2 Samuel 18
1 And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds over them.
Igitur considerato David populo suo constituit super eos tribunos et centuriones,
2 And David sent forth a third part of the people 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.
et dedit populi tertiam partem sub manu Ioab, et tertiam partem sub manu Abisai filii Sarviæ fratris Ioab, et tertiam partem sub manu Ethai, qui erat de Geth. Dixitque rex ad populum: Egrediar et ego vobiscum.
3 But the people answered, You 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 now you are worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that you succor us out of the city.
Et respondit populus: Non exibis: sive enim fugerimus, non magnopere ad eos de nobis pertinebit: sive media pars ceciderit e nobis, non satis curabunt: quia tu unus pro decem millibus computaris: melius est igitur ut sis nobis in urbe præsidio.
4 And the king said to them, What seems you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
Ad quos rex ait: Quod vobis videtur rectum, hoc faciam. Stetit ergo rex iuxta portam: egrediebaturque populus per turmas suas centeni, et milleni.
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.
Et præcepit rex Ioab, et Abisai, et Ethai, dicens: Servate mihi puerum Absalom. Et omnis populus audiebat præcipientem regem cunctis principibus pro Absalom.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
Itaque egressus est populus in campum contra Israel, et factum est prælium in saltu Ephraim.
7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.
Et cæsus est ibi populus Israel ab exercitu David, factaque est plaga magna in die illa, viginti millium.
8 For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Fuit autem ibi prælium dispersum super faciem omnis terræ, et multo plures erant, quos saltus consumpserat de populo, quam hi, quos voraverat gladius in die illa.
9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode on a 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 the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.
Accidit autem ut occurreret Absalom servis David, sedens mulo: cumque ingressus fuisset mulus subter condensam quercum et magnam, adhæsit caput eius quercui: et illo suspenso inter cælum et terram, mulus, cui insederat, pertransivit.
10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.
Vidit autem hoc quispiam, et nunciavit Ioab, dicens: Vidi Absalom pendere de quercu.
11 And Joab said to the man that told him, And, behold, you saw him, and why did you not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given you ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.
Et ait Ioab viro, qui nunciaverat ei: Si vidisti, quare non confodisti eum cum terra, et ego dedissem tibi decem argenti siclos, et unum balteum?
12 And the man said to Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king’s son: for in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
Qui dixit ad Ioab: Si appenderes in manibus meis mille argenteos, nequaquam mitterem manum meam in filium regis: audientibus enim nobis præcepit rex tibi, et Abisai, et Ethai, dicens: Custodite mihi puerum Absalom.
13 Otherwise I should have worked falsehood against my own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and you yourself would have set yourself against me.
Sed et si fecissem contra animam meam audacter, nequaquam hoc regem latere potuisset, et tu stares ex adverso?
14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with you. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the middle of the oak.
Et ait Ioab: Non sicut tu vis, sed aggrediar eum coram te. Tulit ergo tres lanceas in manu sua, et infixit eas in corde Absalom: cumque adhuc palpitaret hærens in quercu,
15 And ten young men that bore Joab’s armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.
cucurrerunt decem iuvenes armigeri Ioab, et percutientes interfecerunt eum.
16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.
Cecinit autem Ioab buccina, et retinuit populum, ne persequeretur fugientem Israel, volens parcere multitudini.
17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones on him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.
Et tulerunt Absalom, et proiecerunt eum in saltu, in foveam grandem, et comportaverunt super eum acervum lapidum magnum nimis: omnis autem Israel fugit in tabernacula sua.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale: 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 to this day, Absalom’s place.
Porro Absalom erexerat sibi, cum adhuc viveret, titulum qui est in Valle regis: dixerat enim: Non habeo filium, et hoc erit monimentum nominis mei. Vocavitque titulum nomine suo, et appellatur Manus Absalom, usque ad hanc diem.
19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.
Achimaas autem filius Sadoc, ait: Curram, et nunciabo regi, quia iudicium fecerit ei Dominus de manu inimicorum eius.
20 And Joab said to him, You shall not bear tidings this day, but you shall bear tidings another day: but this day you shall bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead.
Ad quem Ioab dixit: Non eris nuncius in hac die, sed nunciabis in alia: hodie nolo te nunciare, filius enim regis est mortuus.
21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what you have seen. And Cushi bowed himself to Joab, and ran.
Et ait Ioab Chusi: Vade, et nuncia regi quæ vidisti. Adoravit Chusi Ioab, et cucurrit.
22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray you, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Why will you run, my son, seeing that you have no tidings ready?
Rursus autem Achimaas filius Sadoc dixit ad Ioab: Quid impedit si etiam ego curram post Chusi? Dixitque ei Ioab: Quid vis currere fili mi? Non eris boni nuncii baiulus.
23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said to him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
Qui respondit: Quid enim si cucurrero? Et ait ei: Curre. Currens ergo Achimaas per viam compendii, transivit Chusi.
24 And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.
David autem sedebat inter duas portas: speculator vero, qui erat in fastigio portæ super murum, elevans oculos, vidit hominem currentem solum.
25 And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.
Et exclamans indicavit regi: dixitque rex: Si solus est, bonus est nuncius in ore eius. Properante autem illo, et accedente propius,
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 tidings.
vidit speculator hominem alterum currentem, et vociferans in culmine, ait: Apparet mihi alter homo currens solus. Dixitque rex: Et iste bonus est nuncius.
27 And the watchman said, Me thinks 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 tidings.
Speculator autem: Contemplor, ait, cursum prioris, quasi cursum Achimaas filii Sadoc. Et ait rex: Vir bonus est: et nuncium portans bonum, venit.
28 And Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth on his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD your God, which has delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.
Clamans autem Achimaas, dixit ad regem: Salve rex. Et adorans regem coram eo pronus in terram, ait: Benedictus Dominus Deus tuus, qui conclusit homines qui levaverunt manus suas contra dominum meum regem.
29 And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king’s servant, and me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.
Et ait rex: Est ne pax puero Absalom? Dixitque Achimaas: Vidi tumultum magnum, cum mitteret Ioab servus tuus, o rex, me servum tuum: nescio aliud.
30 And the king said to him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still.
Ad quem rex: Transi, ait, et sta hic. Cumque ille transisset, et staret,
31 And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD has avenged you this day of all them that rose up against you.
apparuit Chusi: et veniens ait: Bonum apporto nuncium, domine mi rex: iudicavit enim pro te Dominus hodie de manu omnium qui surrexerunt contra te.
32 And the king said to Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against you to do you hurt, be as that young man is.
Dixit autem rex ad Chusi: Est ne pax puero Absalom? Cui respondens Chusi, Fiant, inquit, sicut puer, inimici domini mei regis, et universi qui consurgunt adversus eum in malum.
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 God I had died for you, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Contristatus itaque rex, ascendit cœnaculum portæ, et flevit. Et sic loquebatur, vadens: Fili mi Absalom, Absalom fili mi: quis mihi tribuat ut ego moriar pro te, Absalom fili mi, fili mi Absalom?
