Ii Samuelis 19

1 Nunciatum est autem Ioab quod rex fleret et lugeret filium suum:

Then it was reported to Joab, “The king is weeping and mourning over Absalom.”

2 et versa est victoria in luctum in die illa omni populo: audivit enim populus in die illa dici: Dolet rex super filio suo.

And that day’s victory was turned into mourning for all the people, because on that day they were told, “The king is grieving over his son.”

3 Et declinavit populus in die illa ingredi civitatem, quomodo declinare solet populus versus et fugiens de praelio.

So they returned to the city quietly that day, as people steal away in humiliation after fleeing a battle.

4 Porro rex operuit caput suum, et clamabat voce magna: Fili mi Absalom, Absalom fili mi.

But the king covered his face and cried out at the top of his voice, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

5 Ingressus ergo Ioab ad regem in domum, dixit: Confudisti hodie vultus omnium servorum tuorum, qui salvam fecerunt animam tuam, et animam filiorum tuorum, et filiarum tuarum, et animam uxorum tuarum, et animam concubinarum tuarum.

Then Joab went into the house and said to the king, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives, and of your concubines.

6 Diligis odientes te, et odio habes diligentes te: et ostendisti hodie quia non curas de ducibus tuis, et de servis tuis: et vere cognovi modo, quia si Absalom viveret, et omnes nos occubuissemus, tunc placeret tibi.

You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! For you have made it clear today that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. I know today that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would have pleased you!

7 Nunc igitur surge, et procede, et alloquens satisfac servis tuis: iuro enim tibi per Dominum, quod si non exieris, ne unus quidem remansurus sit tecum nocte hac: et peius erit hoc tibi, quam omnia mala, quae venerunt super te ab adolescentia tua usque in praesens.

Now therefore get up! Go out and speak comfort to your servants, for I swear by the LORD that if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. This will be worse for you than all the adversity that has befallen you from your youth until now!”

8 Surrexit ergo rex et sedit in porta: et omni populo nunciatum est quod rex sederet in porta: venitque universa multitudo coram rege: Israel autem fugit in tabernacula sua.

So the king got up and sat in the gate, and all the people were told: “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” So they all came before the king. Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled, each man to his home.

9 Omnis quoque populus certabat in cunctis tribubus Israel, dicens: Rex liberavit nos de manu inimicorum nostrorum, ipse salvavit nos de manu Philisthinorum: et nunc fugit de terra propter Absalom.

And all the people throughout the tribes of Israel were arguing, “The king rescued us from the hand of our enemies and delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled the land because of Absalom.

10 Absalom autem, quem unximus super nos, mortuus est in bello: usquequo siletis, et non reducitis regem? Et consilium totius Israel venit ad regem.

But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?”

11 Rex vero David misit ad Sadoc et Abiathar sacerdotes, dicens: Loquimini ad maiores natu Iuda, dicentes: Cur venitis novissimi ad reducendum regem in domum suam? (Sermo autem omnis Israel pervenerat ad regem in domo eius.) quia dixerat rex: Haec dicetis ad populum Iuda:

Then King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace, since the talk of all Israel has reached the king at his quarters?

12 Fratres mei vos, os meum, et caro mea vos, quare novissimi reducitis regem?

You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king?’

13 Et Amasae dicite: Nonne os meum, et caro mea es? Haec faciat mihi Deus, et haec addat, si non magister militiae fueris coram me omni tempore pro Ioab.

And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”

14 Et inclinavit cor omnium virorum Iuda, quasi viri unius: miseruntque ad regem, dicentes: Revertere tu, et omnes servi tui.

So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man, and they sent word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants.”

15 Et reversus est rex: et venit usque ad Iordanem, et omnis Iuda venit usque in Galgalam ut occurreret regi, et traduceret eum Iordanem.

So the king returned, and when he arrived at the Jordan, the men of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and escort him across the Jordan.

16 Festinavit autem Semei filius Gera filii Iemini de Bahurim, et descendit cum viris Iuda in occursum regis David

Then Shimei son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David,

17 cum mille viris de Beniamin, et Siba puer de domo Saul: et quindecim filii eius, ac viginti servi erant cum eo: et irrumpentes Iordanem, ante regem

along with a thousand men of Benjamin, as well as Ziba the steward of the house of Saul and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan before the king

18 transierunt vada, ut traducerent domum regis, et facerent iuxta iussionem eius: Semei autem filius Gera prostratus coram rege, cum iam transisset Iordanem,

and crossed at the ford to carry over the king’s household and to do what was good in his sight. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king

19 dixit ad eum: Ne reputes mihi domine mi iniquitatem, neque memineris iniuriarum servi tui in die qua egressus es domine mi rex de Ierusalem, neque ponas rex in corde tuo.

and said, “My lord, do not hold me guilty, and do not remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king not take it to heart.

20 Agnosco enim servus tuus peccatum meum: et idcirco hodie primus veni de omni domo Ioseph, descendique in occursum domini mei regis.

For your servant knows that I have sinned, so here I am today as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”

21 Respondens vero Abisai filius Sarviae, dixit: Numquid pro his verbis non occidetur Semei, quia maledixit christo Domini?

But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD’s anointed?”

