Βασιλειῶν Βʹ 19
1 καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τῷ Ιωαβ λέγοντες ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεὺς κλαίει καὶ πενθεῖ ἐπὶ Αβεσσαλωμ
Soon Joab was told, “The king is crying and mourning for Absalom.”
2 καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ σωτηρία ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ εἰς πένθος παντὶ τῷ λαῷ ὅτι ἤκουσεν ὁ λαὸς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ λέγων ὅτι λυπεῖται ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ
Victory that day was turned into mourning for the whole army, because they were told, “The king is grieving for his son.”
3 καὶ διεκλέπτετο ὁ λαὸς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καθὼς διακλέπτεται ὁ λαὸς οἱ αἰσχυνόμενοι ἐν τῷ αὐτοὺς φεύγειν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ
They stole back into town that day like defeated people steal in, ashamed of running away from the battle.
4 καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔκρυψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔκραξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγων υἱέ μου Αβεσσαλωμ Αβεσσαλωμ υἱέ μου
The king held his face in his hands and sobbed loudly, “My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!”
5 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ιωαβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὸν οἶκον καὶ εἶπεν κατῄσχυνας σήμερον τὸ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν δούλων σου τῶν ἐξαιρουμένων σε σήμερον καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν υἱῶν σου καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων σου καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν γυναικῶν σου καὶ τῶν παλλακῶν σου
Then Joab went inside and told the king, “Today you have humiliated all your men who have saved your life, and the lives of your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your concubines.
6 τοῦ ἀγαπᾶν τοὺς μισοῦντάς σε καὶ μισεῖν τοὺς ἀγαπῶντάς σε καὶ ἀνήγγειλας σήμερον ὅτι οὔκ εἰσιν οἱ ἄρχοντές σου οὐδὲ παῖδες ὅτι ἔγνωκα σήμερον ὅτι εἰ Αβεσσαλωμ ἔζη πάντες ἡμεῖς σήμερον νεκροί ὅτι τότε τὸ εὐθὲς ἦν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου
You did this by loving those who hate you and hating those who love you. Today you have made it plain that the commanders and the men don't mean anything to you. Today I'm sure that you'd be quite happy if Absalom was alive and all of us were dead!
7 καὶ νῦν ἀναστὰς ἔξελθε καὶ λάλησον εἰς τὴν καρδίαν τῶν δούλων σου ὅτι ἐν κυρίῳ ὤμοσα ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἐκπορεύσῃ σήμερον εἰ αὐλισθήσεται ἀνὴρ μετὰ σοῦ τὴν νύκτα ταύτην καὶ ἐπίγνωθι σεαυτῷ καὶ κακόν σοι τοῦτο ὑπὲρ πᾶν τὸ κακὸν τὸ ἐπελθόν σοι ἐκ νεότητός σου ἕως τοῦ νῦν
So get up, go out, and thank your men. I swear by the Lord that if you don't, you won't have a man left by tonight. That will be far worse for you than all the disasters you've had from your youth until now.”
8 καὶ ἀνέστη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐν τῇ πύλῃ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἀνήγγειλαν λέγοντες ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεὺς κάθηται ἐν τῇ πύλῃ καὶ εἰσῆλθεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ Ισραηλ ἔφυγεν ἀνὴρ εἰς τὰ σκηνώματα αὐτοῦ
So the king got up and went to sit at the town gate. Everybody was told: “Look, the king is sitting at the town gate.” They all came to see the king. In the meantime the Israelites had run away and gone to their homes.
9 καὶ ἦν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς κρινόμενος ἐν πάσαις φυλαῖς Ισραηλ λέγοντες ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυιδ ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξείλατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς ἀλλοφύλων καὶ νῦν πέφευγεν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ Αβεσσαλωμ
Everyone among the tribes of Israel were arguing with each other, saying, “The king rescued us from the persecution of our enemies, he saved us from the Philistines, but now he's had to run from the country because of Absalom.
10 καὶ Αβεσσαλωμ ὃν ἐχρίσαμεν ἐφ’ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ καὶ νῦν ἵνα τί ὑμεῖς κωφεύετε τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τὸ ῥῆμα παντὸς Ισραηλ ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα
Now Absalom, the man we chose to be our king by anointing him, he's died in battle. Why don't we do something and invite King David to come back?”
