Βασιλειῶν Βʹ 14
1 καὶ ἔγνω Ιωαβ υἱὸς Σαρουιας ὅτι ἡ καρδία τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ Αβεσσαλωμ
Joab, son of Zeruiah, knew that the king kept on thinking about Absalom.
2 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ιωαβ εἰς Θεκωε καὶ ἔλαβεν ἐκεῖθεν γυναῖκα σοφὴν καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτήν πένθησον δὴ καὶ ἔνδυσαι ἱμάτια πενθικὰ καὶ μὴ ἀλείψῃ ἔλαιον καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς γυνὴ πενθοῦσα ἐπὶ τεθνηκότι τοῦτο ἡμέρας πολλὰς
So Joab sent a messenger to Tekoa to bring back a wise woman who lived there. He told her, “Pretend to be a mourner. Put on clothes for mourning, and don't use any scented oils. Be like a woman who has been in mourning for the dead a long time.
3 καὶ ἐλεύσῃ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ λαλήσεις πρὸς αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο καὶ ἔθηκεν Ιωαβ τοὺς λόγους ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῆς
Then go to the king and tell him this.” Joab told her what to say.
4 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Θεκωῖτις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς εἰς τὴν γῆν καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπεν Σῶσον βασιλεῦ σῶσον
When the woman from Tekoa went to see the king, she bowed facedown to the ground in respect, and said, “Please help me, Your Majesty!”
5 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ βασιλεύς τί ἐστίν σοι ἡ δὲ εἶπεν καὶ μάλα γυνὴ χήρα ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀνήρ μου
“What's the matter?” the king asked her. “Sadly I'm a widow. My husband is dead,” she replied.
6 καί γε τῇ δούλῃ σου δύο υἱοί καὶ ἐμαχέσαντο ἀμφότεροι ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐξαιρούμενος ἀνὰ μέσον αὐτῶν καὶ ἔπαισεν ὁ εἷς τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐθανάτωσεν αὐτόν
“Your Majesty, I had two sons. They had a fight outside, and there was nobody there to stop them. One of them hit the other, and killed him.
7 καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐπανέστη ὅλη ἡ πατριὰ πρὸς τὴν δούλην σου καὶ εἶπαν δὸς τὸν παίσαντα τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ θανατώσομεν αὐτὸν ἀντὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ οὗ ἀπέκτεινεν καὶ ἐξαροῦμεν καί γε τὸν κληρονόμον ὑμῶν καὶ σβέσουσιν τὸν ἄνθρακά μου τὸν καταλειφθέντα ὥστε μὴ θέσθαι τῷ ἀνδρί μου κατάλειμμα καὶ ὄνομα ἐπὶ προσώπου τῆς γῆς
Now the whole family is against me. They're saying, ‘Hand over your son who killed his brother so we can put him to death for murdering his brother. That way he won't inherit anything either!’ By doing this they would snuff out the last ember of hope I have to carry on my husband's name and family in the world.”
8 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς ὑγιαίνουσα βάδιζε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου κἀγὼ ἐντελοῦμαι περὶ σοῦ
“Go on home,” the king told the woman, “and I myself will make sure your case is dealt with for you.”
9 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Θεκωῖτις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἐπ’ ἐμέ κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ ἡ ἀνομία καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ ἀθῷος
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” said the woman. “I and my family will take the blame, and may Your Majesty and your family be held to be innocent.”
10 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς τίς ὁ λαλῶν πρὸς σέ καὶ ἄξεις αὐτὸν πρὸς ἐμέ καὶ οὐ προσθήσει ἔτι ἅψασθαι αὐτοῦ
“If anyone complains to you about it, bring him here to me, and he won't bother you again!” the king told her.
11 καὶ εἶπεν μνημονευσάτω δὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν κύριον θεὸν αὐτοῦ πληθυνθῆναι ἀγχιστέα τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ διαφθεῖραι καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξάρωσιν τὸν υἱόν μου καὶ εἶπεν ζῇ κύριος εἰ πεσεῖται ἀπὸ τῆς τριχὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ σου ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν
“Please, Your Majesty,” the woman continued, “swear by the Lord your God that you will stop the person wanting to avenge the murder from making it worse by killing my son!” “As the Lord lives,” he promised, “not a single hair from your son's head will fall to the ground.”
