2 Samuel 19

1 Then it was reported to Joab, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.”

Nuntiatum est autem Joab quod rex fleret et lugeret filium suum,

2 And that day’s victory was turned into mourning for all the people, because on that day they were told, “The king is grieving over his son.”

et versa est victoria in luctum in die illa omni populo: audivit enim populus in die illa dici: Dolet rex super filio suo.

3 So they returned to the city quietly that day, as people steal away in humiliation after fleeing a battle.

Et declinavit populus in die illa ingredi civitatem, quomodo declinare solet populus versus et fugiens de prælio.

4 But the king covered his face and cried out at the top of his voice, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Porro rex operuit caput suum, et clamabat voce magna: Fili mi Absalom, Absalom fili mi, fili mi.

5 Then Joab went into the house and said to the king, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives, and of your concubines.

Ingressus ergo Joab ad regem in domum, dixit: Confudisti hodie vultus omnium servorum tuorum, qui salvam fecerunt animam tuam, et animam filiorum tuorum et filiarum tuarum, et animam uxorum tuarum, et animam concubinarum tuarum.

6 You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! For you have made it clear today that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. I know today that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would have pleased you!

Diligis odientes te, et odio habes diligentes te: et ostendisti hodie quia non curas de ducibus tuis et de servis tuis: et vere cognovi modo, quia si Absalom viveret, et omnes nos occubuissemus, tunc placeret tibi.

7 Now therefore get up! Go out and speak comfort to your servants, for I swear by the LORD that if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. This will be worse for you than all the adversity that has befallen you from your youth until now!”

Nunc igitur surge, et procede, et alloquens satisfac servis tuis: juro enim tibi per Dominum quod si non exieris, ne unus quidem remansurus sit tecum nocte hac: et pejus erit hoc tibi quam omnia mala quæ venerunt super te ab adolescentia tua usque in præsens.

8 So the king got up and sat in the gate, and all the people were told: “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” So they all came before the king. Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled, each man to his home.

Surrexit ergo rex et sedit in porta: et omni populo nuntiatum est quod rex sederet in porta. Venitque universa multitudo coram rege: Israël autem fugit in tabernacula sua.

9 And all the people throughout the tribes of Israel were arguing, “The king rescued us from the hand of our enemies and delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled the land because of Absalom.

Omnis quoque populus certabat in cunctis tribubus Israël, dicens: Rex liberavit nos de manu inimicorum nostrorum; ipse salvavit nos de manu Philisthinorum: et nunc fugit de terra propter Absalom.

10 But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?”

Absalom autem, quem unximus super nos, mortuus est in bello: usquequo siletis, et non reducitis regem?

11 Then King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace, since the talk of all Israel has reached the king at his quarters?

Rex vero David misit ad Sadoc et Abiathar sacerdotes, dicens: Loquimini ad majores natu Juda, dicentes: Cur venitis novissimi ad reducendum regem in domum suam? (Sermo autem omnis Israël pervenerat ad regem in domo ejus.)

12 You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king?’

Fratres mei vos, os meum, et caro mea vos, quare novissimi reducitis regem?

13 And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”

Et Amasæ dicite: Nonne os meum, et caro mea es? hæc faciat mihi Deus, et hæc addat, si non magister militiæ fueris coram me omni tempore pro Joab.

14 So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man, and they sent word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants.”

Et inclinavit cor omnium virorum Juda quasi viri unius: miseruntque ad regem, dicentes: Revertere tu, et omnes servi tui.

15 So the king returned, and when he arrived at the Jordan, the men of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and escort him across the Jordan.

Et reversus est rex, et venit usque ad Jordanem: et omnis Juda venit usque in Galgalam ut occurreret regi, et traduceret eum Jordanem.

16 Then Shimei son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David,

Festinavit autem Semei filius Gera filii Jemini de Bahurim, et descendit cum viris Juda in occursum regis David,

17 along with a thousand men of Benjamin, as well as Ziba the steward of the house of Saul and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan before the king

cum mille viris de Benjamin, et Siba puer de domo Saul: et quindecim filii ejus, ac viginti servi erant cum eo: et irrumpentes Jordanem, ante regem

18 and crossed at the ford to carry over the king’s household and to do what was good in his sight. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king

transierunt vada, ut traducerent domum regis, et facerent juxta jussionem ejus: Semei autem filius Gera prostratus coram rege, cum jam transisset Jordanem,

19 and said, “My lord, do not hold me guilty, and do not remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king not take it to heart.

dixit ad eum: Ne reputes mihi, domine mi, iniquitatem, neque memineris injuriarum servi tui in die qua egressus es, domine mi rex, de Jerusalem, neque ponas, rex, in corde tuo.

20 For your servant knows that I have sinned, so here I am today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”

Agnosco enim servus tuus peccatum meum: et idcirco hodie primus veni de omni domo Joseph, descendique in occursum domini mei regis.

21 But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?”

Respondens vero Abisai filius Sarviæ, dixit: Numquid pro his verbis non occidetur Semei, quia maledixit christo Domini?

22 And David replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, what have I to do with you, that you should be my adversaries today? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? Am I not indeed aware that today I am king over Israel?”

