Ii Samuelis 14

1 Intelligens autem Ioab filius Sarviæ, quod cor regis versum esset ad Absalom,

Joab, son of Zeruiah, knew that the king kept on thinking about Absalom.

2 misit Thecuam, et tulit inde mulierem sapientem: dixitque ad eam: Lugere te simula, et induere veste lugubri, et ne ungaris oleo, ut sis quasi mulier iam plurimo tempore lugens mortuum:

So Joab sent a messenger to Tekoa to bring back a wise woman who lived there. He told her, “Pretend to be a mourner. Put on clothes for mourning, and don't use any scented oils. Be like a woman who has been in mourning for the dead a long time.

3 et ingredieris ad regem, et loqueris ad eum sermones huiuscemodi. Posuit autem Ioab verba in ore eius.

Then go to the king and tell him this.” Joab told her what to say.

4 Itaque cum ingressa fuisset mulier Thecuitis ad regem, cecidit coram eo super terram, et adoravit, et dixit: Serva me rex.

When the woman from Tekoa went to see the king, she bowed facedown to the ground in respect, and said, “Please help me, Your Majesty!”

5 Et ait ad eam rex: Quid causæ habes? Quæ respondit: Heu, mulier vidua ego sum: mortuus est enim vir meus.

“What's the matter?” the king asked her. “Sadly I'm a widow. My husband is dead,” she replied.

6 Et ancillæ tuæ erant duo filii: qui rixati sunt adversum se in agro, nullusque erat, qui eos prohibere posset: et percussit alter alterum, et interfecit eum.

“Your Majesty, I had two sons. They had a fight outside, and there was nobody there to stop them. One of them hit the other, and killed him.

7 Et ecce consurgens universa cognatio adversum ancillam tuam, dicit: Trade eum, qui percussit fratrem suum, ut occidamus eum pro anima fratris sui, quem interfecit, et deleamus heredem: et quærunt extinguere scintillam meam, quæ relicta est, ut non supersit viro meo nomen, et reliquiæ super terram.

Now the whole family is against me. They're saying, ‘Hand over your son who killed his brother so we can put him to death for murdering his brother. That way he won't inherit anything either!’ By doing this they would snuff out the last ember of hope I have to carry on my husband's name and family in the world.”

8 Et ait rex ad mulierem: Vade in domum tuam, et ego iubebo pro te.

“Go on home,” the king told the woman, “and I myself will make sure your case is dealt with for you.”

9 Dixitque mulier Thecuitis ad regem: In me, domine mi rex, sit iniquitas, et in domum patris mei: rex autem et thronus eius sit innocens.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” said the woman. “I and my family will take the blame, and may Your Majesty and your family be held to be innocent.”

10 Et ait rex: Qui contradixerit tibi, adduc eum ad me, et ultra non addet ut tangat te.

“If anyone complains to you about it, bring him here to me, and he won't bother you again!” the king told her.

11 Quæ ait: Recordetur rex Domini Dei sui, ut non multiplicentur proximi sanguinis ad ulciscendum, et nequaquam interficiant filium meum. Qui ait: Vivit Dominus, quia non cadet de capillis filii tui super terram.

“Please, Your Majesty,” the woman continued, “swear by the Lord your God that you will stop the person wanting to avenge the murder from making it worse by killing my son!” “As the Lord lives,” he promised, “not a single hair from your son's head will fall to the ground.”

12 Dixit ergo mulier: Loquatur ancilla tua ad dominum meum regem verbum. Et ait: Loquere.

“Could I please ask for one other thing, Your Majesty?” the woman asked. “Go ahead,” he replied.

13 Dixitque mulier: Quare cogitasti huiuscemodi rem contra populum Dei, et locutus est rex verbum istud, ut peccet, et non reducat eiectum suum?

“So why have you schemed in a similar way against the people of God?” the woman asked. “Since Your Majesty just decided my case by what you said, haven't you convicted yourself because you refuse to bring back the son you banished?

14 Omnes morimur, et quasi aquæ dilabimur in terram, quæ non revertuntur: nec vult Deus perire animam, sed retractat cogitans ne penitus pereat qui abiectus est.

Yes, we all have to die. We're like water spilled on the ground that can't be collected again. But that's not what God does. Instead he works out ways for anyone who is banished to come back home to him.

15 Nunc igitur veni, ut loquar ad dominum meum regem verbum hoc, præsente populo. Et dixit ancilla tua: Loquar ad regem, si quo modo faciat rex verbum ancillæ suæ.

That's why I've come to explain this to Your Majesty, because someone has frightened me. So I thought to myself, I will go and speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant my request.

16 Et audivit rex, ut liberaret ancillam suam de manu omnium, qui volebant de hereditate Dei delere me, et filium meum simul.

Perhaps the king will listen and save me from the man who would cut off both me and my son from God's chosen people.

17 Dicat ergo ancilla tua, ut fiat verbum domini mei regis sicut sacrificium. Sicut enim Angelus Dei, sic est dominus meus rex, ut nec benedictione, nec maledictione moveatur: unde et Dominus Deus tuus est tecum.