11 καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυιδ ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς Σαδωκ καὶ πρὸς Αβιαθαρ τοὺς ἱερεῖς λέγων λαλήσατε πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους Ιουδα λέγοντες ἵνα τί γίνεσθε ἔσχατοι τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ λόγος παντὸς Ισραηλ ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα
King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Tell the elders of Judah, ‘Are you going to be the last people to bring the king back to his palace, since the king has heard that all of Israel wants it?
12 ἀδελφοί μου ὑμεῖς ὀστᾶ μου καὶ σάρκες μου ὑμεῖς καὶ ἵνα τί γίνεσθε ἔσχατοι τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ
You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. Why should you be the last ones to want to bring the king back?’
13 καὶ τῷ Αμεσσαϊ ἐρεῖτε οὐχὶ ὀστοῦν μου καὶ σάρξ μου σύ καὶ νῦν τάδε ποιήσαι μοι ὁ θεὸς καὶ τάδε προσθείη εἰ μὴ ἄρχων δυνάμεως ἔσῃ ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἀντὶ Ιωαβ
Tell Amasa, ‘Aren't you my flesh and blood too? May God punish me very severely if from now on you're not the commander of my army instead of Joab!’”
14 καὶ ἔκλινεν τὴν καρδίαν παντὸς ἀνδρὸς Ιουδα ὡς ἀνδρὸς ἑνός καὶ ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα λέγοντες ἐπιστράφητι σὺ καὶ πάντες οἱ δοῦλοί σου
Amasa convinced all the people of Judah to unitedly support David, so they sent a message to the king: “Please come back, you and everyone with you.”
15 καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἦλθεν ἕως τοῦ Ιορδάνου καὶ ἄνδρες Ιουδα ἦλθαν εἰς Γαλγαλα τοῦ πορεύεσθαι εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ βασιλέως διαβιβάσαι τὸν βασιλέα τὸν Ιορδάνην
The king began his journey back, and when he arrived at the Jordan, the men of Judah met him at Gilgal to help him cross the river.
16 καὶ ἐτάχυνεν Σεμεϊ υἱὸς Γηρα υἱοῦ τοῦ Ιεμενι ἐκ Βαουριμ καὶ κατέβη μετὰ ἀνδρὸς Ιουδα εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ βασιλέως Δαυιδ
Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David.
17 καὶ χίλιοι ἄνδρες μετ’ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ Βενιαμιν καὶ Σιβα τὸ παιδάριον τοῦ οἴκου Σαουλ καὶ δέκα πέντε υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ μετ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἴκοσι δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ μετ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ κατεύθυναν τὸν Ιορδάνην ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βασιλέως
With him were one thousand men from the tribe of Benjamin, including Ziba, servant of Saul's family, as well as Ziba's fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan to meet the king.
18 καὶ ἐλειτούργησαν τὴν λειτουργίαν τοῦ διαβιβάσαι τὸν βασιλέα καὶ διέβη ἡ διάβασις ἐξεγεῖραι τὸν οἶκον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ εὐθὲς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ Σεμεϊ υἱὸς Γηρα ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως διαβαίνοντος αὐτοῦ τὸν Ιορδάνην
They crossed at the ford to bring the king's household over and whatever else he wanted. Shimei crossed the Jordan and fell facedown before the king.
19 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα μὴ διαλογισάσθω ὁ κύριός μου ἀνομίαν καὶ μὴ μνησθῇς ὅσα ἠδίκησεν ὁ παῖς σου ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξεπορεύετο ἐξ Ιερουσαλημ τοῦ θέσθαι τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ
“Your Majesty, please forgive me and disregard the wrong that I, your servant, did when Your Majesty left Jerusalem. Please forget all about it.
20 ὅτι ἔγνω ὁ δοῦλός σου ὅτι ἐγὼ ἥμαρτον καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἦλθον σήμερον πρότερος παντὸς οἴκου Ιωσηφ τοῦ καταβῆναι εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως
I, your servant, recognize that I have sinned. But look! Today I'm the first from any of the tribes of Joseph to come down and meet Your Majesty.”
21 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Αβεσσα υἱὸς Σαρουιας καὶ εἶπεν μὴ ἀντὶ τούτου οὐ θανατωθήσεται Σεμεϊ ὅτι κατηράσατο τὸν χριστὸν κυρίου
Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said, “Shouldn't Shimei be executed for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed one?”
