2 Samuel 14
1 Joab realized that the king yearned [IDM] to see Absalom.
洗魯雅的兒子約押，知道王心裏想念押沙龍，
2 So Joab sent someone to Tekoa [town] to bring back a woman who was very clever. [When she arrived, ] Joab said to her, “Pretend that you are grieving because someone has died. Put on clothes that show that you are mourning. Do not put any lotion/ointment on your body. Act as if you are a woman who has been mourning for a long time.
就打發人往提哥亞去，從那裏叫了一個聰明的婦人來，對她說：「請你假裝居喪的，穿上孝衣，不要用膏抹身，要裝作為死者許久悲哀的婦人；
3 And go to the king, and tell him what I tell you to say.” Then Joab told her what to say [MTY] [to the king].
進去見王，對王如此如此說。」於是約押將當說的話教導了婦人。
4 So the woman from Tekoa went to the king. She prostrated herself in front of him and then bowed down to him, and said, “Your Majesty, help me!”
提哥亞婦人到王面前，伏地叩拜，說：「王啊，求你拯救！」
5 The king replied, “What is your problem?” She replied, “Please, sir, I am a widow. My husband died [some time ago].
王問她說：「你有甚麼事呢？」回答說：「婢女實在是寡婦，我丈夫死了。
6 I had two sons. But one day they quarreled with each other out in the fields. There was no one to separate them, and one of them struck the other one and killed him.
我有兩個兒子，一日在田間爭鬥，沒有人解勸，這個就打死那個。
7 Now, all my family oppose me. They are insisting that I allow them to kill my son who is still alive [MTY], in order that they may get revenge for his killing his brother. But if they do that, I will not have any son to inherit [my husband’s possessions]. That would be like [MET] extinguishing the last coals of a fire, and my husband would not have a son to preserve our family’s name. [DOU]”
現在全家的人都起來攻擊婢女，說：『你將那打死兄弟的交出來，我們好治死他，償他打死兄弟的命，滅絕那承受家業的。』這樣，他們要將我剩下的炭火滅盡，不與我丈夫留名留後在世上。」
8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go back home; I will take care of this matter for you.”
王對婦人說：「你回家去吧！我必為你下令。」
9 The woman from Tekoa replied to the king, “Your Majesty, if you are criticized [for helping me], my family and I will accept the blame. You and the royal family will (be innocent/not have done what is wrong).”
提哥亞婦人又對王說：「我主我王，願這罪歸我和我父家，與王和王的位無干。」
10 The king said to her, “If anyone says anything [to threaten you/cause you trouble] you, bring that person to me, and [I will make sure that] he will never cause you trouble again.”
王說：「凡難為你的，你就帶他到我這裏來，他必不再攪擾你。」
11 Then the woman said, “Your Majesty, please pray that Yahweh your God will not allow my relative, who [wants to get] revenge on my son for killing [MTY] his brother, to be able to do that.” David replied, “As surely as Yahweh lives, your son will not be harmed at all. [IDM]”
婦人說：「願王記念耶和華－你的上帝，不許報血仇的人施行滅絕，恐怕他們滅絕我的兒子。」王說：「我指着永生的耶和華起誓：你的兒子連一根頭髮也不致落在地上。」
12 Then the woman said, “Your Majesty, please allow me to say one more thing to you.” He replied, “Speak!”
婦人說：「求我主我王容婢女再說一句話。」王說：「你說吧！」
13 The woman said, “Why have you done this bad thing to God’s people? You have not allowed your son Absalom to return home. By saying what you have just said, you have certainly declared [RHQ] that what you have done is wrong.
婦人說：「王為何也起意要害上帝的民呢？王不使那逃亡的人回來，王的這話就是自證己錯了！
14 We all die; we are like [SIM] water that cannot be picked up after it is spilled on the ground. But God does not just cause us to die; he creates ways to bring us back when we become separated from him.
我們都是必死的，如同水潑在地上，不能收回。上帝並不奪取人的性命，乃設法使逃亡的人不致成為趕出、回不來的。
15 “Now, Your Majesty, I have come to you because others have threatened me. So I said to myself, ‘I will go and talk to the king, and perhaps he will do what I request him to do.
我來將這話告訴我主我王，是因百姓使我懼怕。婢女想，不如將這話告訴王，或者王成就婢女所求的。
16 Perhaps he will listen to me, and save me from the man who is trying to kill my son. If my son is killed, it would result in us disappearing from the land that God gave to us.’
人要將我和我兒子從上帝的地業上一同除滅，王必應允救我脫離他的手。
17 “And I thought, ‘What the king says will comfort/encourage me, because the king is like [SIM] an angel of God. He knows what is good and what is evil.’ I pray/desire that Yahweh our God will (be with/direct) you.”
