Ii Samuelis 14

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

Then Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah perceyued, that the Kings heart was toward 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:

And Ioab sent to Tekoah, and brought thence a subtile woman, and sayd vnto her, I pray thee, fayne thy selfe to mourne, and nowe put on mourning apparel, and anoynt not thy selfe with oyle: but be as a woman that had now long time mourned for the dead.

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

And come to the King, and speake on this maner vnto him, (for Ioab taught her what she should say).

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

Then the woman of Tekoah spake vnto the king, and fel downe on her face to the ground, and did obeysance, and sayd, Helpe, O King.

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

Then the King sayd vnto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am in deede a widow, and mine husband is dead:

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.

And thine handmayd had two sonnes, and they two stroue together in the fielde: (and there was none to part them) so the one smote the other, and slew 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.

And beholde, the whole familie is risen against thine handmayde, and they sayde, Deliuer him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the soule of his brother whome hee slewe, that we may destroy the heire also: so they shall quenche my sparkle which is left, and shall not leaue to mine husband neither name nor posteritie vpon the earth.

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

And the King said vnto the woman, Go to thine house, and I wil giue a charge for thee.

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.

Then the woman of Tekoah said vnto the King, My lord, O King, this trespas be on me, and on my fathers house, and the King and his throne be giltlesse.

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

And the King sayde, Bring him to me that speaketh against thee, and he shall touche thee no more.

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.

Then said she, I pray thee, let the King remember the Lord thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer many reuengers of blood to destroy, lest they slay my sonne. And he answered, As the Lord liueth, there shall not one heare of thy sonne fall to the earth.

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

Then the woman said, I pray thee, let thine handmayde speake a worde to my lord the King. And he sayd, Say on.

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

Then the woman sayde, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? or why doeth the King, as one which is faultie, speake this thing, that he will not bring againe his 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.

For we must needes dye, and we are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered vp againe: neither doeth God spare any person, yet doeth he appoynt meanes, not to cast out from him, him that is expelled.

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.

Nowe therefore that I am come to speake of this thing vnto my lord the King, the cause is that the people haue made me afrayd: therefore thine handmayde sayd, Nowe will I speake vnto the King: it may be that the King will perfourme the request of his handmayde.

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

For the King wil heare, to deliuer his handmayde out of the hande of the man that woulde destroy mee, and also my sonne from the inheritance of God.

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.

Therefore thine handmaid sayd, The word of my lord the King shall now be comfortable: for my lorde the King is euen as an Angel of God in hearing of good and bad: therefore the Lord thy God be with thee.

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

Then the King answered, and said vnto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall aske thee. And the woman sayde, Let my lord the King now speake.

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,

And the King said, Is not the hand of Ioab with thee in all this? Then the woman answered, and sayd, As thy soule liueth, my lord the King, I will not turne to the right hande nor to the left, from ought that my lorde the King hath spoken: for euen thy seruant Ioab bade mee, and he put all these wordes in the mouth of thine handmayde.

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.

For to the intent that I should chage the forme of speach, thy seruant Ioab hath done this thing: but my lord is wise according to the wisdome of an Angel of God to vnderstande all things that are in the earth.

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

And the King sayde vnto Ioab, Beholde nowe, I haue done this thing: go then, and bring the yong man Absalom againe.

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.

And Ioab fell to the grounde on his face, and bowed himselfe, and thanked the King. Then Ioab sayde, This day thy seruant knoweth, that I haue found grace in thy sight, my lord the King, in that the King hath fulfilled the request of his seruant.

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

And Ioab arose, and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Ierusalem.

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.

And the King sayde, Let him turne to his owne house, and not see my face. So Absalom turned to his owne house, and saw not the Kings face.

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.

Nowe in all Israel there was none to be so much praysed for beautie as Absalom: from the sole of his foote euen to the toppe of his head there was no blemish in him.

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

And when he polled his head, (for at euery yeeres ende he polled it: because it was too heauie for him, therefore he polled it) he weyghed the heare of his head at two hundreth shekels by the Kings weight.

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

And Absalom had three sonnes, and one daughter named Tamar, which was a fayre woman to looke vpon.

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

So Absalom dwelt the space of two yeres in Ierusalem, and saw not the Kings face.

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

Therefore Absalom sent for Ioab to sende him to the King, but he would not come to him: and when he sent againe, he would not 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.

Therefore he sayde vnto his seruants, Beholde, Ioab hath a fielde by my place, and hath barley therein: go, and set it on fire: and Absaloms seruants set the field on fire.

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

Then Ioab arose, and came to Absalom vnto his house, and sayd vnto him, Wherefore haue thy seruants burnt my field with 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.

And Absalom answered Ioab, Beholde, I sent for thee, saying, Come thou hither, and I wil send thee to the King for to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? It had bene better for me to haue bene there still: nowe therefore let mee see the Kings face: and if there be any trespasse in me, let him 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.

Then Ioab came to the King, and told him: and he called for Absalom, who came to the King, and bowed himselfe to the grounde on his face before the King, and the King kissed Absalom.