22 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ τί ἐμοὶ καὶ ὑμῖν υἱοὶ Σαρουιας ὅτι γίνεσθέ μοι σήμερον εἰς ἐπίβουλον σήμερον οὐ θανατωθήσεταί τις ἀνὴρ ἐξ Ισραηλ ὅτι οὐκ οἶδα εἰ σήμερον βασιλεύω ἐγὼ ἐπὶ τὸν Ισραηλ
But David replied, “What's that got do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Do you want to be my enemies today? Is this a day to execute anybody in Israel? Aren't I certain that today I'm the king of Israel once more?”
23 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Σεμεϊ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς
David turned to Shimei and swore an oath to him, “You're not going to die.”
24 καὶ Μεμφιβοσθε υἱὸς Ιωναθαν υἱοῦ Σαουλ κατέβη εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ οὐκ ἐθεράπευσεν τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ὠνυχίσατο οὐδὲ ἐποίησεν τὸν μύστακα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔπλυνεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἧς ἀπῆλθεν ὁ βασιλεύς ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ἧς αὐτὸς παρεγένετο ἐν εἰρήνῃ
Then Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, went to meet the king. He had refused to look after his feet or trim his mustache or have his clothes washed from the day the king left until the day of his peaceful return.
25 καὶ ἐγένετο ὅτε εἰσῆλθεν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς τί ὅτι οὐκ ἐπορεύθης μετ’ ἐμοῦ Μεμφιβοσθε
When he arrived from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn't you come with me, Mephibosheth?”
26 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Μεμφιβοσθε κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ ὁ δοῦλός μου παρελογίσατό με ὅτι εἶπεν ὁ παῖς σου αὐτῷ ἐπίσαξόν μοι τὴν ὄνον καὶ ἐπιβῶ ἐπ’ αὐτὴν καὶ πορεύσομαι μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ὅτι χωλὸς ὁ δοῦλός σου
Mephibosheth answered, “Your Majesty, my servant Ziba tricked me. I told him, ‘Saddle up my donkey so I can ride her and leave with the king,’ because you know that I'm lame.
27 καὶ μεθώδευσεν ἐν τῷ δούλῳ σου πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς ὡς ἄγγελος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ποίησον τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου
Ziba has misrepresented me, your servant, to Your Majesty. However, Your Majesty is like an angel of God, so do what you think best.
28 ὅτι οὐκ ἦν πᾶς ὁ οἶκος τοῦ πατρός μου ἀλλ’ ἢ ὅτι ἄνδρες θανάτου τῷ κυρίῳ μου τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ ἔθηκας τὸν δοῦλόν σου ἐν τοῖς ἐσθίουσιν τὴν τράπεζάν σου καὶ τί ἐστίν μοι ἔτι δικαίωμα καὶ τοῦ κεκραγέναι με ἔτι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα
All my grandfather's family could only expect death from Your Majesty, but you included me, your servant, among those who eat at your table. So what right do I have to ask the king for anything more?”
29 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς ἵνα τί λαλεῖς ἔτι τοὺς λόγους σου εἶπον σὺ καὶ Σιβα διελεῖσθε τὸν ἀγρόν
“Why talk any more about these issues of yours?” David responded. “I've decided that you and Ziba should divide the land.”
30 καὶ εἶπεν Μεμφιβοσθε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καί γε τὰ πάντα λαβέτω μετὰ τὸ παραγενέσθαι τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα ἐν εἰρήνῃ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ
Mephibosheth replied to the king, “Let him have it all! I'm just happy that Your Majesty has returned home in peace.”
31 καὶ Βερζελλι ὁ Γαλααδίτης κατέβη ἐκ Ρωγελλιμ καὶ διέβη μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τὸν Ιορδάνην ἐκπέμψαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ιορδάνην
Barzillai the Gileadite had also came down from Rogelim to help the king cross the Jordan and to make his way onwards from there.
32 καὶ Βερζελλι ἀνὴρ πρεσβύτερος σφόδρα υἱὸς ὀγδοήκοντα ἐτῶν καὶ αὐτὸς διέθρεψεν τὸν βασιλέα ἐν τῷ οἰκεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν Μαναϊμ ὅτι ἀνὴρ μέγας ἐστὶν σφόδρα
Barzillai was very old, eighty years of age, and because he was a very wealthy man, he had provided the king with food while he was staying in Mahanaim.
33 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Βερζελλι σὺ διαβήσῃ μετ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ διαθρέψω τὸ γῆράς σου μετ’ ἐμοῦ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ
The king said to Barzillai, “Cross the Jordan with me, and I will provide for you while you stay with me in Jerusalem.”
