< 2 Samuel 18 >

1 And David marshalled the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
Derpå 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 så til Folkene: "Jeg vil selv drage med i Kampen!"
3 But the people said, Thou shalt not go forth, for if we should in any case flee, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us; for thou art worth ten thousand of us; and now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.
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."
4 And the king said to them, I will do what is good in your sight. And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
Kongen svarede: "Jeg gør, hvad I finder bedst!" Derpå 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 Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.
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.
6 And the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
Derpå rykkede Krigerne i Marken mod Israel, og Slaget kom til at stå i Efraims Skov.
7 And the people of Israel were routed before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day: twenty thousand men.
Der blev Israels Hær slået af Davids Folk, og der fandt et stort Mandefald Sted den Dag; der faldt 200000 Mand.
8 And the battle was there scattered 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 found himself in the presence of David's servants. And Absalom was riding upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of the great terebinth, and his head caught in the terebinth, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
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.
10 And a man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth.
En Mand, der så det meldte det til Joab og sagde: "Jeg så Absalon hænge i en Terebinte."
11 And Joab said to the man that told him, And behold, thou sawest [him], and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten silver pieces and a girdle.
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!"
12 And the man said to Joab, Though I should receive a thousand silver pieces in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Take care, whoever it be [of you], of the young man Absalom.
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!
13 Or I should have acted falsely against mine own life, for there is no matter concealed from the king, and thou wouldest 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 said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three spears in his hand, and thrust them into Absalom's body, while he was yet alive in the midst of the terebinth.
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.
15 And ten young men that bore Joab's armour surrounded and smote Absalom, and killed him.
Derpå trådte ti unge Mænd, der var Joabs Våbendragere, til og gav Absalon Dødsstødet.
16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab kept 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 a great pit in the wood, and raised a very great heap of stones upon him. And all Israel fled every one to his tent.
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.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a monument, which is in the king's dale; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance; and he called the monument after his own name; and it is called unto this day, Absalom's memorial.
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".
19 And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, Let me run, I pray, and carry the king the news 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 shalt not be a bearer of news to-day, but thou shalt carry the news another day; but to-day thou shalt carry 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 bag skal du ikke gøre det, da Kongens Søn er død!"
21 Then said Joab to the Cushite, Go, tell the king what thou hast seen. And the Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran.
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.
22 And Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, Come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why wilt thou run, my son, seeing that there is no news suited [to thee]?
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!"
23 — But, come what may, let me run. And he said to him, Run. And Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outstripped the Cushite.
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.
24 And David sat between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate, on 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 på Porttaget ved Muren; da han så ud, se, da kom en Mand løbende alene.
25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is news in his mouth. And he came on and drew near.
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,
26 And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the porter and said, Behold a man running alone. And the king said, He also is a bearer of news.
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!"
27 And the watchman said, I see the running of the foremost like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man; and comes with good news.
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!"
28 And Ahimaaz called and said to the king, Peace! And he fell down to the earth on his face before the king, and said, Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
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!"
29 And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw a great tumult when Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant; but I knew not what it was.
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."
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 trådte til Side og blev stående.
31 And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, Let my lord the king receive good tidings, for Jehovah has avenged thee this day of all them that 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 said, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee for evil, be as that young man.
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!"
33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the upper chamber of the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said thus: O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died in thy stead, O Absalom, my son, my son!
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!"

< 2 Samuel 18 >