Βασιλειῶν Βʹ 15
1 καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐποίησεν ἑαυτῷ Αβεσσαλωμ ἅρματα καὶ ἵππους καὶ πεντήκοντα ἄνδρας παρατρέχειν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ
Some time later, Absalom acquired a chariot and horses [to pull it]. He [hired] 50 men to run in front of him [to honor him while he was riding around Jerusalem in the chariot].
2 καὶ ὤρθρισεν Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ ἔστη ἀνὰ χεῖρα τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς πύλης καὶ ἐγένετο πᾶς ἀνήρ ᾧ ἐγένετο κρίσις ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἰς κρίσιν καὶ ἐβόησεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτῷ ἐκ ποίας πόλεως σὺ εἶ καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἀνήρ ἐκ μιᾶς φυλῶν Ισραηλ ὁ δοῦλός σου
Furthermore, he always rose early [each morning] and stood by the city gate. Whenever someone came there with a dispute/quarrel that he wanted the king to decide, Absalom would call out to him, asking “What city are you from?” When the person told him what [city and] tribe he was from,
3 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Αβεσσαλωμ ἰδοὺ οἱ λόγοι σου ἀγαθοὶ καὶ εὔκολοι καὶ ἀκούων οὐκ ἔστιν σοι παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως
Absalom would say to him, “Listen, [I am sure that] what you are saying/claiming is right. But there is no one whom the king has appointed/authorized to listen to [people like] you.”
4 καὶ εἶπεν Αβεσσαλωμ τίς με καταστήσει κριτὴν ἐν τῇ γῇ καὶ ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἐλεύσεται πᾶς ἀνήρ ᾧ ἐὰν ᾖ ἀντιλογία καὶ κρίσις καὶ δικαιώσω αὐτόν
Absalom would then add, “I wish that I were a judge in this land. If I were a judge, anyone who had a dispute could come to me, and I would decide it fairly/justly.”
5 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν ἄνδρα τοῦ προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ καὶ ἐξέτεινεν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπελαμβάνετο αὐτοῦ καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν
And whenever anyone came near to Absalom to bow respectfully in front of him, Absalom would reach out and embrace him and kiss him.
6 καὶ ἐποίησεν Αβεσσαλωμ κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο παντὶ Ισραηλ τοῖς παραγινομένοις εἰς κρίσιν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἰδιοποιεῖτο Αβεσσαλωμ τὴν καρδίαν ἀνδρῶν Ισραηλ
Absalom did this to everyone in Israel who came to the king because of having a dispute with someone. In that way, Absalom persuaded all the Israeli people to be more pleased with him [IDM] [than they were pleased with David].
7 καὶ ἐγένετο ἀπὸ τέλους τεσσαράκοντα ἐτῶν καὶ εἶπεν Αβεσσαλωμ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ πορεύσομαι δὴ καὶ ἀποτείσω τὰς εὐχάς μου ἃς ηὐξάμην τῷ κυρίῳ ἐν Χεβρων
Four years later, Absalom [went to] the king and said, “Please allow me to go to Hebron [city], in order that I can do what I promised Yahweh that I would do.
8 ὅτι εὐχὴν ηὔξατο ὁ δοῦλός σου ἐν τῷ οἰκεῖν με ἐν Γεδσουρ ἐν Συρίᾳ λέγων ἐὰν ἐπιστρέφων ἐπιστρέψῃ με κύριος εἰς Ιερουσαλημ καὶ λατρεύσω τῷ κυρίῳ
When I was living in Geshur, in Syria, I promised Yahweh that if he brought me back to Jerusalem, I would worship him [in Hebron].”
9 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς βάδιζε εἰς εἰρήνην καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐπορεύθη εἰς Χεβρων
The king replied, “You may go.” So Absalom went to Hebron.
10 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Αβεσσαλωμ κατασκόπους ἐν πάσαις φυλαῖς Ισραηλ λέγων ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαι ὑμᾶς τὴν φωνὴν τῆς κερατίνης καὶ ἐρεῖτε βεβασίλευκεν βασιλεὺς Αβεσσαλωμ ἐν Χεβρων
But [while he was there, ] he secretly sent messengers to all the tribes in Israel, to tell them, “When you hear the sound of the trumpets [being blown], shout ‘Absalom has become the king at Hebron!’”