I thought: May what Your Majesty says bring me peace, for Your Majesty is able to tell the difference between good and evil, just like an angel of God. May the Lord your God be with you!”

18 Et respondens rex, dixit ad mulierem: Ne abscondas a me verbum, quod te interrogo. Dixitque ei mulier: Loquere domine mi rex.

“Please don't refuse to answer the question I'm about to ask,” the king said to the woman. “Please ask your question, Your Majesty,” she replied.

19 Et ait rex: Numquid manus Ioab tecum est in omnibus istis? Respondit mulier, et ait: Per salutem animæ tuæ, domine mi rex, nec ad sinistram, nec ad dexteram est ex omnibus his, quæ locutus est dominus meus rex: servus enim tuus Ioab, ipse præcepit mihi, et ipse posuit in os ancillæ tuæ omnia verba hæc,

“Is all this Joab's doing?” the king asked. The woman replied, “As you live, Your Majesty, no one can hide anything from you. Yes, it was Joab, your officer, who ordered me to do this—he told me exactly what to say.

20 ut verterem figuram sermonis huius, servus tuus Ioab præcepit istud: tu autem domine mi rex, sapiens es, sicut habet sapientiam Angelus Dei, ut intelligas omnia super terram.

He did so to show the other side of the situation, but Your Majesty is as wise as an angel of God, and you know everything that happens in this country.”

21 Et ait rex ad Ioab: Ecce placatus feci verbum tuum: vade ergo, et revoca puerum Absalom.

The king said to Joab, “Fine, I'll do it. Go and bring young Absalom back.”

22 Cadensque Ioab super faciem suam in terram, adoravit, et benedixit regi: et dixit Ioab: Hodie intellexit sevus tuus, quia inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, domine mi rex: fecisti enim sermonem servi tui.

Joab bowed down with his face to the ground in respect, and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “I, your servant, know that you approve of me, Your Majesty, because you have granted my request.”

23 Surrexit ergo Ioab et abiit in Gessur, et adduxit Absalom in Ierusalem.

Joab went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.

24 Dixit autem rex: Revertatur in domum suam, et faciem meam non videat. Reversus est itaque Absalom in domum suam, et faciem regis non vidit.

But the king gave this order, “He may return to his home, but he's not to come and see me.” So Absalom returned to his own home, but he didn't go and see the king.

25 Porro sicut Absalom, vir non erat pulcher in omni Israel, et decorus nimis: a vestigio pedis usque ad verticem non erat in eo ulla macula.

Absalom was admired as the most handsome man in the whole of Israel. He didn't have a single blemish from head to toe.

26 Et quando tondebat capillum (semel autem in anno tondebatur, quia gravabat eum cæsaries) ponderabat capillos capitis sui ducentis siclis, pondere publico.

He cut his hair every year because it got so heavy—it weighed two hundred royal shekels.

27 Nati sunt autem Absalom filii tres: et filia una nomine Thamar, elegantis formæ.

He had three sons, and a daughter named Tamar—a very beautiful woman.

28 Mansitque Absalom in Ierusalem duobus annis, et faciem regis non vidit.

Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years but was not permitted to see the king.

29 Misit itaque ad Ioab, ut mitteret eum ad regem: qui noluit venire ad eum. Cumque secundo misisset, et ille noluisset venire ad eum,

Absalom called Joab to arrange for him to see the king, for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come. Absalom called Joab again, but Joab still wouldn't come.

30 dixit servis suis: Scitis agrum Ioab iuxta agrum meum, habentem messem hordei: ite igitur, et succendite eum igni. Succenderunt ergo servi Absalom segetem igni. Et venientes servi Ioab, scissis vestibus suis, dixerunt: Succenderunt servi Absalom partem agri igni.

So Absalom told his servants, “Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley growing there. Go and set it on fire!” Absalom's servants went and set the field on fire.

31 Surrexitque Ioab, et venit ad Absalom in domum eius, et dixit: Quare succenderunt servi tui segetem meam igni?

Joab went to Absalom's house and asked “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”

32 Et respondit Absalom ad Ioab: Misi ad te obsecrans ut venires ad me, et mitterem te ad regem, et diceres ei: Quare veni de Gessur? Melius mihi erat ibi esse: obsecro ergo ut videam faciem regis: quod si memor est iniquitatis meæ, interficiat me.

“Look here,” said Absalom, “I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here. I want you to go to the king and ask: Why did I bother coming back from Geshur? It would have been better for me to stay there.’ So go and arrange for me to see the king, and if I'm guilty of anything, he can kill me.”

33 Ingressus itaque Ioab ad regem, nunciavit ei omnia: vocatusque est Absalom, et intravit ad regem, et adoravit super faciem terræ coram eo: osculatusque est rex Absalom.

So Joab went and told the king what Absalom had said. Then David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed down with his face to the ground before him in respect. Then the king kissed Absalom.