サムエル記Ⅱ 18
1 爰にダビデ己とともにある民を核べて其上に千夫の長百夫の長を立たり
Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of hundreds and of thousands.
2 しかしてダビデ民を三に分ちて其一をヨアブの手に託け一をゼルヤの子ヨアブの兄弟アビシヤイの手に託け一をガテ人イツタイの手に託けたりかくして王民にいひけるは我もまた必ず汝らとともに出んと
He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.”
3 されど民いふ汝は出べからず我儕如何に逃るとも彼等は我儕に心をとめじ又我儕半死とも我儕に心をとめざるべしされど汝は我儕の一萬に等し故に汝は城邑の中より我儕を助けなば善し
But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will pay no attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better for now if you support us from the city.”
4 王かれらにいひけるは汝等の目に善と見ゆるところを爲すべしとかくて王門の傍に立ち民皆或は百人或は千人となりて出づ
“I will do whatever seems best to you,” the king replied. So he stood beside the gate, while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 王ヨアブ、アビシヤイおよびイツタイに命じてわがために少年アブサロムを寛に待へよといふ王のアブサロムの事について諸の將官に命を下せる時民皆聞り
Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.
6 爰に民イスラエルにむかひて野に出でエフライムの叢林に戰ひしが
So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel in the battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 イスラエルの民其處にてダビデの臣僕のまへに敗る其日彼處の戰死大にして二萬にいたれり
There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men.
8 しかして戰徧く其地の表に廣がりぬ是日叢林の滅ぼせる者は刀劒の滅ぼせる者よりも多かりき
The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword.
9 爰にアブサロム、ダビデの臣僕に行き遭り時にアブサロム騾馬に乗居たりしが騾馬大なる橡樹の繁き枝の下を過ければアブサロムの頭其橡に繋りて彼天地のあひだにあがれり騾馬はかれの下より行過たり
Now Absalom was riding on his mule when he met the servants of David, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so that he was suspended in midair.
10 一箇の人見てヨアブに告ていひけるは我アブサロムが橡樹に懸りをるを見たりと
When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11 ヨアブ其告たる人にいひけるはさらば爾見て何故に彼を其處にて地に撃落さざりしや我爾に銀十枚と一本の帶を與へんものを
“You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed. “Why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt!”
12 其人ヨアブにいひけるは假令わが手に銀千枚を受べきも我は手をいだして王の子に敵せじ其は王我儕の聞るまへにて爾とアビシヤイとイツタイに命じて爾ら各少年アブサロムを害するなかれといひたまひたればなり
The man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels of silver were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king. For we heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’
13 我若し反いてかれの生命を戕賊はば何事も王に隱るる所なければ爾自ら立て我を責んと
If I had jeopardized my own life —and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.”
14 時にヨアブ我かく爾とともに滞るべからずといひて手に三本の槍を携へゆきて彼の橡樹の中に尚生をるアブサロムの胸に之を衝通せり
But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree.
15 ヨアブの武器を執る十人の少者繞きてアブサロムを撃ち之を死しめたり
And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.
16 かくてヨアブ喇叭を吹ければ民イスラエルの後を追ふことを息てかへれりヨアブ民を止めたればなり
Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab had restrained them.
17 衆アブサロムを將て叢林の中なる大なる穴に投げいれ其上に甚だ大きく石を疊あげたり是においてイスラエル皆おのおの其天幕に逃かへれり
They took Absalom, cast him into a large pit in the forest, and piled a huge mound of stones over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled, each to his home.
18 アブサロム我はわが名を傳ふべき子なしと言て其生る間に己のために一の表柱を建たり王の谷にあり彼おのれの名を其表柱に與たり其表柱今日にいたるまでアブサロムの碑と稱らる
During his lifetime, Absalom had set up for himself a pillar in the King’s Valley, for he had said, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he gave the pillar his name, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.
19 爰にザドクの子アヒマアズいひけるは請ふ我をして趨りて王にヱホバの王をまもりて其敵の手を免かれしめたまひし音信を傳へしめよと
Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.”
20 ヨアブかれにいひけるは汝は今日音信を傳ふるものとなるべからず他日に音信を傳ふべし今日は王の子死たれば汝音信を傳ふべからず
But Joab replied, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”
21 ヨアブ、クシ人にいひけるは往て爾が見たる所を王に告よクシ人ヨアブに禮をなして走れり
So Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running.
22 ザドクの子アヒマアズ再びヨアブにいひけるは請ふ何にもあれ我をも亦クシ人の後より走ゆかしめよヨアブいひけるは我子よ爾は充分の音信を持ざるに何故に走りゆかんとするや
Ahimaaz son of Zadok, however, persisted and said to Joab, “Regardless of whatever may happen, please let me also run behind the Cushite!” “My son,” Joab replied, “why do you want to run, since you will not receive a reward?”
23 かれいふ何れにもあれ我をして走りゆかしめよとヨアブかれにいふ走るべし是においてアヒマアズ低地の路をはしりてクシ人を走越たり
“No matter what, I want to run!” he replied. “Then run!” Joab told him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
24 時にダビデは二の門の間に坐しゐたり爰に守望者門の蓋上にのぼり石墻にのぼりて其目を擧て見るに視よ獨一人にて走きたる者あり
Now David was sitting between the two gates when the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall, looked out, and saw a man running alone.
25 守望者呼はりて王に告ければ王いふ若し獨ならば口に音信を持つならんと其人進み來りて近づけり
So he called out and told the king. “If he is alone,” the king replied, “he bears good news.” As the first runner drew near,
26 守望者復一人の走りきたるを見しかば守望者守門者に呼はりて言ふ獨一人にて走きたる者あり王いふ其人もまた音信を持ものなり
the watchman saw another man running, and he called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!” “This one also brings good news,” said the king.
27 守望者言ふ我先者の走を見るにザドクの子アヒマアズの走るが如しと王いひけるは彼は善人なり善き音信を持來るならん
The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news.”
28 アヒマアズ呼はりて王にいひけるはねがはくは平安なれとかくて王のまへに地に伏していふ爾の神ヱホバは讃べきかなヱホバかの手をあげて王わが主に敵したる人々を付したまへり
Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” And he bowed facedown before the king. He continued, “Blessed be the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my lord the king.”
29 王いひけるは少年アブサロムは平安なるやアヒマアズこたへけるは王の僕ヨアブ僕を遣はせし時我大なる噪を見たれども何をも知らざるなり
The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.”
30 王いひけるは側にいたりて其處に立よと乃ち側にいたりて立つ
“Move aside,” said the king, “and stand here.” So he stepped aside.
31 時に視よクシ人來れりクシ人いひけるはねがはくは王音信を受たまへヱホバ今日爾をまもりて凡て爾にたち逆ふ者の手を免かれしめたまへり
Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: Today the LORD has avenged you of all who rose up against you!”
32 王クシ人にいひけるは少年アブサロムは平安なるやクシ人いひけるはねがはくは王わが主の敵および凡て汝に起ち逆ひて害をなさんとする者は彼少年のごとくなれと
The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And the Cushite replied, “May what has become of the young man happen to the enemies of my lord the king and to all who rise up against you to harm you.”
33 王大に感み門の樓にのぼりて哭り彼行ながらかくいへりわが子アブサロムよわが子わが子アブサロムよ鳴呼われ汝に代りて死たらん者をアブサロムわが子よわが子よ
The king was shaken and went up to the gate chamber and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
