Ii Samuelis 15

1 Igitur post haec fecit sibi Absalom currus, et equites, et quinquaginta viros, qui praecederent eum.

Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.

2 Et mane consurgens Absalom, stabat iuxta introitum portae in via, et omnem virum, qui habebat negotium ut veniret ad regis iudicium, vocabat Absalom ad se, et dicebat: De qua civitate es tu? Qui respondens aiebat: Ex una tribu Israel ego sum servus tuus.

He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out and ask, “What city are you from?” And if he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,”

3 Respondebatque ei Absalom: Videntur mihi sermones tui boni et iusti. Sed non est qui te audiat constitutus a rege. dicebatque Absalom:

Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.”

4 Quis me constituat iudicem super terram, ut ad me veniant omnes, qui habent negotium, et iuste iudicem?

And he would add, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then everyone with a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice.”

5 Sed et cum accederet ad eum homo ut salutaret illum, extendebat manum suam, et apprehendens, osculabatur eum.

Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.

6 Faciebatque hoc omni Israel venienti ad iudicium, ut audiretur a rege, et solicitabat corda virorum Israel.

Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for justice. In this way he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 Post quattuor autem annos, dixit Absalom ad regem David: Vadam, et reddam vota mea quae vovi Domino in Hebron.

After four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD.

8 Vovens enim vovit servus tuus, cum esset in Gessur Syriae, dicens: Si reduxerit me Dominus in Ierusalem, sacrificabo Domino.

For your servant made a vow while dwelling in Geshur of Aram, saying: ‘If indeed the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.’”

9 Dixitque ei rex David: Vade in pace. Et surrexit, et abiit in Hebron.

“Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom got up and went to Hebron.

10 Misit autem Absalom exploratores in universas tribus Israel, dicens: Statim ut audieritis clangorem buccinae, dicite: Regnabit Absalom in Hebron.

Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’”

11 Porro cum Absalom ierunt ducenti viri de Ierusalem vocati, euntes simplici corde, et causam penitus ignorantes.

Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter.

12 Accersivit quoque Absalom Achitophel Gilonitem consiliarium David, de civitate sua Gilo. Cumque immolaret victimas, facta est coniuratio valida, populusque concurrens augebatur cum Absalom.

While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.

13 Venit igitur nuncius ad David, dicens: Toto corde universus Israel sequitur Absalom.

Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”

14 Et ait David servis suis, qui erant cum eo in Ierusalem: Surgite, fugiamus: neque enim erit nobis effugium a facie Absalom: festinate egredi, ne forte veniens occupet nos, et impleat super nos ruinam, et percutiat civitatem in ore gladii.

And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! We must leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and put the city to the sword.”

15 Dixeruntque servi regis ad eum: omnia quaecumque praeceperit dominus noster rex, libenter exequemur servi tui.

The king’s servants replied, “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are your servants.”

16 Egressus est ergo rex, et universa domus eius pedibus suis: et reliquit rex decem mulieres concubinas ad custodiendam domum.

Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.

17 Egressusque rex et omnis Israel pedibus suis, stetit procul a domo:

So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house,

18 et universi servi eius ambulabant iuxta eum, et legiones Cerethi, et Phelethi, et omnes Gethaei, pugnatores validi, sexcenti viri qui secuti eum fuerant de Geth pedites, praecedebant regem.

and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.

19 Dixit autem rex ad Ethai Gethaeum: Cur venis nobiscum? revertere, et habita cum rege, quia peregrinus es, et egressus es de loco tuo.

Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.

20 Heri venisti, et hodie compelleris nobiscum egredi? ego autem vadam quo iturus sum: revertere, et reduc tecum fratres tuos, et Dominus faciet tecum misericordiam, et veritatem, quia ostendisti gratiam et fidem.

In fact, you arrived only yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I do not know where I am going? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness.”

21 Et respondit Ethai regi, dicens: Vivit Dominus, et vivit dominus meus rex: quoniam in quocumque loco fueris domine mi rex, sive in morte, sive in vita, ibi erit servus tuus.

But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!”

22 Et ait David Ethai: Veni, et transi. Et transivit Ethai Gethaeus, et omnes viri, qui cum eo erant, et reliqua multitudo.

“March on then,” said David to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

23 Omnesque flebant voce magna, et universus populus transibat: rex quoque transgrediebatur Torrentem Cedron, et cunctus populus incedebat contra viam olivae, quae respicit ad desertum.

Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly as all the people passed by. And as the king crossed the Kidron Valley, all the people also passed toward the way of the wilderness.

24 Venit autem et Sadoc sacerdos, et universi Levitae cum eo, portantes arcam foederis Dei, et deposuerunt arcam Dei: et ascendit Abiathar, donec expletus esset omnis populus, qui egressus fuerat de civitate.

Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until the people had passed out of the city.

25 Et dixit rex ad Sadoc: Reporta arcam Dei in urbem: si invenero gratiam in oculis Domini, reducet me, et ostendet mihi eam, et tabernaculum suum.

Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His dwelling place again.

26 Si autem dixerit mihi: Non places: praesto sum, faciat quod bonum est coram se.

But if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.”

27 Et dixit rex ad Sadoc sacerdotem: O videns revertere in civitatem in pace: et Achimaas filius tuus, et Ionathas filius Abiathar duo filii vestri, sint vobiscum.

The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace—you with your son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar with his son Jonathan.

28 Ecce ego abscondar in campestribus deserti, donec veniat sermo a vobis indicans mihi.

See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

29 Reportaverunt ergo Sadoc, et Abiathar arcam Dei in Ierusalem: et manserunt ibi.

So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.

30 Porro David ascendebat Clivum olivarum, scandens et flens, nudis pedibus incedens, et operto capite, sed et omnis populus, qui erat cum eo, operto capite ascendebat plorans.

But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.

31 Nunciatum est autem David quod et Achitophel esset in coniuratione cum Absalom, dixitque David: Infatua, quaeso, Domine consilium Achitophel.

Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”

32 Cumque ascenderet David summitatem montis, in quo adoraturus erat Dominum, ecce occurrit ei Chusai Arachites, scissa veste, et terra pleno capite.

When David came to the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.

33 Et dixit ei David: Si veneris mecum, eris mihi oneri:

David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.

34 si autem in civitatem revertaris, et dixeris Absalom: Servus tuus sum, rex: patere me vivere sicut fui servus patris tui, sic ero servus tuus: dissipabis consilium Achitophel.

But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant.’

35 Habes autem tecum Sadoc, et Abiathar sacerdotes: et omne verbum quodcumque audieris de domo regis, indicabis Sadoc, et Abiathar sacerdotibus.

Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report to them everything you hear from the king’s palace.

36 Sunt enim cum eis duo filii eorum Achimaas filius Sadoc, et Ionathas filius Abiathar: et mittetis per eos ad me omne verbum quod audieritis.

Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.”

37 Veniente ergo Chusai amico David in civitatem, Absalom quoque ingressus est Ierusalem.

So David’s friend Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.