婢女又想，我主我王的話必安慰我；因為我主我王能辨別是非，如同上帝的使者一樣。惟願耶和華－你的上帝與你同在！」
18 Then the king said to the woman, “I will now ask you a question. Answer it, and tell me the truth. [LIT]” The woman replied, “Your majesty, ask your question.”
王對婦人說：「我要問你一句話，你一點不要瞞我。」婦人說：「願我主我王說。」
19 The king said, “Was Joab the one who told you to do this?” She replied, “Yes, Your Majesty, as surely as you live, I cannot avoid telling you what is true. Yes, indeed, it was Joab who told me to come here, and who told me what to say.
王說：「你這些話莫非是約押的主意嗎？」婦人說：「我敢在我主我王面前起誓：王的話正對，不偏左右，是王的僕人約押吩咐我的，這些話是他教導我的。
20 He did it in order to cause you to think differently about this matter. Your Majesty, you are as wise as God’s angels, and [it seems that] you know everything [that happens] on the earth, [so you know why Joab sent me here].”
王的僕人約押如此行，為要挽回這事。我主的智慧卻如上帝使者的智慧，能知世上一切事。」
21 Then the king [summoned] Joab [and] said to him, “Listen! I have decided to do [what you want]. So go and get that young man Absalom and bring him back [to Jerusalem].”
王對約押說：「我應允你這事。你可以去，把那少年人押沙龍帶回來。」
22 Joab prostrated himself on the ground, and then he bowed down before the king, and [asked God to] bless him. Then Joab said, “Your Majesty, today I know that you are pleased with me, because you have agreed to do what I requested.”
約押就面伏於地叩拜，祝謝於王，又說：「王既應允僕人所求的，僕人今日知道在我主我王眼前蒙恩了。」
23 Then Joab got up and went to Geshur, and got Absalom and brought him back to Jerusalem.
於是約押起身往基述去，將押沙龍帶回耶路撒冷。
24 But the king said/commanded that Absalom would not be permitted to live in the palace. He said, “I do not want him to come to see me.” So Absalom lived in his own house, and did not go to [talk to] the king.
王說：「使他回自己家裏去，不要見我的面。」押沙龍就回自己家裏去，沒有見王的面。
25 Absalom was very handsome. He looked perfect, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. In all of Israel there was no one whom people admired more than Absalom.
以色列全地之中，無人像押沙龍那樣俊美，得人的稱讚，從腳底到頭頂毫無瑕疵。
26 His hair was very thick, and he cut it only once each year, when it became too heavy for him. Using the standard weights, he would weigh the hair [that he cut off], and it always weighed about five pounds.
他的頭髮甚重，每到年底剪髮一次；所剪下來的，按王的平稱一稱，重二百舍客勒。
27 Absalom had three sons and one daughter named Tamar. She was a very beautiful woman.
押沙龍生了三個兒子，一個女兒。女兒名叫她瑪，是個容貌俊美的女子。
28 [After] Absalom [returned to] Jerusalem, he lived there two years, and during that time he never [was allowed to] see the king.
押沙龍住在耶路撒冷足有二年，沒有見王的面。
29 So he sent [a messenger] to Joab to ask him to come [and talk to him], but Joab refused to come. So Absalom sent [a message to him] a second time, but he still would not come.
押沙龍打發人去叫約押來，要託他去見王，約押卻不肯來。第二次打發人去叫他，他仍不肯來。
30 Then Absalom said to his servants, “You know that Joab’s field is next to mine, and that he has barley [growing] there. Go and light a fire there [to burn his barley].” So Absalom’s servants [went there and] lit a fire, [and all his barley burned].
所以押沙龍對僕人說：「你們看，約押有一塊田，與我的田相近，其中有大麥，你們去放火燒了。」押沙龍的僕人就去放火燒了那田。
31 Joab [knew who had done it, so he] went to Absalom’s house and said to him, “Why have your servants burned [the barley in] my field?”
於是約押起來，到了押沙龍家裏，問他說：「你的僕人為何放火燒了我的田呢？」
32 Absalom replied, “Because [you did not come to me when] I sent messages to you [requesting that you come]. I wanted to request that you go to the king to say to him, ‘Absalom (wants to know what good it did/says that is was useless) [RHQ] for him [RHQ] to leave Geshur and come here. [He thinks that] it would have been better for him to have stayed there. [He wants you to] allow him to talk to you. And if you think that he has done something that is wrong, you can [command that] he be executed.’”
押沙龍回答約押說：「我打發人去請你來，好託你去見王，替我說：『我為何從基述回來呢？不如仍在那裏。』現在要許我見王的面；我若有罪，任憑王殺我就是了。」
33 So Joab went to the king, and told him [what Absalom had said]. Then the king [summoned Absalom], and he came to the king and knelt down in front of him with his face touching the ground. Then the king kissed Absalom [to show that he was pleased to see him].
於是約押去見王，將這話奏告王，王便叫押沙龍來。押沙龍來見王，在王面前俯伏於地，王就與押沙龍親嘴。
