< 2 Samuel 18 >

1 Derpå holdt David Mønstring over sit Mandskab og satte Tusindførere og Hundredførere over dem;
And David numbered the people with him, and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.
2 og David delte Mandskabet i tre Dele; den ene Tredjedel stillede han under Joab, den anden under Abisjaj, Zerujas Søn og Joabs Broder, og den sidste Tredjedel under Gatiten Ittaj. Kongen sagde så til Folkene: "Jeg vil selv drage med i Kampen!"
And David sent away the people, the third part under the hand of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Abessa the son of Saruia, the brother of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Ethi the Gittite. And David said to the people, I also will surely go out with you.
3 Men de svarede: "Du må ikke drage med; thi om vi flygter, ænser man ikke os; ja, selv om Halvdelen af os falder, ænser man ikke os, men du gælder lige så meget som ti Tusinde af os; derfor er det bedst, at du holder dig rede til at ile os til Hjælp fra Byen."
And they said, Thou shalt not go out: for if we should indeed flee, they will not care for us; and if half of us should die, they will not mind us; for thou [art] as ten thousand of us: and now [it is] well that thou shalt be to us an aid to help us in the city.
4 Kongen svarede: "Jeg gør, hvad I finder bedst!" Derpå stillede Kongen sig ved Porten, medens hele Mandskabet drog ud, hundredvis og tusindvis.
And the king said to them, Whatsoever shall seem good in your eyes I will do. And the king stood by the side of the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 Men Kongen gav Joab, Abisjajog Ittaj den Befaling: "Far nu lempeligt med den unge Absalon!" Og hele Mandskabet hørte, hvorledes Kongen gav alle Øversterne Befaling om Absalon.
And the king commanded Joab and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Spare for my sake the young man Abessalom. And all the people heard the king charging all the commanders concerning Abessalom.
6 Derpå rykkede Krigerne i Marken mod Israel, og Slaget kom til at stå i Efraims Skov.
And all the people went out into the wood against Israel; and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim.
7 Der blev Israels Hær slået af Davids Folk, og der fandt et stort Mandefald Sted den Dag; der faldt 200000 Mand.
And the people of Israel fell down there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter in that day, [even] twenty thousand men.
8 Kampen bredte sig over hele Egnen, og Skoven fortærede den Dag flere Folk end Sværdet.
And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land: and the wood consumed more of the people than the sword consumed among the people in that day.
9 Absalon selv stødte på nogle af Davids Folk; Absalon red på sit Muldyr, og da Muldyret kom ind under en stor Terebintes tætte Grene, blev hans Hoved hængende i Terebinten, så han hang mellem Himmel og Jord, medens Muldyret, han sad på, løb bort.
And Abessalom went to meet the servants of David: and Abessalom was mounted on his mule, and the mule came under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head was entangled in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth; and the mule passed on from under him.
10 En Mand, der så det meldte det til Joab og sagde: "Jeg så Absalon hænge i en Terebinte."
And a man saw it, and reported to Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Abessalom hanging in an oak.
11 Da sagde Joab til Manden, der havde meldt ham det: "Når du så det, hvorfor slog du ham da ikke til Jorden med det samme? Så havde jeg givet dig ti Sekel Sølv og et Bælte!"
And Joab said to the man who reported it to him, And, behold, thou didst see him: why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten [pieces] of silver, and a girdle.
12 Men Manden svarede Joab: "Om jeg så havde fået tilvejet tusind Sekel, havde jeg ikke lagt Hånd på Kongens Søn; thi vi hørte jo selv, hvorledes Kongen bød dig, Abisjaj og Ittaj: Vogt vel på den unge Absalon!
And the man said to Joab, Were I even to receive a thousand shekels of silver, I would not lift my hand against the king's son; for in our ears the king charged thee and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Take care of the young man Abessalom for me,
13 Dersom jeg havde handlet svigefuldt imod ham -intet bliver jo skjult for Kongen - vilde du have ladet mig i Stikken!"
so as to do no harm to his life: and nothing of the matter will be concealed from the king, and thou wilt set thyself against me.
14 Da sagde Joab: "Så gør jeg det for dig!" Dermed greb han tre Spyd og stødte dem i Brystet på Absalon, som endnu levede og hang mellem Terebintens Grene.
And Joab said, I will begin this; I will not thus remain with thee. And Joab took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Abessalom, while he was yet alive in the heart of the oak.
15 Derpå trådte ti unge Mænd, der var Joabs Våbendragere, til og gav Absalon Dødsstødet.
And ten young men that bore Joab's armour compassed Abessalom, and smote him and slew him.
16 Joab lod nu støde i Hornet, og Hæren opgav at forfølge Israel, thi Joab bød Folkene standse.
And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab spared the people.
17 Derpå tog de og kastede Absalon i en stor Grube i Skoven og ophobede en mægtig Stendynge over ham. Og hele Israel flygtede hver til sit.
And he took Abessalom, and cast him into a great cavern in the wood, into a deep pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones: and all Israel fled every man to his tent.
18 Men medens Absalon endnu levede, havde han taget og rejst sig den Stenstøtte, som står i Kongedalen; thi han sagde: "Jeg har ingen Søn til at bevare Mindet om mit Navn." Han havde opkaldt Stenstøtten efter sig selv, og endnu den Dag i Dag kaldes den "Absalons Minde".