12 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή λαλησάτω δὴ ἡ δούλη σου πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα ῥῆμα καὶ εἶπεν λάλησον
“Could I please ask for one other thing, Your Majesty?” the woman asked. “Go ahead,” he replied.
13 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή ἵνα τί ἐλογίσω τοιοῦτο ἐπὶ λαὸν θεοῦ ἦ ἐκ στόματος τοῦ βασιλέως ὁ λόγος οὗτος ὡς πλημμέλεια τοῦ μὴ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα τὸν ἐξωσμένον αὐτοῦ
“So why have you schemed in a similar way against the people of God?” the woman asked. “Since Your Majesty just decided my case by what you said, haven't you convicted yourself because you refuse to bring back the son you banished?
14 ὅτι θανάτῳ ἀποθανούμεθα καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ καταφερόμενον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὃ οὐ συναχθήσεται καὶ λήμψεται ὁ θεὸς ψυχήν καὶ λογιζόμενος τοῦ ἐξῶσαι ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐξωσμένον
Yes, we all have to die. We're like water spilled on the ground that can't be collected again. But that's not what God does. Instead he works out ways for anyone who is banished to come back home to him.
15 καὶ νῦν ὃ ἦλθον λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν κύριόν μου τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ὅτι ὄψεταί με ὁ λαός καὶ ἐρεῖ ἡ δούλη σου λαλησάτω δὴ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἴ πως ποιήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς δούλης αὐτοῦ
That's why I've come to explain this to Your Majesty, because someone has frightened me. So I thought to myself, I will go and speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant my request.
16 ὅτι ἀκούσει ὁ βασιλεὺς ῥύσασθαι τὴν δούλην αὐτοῦ ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τοῦ ζητοῦντος ἐξᾶραί με καὶ τὸν υἱόν μου ἀπὸ κληρονομίας θεοῦ
Perhaps the king will listen and save me from the man who would cut off both me and my son from God's chosen people.
17 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή εἴη δὴ ὁ λόγος τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς θυσίαν ὅτι καθὼς ἄγγελος θεοῦ οὕτως ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ἀκούειν τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸ πονηρόν καὶ κύριος ὁ θεός σου ἔσται μετὰ σοῦ
I thought: May what Your Majesty says bring me peace, for Your Majesty is able to tell the difference between good and evil, just like an angel of God. May the Lord your God be with you!”
18 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα μὴ δὴ κρύψῃς ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ῥῆμα ὃ ἐγὼ ἐπερωτῶ σε καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή λαλησάτω δὴ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς
“Please don't refuse to answer the question I'm about to ask,” the king said to the woman. “Please ask your question, Your Majesty,” she replied.
19 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς μὴ ἡ χεὶρ Ιωαβ ἐν παντὶ τούτῳ μετὰ σοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ τῷ βασιλεῖ ζῇ ἡ ψυχή σου κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ εἰ ἔστιν εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ ἢ εἰς τὰ ἀριστερὰ ἐκ πάντων ὧν ἐλάλησεν ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς ὅτι ὁ δοῦλός σου Ιωαβ αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατό μοι καὶ αὐτὸς ἔθετο ἐν τῷ στόματι τῆς δούλης σου πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους
“Is all this Joab's doing?” the king asked. The woman replied, “As you live, Your Majesty, no one can hide anything from you. Yes, it was Joab, your officer, who ordered me to do this—he told me exactly what to say.
20 ἕνεκεν τοῦ περιελθεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου ἐποίησεν ὁ δοῦλός σου Ιωαβ τὸν λόγον τοῦτον καὶ ὁ κύριός μου σοφὸς καθὼς σοφία ἀγγέλου τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ γνῶναι πάντα τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ
He did so to show the other side of the situation, but Your Majesty is as wise as an angel of God, and you know everything that happens in this country.”
21 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Ιωαβ ἰδοὺ δὴ ἐποίησά σοι κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου τοῦτον πορεύου ἐπίστρεψον τὸ παιδάριον τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ
The king said to Joab, “Fine, I'll do it. Go and bring young Absalom back.”
22 καὶ ἔπεσεν Ιωαβ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ προσεκύνησεν καὶ εὐλόγησεν τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπεν Ιωαβ σήμερον ἔγνω ὁ δοῦλός σου ὅτι εὗρον χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ ὅτι ἐποίησεν ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν λόγον τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ
Joab bowed down with his face to the ground in respect, and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “I, your servant, know that you approve of me, Your Majesty, because you have granted my request.”
