Kings II 14

1 And Joab the son of Saruia knew that the heart of the king was toward Abessalom.

١ وَعَلِمَ يُوآبُ بْنُ صُرُوِيَّةَ أَنَّ قَلْبَ الْمَلِكِ مُتَشَوِّقٌ لأَبْشَالُومَ،

2 And Joab sent to Thecoe, and took thence a cunning woman, and said to her, Mourn, I pray you, and put on mourning apparel, and anoint you not with oil, and you shall be as a woman mourning for one that is dead thus for many days.

٢ فَاسْتَدْعَى يُوآبُ مِنْ تَقُوعَ امْرَأَةً حَكِيمَةً وَقَالَ لَهَا: «تَظَاهَرِي بِالْحُزْنِ، وَارْتَدِي ثِيَابَ الْحِدَادِ، وَلا تَتَطَيَّبِي، وَتَصَرَّفِي كَامْرَأَةٍ قَضَتْ أَيَّاماً طَوِيلَةً غَارِقَةً فِي أَحْزَانِهَا عَلَى فَقِيدٍ.

3 And you shall go to the king, and speak to him according to this word. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

٣ وَادْخُلِي لِمُقَابَلَةِ الْمَلِكِ، وَكَلِّمِيهِ بِمَا أُسِرُّهُ إِلَيْكِ». وَلَقَّنَهَا يُوآبُ مَا تَقُولُ.

4 So the woman of Thecoe went in to the king and fell upon her face to the earth, and did him obeisance, and said, Help, O king, help.

٤ وَمثَلَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ التَّقُوعِيَّةُ أَمَامَ الْمَلِكِ، وَخَرَّتْ عَلَى وَجْهِهَا إِلَى الأَرْضِ وَسَجَدَتْ قَائِلَةً: «أَغِثْنِي أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ»

5 And the king said to her, What is the matter with you? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.

٥ فَسَأَلَهَا الْمَلِكُ: «مَا شَأْنُكِ؟» فَأَجَابَتْ: «أَنَا أَرْمَلَةٌ، مَاتَ رَجُلِي

6 And moreover your handmaid had two sons, and they fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them; and the one struck the other his brother, and killed him.

٦ مُخَلِّفاً لِي ابْنَيْنِ. فَتَخَاصَمَا فِي الْحَقْلِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَكُونَ هُنَاكَ مَنْ يُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَهُمَا. فَضَرَبَ أَحَدُهُمَا الآخَرَ وَقَتَلَهُ.

7 And behold the whole family rose up against your handmaid, and they said, Give up the one that struck his brother, and we will put him to death for the life of his brother, whom he killed, and we will take away even your heir: so they will quench my coal that is left, so as not to leave my husband remnant or name on the face of the earth.

٧ وَهَا هِيَ الْعَشِيرَةُ قَاطِبَةً قَدْ قَامَتْ تُطَالِبُنِي بِتَسْلِيمِ الْقَاتِل لِمُعَاقَبَتِهِ جَزَاءً لَهُ عَلَى قَتْلِ أَخِيهِ وَبِذَلِكَ يَقْضُونَ عَلَى الْوَارِثِ. وَهَكَذَا يُطْفِئُونَ أَمَلِي الَّذِي بَقِيَ لِي، وَيَمْحُونَ اسْمَ زَوْجِي وَذِكْرِهُ مِنْ عَلَى وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ».

8 And the king said to the woman, Go in peace to your house, and I will give commandment concerning you.

٨ فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ لِلْمَرْأَةِ: «امْضِي إِلَى بَيْتِكِ وَأَنَا أُصْدِرُ قَرَاراً فِي أَمْرِكِ».

9 And the woman of Thecoe said to the king, On me, my lord, O king, and on my father's house [be] the iniquity, and the king and his throne [be] guiltless.

٩ فَأَجَابَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ: «لِيَقَعِ اللَّوْمُ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى بَيْتِ أَبِي، أَمَّا الْمَلِكُ وَعَرْشُهُ فَهُمَا بَرِيئَانِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَائِبَةٍ».

10 And the king said, Who was it that spoke to you? you shall even bring him to me, and [one] shall not touch him any more.

