Ii Samuelis 15
1 Igitur post haec fecit sibi Absalom currus, et equites, et quinquaginta viros, qui praecederent eum.
Sometime later, Absalom got himself a chariot with horses, and fifty men as bodyguards 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 used to get up early and stand by the main road that led to the city gate. When people brought a case to the king for his decision, Absalom would call out and ask them, “What town are you from?” If they replied, “Your servant is from this particular tribe 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 tell them, “Look, you're in the right and you've got a good case. It's such a shame there's no one from the king to hear you.”
4 Quis me constituat iudicem super terram, ut ad me veniant omnes, qui habent negotium, et iuste iudicem?
Then he would say, “If only there was someone to appoint me as judge for the country. Then everyone could come to me with their case or complaint, and I would give them justice.”
5 Sed et cum accederet ad eum homo ut salutaret illum, extendebat manum suam, et apprehendens, osculabatur eum.
When anyone came to bow down before him, Absalom would stop them by reaching out his hand, taking hold of him, and kissing him.
6 Faciebatque hoc omni Israel venienti ad iudicium, ut audiretur a rege, et solicitabat corda virorum Israel.
This is how Absalom treated all the Israelites who came to the king for his judgment. So he captured the loyalty 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.
Four years later Absalom asked the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a promise I 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 I, your servant, made this promise while living at Geshur in Aram, saying: ‘If the Lord does bring 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 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 his accomplices among all the tribes of Israel, saying, “When you hear the sound of the ram's horn, you shout, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’”
11 Porro cum Absalom ierunt ducenti viri de Ierusalem vocati, euntes simplici corde, et causam penitus ignorantes.
Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom. They had been invited and went in all innocence, because they didn't know anything about what was planned.
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 sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's advisor, asking him to come from Giloh, the town where he lived. The conspiracy grew stronger, and Absalom's followers went on increasing.
13 Venit igitur nuncius ad David, dicens: Toto corde universus Israel sequitur Absalom.
A messenger came to tell David, “Absalom has the loyalty of the men of Israel.”
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.
David said to all the officials with him in Jerusalem, “Quick! Let's go! Otherwise we won't be able to get away from Absalom! We must leave immediately, or he will soon catch up with us, attack us, and kill the people here in the city.”
15 Dixeruntque servi regis ad eum: omnia quaecumque praeceperit dominus noster rex, libenter exequemur servi tui.
“Whatever Your Majesty decides, we'll do what you want,” the king's servants replied.
16 Egressus est ergo rex, et universa domus eius pedibus suis: et reliquit rex decem mulieres concubinas ad custodiendam domum.
The king set off with his whole household following him, but he left behind ten concubines to look after the palace.
17 Egressusque rex et omnis Israel pedibus suis, stetit procul a domo:
The king left with all his soldiers 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 men marched past him, including all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had come with 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.
The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you coming with us too? Go back and stay with the new king, because you are a foreigner and an exile a long way from home.
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.
You only just got here, so why should I make you wander around with us now when I don't even know where I am going? Go back and take your men with you. May the Lord show you kindness 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 the Lord lives, and as Your Majesty lives, wherever Your Majesty may be, whether dead or alive, that's where your servant will be!”
22 Et ait David Ethai: Veni, et transi. Et transivit Ethai Gethaeus, et omnes viri, qui cum eo erant, et reliqua multitudo.
“Go ahead, march on!” David replied. Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the families that 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.
All the people in the countryside were crying aloud as everyone with David passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley with the king on the way toward 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 there too, and all the Levites were with him, carrying the Ark of God's Agreement. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until everyone had left 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 told Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I find the Lord approves of me, he will bring me back and let me see both the Ark and his Tent again.
26 Si autem dixerit mihi: Non places: praesto sum, faciat quod bonum est coram se.
But if he says, ‘I'm not happy with you,’ then here I stand. Let him do to me whatever he thinks best.”
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 told Zadok the priest, “You understand the situation, don't you? Go back to the city safely with your son Ahimaaz, and also Jonathan, son of Abiathar. You and Abiathar take both of your sons back with you.
28 Ecce ego abscondar in campestribus deserti, donec veniat sermo a vobis indicans mihi.
I'll wait at the fords of the wilderness until I hear from you.”
29 Reportaverunt ergo Sadoc, et Abiathar arcam Dei in Ierusalem: et manserunt ibi.
Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to Jerusalem and remained 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.
David went on his way up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he did so. He had his head covered, and walked barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads, weeping as they went along.
31 Nunciatum est autem David quod et Achitophel esset in coniuratione cum Absalom, dixitque David: Infatua, quaeso, Domine consilium Achitophel.
David was told, “Ahithophel is one of the people conspiring with Absalom.” So David prayed, “Lord, please make Ahithophel's advice worthless.”
32 Cumque ascenderet David summitatem montis, in quo adoraturus erat Dominum, ecce occurrit ei Chusai Arachites, scissa veste, et terra pleno capite.
When David arrived at the top of the Mount of Olives, where people worshiped God, there to meet him was Hushai the Archite, with his robe torn and with dust on his head.
33 Et dixit ei David: Si veneris mecum, eris mihi oneri:
David told him, “If you come with me, you'll only 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 if you go back to the city and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, Your Majesty! Formerly I worked for your father, but now I'll work for you,’ then you can block Ahithophel's advice for me.
35 Habes autem tecum Sadoc, et Abiathar sacerdotes: et omne verbum quodcumque audieris de domo regis, indicabis Sadoc, et Abiathar sacerdotibus.
Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there too. Tell them everything you hear in 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.
Their two sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan, are there with them. Send them to me so they can tell me everything you hear.”
37 Veniente ergo Chusai amico David in civitatem, Absalom quoque ingressus est Ierusalem.
David's friend Hushai arrived back in Jerusalem at the same time Absalom was entering the city.
