2 Samuel 14

1 Yoab tahu bahwa Raja Daud sangat merindukan Absalom,

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

2 sebab itu dia menyuruh jemput seorang wanita cerdik yang tinggal di Tekoa. Ketika wanita itu sampai, Yoab berkata kepadanya, "Ibu harus pura-pura berkabung; pakailah pakaian berkabung, dan jangan memakai minyak wangi. Buatlah seperti wanita yang sudah lama menangisi kematian orang yang tercinta.

And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:

3 Kemudian pergilah kepada raja, katakanlah kepadanya begini." Lalu Yoab memberitahukan kepadanya apa yang harus dikatakannya.

and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 Lalu wanita itu pergi menghadap raja, dan sujud menyembah serta berkata, "Tuanku Yang Mulia, tolonglah hamba!"

And when the woman of Tekoa spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.

5 "Ada apa?" tanya raja kepadanya. Wanita itu menjawab, "Hamba ini seorang janda yang miskin. Suami hamba sudah mati.

And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered; Of a truth I am a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

6 Hamba mempunyai dua orang anak laki-laki, dan pada suatu hari mereka bertengkar di padang. Karena tak ada orang yang melerai, maka seorang di antaranya mati dibunuh.

And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him.

7 Dan sekarang, seluruh kaum keluarga hamba memusuhi hamba dan menuntut supaya hamba menyerahkan anak hamba yang membunuh itu kepada mereka, agar mereka menghukumnya dengan hukuman mati, sebab dia telah membunuh saudaranya. Jika hamba serahkan anak itu, tinggallah hamba sebatang kara. Mereka akan menghancurkan harapan hamba satu-satunya dan tidak meninggalkan seorang anak laki-laki bagi suami hamba untuk meneruskan keturunannya."

And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew, and so destroy the heir also: thus shall they quench my coal which is left, and shall leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the face of the earth.

8 "Pulanglah," jawab raja, "akan kuurus perkara itu."

And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.

9 "Tuanku Yang Mulia," kata wanita itu, "apa pun yang akan Tuanku perbuat, hamba dan keluarga hambalah yang akan menanggung akibatnya; Tuanku dan keluarga Tuanku tidaklah bersalah."

And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.

10 Raja menjawab, "Jika ada orang yang mengancam engkau, bawalah dia kepadaku, maka selanjutnya pasti ia tak akan mengganggumu lagi."

And the king said, Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

11 Kata wanita itu, "Kiranya berdoalah Tuanku kepada TUHAN Allah Tuanku, supaya orang yang hendak membalas kematian anak hamba itu jangan sampai melakukan kejahatan yang lebih besar lagi dengan membunuh anak hamba yang seorang lagi." Jawab Daud, "Demi TUHAN yang hidup, anakmu itu tidak akan diapa-apakan walau sedikit pun."

Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shalt not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

12 Lalu berkatalah wanita itu, "Tuanku Yang Mulia, izinkanlah kiranya hamba berbicara sedikit lagi." "Baiklah," jawab raja.

Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

13 Kata wanita itu, "Dengan ucapan Tuanku itu, Tuanku telah mengaku bahwa Tuanku sendiri bersalah karena tidak mengizinkan putra Tuanku pulang dari pengasingan. Mengapa Tuanku melakukan kesalahan seperti itu terhadap umat Allah?

And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one which is guilty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one.

14 Kita semua akan mati; kita ini seumpama air yang tumpah ke tanah dan tidak dapat dikumpulkan kembali. Allah pun tidak akan menghidupkan lagi orang yang sudah mati; sebab itu hendaklah kiranya Tuanku berusaha supaya orang buangan dapat pulang lagi.

For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God take away life, but deviseth means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from him.

15 Hamba menghadap Tuanku karena hamba diancam orang. Lalu hamba berpikir sebaiknya hamba berbicara dengan Tuanku dengan harapan permintaan hamba ini akan Tuanku kabulkan.

Now therefore seeing that I am come to speak this word unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.

16 Hamba pikir Tuanku akan mendengarkan dan menyelamatkan hamba dari orang yang berusaha hendak membunuh hamba dan anak hamba. Mereka bermaksud menyingkirkan kami dari tanah yang diberikan Allah kepada umat-Nya.