١٠ فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ: «إِذَا اعْتَرَضَ عَلَيْكِ أَحَدٌ فَأَحْضِرِيهِ إِلَيَّ فَلا يَعُودَ يُسِيءُ إِلَيْكِ».

11 And she said, Let now the king remember concerning his Lord God in that the avenger of blood is multiplied to destroy, and let them not take away my son. And he said, [As] the lord lives, not a hair of your son shall fall to the ground.

١١ فَقَالَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ: «احْلِفْ لِي باسْمِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ أَنْ تَمْنَعَ طَالِبَ الدَّمِ مِنْ إِرَاقَةِ مَزِيدٍ مِنَ الدِّمَاءِ لِئَلّا يُهْلِكَ ابْنِي». فَأَجَابَهَا: «حَيٌّ هُوَ الرَّبُّ إِنَّهُ لَنْ تَسْقُطَ شَعْرَةٌ مِنْ رَأْسِ ابْنِكِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ».

12 And the woman said, Let now your servant speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

١٢ فَقَالَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ: «دَعْ جَارِيَتَكَ تَقُولُ كَلِمَةً لِسَيِّدِي الْمَلِكِ» فَقَالَ: «تَكَلَّمِي».

13 And the woman said, Why have you devised this thing against the people of God? or [is] this word out of the king's mouth as a transgression, so that the king should not bring back his banished?

١٣ قَالَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ: «إذَنْ، لِمَاذَا ارْتَكَبْتَ هَذَا الأَمْرَ فِي حَقِّ شَعْبِ اللهِ؟ أَلا يَدِينُ المَلِكُ نَفْسَهُ عِنْدَمَا يُصْدِرُ مِثْلَ هَذَا الْحُكْمِ لأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَرُدَّ ابْنَهُ مِنْ مَنْفَاهُ؟

14 For we shall surely die, and be as water poured upon the earth, which shall not be gathered up, and God shall take the life, even as he devises to thrust forth from him his outcast.

١٤ لأَنَّنَا لابُدَّ أَنْ نَمُوتَ وَنَكُونَ مِثْلَ الْمِيَاهِ الْمُتَسَرِّبَةِ فِي شُقُوقِ الأَرْضِ الَّتِي يَتَعَذَّرُ جَمْعُهَا. وَلَكِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَسْتأْصِلُ نَفْساً بَلْ يُفَكِّرُ بِشَتَّى الطُّرُقِ حَتَّى لَا يَقْطَعَ عَنْهُ مَنْفِيَّهُ.

15 And now whereas I came to speak this word to my lord the king, [the reason is] that the people will see me, and your handmaid will say, Let one now speak to my lord the king, if perhaps the king will perform the request of his handmaid;

١٥ وَهَا أَنَا الآنَ قَدْ جِئْتُ لأُخَاطِبَ سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكَ بِهَذَا الأَمْرِ لأَنَّ الشَّعْبَ أَخَافَنِي. فَقُلْتُ: سَأُخَاطِبُ الْمَلِكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَتَقَبَّلُ طَلَبَ جَارِيَتِهِ.

16 for the king will hear. Let him rescue his handmaid out of the hand of the man that seeks to cast out me and my son from the inheritance of God.

١٦ لأَنَّ الْمَلِكَ قَدْ يُوَافِقُ عَلَى إِنْقَاذِ جَارِيَتِهِ مِنْ يَدِ الرَّجُلِ الَّذِي يُحَاوِلُ أَنْ يَقْضِيَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى ابْنِي وَيَسْتَوْلِيَ عَلَى الْمِيرَاثِ الَّذِي وَهَبَنَا إِيَّاهُ اللهُ.

17 And the woman said, If now the word of my lord the king be gracious, —[well]: for as an angel of God, so [is] my lord the king, to hear good and evil: and the Lord your God shall be with you.

١٧ وَقَالَتْ جَارِيَتُكَ: لِتَحْمِلْ كَلِمَةُ سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكِ عَزَاءً لِنَفْسِي، لأَنَّ سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكَ هُوَ كَمَلاكِ اللهِ فِي التَّمْيِيزِ بَيْنَ الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ، وَالرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ يَكُونُ مَعَكَ».

