Ii Samuelis 18
1 Igitur considerato David populo suo constituit super eos tribunos et centuriones,
And David mustered the people who were with him, and appointed commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds over them.
2 et dedit populi tertiam partem sub manu Ioab, et tertiam partem sub manu Abisai filii Sarviæ fratris Ioab, et tertiam partem sub manu Ethai, qui erat de Geth. Dixitque rex ad populum: Egrediar et ego vobiscum.
David divided the army into three, 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 surely go forth with you myself also."
3 Et respondit populus: Non exibis: sive enim fugerimus, non magnopere ad eos de nobis pertinebit: sive media pars ceciderit e nobis, non satis curabunt: quia tu unus pro decem millibus computaris: melius est igitur ut sis nobis in urbe præsidio.
But they said, "You must not go out, for if we retreat, no one will care about us. If half of us die, no one will care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. So it is better for you to be in the city to help."
4 Ad quos rex ait: Quod vobis videtur rectum, hoc faciam. Stetit ergo rex iuxta portam: egrediebaturque populus per turmas suas centeni, et milleni.
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.
5 Et præcepit rex Ioab, et Abisai, et Ethai, dicens: Servate mihi puerum Absalom. Et omnis populus audiebat præcipientem regem cunctis principibus pro Absalom.
The king gave this order to Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Be gentle for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people were listening when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom.
6 Itaque egressus est populus in campum contra Israel, et factum est prælium in saltu Ephraim.
So the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 Et cæsus est ibi populus Israel ab exercitu David, factaque est plaga magna in die illa, viginti millium.
And the people of Israel were struck there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter took place that day of twenty thousand men.
8 Fuit autem ibi prælium dispersum super faciem omnis terræ, et multo plures erant, quos saltus consumpserat de populo, quam hi, quos voraverat gladius in die illa.
For the battle spread over the entire region, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
9 Accidit autem ut occurreret Absalom servis David, sedens mulo: cumque ingressus fuisset mulus subter condensam quercum et magnam, adhæsit caput eius quercui: et illo suspenso inter cælum et terram, mulus, cui insederat, pertransivit.
And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. And he was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head got caught in the oak, and he was left suspended in midair, while the mule that was under him kept going.
10 Vidit autem hoc quispiam, et nunciavit Ioab, dicens: Vidi Absalom pendere de quercu.
And someone saw it and told Joab, and said, "Look, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak."
11 Et ait Ioab viro, qui nunciaverat ei: Si vidisti, quare non confodisti eum cum terra, et ego dedissem tibi decem argenti siclos, et unum balteum?
Then Joab said to the man who reported it, "Look, you saw this. So why didn't you strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver, and a belt."
12 Qui dixit ad Ioab: Si appenderes in manibus meis mille argenteos, nequaquam mitterem manum meam in filium regis: audientibus enim nobis præcepit rex tibi, et Abisai, et Ethai, dicens: Custodite mihi puerum Absalom.
But the man said to Joab, "Even if I could feel in my hand the weight of a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I still wouldn't lay a hand on the king's son, for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Be gentle for my sake with the young man Absalom.'
13 Sed et si fecissem contra animam meam audacter, nequaquam hoc regem latere potuisset, et tu stares ex adverso?
Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is no matter hidden from the king), then you yourself would have dissociated yourself from me."
14 Et ait Ioab: Non sicut tu vis, sed aggrediar eum coram te. Tulit ergo tres lanceas in manu sua, et infixit eas in corde Absalom: cumque adhuc palpitaret hærens in quercu,
Then Joab said, "I'm not going to waste time with you." So he took three sharp sticks in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the midst of the oak.
15 cucurrerunt decem iuvenes armigeri Ioab, et percutientes interfecerunt eum.
Then ten young men, Joab's armor-bearers, surrounded and struck Absalom and killed him.
16 Cecinit autem Ioab buccina, et retinuit populum, ne persequeretur fugientem Israel, volens parcere multitudini.
Then Joab blew the trumpet and the people turned back from pursuing Israel, for Joab had called for the people to halt.
17 Et tulerunt Absalom, et proiecerunt eum in saltu, in foveam grandem, et comportaverunt super eum acervum lapidum magnum nimis: omnis autem Israel fugit in tabernacula sua.
And they took Absalom and threw him into a large pit in the forest, and heaped up over him a huge pile of stones. Then all Israel fled, each one to his tent.