Et ait David: Quid mihi et vobis, filii Sarviæ? cur efficimini mihi hodie in satan? ergone hodie interficietur vir in Israël? an ignoro hodie me factum regem super Israël?

23 So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore an oath to him.

Et ait rex Semei: Non morieris. Juravitque ei.

24 Then Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he returned safely.

Miphiboseth quoque filius Saul descendit in occursum regis, illotis pedibus et intonsa barba: vestesque suas non laverat a die qua egressus fuerat rex, usque ad diem reversionis ejus in pace.

25 And he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, who asked him, “Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?”

Cumque Jerusalem occurrisset regi, dixit ei rex: Quare non venisti mecum, Miphiboseth?

26 “My lord the king,” he replied, “because I am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ But my servant Ziba deceived me,

Et respondens ait: Domine mi rex, servus meus contempsit me: dixique ei ego famulus tuus ut sterneret mihi asinum, et ascendens abirem cum rege: claudus enim sum servus tuus.

27 and he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. Yet my lord the king is like the angel of God, so do what is good in your eyes.

Insuper et accusavit me servum tuum ad te dominum meum regem: tu autem, domine mi rex, sicut angelus Dei es: fac quod placitum est tibi.

28 For all the house of my grandfather deserves death from my lord the king, yet you have set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right, then, do I have to keep appealing to the king?”

Neque enim fuit domus patris mei, nisi morti obnoxia domino meo regi: tu autem posuisti me servum tuum inter convivas mensæ tuæ: quid ergo habeo justæ querelæ? aut quid possum ultra vociferari ad regem?

29 The king replied, “Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land.”

Ait ergo ei rex: Quid ultra loqueris? fixum est quod locutus sum: tu et Siba dividite possessiones.

30 And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has safely come to his own house, let Ziba take it all!”

Responditque Miphiboseth regi: Etiam cuncta accipiat, postquam reversus est dominus meus rex pacifice in domum suam.

31 Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and send him on his way from there.

Berzellai quoque Galaadites, descendens de Rogelim, traduxit regem Jordanem, paratus etiam ultra fluvium prosequi eum.

32 Barzillai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim.

Erat autem Berzellai Galaadites senex valde, id est, octogenarius, et ipse præbuit alimenta regi cum moraretur in castris: fuit quippe vir dives nimis.

33 The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will provide for you at my side in Jerusalem.”

Dixit itaque rex ad Berzellai: Veni mecum, ut requiescas securus mecum in Jerusalem.

34 But Barzillai replied, “How many years of my life remain, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?

Et ait Berzellai ad regem: Quot sunt dies annorum vitæ meæ, ut ascendam cum rege in Jerusalem?

35 I am now eighty years old. Can I discern what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of singing men and women? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?

Octogenarius sum hodie: numquid vigent sensus mei ad discernendum suave aut amarum? aut delectare potest servum tuum cibus et potus? vel audire possum ultra vocem cantorum atque cantatricum? quare servus tuus sit oneri domino meo regi?

36 Your servant could go with the king only a short distance past the Jordan; why should the king repay me with such a reward?

Paululum procedam famulus tuus ab Jordane tecum: non indigeo hac vicissitudine,

37 Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.”

sed obsecro ut revertar servus tuus, et moriar in civitate mea, et sepeliar juxta sepulchrum patris mei et matris meæ. Est autem servus tuus Chamaam: ipse vadat tecum, domine mi rex, et fac ei quidquid tibi bonum videtur.

38 The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good in your sight, and I will do for you whatever you desire of me.”

Dixit itaque ei rex: Mecum transeat Chamaam, et ego faciam ei quidquid tibi placuerit: et omne quod petieris a me, impetrabis.

39 So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai returned home.

Cumque transisset universus populus et rex Jordanem, osculatus est rex Berzellai, et benedixit ei: et ille reversus est in locum suum.

40 Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham crossed over with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel escorted the king.

Transivit ergo rex in Galgalam, et Chamaam cum eo. Omnis autem populus Juda traduxerat regem, et media tantum pars adfuerat de populo Israël.

41 Soon all the men of Israel came to the king and asked, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and bring the king and his household across the Jordan, together with all of David’s men?”

Itaque omnes viri Israël concurrentes ad regem dixerunt ei: Quare te furati sunt fratres nostri viri Juda, et traduxerunt regem et domum ejus Jordanem, omnesque viros David cum eo?

42 And all the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is our relative. Why does this anger you? Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense or received anything for ourselves?”

Et respondit omnis vir Juda ad viros Israël: Quia mihi propior est rex: cur irasceris super hac re? numquid comedimus aliquid ex rege, aut munera nobis data sunt?

43 “We have ten shares in the king,” answered the men of Israel, “so we have more claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the men of Judah pressed even harder than the men of Israel.

Et respondit vir Israël ad viros Juda, et ait: Decem partibus major ego sum apud regem, magisque ad me pertinet David quam ad te: cur fecisti mihi injuriam, et non mihi nuntiatum est priori, ut reducerem regem meum? Durius autem responderunt viri Juda viris Israël.