18 And the king answered, and said to the woman, Hide not from me, I pray you, the matter which I ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king by all means speak.

١٨ فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ لِلْمَرْأَةِ: «لَدَيَّ مَا أَسْأَلُكِ عَنْهُ فَلا تَكْتُمِي الْجَوَابَ عَنِّي». فَأَجَابَتْ: «لِيَتَكَلَّمْ سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكُ».

19 And the king said, [Is] not the hand of Joab in all this matter with you? and the woman said to the king, [As] your soul lives, my lord, O king, there is no turning to the right hand or to the left from all that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab himself charged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid.

١٩ فَسَأَلَهَا: «هَلْ لِيُوآبَ يَدٌ فِي كُلِّ هَذَا الأَمْرِ؟» فَأَجَابَتْ: «لِتَحْيَ نَفْسُكَ يَا سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكَ! إِنَّ أَحَداً لَا يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يُرَاوِغَ فِي أَمْرِ سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكِ. نَعَمْ إِنَّ عَبْدَكَ يُوآبَ هُوَ أَوْصَانِي وَلَقَّنَنِي كُلَّ مَا نَطَقْتُ بِهِ.

20 In order that this form of speech might come about [it was] that your servant Joab has framed this matter: and my lord is wise as [is] the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

٢٠ وَقَدْ قَامَ يُوآبُ بِهَذَا الأَمْرِ لإِحْدَاثِ تَغْيِيرٍ فِي الْوَضْعِ الرَّاهِنِ. إِنَّ سَيِّدِي يَتَمَتَّعُ بِحِكْمَةٍ مُمَاثِلَةٍ لِحِكْمَةِ مَلاكِ اللهِ، وَعَالِمٌ بِمَا يَحْدُثُ فِي الْبِلادِ».

21 And the king said to Joab, Behold now, I have done to you according to this your word: go, bring back the young man Abessalom.

٢١ فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ لِيُوآبَ: «لَقَدِ اسْتَقَرَّ رَأْيِي عَلَى تَنْفِيذِ هَذَا الأَمْرِ. فَاذْهَبِ الآنَ وَأَحْضِرِ الْفَتَى أَبْشَالُومَ».

22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground, and did obeisance, and blessed the king: and Joab said, To-day your servant knows that I have found grace in your sight, my lord, O king, for my lord the king has performed the request of his servant.

٢٢ فَانْحَنَى يُوآبُ بِوَجْهِهِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ وَسَجَدَ وَبَارَكَ الْمَلِكَ قَائِلاً: «الْيَوْمَ عَلِمَ عَبْدُكَ أَنِّي قَدْ حَظِيتُ بِرِضَاكَ يَا سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكَ، إِذِ اسْتَجَابَ الْمَلِكُ لِطَلَبِ عَبْدِهِ».

23 And Joab arose, and went to Gedsur, and brought Abessalom to Jerusalem.

٢٣ ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ يُوآبُ إِلَى جَشُورَ وَأَحْضَرَ أَبْشَالُومَ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ.

24 And the king said, Let him return to his house, and not see my face. And Abessalom returned to his house, and saw not the king's face.

٢٤ فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ: «لِيَنْصَرِفْ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ ولا يَرَ وَجْهِي». فَمَضَى أَبْشَالُومُ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ وَلَمْ يَمْثُلْ فِي حَضْرَةِ الْمَلِكِ.

25 And there was not a man in Israel so very comely as Abessalom: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

٢٥ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِي كُلِّ إِسْرَائِيلَ رَجُلٌ وَسِيمُ الْمُحَيَّا، يَحْظَى بِالإِعْجَابِ كَأَبْشَالُومَ الَّذِي خَلا مِنْ كُلِّ عَيْبٍ مِنْ قِمَّةِ الرَّأْسِ إِلَى أَخْمَصِ الْقَدَمِ.

26 And when he polled his head, (and it was at the beginning of every year that he polled it, because it grew, heavy upon him, ) even when he polled it, he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels according to the royal shekel.