11 καὶ μετὰ Αβεσσαλωμ ἐπορεύθησαν διακόσιοι ἄνδρες ἐξ Ιερουσαλημ κλητοὶ καὶ πορευόμενοι τῇ ἁπλότητι αὐτῶν καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν πᾶν ῥῆμα
Absalom had taken with him to Hebron 200 men from Jerusalem, but they did not know [what Absalom was planning to do].
12 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὸν Αχιτοφελ τὸν Γελμωναῖον τὸν σύμβουλον Δαυιδ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως αὐτοῦ ἐκ Γωλα ἐν τῷ θυσιάζειν αὐτόν καὶ ἐγένετο σύστρεμμα ἰσχυρόν καὶ ὁ λαὸς πορευόμενος καὶ πολὺς μετὰ Αβεσσαλωμ
While Absalom was offering sacrifices [at Hebron], he sent a message to Ahithophel, from Giloh [town], requesting him to come. Ahithophel was one of the king’s advisors. So the number of people who joined Absalom and who were ready to rebel [against David] became larger.
13 καὶ παρεγένετο ὁ ἀπαγγέλλων πρὸς Δαυιδ λέγων ἐγενήθη ἡ καρδία ἀνδρῶν Ισραηλ ὀπίσω Αβεσσαλωμ
Soon a messenger came to David and said to him, “All [HYP] the Israeli people [SYN] are joining Absalom to rebel against you!”
14 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ πᾶσιν τοῖς παισὶν αὐτοῦ τοῖς μετ’ αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἐν Ιερουσαλημ ἀνάστητε καὶ φύγωμεν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν σωτηρία ἀπὸ προσώπου Αβεσσαλωμ ταχύνατε τοῦ πορευθῆναι ἵνα μὴ ταχύνῃ καὶ καταλάβῃ ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐξώσῃ ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς τὴν κακίαν καὶ πατάξῃ τὴν πόλιν στόματι μαχαίρης
So David said to all his officials, “We must leave immediately if we want to escape from Absalom! We must go quickly, before he [and his men] arrive. If we do not do that, they will kill us and everyone else in the city!”
15 καὶ εἶπον οἱ παῖδες τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα κατὰ πάντα ὅσα αἱρεῖται ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν ὁ βασιλεύς ἰδοὺ οἱ παῖδές σου
The king’s officials said, “Okay, your majesty, we are ready to do whatever you decide.”
16 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πᾶς ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀφῆκεν ὁ βασιλεὺς δέκα γυναῖκας τῶν παλλακῶν αὐτοῦ φυλάσσειν τὸν οἶκον
So the king left ten of his slave wives there to take care of the palace, but all the other people in his palace went with him.
17 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πάντες οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ πεζῇ καὶ ἔστησαν ἐν οἴκῳ τῷ μακράν
When they all were leaving [the city], they stopped at the last house.
18 καὶ πάντες οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ἀνὰ χεῖρα αὐτοῦ παρῆγον καὶ πᾶς ὁ Χεττι καὶ πᾶς ὁ Φελετθι καὶ ἔστησαν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐλαίας ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς παρεπορεύετο ἐχόμενος αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν καὶ πάντες οἱ ἁδροὶ καὶ πάντες οἱ μαχηταί ἑξακόσιοι ἄνδρες καὶ παρῆσαν ἐπὶ χεῖρα αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶς ὁ Χερεθθι καὶ πᾶς ὁ Φελεθθι καὶ πάντες οἱ Γεθθαῖοι ἑξακόσιοι ἄνδρες οἱ ἐλθόντες τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτῶν ἐκ Γεθ πορευόμενοι ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως
The king and his officials stood there while his bodyguards went by in front of him. 600 soldiers from Gath [city] also walked by in front of him.
19 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Εθθι τὸν Γεθθαῖον ἵνα τί πορεύῃ καὶ σὺ μεθ’ ἡμῶν ἐπίστρεφε καὶ οἴκει μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ὅτι ξένος εἶ σὺ καὶ ὅτι μετῴκηκας σὺ ἐκ τοῦ τόπου σου
Then David said to Ittai, [the leader of the soldiers] from Gath, “(Why are you going with us?/You should not be going with us.) [RHQ] Go back and stay with [Absalom] the [new] king. You are not an Israeli; you are living away from your own land.