22 Et ait David: Quid mihi, et vobis filii Sarviae? cur efficimini mihi hodie in satan? ergone hodie interficietur vir in Israel? an ignoro hodie me factum regem super Israel?

And David replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, what have I to do with you, that you should be my adversaries today? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? Am I not indeed aware that today I am king over Israel?”

23 Et ait rex Semei: Non morieris. Iuravitque ei.

So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore an oath to him.

24 Miphiboseth quoque filius Saul descendit in occursum regis illotis pedibus, et intonsa barba: vestesque suas non laverat a die qua egressus fuerat rex, usque ad diem reversionis eius in pace.

Then Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he returned safely.

25 Cumque Ierusalem occurrisset regi, dixit ei rex: Quare non venisti mecum Miphiboseth?

And he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, who asked him, “Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?”

26 Et respondens ait: Domine mi rex, servus meus contempsit me: dixique ei ego famulus tuus ut sterneret mihi asinum, et ascendens abirem cum rege: claudus enim sum servus tuus.

“My lord the king,” he replied, “because I am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ But my servant Ziba deceived me,

27 Insuper et accusavit me servum tuum ad te dominum meum regem: tu autem domine mi rex, sicut angelus Dei es, fac quod placitum est tibi.

and he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. Yet my lord the king is like the angel of God, so do what is good in your eyes.

28 Neque enim fuit domus patris mei, nisi morti obnoxia domino meo regi: tu autem posuisti me servum tuum inter convivas mensae tuae: quid ergo habeo iustae querelae? aut quid possum ultra vociferari ad regem?

For all the house of my grandfather deserves death from my lord the king, yet you have set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right, then, do I have to keep appealing to the king?”

29 Ait ergo ei rex: Quid ultra loqueris? fixum est quod locutus sum: tu, et Siba dividite possessiones.

The king replied, “Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land.”

30 Responditque Miphiboseth regi: Etiam cuncta accipiat, postquam reversus est dominus meus rex pacifice in domum suam.

And Mephibosheth said to the king, “Instead, since my lord the king has safely come to his own house, let Ziba take it all!”

31 Berzellai quoque Galaadites, descendens de Rogelim, traduxit regem Iordanem, paratus etiam ultra fluvium prosequi eum.

Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and send him on his way from there.

32 Erat autem Berzellai Galaadites senex valde, id est octogenarius, et ipse praebuit alimenta regi, cum moraretur in Castris: fuit quippe vir dives nimis.

Barzillai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim.

33 Dixit itaque rex ad Berzellai: Veni mecum, ut requiescas securus mecum in Ierusalem.

The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will provide for you at my side in Jerusalem.”

34 Et ait Berzellai ad regem: Quot sunt dies annorum vitae meae, ut ascendam cum rege in Ierusalem?

But Barzillai replied, “How many years of my life remain, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?

35 Octogenarius sum hodie: numquid vigent sensus mei ad discernendum suave, aut amarum? aut delectare potest servum tuum cibus aut potus? vel audire possum ultra vocem cantorum, atque cantatricum? quare servus tuus sit oneri domino meo regi?

I am now eighty years old. Can I discern what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of singing men and women? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?

36 Paululum procedam famulus tuus ab Iordane tecum: non indigeo hac vicissitudine,

Your servant could go with the king only a short distance past the Jordan; why should the king repay me with such a reward?

37 sed obsecro ut revertar servus tuus, et moriar in civitate mea, et sepeliar iuxta sepulchrum patris mei, et matris meae. Est autem servus tuus Chamaam, ipse vadat tecum, domine mi rex, et fac ei quidquid tibi bonum videtur.

Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.”

38 Dixit itaque ei rex: Mecum transeat Chamaam, et ego faciam ei quidquid tibi placuerit, et omne, quod petieris a me, impetrabis.

The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good in your sight, and I will do for you whatever you desire of me.”

39 Cumque transisset universus populus et rex Iordanem, osculatus est rex Berzellai, et benedixit ei: et ille reversus est in locum suum.

So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and Barzillai returned home.

40 Transivit ergo rex in Galgalam, et Chamaam cum eo. omnis autem populus Iuda traduxerat regem, et media tantum pars adfuerat de populo Israel.

Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham crossed over with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel escorted the king.

41 Itaque omnes viri Israel concurrentes ad regem dixerunt ei: Quare te furati sunt fratres nostri viri Iuda, et traduxerunt regem et domum eius Iordanem, omnesque viros David cum eo?

Soon all the men of Israel came to the king and asked, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and bring the king and his household across the Jordan, together with all of David’s men?”

42 Et respondit omnis vir Iuda ad viros Israel: Quia mihi propior est rex: cur irasceris super hac re? numquid comedimus aliquid ex rege, aut munera nobis data sunt?

And all the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is our relative. Why does this anger you? Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense or received anything for ourselves?”

43 Et respondit vir Israel ad viros Iuda, et ait: Decem partibus maior ego sum apud regem, magisque ad me pertinet David quam ad te: cur fecisti mihi iniuriam, et non mihi nunciatum est priori, ut reducerem regem meum? Durius autem responderunt viri Iuda viris Israel.

“We have ten shares in the king,” answered the men of Israel, “so we have more claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the men of Judah pressed even harder than the men of Israel.