٢٦ وَكَانَ يَقُصُّ شَعْرَ رَأْسِهِ مَرَّةً فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ لأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَثْقُلُ عَلَيْهِ، إِذْ كَانَ يَزِنُ مِئَتَيْ شَاقِلٍ (نَحْوَ كِيلُو جِرَامَيْنِ وَنِصْفٍ).

27 And there were born to Abessalom three sons and one daughter, and her name was Themar: she was a very beautiful woman, and she becomes the wife of Roboam son of Solomon, and she bears to him Abia.

٢٧ وَأَنْجَبَ أَبْشَالُومُ ثَلاثَةَ بَنِينَ وَبِنْتاً وَاحِدَةً اسْمُهَا ثَامَارُ، كَانَتْ تَتَمَتَّعُ بِقِسْطٍ وَافِرٍ مِنَ الْجَمَالِ.

28 And Abessalom remained in Jerusalem two full years, and he saw not the king's face.

٢٨ وَمَكَثَ أَبْشَالُومُ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ سَنَتَيْنِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَحْظَى بِالْمُثُولِ فِي حَضْرَةِ الْمَلِكِ

29 And Abessalom sent to Joab to bring him in to the king, and he would not come to him: and he sent to him the second time, and he would not come.

٢٩ فَاسْتَدْعَى يُوآبَ لِيَتَشَفَّعَ لَهُ عِنْدَ أَبِيهِ، فَلَمْ يَشَأْ يُوآبُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ إِلَيْهِ. ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ ثَانِيَةً، فَأَبَى أَنْ يَأْتِيَ أَيْضاً.

30 And Abessalom said to his servants, Behold, Joab's portion in the field [is] next to mine, and he has in it barley; go and set it on fire. And the servants of Abessalom set the field on fire: and the servants of Joab come to him with their clothes tore, and they said to him, The servants of Abessalom have set the field on fire.

٣٠ عِنْدَئِذٍ قَالَ أَبْشَالُومُ لِرِجَالِهِ: «لِيُوآبَ حَقْلُ شَعِيرٍ مُجاوِرٍ لِحَقْلِي، فَاذْهَبُوا وَأَحْرِقُوهُ». فَقَامَ رِجَالُ أَبْشَالُومَ بِإِحْرَاقِ الْحَقْلِ بِالنَّارِ.

31 And Joab arose, and came to Abessalom into the house, and said to him, Why have your servants set my field on fire?

٣١ فَأَقْبَلَ يُوآبُ إِلَى أَبْشَالُومَ فِي بَيْتِهِ قَائِلاً: «لِمَاذَا أَحْرَقَ رِجَالُكَ حَقْلِي بِالنَّارِ؟»

32 And Abessalom said to Joab, Behold, I sent to you, saying, Come hither, and I will send you to the king, saying, Why did I come out of Gedsur? it would have been better for me to have remained there: and now, behold, I have not seen the face of the king; but if there is iniquity in me, then put me to death.

٣٢ فَأَجَابَ أَبْشَالُومُ: «أَرْسَلْتُ طَالِباً إِلَيْكَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَ إِلَى هُنَا لأُوْفِدَكَ إِلَى الْمَلِكِ لِتَسْأَلَهُ لِمَاذَا اسْتَدْعَانِي مِنْ جَشُورَ خَيْرٌ لِي لَوْ بَقِيتُ هُنَاكَ. إِنِّي أَوَدُّ أَنْ أَمْثُلَ فِي حَضْرَةِ الْمَلِكِ، فَإِنْ كُنْتُ مُذْنِباً فَلْيَقْتُلْنِي».

33 And Joab went in to the king, and brought him word: and he called Abessalom, and he went in to the king, and did him obeisance, and fell upon his face to the ground, even in the presence of the king; and the king kissed Abessalom.

٣٣ فَمَضَى يُوآبُ إِلَى الْمَلِكِ وَأَبْلَغَهُ كَلامَ أَبْشَالُومَ. فَاسْتَدْعَى الْمَلِكُ أَبْشَالُومَ، فَجَاءَ هَذَا إِلَيْهِ وَسَجَدَ أَمَامَهُ، فَقَبَّلَ الْمَلِكُ أَبْشَالُومَ.