2 Samuel 18
1 Daud bersiap-siap menghadapi serangan Absalom. Dia mengumpulkan pasukan yang ikut bersamanya dan membagi mereka dalam beberapa kelompok. Setiap seribu orang menjadi satu kelompok besar dengan seorang komandan, di dalamnya terdiri dari kelompok-kelompok kecil yang berisi seratus orang. Masing-masing kelompok kecil ini juga dipimpin oleh seorang komandan.
David counted the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
2 Sepertiga dari pasukannya itu dipimpin oleh Yoab, sepertiga lagi dipimpin oleh Abisai, adik Yoab, dan sepertiga lagi dipimpin oleh Itai, orang Gat. Lalu Daud berkata kepada mereka, “Saya juga akan turut bertempur bersama kalian.”
David sent the people out, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the people, “I will also surely go out with you myself.”
3 Tetapi banyak anggota pasukannya berkata, “Jangan Tuan! Seandainya kami kalah dan lari, bahkan mati sekalipun, pihak musuh tidak peduli sebab yang mereka cari adalah Raja sendiri. Nyawa Tuan lebih berharga daripada ribuan tentara. Jadi sebaiknya Tuan tinggal saja di kota dan mengirim pertolongan kalau kami membutuhkan bantuan.”
But the people said, “You shall not go out, for if we flee away, they will not care for us, neither if half of us die, will they care for us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore now it is better that you are ready to help us out of the city.”
4 Jawab raja, “Baiklah, saya akan melakukan sesuai saran kalian.” Daud memberi perintah kepada Yoab, Abisai, dan Itai, “Lakukanlah ini untukku: Jangan berlaku kasar terhadap Absalom, anak muda itu.” Perintah itu didengar juga oleh semua tentara. Lalu raja berdiri di samping pintu gerbang sambil mengamati seluruh pasukannya lewat, berbaris sesuai kelompok mereka masing-masing.
The king said to them, “I will do what seems best to you.” The king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” All the people heard when the king commanded all the captains concerning Absalom.
6 Pertempuran hari itu antara pasukan Daud dan pasukan Israel yang dipimpin Absalom terjadi di hutan Efraim.
So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
7 Pasukan Daud berhasil mengalahkan tentara Israel. Sebanyak dua puluh ribu tentara mati terbunuh.
The people of Israel were struck there before David’s servants, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
8 Wilayah pertempuran semakin meluas di daerah itu, dan lebih banyak tentara yang mati kecelakaan di dalam hutan daripada yang tewas karena perang.
For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9 Absalom menunggangi bagal dalam pertempuran itu. Tiba-tiba dia berpapasan dengan beberapa tentara Daud. Ketika bagalnya melewati ranting-ranting pohon besar, kepala Absalom tersangkut di ranting-ranting itu, sedangkan bagalnya terus berlari.
Absalom happened to meet David’s servants. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was hanging between the sky and earth; and the mule that was under him went on.
10 Seorang tentara Daud melihat kejadian itu dan melaporkannya kepada Yoab, “Saya melihat Absalom tergantung pada pohon besar.”
A certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”
11 Jawab Yoab kepada orang itu, “Apa?! Kamu melihat dia tetapi tidak membunuhnya! Sayang sekali, padahal kalau kamu sudah membunuh dia, saya akan memberimu lebih dari 100 gram perak dan lambang kehormatan tentara!”
Joab said to the man who told him, “Behold, you saw it, and why didn’t you strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a sash.”
12 Tetapi jawab orang itu, “Sekalipun hadiahnya sepuluh kilogram perak, saya tidak akan membunuh anak raja! Karena kami sudah mendengar perintah raja kepada Tuan, Abisai, dan Itai, ‘Demi saya, jangan berlaku kasar terhadap Absalom.’
The man said to Joab, “Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I still wouldn’t stretch out my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware that no one touch the young man Absalom.’
13 Seandainya saya melanggar perintahnya itu, raja pasti mencari tahu siapa pelakunya, dan Tuan sendiri pasti tidak akan membela saya!”
Otherwise, if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hidden from the king), then you yourself would have set yourself against me.”
14 Yoab berkata, “Saya tidak mau buang-buang waktu bicara denganmu!” Kemudian, saat Absalom masih hidup dan sedang tersangkut di pohon besar itu, Yoab menikam dada Absalom dengan tiga tombak.
Then Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this with you.” He took three darts in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the middle of the oak.
15 Lalu sepuluh tentara yang membawa perlengkapan perang Yoab mengelilingi Absalom dan membunuhnya.
Ten young men who bore Joab’s armour surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him.
16 Setelah itu Yoab meniup terompet sebagai tanda bagi pasukannya untuk berhenti mengejar tentara Israel.
Joab blew the shofar, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held the people back.
17 Mayat Absalom dibuang ke dalam lubang besar di hutan itu dan batu-batu besar ditimbun di atasnya sampai bertumpuk tinggi. Sementara itu, seluruh pasukan Israel berlari pulang.
