Βασιλειῶν Βʹ 14
1 καὶ ἔγνω Ιωαβ υἱὸς Σαρουιας ὅτι ἡ καρδία τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ Αβεσσαλωμ
Joab realized that the king yearned [IDM] to see 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 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.
3 καὶ ἐλεύσῃ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ λαλήσεις πρὸς αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο καὶ ἔθηκεν Ιωαβ τοὺς λόγους ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῆς
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].
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
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!”
5 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ βασιλεύς τί ἐστίν σοι ἡ δὲ εἶπεν καὶ μάλα γυνὴ χήρα ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀνήρ μου
The king replied, “What is your problem?” She replied, “Please, sir, I am a widow. My husband died [some time ago].
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
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.
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, 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]”
8 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς ὑγιαίνουσα βάδιζε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου κἀγὼ ἐντελοῦμαι περὶ σοῦ
Then the king said to the woman, “Go back home; I will take care of this matter 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
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).”
10 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς τίς ὁ λαλῶν πρὸς σέ καὶ ἄξεις αὐτὸν πρὸς ἐμέ καὶ οὐ προσθήσει ἔτι ἅψασθαι αὐτοῦ
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.”
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
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]”
12 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή λαλησάτω δὴ ἡ δούλη σου πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα ῥῆμα καὶ εἶπεν λάλησον
Then the woman said, “Your Majesty, please allow me to say one more thing to you.” He replied, “Speak!”
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
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.
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
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.
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
“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.
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 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.’
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
“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.”
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
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.”
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
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.
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 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].”
21 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Ιωαβ ἰδοὺ δὴ ἐποίησά σοι κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου τοῦτον πορεύου ἐπίστρεψον τὸ παιδάριον τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ
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].”
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 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.”
23 καὶ ἀνέστη Ιωαβ καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Γεδσουρ καὶ ἤγαγεν τὸν Αβεσσαλωμ εἰς Ιερουσαλημ
Then Joab got up and went to Geshur, and got Absalom and brought him 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 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.
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 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.
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
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.
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
Absalom had three sons and one daughter named Tamar. She was a very beautiful woman.
28 καὶ ἐκάθισεν Αβεσσαλωμ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ δύο ἔτη ἡμερῶν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδεν
[After] Absalom [returned to] Jerusalem, he lived there two years, and during that time he never [was allowed 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
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.
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
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].
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 [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?”
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
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.’”
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 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].