20 εἰ ἐχθὲς παραγέγονας καὶ σήμερον κινήσω σε μεθ’ ἡμῶν καί γε μεταναστήσεις τὸν τόπον σου ἐχθὲς ἡ ἐξέλευσίς σου καὶ σήμερον μετακινήσω σε μεθ’ ἡμῶν τοῦ πορευθῆναι καὶ ἐγὼ πορεύσομαι οὗ ἂν ἐγὼ πορευθῶ ἐπιστρέφου καὶ ἐπίστρεψον τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου μετὰ σοῦ καὶ κύριος ποιήσει μετὰ σοῦ ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθειαν
You have lived here [in Israel] for only a short time [HYP]. And we do not even know where we will be going. So it is not right [RHQ] for me to force you to wander around with us. And take your troops with you. And I hope/wish that Yahweh will faithfully love and be loyal to you.”
21 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Εθθι τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ εἶπεν ζῇ κύριος καὶ ζῇ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς ὅτι εἰς τὸν τόπον οὗ ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ἐὰν εἰς θάνατον καὶ ἐὰν εἰς ζωήν ὅτι ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ δοῦλός σου
But Ittai replied, “Your Majesty, as surely as you live, wherever you go, I will go; I will stay with you, whether they kill me or allow me to live.”
22 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Εθθι δεῦρο καὶ διάβαινε μετ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ παρῆλθεν Εθθι ὁ Γεθθαῖος καὶ πάντες οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ὁ μετ’ αὐτοῦ
David replied to Ittai, “Okay, march with us!” So Ittai and all his troops and their families went [with David].
23 καὶ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ ἔκλαιεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς παρεπορεύοντο ἐν τῷ χειμάρρῳ Κεδρων καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς διέβη τὸν χειμάρρουν Κεδρων καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς παρεπορεύοντο ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ὁδοῦ τὴν ἔρημον
All the people [along the road] cried when they saw them walking by. The king and all the others crossed the Kidron Valley and then they all went [up the hill] toward the desert.
24 καὶ ἰδοὺ καί γε Σαδωκ καὶ πάντες οἱ Λευῖται μετ’ αὐτοῦ αἴροντες τὴν κιβωτὸν διαθήκης κυρίου ἀπὸ Βαιθαρ καὶ ἔστησαν τὴν κιβωτὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἀνέβη Αβιαθαρ ἕως ἐπαύσατο πᾶς ὁ λαὸς παρελθεῖν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως
Abiathar and Zadok, [the priests, ] were walking with them. The descendants of Levi [who helped the priests] also went with them, carrying the sacred chest that contained the Ten Commandments. But they set it on the ground until all the others had left the city.
25 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Σαδωκ ἀπόστρεψον τὴν κιβωτὸν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐὰν εὕρω χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς κυρίου καὶ ἐπιστρέψει με καὶ δείξει μοι αὐτὴν καὶ τὴν εὐπρέπειαν αὐτῆς
Then the king said to Zadok, “You and Abiathar take the sacred chest back into the city. If Yahweh is pleased with me, he will some day allow me to return to see it and the place where it is kept.
26 καὶ ἐὰν εἴπῃ οὕτως οὐκ ἠθέληκα ἐν σοί ἰδοὺ ἐγώ εἰμι ποιείτω μοι κατὰ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ
But if he says that he is not pleased with me, then I am willing for him to do to me whatever he thinks is good.”
27 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Σαδωκ τῷ ἱερεῖ ἴδετε σὺ ἐπιστρέφεις εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ Αχιμαας ὁ υἱός σου καὶ Ιωναθαν ὁ υἱὸς Αβιαθαρ οἱ δύο υἱοὶ ὑμῶν μεθ’ ὑμῶν
He also said to Zadok, “Listen [to what I suggest]. You and Abiathar return to the city peacefully/safely, and take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan with you.
28 ἴδετε ἐγώ εἰμι στρατεύομαι ἐν Αραβωθ τῆς ἐρήμου ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν ῥῆμα παρ’ ὑμῶν τοῦ ἀπαγγεῖλαί μοι
I will wait in the desert at the place where people can walk across the river, until you send a message to me.”