They took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. Then all Israel fled, each to his own tent.
18 Semasa hidupnya, Absalom sudah membuat tugu untuk dirinya sendiri di Lembah Raja, karena dia berpikir, “Aku tidak mempunyai anak laki-laki yang akan meneruskan namaku.” Maka dia menamainya Tugu Absalom. Monumen itu masih ada sampai saat kitab ini ditulis.
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar which is in the king’s valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in memory.” He called the pillar after his own name. It is called Absalom’s monument, to this day.
19 Sesudah kejadian itu, Ahimas anak Zadok berkata kepada Yoab, “Biarlah saya berlari membawa kabar baik ini kepada raja, bahwa TUHAN sudah melepaskan dia dari tangan musuh-musuhnya.”
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me now run and carry the king news, how the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.”
20 Tetapi jawab Yoab, “Jangan! Ini tidak akan dianggap sebagai kabar baik, karena anak tuan kita sudah mati. Lain kali saja kamu boleh membawa berita.”
Joab said to him, “You must not be the bearer of news today, but you must carry news another day. But today you must carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.”
21 Lalu berkatalah Yoab kepada seorang Etiopia, “Kamulah yang pergi! Beritahukan kepada raja apa yang sudah kamu lihat.” Orang Etiopia itu pun tunduk untuk menghormati Yoab, lalu berlari.
Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen!” The Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran.
22 Ahimas berkata lagi kepada Yoab, “Walaupun Tuan sudah menyuruh orang Etiopia itu, izinkanlah saya menyusul dia.” Tanya Yoab, “Untuk apa, Nak? Kamu tidak akan menerima upah apa pun dengan membawa kabar itu.”
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, “But come what may, please let me also run after the Cushite.” Joab said, “Why do you want to run, my son, since you will have no reward for the news?”
23 Tetapi Ahimas bersikeras, “Apa pun yang terjadi, pokoknya saya mau pergi.” Maka Yoab berkata, “Ya sudah, pergilah.” Ahimas pun berlari melalui lembah Yordan, sehingga dia lebih dahulu sampai di Mahanaim daripada orang Etiopia tadi.
“But come what may,” he said, “I will run.” He said to him, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite.
24 Saat itu Daud sedang duduk di pintu gerbang kota. Seorang pengawas berjaga-jaga di benteng di atas pintu gerbang. Pengawas itu melihat seseorang berlari datang.
Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, a man running alone.
25 Dia pun berseru menyampaikan berita itu kepada raja. Daud berkata, “Kalau dia sendirian, berarti dia adalah pembawa kabar.” Dan pembawa kabar itu terus bergerak semakin dekat.
The watchman shouted and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” He came closer and closer.
26 Sementara itu, pengawas melihat orang kedua datang, dan dia menyerukan kepada penjaga gerbang, “Lihat, ada satu lagi yang berlari datang.” Raja berkata, “Dia pun pembawa kabar.”
The watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, a man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings news.”
27 Pengawas itu berkata, “Melihat cara berlarinya, orang pertama itu sepertinya Ahimas anak Zadok.” Jawab raja, “Dia orang baik dan pasti membawa kabar baik.”
The watchman said, “I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man, and comes with good news.”
28 Lalu sampailah Ahimas. Dia bersujud memberi hormat kepada raja dan berkata, “Terpujilah TUHAN Allah! Dia sudah mengalahkan orang-orang yang mengangkat senjata dan memberontak terhadap Tuanku Raja!”
Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, “All is well.” He bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, “Blessed is the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king!”
29 Daud pun bertanya, “Apakah Absalom anakku selamat?” Jawab Ahimas, “Ketika Yoab menyuruh hamba ke sini, saya melihat ada keributan besar, tetapi tidak tahu apa yang terjadi.”
The king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, even me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I don’t know what it was.”
30 Raja berkata, “Kalau begitu, tunggulah di sebelah sana.” Lalu Ahimas berdiri di tempat yang ditunjuk raja.
The king said, “Come and stand here.” He came and stood still.
31 Kemudian orang Etiopia itu sampai dan menghadap raja. Dia berkata, “Hamba membawa kabar baik untuk Tuanku Raja! TUHAN sudah memberi hukuman yang adil kepada semua orang yang bersepakat memberontak terhadap Tuan.”
Behold, the Cushite came. The Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king, for the LORD has avenged you today of all those who rose up against you.”
32 Lalu raja bertanya kepadanya, “Apakah anakku selamat?” Orang Etiopia itu menjawab, “Semoga semua musuh Tuanku dan semua orang yang memberontak terhadap Tuan mati seperti dia.”
The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you to do you harm, be as that young man is.”
33 Raja sangat terguncang mendengar berita itu. Dengan amat sedih, dia naik ke ruangan di atas pintu gerbang sambil meratap, “Oh, anakku Absalom! Anakku, anakku Absalom! Biarlah aku saja yang mati menggantikanmu Absalom, anakku, anakku!”
The king was much moved, and went up to the room over the gate and wept. As he went, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