For the king will hear to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

17 Hamba yakin bahwa janji Tuanku itu akan menjamin keselamatan hamba sebab Tuanku adalah seperti malaikat Allah, yang dapat membedakan apa yang baik dan apa yang jahat. Semoga TUHAN Allah Tuanku menyertai Tuanku!"

Then thine handmaid said, Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: and the LORD thy God be with thee.

18 Raja menjawab, "Aku mau menanyakan sesuatu kepadamu, jawablah dengan jujur." "Silakan Tuanku berbicara," jawab wanita itu.

Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, aught that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.

19 Kata raja, "Yoabkah yang menyuruh engkau?" Jawab wanita itu, "Demi nyawa Tuanku, hamba tidak mungkin mengelak diri dari pertanyaan Tuanku. Memang benar Tuanku, Yoab telah memberitahukan kepada hamba apa yang harus hamba lakukan dan hamba katakan.

And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid;

20 Tetapi ia berbuat begitu untuk menyelesaikan perkara itu dengan baik. Tuanku adalah bijaksana seperti malaikat Allah sehingga mengetahui segala sesuatu yang terjadi."

to change the face of the matter hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

21 Setelah itu raja memanggil Yoab dan berkata kepadanya, "Keinginanmu itu akan kupenuhi. Pergilah menjemput Absalom dan bawalah dia ke mari."

And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.

22 Yoab sujud di hadapan Daud, lalu berkata, "Kiranya Allah memberkati Baginda! Sekarang hamba tahu bahwa Baginda menyukai hamba karena Baginda telah mengabulkan permohonan hamba."

And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and did obeisance, and blessed the king: end Joab said, Today thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath performed the request of his servant.

23 Lalu berangkatlah Yoab ke Gesur untuk menjemput Absalom kembali ke Yerusalem.

So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24 Tetapi raja tidak mengizinkan Absalom tinggal di istana. "Aku tidak mau melihatnya," kata raja. Jadi Absalom langsung pulang ke rumahnya sendiri, dan tidak menghadap raja.

And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.

25 Absalom dipuji sebagai orang yang paling tampan di seluruh Israel. Tidak ada orang yang lebih tampan dari dia. Dari telapak kaki sampai ke ujung rambut tak ada cacatnya.

Now in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

26 Rambutnya sangat lebat, dan dia harus memotongnya sekali setahun sebab dirasanya terlalu berat. Rambut yang dipotongnya itu beratnya lebih dari dua kilogram menurut timbangan raja.

And when he polled his head, (now it was at every year’s end that he polled it: because [the hair] was heavy on him, therefore he polled it: ) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight.

27 Absalom mempunyai tiga orang putra dan seorang putri yang sangat cantik, bernama Tamar.

And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.

28 Sudah dua tahun Absalom tinggal di Yerusalem, tetapi belum juga ia bertemu dengan raja.

And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem; and he saw not the king’s face.

29 Maka pada suatu hari ia memanggil Yoab, untuk menyuruhnya menghadap raja, tetapi Yoab tidak mau datang, Absalom memanggilnya sekali lagi, tetapi Yoab tidak mau datang juga.

Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

30 Kemudian berkatalah Absalom kepada budak-budaknya, "Kamu tahu ladang Yoab di sebelah ladangku yang ditanami jelai? Bakarlah ladang itu." Mereka pun pergi membakarnya.

Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31 Maka Yoab datang ke rumah Absalom dan bertanya, "Mengapa budak-budakmu membakar ladangku?"

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?

32 Jawab Absalom, "Sebab engkau tidak mau datang ketika kupanggil. Aku hendak mengutusmu menghadap raja dan menyampaikan pertanyaanku ini, 'Apa gunanya aku meninggalkan Gesur dan kembali ke mari? Lebih baik aku tinggal di sana saja.'" Dan kata Absalom lagi, "Usahakanlah supaya aku dapat menghadap raja, dan jika aku masih dianggap bersalah, aku bersedia dihukum mati."

And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it were better for me to be there still: now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him kill me.

33 Kemudian pergilah Yoab menghadap Raja Daud dan menyampaikan permohonan Absalom. Lalu raja memanggil Absalom, dan Absalom datang bersujud di hadapan raja. Dan raja menyambutnya dengan ciuman.

So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.