34 καὶ εἶπεν Βερζελλι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα πόσαι ἡμέραι ἐτῶν ζωῆς μου ὅτι ἀναβήσομαι μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς Ιερουσαλημ
“How much longer do you think I have to live so I could go to Jerusalem and stay there with the king?” Barzillai replied.
35 υἱὸς ὀγδοήκοντα ἐτῶν ἐγώ εἰμι σήμερον μὴ γνώσομαι ἀνὰ μέσον ἀγαθοῦ καὶ κακοῦ ἢ γεύσεται ὁ δοῦλός σου ἔτι ὃ φάγομαι ἢ πίομαι ἢ ἀκούσομαι ἔτι φωνὴν ᾀδόντων καὶ ᾀδουσῶν ἵνα τί ἔσται ἔτι ὁ δοῦλός σου εἰς φορτίον ἐπὶ τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα
“I'm already eighty. I don't enjoy anything anymore. I can't taste what I eat or drink. I can't hear when people sing. There's no point for me, your servant, to be another burden to Your Majesty!
36 ὡς βραχὺ διαβήσεται ὁ δοῦλός σου τὸν Ιορδάνην μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἵνα τί ἀνταποδίδωσίν μοι ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν ταύτην
For your servant to cross the Jordan River with the king is enough reward for me!
37 καθισάτω δὴ ὁ δοῦλός σου καὶ ἀποθανοῦμαι ἐν τῇ πόλει μου παρὰ τῷ τάφῳ τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ τῆς μητρός μου καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ δοῦλός σου Χαμααμ διαβήσεται μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ποίησον αὐτῷ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου
Then let your servant go back home, that I may die in my home town near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant, my son Chimham. Let him cross over with Your Majesty, and treat him as you think best.”
38 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς μετ’ ἐμοῦ διαβήτω Χαμααμ κἀγὼ ποιήσω αὐτῷ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐκλέξῃ ἐπ’ ἐμοί ποιήσω σοι
The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will treat him as you think best, and I will do for you whatever you want.”
39 καὶ διέβη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὸν Ιορδάνην καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς διέβη καὶ κατεφίλησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Βερζελλι καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτόν καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ
So everybody crossed the Jordan first, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and then Barzillai went back home.
40 καὶ διέβη ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς Γαλγαλα καὶ Χαμααμ διέβη μετ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς Ιουδα διαβαίνοντες μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καί γε τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ λαοῦ Ισραηλ
Then the king carried on to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him. The whole army of Judah and half the army of Israel accompanied the king.
41 καὶ ἰδοὺ πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ παρεγένοντο πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπον πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τί ὅτι ἔκλεψάν σε οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν ἀνὴρ Ιουδα καὶ διεβίβασαν τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ τὸν Ιορδάνην καὶ πάντες ἄνδρες Δαυιδ μετ’ αὐτοῦ
But soon the men of Israel who were there came to the king and asked him, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, secretly take Your Majesty away and bring you and your household across the Jordan, together with all your men?”
42 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ιουδα πρὸς ἄνδρα Ισραηλ καὶ εἶπαν διότι ἐγγίζει πρός με ὁ βασιλεύς καὶ ἵνα τί οὕτως ἐθυμώθης περὶ τοῦ λόγου τούτου μὴ βρώσει ἐφάγαμεν ἐκ τοῦ βασιλέως ἢ δόμα ἔδωκεν ἢ ἄρσιν ἦρεν ἡμῖν
The men of Judah explained to the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is one of our relatives. Why are you getting upset about this? When did we ever eat the king's food? When did we ever get anything for yourselves?”
43 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ τῷ ἀνδρὶ Ιουδα καὶ εἶπεν δέκα χεῖρές μοι ἐν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ πρωτότοκος ἐγὼ ἢ σύ καί γε ἐν τῷ Δαυιδ εἰμὶ ὑπὲρ σέ καὶ ἵνα τί τοῦτο ὕβρισάς με καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσθη ὁ λόγος μου πρῶτός μοι τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα ἐμοί καὶ ἐσκληρύνθη ὁ λόγος ἀνδρὸς Ιουδα ὑπὲρ τὸν λόγον ἀνδρὸς Ισραηλ
“We've got ten shares in the king,” the men of Israel replied, “so we have a greater claim on David than you do. So why do you look down us? Weren't we the first ones to talk about bringing back our king?” But the men of Judah argued even more strongly than the men of Israel.
