2 Samuel 18
1 And David numbered the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
Derpaa holdt David Mønstring over sit Mandskab og satte Tusindførere og Hundredførere over dem;
2 And David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
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 saa til Folkene: »Jeg vil selv drage med i Kampen!«
3 But the people said, Thou shall not go forth. For if we flee away, they will not care for us, neither if half of us die, will they care for us, but thou are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore now it is better that thou be ready to help us out of the city.
Men de svarede: »Du maa 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 saa meget som ti Tusinde af os; derfor er det bedst, at du holder dig rede til at ile os til Hjælp fra Byen.«
4 And the king said to them, What seems best to you I will do. And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
Kongen svarede: »Jeg gør, hvad I finder bedst!« Derpaa stillede Kongen sig ved Porten, medens hele Mandskabet drog ud, hundredvis og tusindvis.
5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
Men Kongen gav Joab, Abisjaj og Ittaj den Befaling: »Far nu lempeligt med den unge Absalom!« Og hele Mandskabet hørte, hvorledes Kongen gav alle Øversterne Befaling om Absalom.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
Derpaa rykkede Krigerne i Marken mod Israel, og Slaget kom til at staa i Efraims Skov.
7 And the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
Der blev Israels Hær slaaet af Davids Folk, og der fandt et stort Mandefald Sted den Dag; der faldt 200 000 Mand.
8 For the battle was there spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Kampen bredte sig over hele Egnen, og Skoven fortærede den Dag flere Folk end Sværdet.
9 And Absalom chanced to meet the servants of David. And Absalom was riding upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak. And he was taken up between sky and earth, and the mule that was under him went on.
Absalom selv stødte paa nogle af Davids Folk; Absalom red paa sit Muldyr, og da Muldyret kom ind under en stor Terebintes tætte Grene, blev hans Hoved hængende i Terebinten, saa han hang mellem Himmel og Jord, medens Muldyret, han sad paa, løb bort.
10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.
En Mand, der saa det meldte det til Joab og sagde: »Jeg saa Absalom hænge i en Terebinte.«
11 And Joab said to the man who told him, and, behold, thou saw it, and why did thou not smite him there to the ground? And I would have given thee ten pieces of silver, and a belt.
Da sagde Joab til Manden, der havde meldt ham det: »Naar du saa det, hvorfor slog du ham da ikke til Jorden med det samme? Saa havde jeg givet dig ti Sekel Sølv og et Bælte!«
12 And the man said to Joab, Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, yet I would not put forth my hand against the king's son, for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
Men Manden svarede Joab: »Om jeg saa havde faaet tilvejet tusind Sekel, havde jeg ikke lagt Haand paa Kongens Søn; thi vi hørte jo selv, hvorledes Kongen bød dig, Abisjaj og Ittaj: Vogt vel paa den unge Absalom!
13 Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hid from the king), then thou thyself would have set thyself against me.
Dersom jeg havde handlet svigefuldt imod ham — intet bliver jo skjult for Kongen — vilde du have ladet mig i Stikken!«
14 Then Joab said, I will not delay thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.
Da sagde Joab: »Saa gør jeg det for dig!« Dermed greb han tre Spyd og stødte dem i Brystet paa Absalom, som endnu levede og hang mellem Terebintens Grene.
15 And ten young men who bore Joab's armor encompassed about and smote Absalom, and killed him.
Derpaa traadte ti unge Mænd, der var Joabs Vaabendragere, til og gav Absalom Dødsstødet.
16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab held back the people.
Joab lod nu støde i Hornet, og Hæren opgav at forfølge Israel, thi Joab bød Folkene standse.
17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled every man to his tent.
Derpaa tog de og kastede Absalom i en stor Grube i Skoven og ophobede en mægtig Stendynge over ham. Og hele Israel flygtede hver til sit.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar which is in the king's valley, for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance. And he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's monument to this day.
Men medens Absalom endnu levede, havde han taget og rejst sig den Stenstøtte, som staar 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 »Absaloms Minde«.
19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, Let me now run, and bear the king news, how that Jehovah has avenged him of his enemies.
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!«
20 And Joab said to him, Thou shall not be the bearer of news this day, but thou shall bear news another day. But this day thou shall bear no news, because the king's son is dead.
Men Joab svarede ham: »Du skal ikke være den, der bringer Bud i Dag; en anden Gang kan du bringe Bud, men i Dag skal du ikke gøre det, da Kongens Søn er død!«
21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, Go, tell the king what thou have seen. And the Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran.
Og Joab sagde til Etiopieren: »Gaa du hen og meld Kongen, hvad du har set!« Da kastede Etiopieren sig til Jorden for Joab og ilede af Sted.
22 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why will thou run, my son, seeing that thou will have no reward for the news?
Men Ahima'az, Zadoks Søn, sagde atter til Joab: »Ske, hvad der vil! Lad ogsaa mig løbe bag efter Etiopieren!« Da sagde Joab: »Hvorfor vil du det, min Søn? For dig er der ingen Budløn at hente!«
23 But come what may, he said, I will run. And he said to him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite.
Men han blev ved: »Ske, hvad der vil! Jeg løber!« Saa sagde han: »Løb da!« Og Ahima'az løb ad Vejen gennem Jordanegnen og naaede frem før Etiopieren.
24 Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man running alone.
David sad just mellem de to Porte, og Vægteren steg op paa Porttaget ved Muren; da han saa ud, se, da kom en Mand løbende alene.
25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he is alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
Vægteren raabte 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,
26 And the watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the porter, and said, Behold, another man running alone. And the king said, He also brings news.
saa Vægteren en anden Mand komme løbende og raabte ned i Porten: »Der kommer een Mand til løbende alene!« Kongen sagde: »Ogsaa han har Bud at bringe!«
27 And the watchman said, I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and comes with good news.
Da raabte Vægteren: »Den forreste løber saaledes, at det ser ud til at være Ahima'az, Zadoks Søn!« Kongen sagde: »Det er en god Mand, han kommer med godt Bud!«
28 And Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, All is well. And he bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
Imidlertid var Ahima'az kommet nærmere og raabte til Kongen: »Hil dig!« Saa kastede han sig ned paa Jorden for Kongen og sagde: »Lovet være HERREN din Gud, som gav dem, der løftede Haand mod min Herre Kongen, i din Haand!«
29 And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, even me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.
Kongen spurgte: »Er den unge Absalom uskadt?« Ahima'az svarede: »Jeg saa, at der var stor Tummel, da Kongens Træl Joab sendte din Træl af Sted, men jeg ved ikke, hvad det var.«
30 And the king said, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
Kongen sagde da: »Træd til Side og stil dig der!« Og han traadte til Side og blev staaende.
31 And, behold, the Cushite came. And the Cushite said, News for my lord the king, for Jehovah has avenged thee this day of all those who rose up against thee.
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!«
32 And the king said to the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And the Cushite answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
Kongen spurgte Etiopieren: »Er den unge Absalom uskadt?« Og han svarede: »Det gaa min Herre Kongens Fjender og alle dine Modstandere som den unge Mand!«
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Da blev Kongen dybt rystet, og han gik op i Stuen paa Taget over Porten og græd; og han gik frem og tilbage og klagede: »Min Søn Absalom, min Søn, min Søn Absalom! Var jeg blot død i dit Sted! Absalom, min Søn, min Søn!«