29 καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν Σαδωκ καὶ Αβιαθαρ τὴν κιβωτὸν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐκεῖ
So Zadok and Abiathar carried the sacred chest back to Jerusalem, and they stayed there.
30 καὶ Δαυιδ ἀνέβαινεν ἐν τῇ ἀναβάσει τῶν ἐλαιῶν ἀναβαίνων καὶ κλαίων καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπικεκαλυμμένος καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπορεύετο ἀνυπόδετος καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετ’ αὐτοῦ ἐπεκάλυψεν ἀνὴρ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνέβαινον ἀναβαίνοντες καὶ κλαίοντες
David [and those with him] went up Olive [Tree] Hill. David was crying while he walked. He was walking barefoot and had something covering his head [to show that he was sorrowful]. All those who were going with him also covered their heads and were crying while they walked.
31 καὶ ἀνηγγέλη Δαυιδ λέγοντες καὶ Αχιτοφελ ἐν τοῖς συστρεφομένοις μετὰ Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ διασκέδασον δὴ τὴν βουλὴν Αχιτοφελ κύριε ὁ θεός μου
Someone told David that Ahithophel had joined with those who were rebelling against David. So David prayed, “Yahweh, cause whatever Ahithophel suggests to Absalom [that he should do to be considered] to be foolish!”
32 καὶ ἦν Δαυιδ ἐρχόμενος ἕως τοῦ Ροως οὗ προσεκύνησεν ἐκεῖ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἰδοὺ εἰς ἀπαντὴν αὐτῷ Χουσι ὁ Αρχι ἑταῖρος Δαυιδ διερρηχὼς τὸν χιτῶνα αὐτοῦ καὶ γῆ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ
When they arrived at the top of the hill, where there was a place where the people worshiped [God], suddenly Hushai, from the Arki people-group, met David. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head [to show that he was very sad].
33 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Δαυιδ ἐὰν μὲν διαβῇς μετ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ ἔσῃ ἐπ’ ἐμὲ εἴς βάσταγμα
David said to him, “If you go with me, you will not be able to help me.
34 καὶ ἐὰν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐπιστρέψῃς καὶ ἐρεῖς τῷ Αβεσσαλωμ διεληλύθασιν οἱ ἀδελφοί σου καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς κατόπισθέν μου διελήλυθεν ὁ πατήρ σου καὶ νῦν παῖς σού εἰμι βασιλεῦ ἔασόν με ζῆσαι παῖς τοῦ πατρός σου ἤμην τότε καὶ ἀρτίως καὶ νῦν ἐγὼ δοῦλος σός καὶ διασκεδάσεις μοι τὴν βουλὴν Αχιτοφελ
But if you return to the city, [you can help me by] saying to Absalom, ‘Your Majesty, I will serve you as faithfully as I served your father.’ If you do that [and stay near Absalom], you will be able to oppose any advice that Ahithophel gives to Absalom.
35 καὶ ἰδοὺ μετὰ σοῦ ἐκεῖ Σαδωκ καὶ Αβιαθαρ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ ἔσται πᾶν ῥῆμα ὃ ἐὰν ἀκούσῃς ἐξ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἀναγγελεῖς τῷ Σαδωκ καὶ τῷ Αβιαθαρ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν
Zadok and Abiathar the priests are already there [RHQ]. Whatever you hear people say in the king’s palace, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar.
36 ἰδοὺ ἐκεῖ μετ’ αὐτῶν δύο υἱοὶ αὐτῶν Αχιμαας υἱὸς τῷ Σαδωκ καὶ Ιωναθαν υἱὸς τῷ Αβιαθαρ καὶ ἀποστελεῖτε ἐν χειρὶ αὐτῶν πρός με πᾶν ῥῆμα ὃ ἐὰν ἀκούσητε
Keep in mind that Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan are also there. You can tell them whatever you find out, and send them to report it to me.”
37 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Χουσι ὁ ἑταῖρος Δαυιδ εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ Αβεσσαλωμ εἰσεπορεύετο εἰς Ιερουσαλημ
So David’s friend Hushai returned to the city, at the same time that Absalom was entering Jerusalem.