Now Abessalom while yet alive had taken and set up for himself the pillar near which he was taken, and set it up so as to have the pillar in the king's dale; for he said he had no son to keep his name in remembrance: and he called the pillar, Abessalom's hand, until this day.
19 Da sagde Ahima'az, Zadoks Søn: "Lad mig løbe hen og bringe Kongen den gode Tidende, at HERREN har skaffet ham Ret over for hans Fjender!"
And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said, Let me run now and carry glad tidings to the king, for the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.
20 Men Joab svarede ham: "Du skal ikke være den, der bringer Bud i Dag; en anden Gang kan du bringe Bud, men i bag skal du ikke gøre det, da Kongens Søn er død!"
And Joab said to him, Thou [shalt] not [be] a messenger of glad tidings this day; thou shalt bear them another day; but on this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.
21 Og Joab sagde til Etiopieren: "Gå du hen og meld Kongen, hvad du har set!" Da kastede Etiopieren sig til Jorden for Joab og ilede af Sted.
And Joab said to Chusi, Go, report to the king all that thou hast seen. And Chusi did obeisance to Joab, and went out.
22 Men Ahima'az, Zadoks Søn, sagde atter til Joab: "Ske, hvad der vil! Lad også mig løbe bag efter Etiopieren!" Da sagde Joab: "Hvorfor vil du det, min Søn? For dig er der ingen Budløn at hente!"
And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said again to Joab, Nay, let me also run after Chusi. And Joab said, Why wouldest thou thus run, my son? attend, thou hast no tidings for profit if thou go.
23 Men han blev ved: "Ske, hvad der vil! Jeg løber!" Så sagde han: "Løb da!" Og Ahima'az løb ad Vejen gennem Jordanegnen og nåede frem før Etiopieren.
And he said, Why should I not run? and Joab said to him, Run. And Achimaas ran along the way of Kechar, and outran Chusi.
24 David sad just mellem de to Porte, og Vægteren steg op på Porttaget ved Muren; da han så ud, se, da kom en Mand løbende alene.
And David was sitting between the two gates: and the watchman went up on the top of the gate of the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone before him.
25 Vægteren råbte og meldte det til Kongen, og Kongen sagde: "Er han alene, har han Bud at bringe!" Men medens Manden fortsatte sit Løb og kom nærmere,
And the watchman cried out, and reported to the king. And the king said, If he be alone, [there are] good tidings in his mouth. And the man came and drew near.
26 så Vægteren en anden Mand komme løbende og råbte ned i Porten: "Der kommer een Mand til løbende alene!" Kongen sagde: "Også han har Bud at bringe!"
And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman cried at the gate, and said, And look, another man running alone. And the king said, He also brings glad tidings.
27 Da råbte Vægteren: "Den forreste løber således, at det ser ud til at være Ahima'az, Zadoks Søn!" Kongen sagde: "Det er en god Mand, han kommer med godt Bud!"
And the watchman said, I see the running of the first as the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said, He [is] a good man, and will come to [report] glad tidings.
28 Imidlertid var Ahima'az kommet nærmere og råbte til Kongen: "Hil dig!" Så kastede han sig ned på Jorden for Kongen og sagde: "Lovet være HERREN din Gud, som gav dem, der løftede Hånd mod min Herre Kongen, i din Hånd!"
And Achimaas cried out and said to the king, Peace. And he did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground, and said, Blessed [be] the Lord thy God, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hands against my lord the king.
29 Kongen spurgte: "Er den unge Absalon uskadt?" Ahima'az svarede: "Jeg så, at der var stor Tummel, da Kongens Træl Joab sendte din Træl af Sted, men jeg ved ikke, hvad det var."
And the king said, [Is] the young man Abessalom safe? and Achimaas said, I saw a great multitude [at the time] of Joab's sending the king's servant and thy servant, and I knew not what was there.
30 Kongen sagde da: "Træd til Side og stil dig der!" Og han trådte til Side og blev stående.
And the king said, Turn aside, stand still here. And he turned aside, and stood.
31 I det samme kom Etiopieren; og Etiopieren sagde: "Der er Bud til min Herre Kongen: HERREN har i Dag skaffet dig Ret over for alle dine Modstandere!"
And, behold, Chusi came up, and said to the king, Let my lord the king hear glad tidings, for the Lord has avenged thee this day upon all them that rose up against thee.
32 Kongen spurgte Etiopieren: "Er den unge Absalon uskadt?" Og han svarede: "Det gå min Herre Kongens Fjender og alle dine Modstandere som den unge Mand!"
And the king said to Chusi, Is it well with the young man Abessalom? and Chusi said, Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all whosoever have risen up against him for evil, be as that young man.
33 Da blev Kongen dybt rystet, og han gik op i Stuen på Taget over Porten og græd; og han gik frem og tilbage og klagede: Min Søn Absalon, min Søn, min Søn Absalon! Var jeg blot død i dit Sted! Absalon, min Søn, min Søn!"
And the king was troubled, and went to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and thus he said as he went, My son Abessalom, my son, my son Abessalom; would God I had died for thee, [even] I [had died] for thee, Abessalom, my son, my son!

< 2 Samuel 18 >