2 Samuel 18
1 David counted the soldiers who were with him and appointed captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
Igitur considerato David populo suo constituit super eos tribunos et centuriones,
2 Then David sent out the army, one-third under the command of Joab, another third under the command of Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and still another third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the army, “I will certainly go out with you myself, too.”
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 men said, “You must not go to battle, for if we flee away they will not care about us, or if half of us die they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us! Therefore it is better that you be ready to help us from 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 So the king answered them, “I will do whatever seems best to you.” The king stood by the city gate while all the army went 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 The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man, with Absalom.” All the people heard that the king had given the captains this command about 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 army went out into the countryside against Israel; the battle spread into the forest of Ephraim.
Itaque egressus est populus in campum contra Israel, et factum est prælium in saltu Ephraim.
7 The army of Israel was defeated there before the soldiers of David; there was a great slaughter there 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 The battle spread throughout the whole countryside, and more men were consumed by the forest than by the sword.
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 Absalom happened to meet some of David's soldiers. Absalom was riding his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak tree, and his head was caught up in the tree branches. He was left dangling between the ground and the sky while the mule he was riding kept going.
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 Someone saw this and told Joab, “Look, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
Vidit autem hoc quispiam, et nunciavit Ioab, dicens: Vidi Absalom pendere de quercu.
11 Joab said to the man who told him about Absalom, “Look! You saw him! Why did you not strike him down to the ground? I would have given you ten silver shekels and a belt.”
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 The man replied to Joab, “Even if I received a thousand silver shekels, still I would not have reached out my hand against the king's son, because we all heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, 'No one must 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 If I had risked my life by a falsehood (and there is nothing hidden from the king), you would have abandoned me.”
Sed et si fecissem contra animam meam audacter, nequaquam hoc regem latere potuisset, et tu stares ex adverso?
14 Then Joab said, “I will not wait for you.” So Joab took three javelins in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was still alive and hanging from 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 Then ten young men who carried Joab's armor surrounded Absalom, attacked him, and killed him.
cucurrerunt decem iuvenes armigeri Ioab, et percutientes interfecerunt eum.
16 Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the army returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held back the army.
Cecinit autem Ioab buccina, et retinuit populum, ne persequeretur fugientem Israel, volens parcere multitudini.
17 They took Absalom and threw him into a large pit in the forest; they buried his body under a very large pile of stones, while all Israel fled, every man to his own home.
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, while still alive, had built for himself a large stone pillar in the King's Valley, for he said, “I have no son to carry along the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after his own name, so it is called Absalom's Monument to this very day.
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 Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me now run to the king with the good news, how Yahweh has rescued him from the hand of his enemies.”
Achimaas autem filius Sadoc, ait: Curram, et nunciabo regi, quia iudicium fecerit ei Dominus de manu inimicorum eius.
20 Joab answered him, “You will not be the bearer of news today; you must do it another day. Today you will bear no news 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 Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down to Joab, and ran.
Et ait Ioab Chusi: Vade, et nuncia regi quæ vidisti. Adoravit Chusi Ioab, et cucurrit.
22 Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said again to Joab, “Regardless of what may happen, please let me also run and follow the Cushite.” Joab replied, “Why do you want to run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the news?”
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 “Whatever happens,” said Ahimaaz, “I will run.” So Joab answered him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.
Qui respondit: Quid enim si cucurrero? Et ait ei: Curre. Currens ergo Achimaas per viam compendii, transivit Chusi.
24 Now David was sitting between the inner and outer gates. The watchman had gone up to the roof of the gate to the wall and raised his eyes. As he looked, he saw a man approaching, running alone.
David autem sedebat inter duas portas: speculator vero, qui erat in fastigio portæ super murum, elevans oculos, vidit hominem currentem solum.
25 The watchman shouted out and told the king. Then the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” The runner came closer and neared the city.
Et exclamans indicavit regi: dixitque rex: Si solus est, bonus est nuncius in ore eius. Properante autem illo, et accedente propius,
26 Then the watchman noticed another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper; he said, “Look, there is another man running alone.” The king said, “He is also bringing news.”
vidit speculator hominem alterum currentem, et vociferans in culmine, ait: Apparet mihi alter homo currens solus. Dixitque rex: Et iste bonus est nuncius.
27 So the watchman said, “I think the running of the man in front is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man and is coming with good news.”
Speculator autem: Contemplor, ait, cursum prioris, quasi cursum Achimaas filii Sadoc. Et ait rex: Vir bonus est: et nuncium portans bonum, venit.
28 Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “All is well.” He bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Blessed be Yahweh your God! He has delivered the men who lifted up their hand against my master 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 So the king replied, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent me, the king's servant, to you, king, I saw a great disturbance, but I did not know 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 Then the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So Ahimaaz turned aside, and stood still.
Ad quem rex: Transi, ait, et sta hic. Cumque ille transisset, et staret,
31 Immediately then the Cushite arrived and said, “There is good news for my master the king, for Yahweh has avenged you today from all who 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 Then the king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “The enemies of my master the king, and all who rise up against you to do harm to you, should 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 Then the king was deeply unnerved, and he went up to the room over the gate and wept. As he went he grieved, “My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died instead of you, 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?