18 Porro Absalom erexerat sibi, cum adhuc viveret, titulum qui est in Valle regis: dixerat enim: Non habeo filium, et hoc erit monimentum nominis mei. Vocavitque titulum nomine suo, et appellatur Manus Absalom, usque ad hanc diem.
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; and it is called Absalom's monument, to this day.
19 Achimaas autem filius Sadoc, ait: Curram, et nunciabo regi, quia iudicium fecerit ei Dominus de manu inimicorum eius.
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, "Let me run, let me carry the king news how that YHWH has avenged him of his enemies."
20 Ad quem Ioab dixit: Non eris nuncius in hac die, sed nunciabis in alia: hodie nolo te nunciare, filius enim regis est mortuus.
But Joab said, "You are not to bring the news today, but you may bring news another day. But today you are to bring no news." For it was because the king's son was dead.
21 Et ait Ioab Chusi: Vade, et nuncia regi quæ vidisti. Adoravit Chusi Ioab, et cucurrit.
Then Joab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." So the Cushite bowed before Joab and departed.
22 Rursus autem Achimaas filius Sadoc dixit ad Ioab: Quid impedit si etiam ego curram post Chusi? Dixitque ei Ioab: Quid vis currere fili mi? Non eris boni nuncii baiulus.
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said again to Joab, "Whatever happens, please let me go after the Cushite." But Joab said, "Why do you want to run, my son, since you will have no reward for the news?"
23 Qui respondit: Quid enim si cucurrero? Et ait ei: Curre. Currens ergo Achimaas per viam compendii, transivit Chusi.
But he said, "But whatever happens, I will run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.
24 David autem sedebat inter duas portas: speculator vero, qui erat in fastigio portæ super murum, elevans oculos, vidit hominem currentem solum.
Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall and raised his eyes and looked, and there was a man running alone towards him.
25 Et exclamans indicavit regi: dixitque rex: Si solus est, bonus est nuncius in ore eius. Properante autem illo, et accedente propius,
Then the watchman shouted and informed the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there is good news in his mouth." And he kept coming nearer.
26 vidit speculator hominem alterum currentem, et vociferans in culmine, ait: Apparet mihi alter homo currens solus. Dixitque rex: Et iste bonus est nuncius.
Then the watchman saw another man running. And the watchman above the gate called out, and said, "Look, another man running alone." And the king said, "He also brings good news."
27 Speculator autem: Contemplor, ait, cursum prioris, quasi cursum Achimaas filii Sadoc. Et ait rex: Vir bonus est: et nuncium portans bonum, venit.
Then the watchman said, "I think the first runner is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good news."
28 Clamans autem Achimaas, dixit ad regem: Salve rex. Et adorans regem coram eo pronus in terram, ait: Benedictus Dominus Deus tuus, qui conclusit homines qui levaverunt manus suas contra dominum meum regem.
And Ahimaaz came near and said to the king, "All is well." Then he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground, and said, "Blessed is YHWH your God, who has defeated the men who opposed my lord the king."
29 Et ait rex: Est ne pax puero Absalom? Dixitque Achimaas: Vidi tumultum magnum, cum mitteret Ioab servus tuus, o rex, me servum tuum: nescio aliud.
And the king asked, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" And Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab, the king's servant, sent your servant off, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was."
30 Ad quem rex: Transi, ait, et sta hic. Cumque ille transisset, et staret,
Then the king said, "Step aside and stand here." So he stepped aside and waited.
31 apparuit Chusi: et veniens ait: Bonum apporto nuncium, domine mi rex: iudicavit enim pro te Dominus hodie de manu omnium qui surrexerunt contra te.
Then look, the Cushite arrived, and he said, "Good news for my lord the king, for YHWH has delivered you today from all those who rose up against you."
32 Dixit autem rex ad Chusi: Est ne pax puero Absalom? Cui respondens Chusi, Fiant, inquit, sicut puer, inimici domini mei regis, et universi qui consurgunt adversus eum in malum.
Then the king asked the Cushite, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" And the Cushite replied, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you with evil intent be like that young man."
33 Contristatus itaque rex, ascendit cœnaculum portæ, et flevit. Et sic loquebatur, vadens: Fili mi Absalom, Absalom fili mi: quis mihi tribuat ut ego moriar pro te, Absalom fili mi, fili mi Absalom?
And the king was shaken, and went up to the room over the gate and wept. And as he wept he said, "My son Absalom. My son, my son Absalom. If only I had died in your place, Absalom, my son, my son."