23 καὶ ἀνέστη Ιωαβ καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Γεδσουρ καὶ ἤγαγεν τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ εἰς Ιερουσαλημ
Joab went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
24 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς ἀποστραφήτω εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν μου μὴ βλεπέτω καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν Αβεσσαλωμ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδεν
But the king gave this order, “He may return to his home, but he's not to come and see me.” So Absalom returned to his own home, but he didn't go and see the king.
25 καὶ ὡς Αβεσσαλωμ οὐκ ἦν ἀνὴρ ἐν παντὶ Ισραηλ αἰνετὸς σφόδρα ἀπὸ ἴχνους ποδὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕως κορυφῆς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ μῶμος
Absalom was admired as the most handsome man in the whole of Israel. He didn't have a single blemish from head to toe.
26 καὶ ἐν τῷ κείρεσθαι αὐτὸν τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐγένετο ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας ὡς ἂν ἐκείρετο ὅτι κατεβαρύνετο ἐπ’ αὐτόν καὶ κειρόμενος αὐτὴν ἔστησεν τὴν τρίχα τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ διακοσίους σίκλους ἐν τῷ σίκλῳ τῷ βασιλικῷ
He cut his hair every year because it got so heavy—it weighed two hundred royal shekels.
27 καὶ ἐτέχθησαν τῷ Αβεσσαλωμ τρεῖς υἱοὶ καὶ θυγάτηρ μία καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῇ Θημαρ αὕτη ἦν γυνὴ καλὴ σφόδρα καὶ γίνεται γυνὴ τῷ Ροβοαμ υἱῷ Σαλωμων καὶ τίκτει αὐτῷ τὸν Αβια
He had three sons, and a daughter named Tamar—a very beautiful woman.
28 καὶ ἐκάθισεν Αβεσσαλωμ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ δύο ἔτη ἡμερῶν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδεν
Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years but was not permitted to see the king.
29 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Αβεσσαλωμ πρὸς Ιωαβ τοῦ ἀποστεῖλαι αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἐκ δευτέρου πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν παραγενέσθαι
Absalom called Joab to arrange for him to see the king, for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come. Absalom called Joab again, but Joab still wouldn't come.
30 καὶ εἶπεν Αβεσσαλωμ πρὸς τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ ἴδετε ἡ μερὶς ἐν ἀγρῷ τοῦ Ιωαβ ἐχόμενά μου καὶ αὐτῷ κριθαὶ ἐκεῖ πορεύεσθε καὶ ἐμπρήσατε αὐτὴν ἐν πυρί καὶ ἐνέπρησαν αὐτὰς οἱ παῖδες Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ παραγίνονται οἱ δοῦλοι Ιωαβ πρὸς αὐτὸν διερρηχότες τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπαν ἐνεπύρισαν οἱ δοῦλοι Αβεσσαλωμ τὴν μερίδα ἐν πυρί
So Absalom told his servants, “Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley growing there. Go and set it on fire!” Absalom's servants went and set the field on fire.
31 καὶ ἀνέστη Ιωαβ καὶ ἦλθεν πρὸς Αβεσσαλωμ εἰς τὸν οἶκον καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν ἵνα τί οἱ παῖδές σου ἐνεπύρισαν τὴν μερίδα τὴν ἐμὴν ἐν πυρί
Joab went to Absalom's house and asked “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
32 καὶ εἶπεν Αβεσσαλωμ πρὸς Ιωαβ ἰδοὺ ἀπέστειλα πρὸς σὲ λέγων ἧκε ὧδε καὶ ἀποστελῶ σε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα λέγων ἵνα τί ἦλθον ἐκ Γεδσουρ ἀγαθόν μοι ἦν τοῦ ἔτι εἶναί με ἐκεῖ καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδον εἰ δέ ἐστιν ἐν ἐμοὶ ἀδικία καὶ θανάτωσόν με
“Look here,” said Absalom, “I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here. I want you to go to the king and ask: Why did I bother coming back from Geshur? It would have been better for me to stay there.’ So go and arrange for me to see the king, and if I'm guilty of anything, he can kill me.”
33 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ιωαβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ κατεφίλησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ
So Joab went and told the king what Absalom had said. Then David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed down with his face to the ground before him in respect. Then the king kissed Absalom.
