hende Ordene i Munden.

and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 Kvinden fra Tekoa gik så til Kongen, faldt til Jorden på sit Ansigt, bøjede sig og sagde: "Hjælp Konge!"

And when the woman of Tekoa spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.

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

And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered; Of a truth I am a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

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

And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him.

7 Men nu træder hele Slægten op imod din Trælkvinde og siger: Udlever Brodermorderen, for at vi kan slå ham ihjel og hævne Broderen, som han dræbte! Således siger de for at få Arvingen ryddet af Vejen og slukke den sidste Glød, jeg har tilbage, så at min Mand ikke får Eftermæle eller Efterkommere på Jorden!"

And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew, and so destroy the heir also: thus shall they quench my coal which is left, and shall leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the face of the earth.

8 Da sagde Kongen til Kvinden: "Gå kun hjem, jeg skal jævne Sagen for dig!"

And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.

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!"

And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.

10 Kongen sagde da: "Enhver, som vil dig noget, skal du bringe til mig, så skal han ikke mere volde dig Men!"

And the king said, Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee 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: "Så sandt HERREN lever, der skal ikke krummes et Hår på din Søns Hoved!"

Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shalt not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

12 Da sagde Kvinden: "Må din Trælkvinde sige min Herre Kongen et Ord?" Han svarede: "Tal!"

Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

13 Og Kvinden sagde: "Hvor kan du da tænke på at gøre det samme ved Guds Folk - når Kongen taler således, dømmer han jo sig selv - og det gør Kongen, når han ikke vil lade sin forstødte Søn vende tilbage.

And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one which is guilty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one.

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

For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God take away life, but deviseth means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from him.

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

Now therefore seeing that I am come to speak this word unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto 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 Hånd, 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 that 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! HER- REN din Gud være med dig!"

Then thine handmaid said, Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: and the LORD thy God be with thee.

18 Da sagde Kongen til Kvinden: "Svar mig på det Spørgsmål, jeg nu stiller dig, dølg ikke noget!"Kvinden sagde: "Min Herre Kongen tale!"

Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, aught that I shall ask thee. And 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: "Så sandt du lever, Herre Konge, det er umuligt at slippe uden om, hvad min Herre Kongen siger. Ja, det var din Træl Joab, som pålagde mig dette og lagde din Trælkvinde alle disse Ord i Munden.

And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid;

20 For at give Sagen et andet Udseende har din Træl Joab gjort således. Men min Herre er viis som en Guds Engel, så han ved alle Ting på Jorden!"

to change the face of the matter hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

21 Derpå sagde Kongen til Joab: "Vel, jeg vil gøre det! Gå hen og bring den unge Mand, Absalon, tilbage!"

And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.

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

And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and did obeisance, and blessed the king: end Joab said, Today thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath performed the request of his servant.

23 Derpå begav Joab sig til Gesjur og hentede Absalon tilbage til Jerusalem.

So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24 Men Kongen sagde: "Lad ham gå hjem til sit Hus; for mit Åsyn bliver han ikke stedet!" Da gik Absalon hjem til sit Hus, og for Kongens Åsyn blev han ikke stedet.

And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.

25 Men ingen Mand i hele Israel blev beundret så højt for sin Skønhed som Absalon; fra Fodsål til Isse var der ikke en Lyde ved ham.

Now in all Israel there was none 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 blemish in him.

26 Og når han lod sit Hår klippe - han lod det klippe, hver Gang der var gået et År, fordi det blev ham for tungt, derfor måtte han lade det klippe - vejede det 200 Sekel efter kongelig Vægt.

And when he polled his head, (now it was at every year’s end that he polled it: because [the hair] was heavy on him, therefore he polled it: ) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight.

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

And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.

28 Absalon boede nu to År i Jerusalem uden at blive stedet for Kongen.

And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem; and he saw not the king’s face.

29 Da sendte Absalon Bud efter Joab for at få ham til at gå 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: and 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! Gå hen og stik Ild på den!" Og Absalons Folk stak Ild på Marken.

Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31 Da begav Joab sig ind til Absalon og sagde til ham: "Hvorfor har dine Folk stukket Ild på min Mark?"

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?

32 Absalon 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 så lad ham dræbe mig!"

And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it were better for me to be there still: now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him kill me.

33 Joab gik da til Kongen og overbragte ham disse Ord. Så lod han Absalon kalde, og han kom ind til Kongen; og han bøjede sig for ham og faldt på sit Ansigt til Jorden for Kongen. Så kyssede Kongen Absalon.

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.