Ii Samuelis 19

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

And word was given to Joab that the king was weeping and sorrowing for 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 the salvation of that day was changed to sorrow for all the people: for it was said to the people, The king is in bitter grief for his son.

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

And the people made their way back to the town quietly and secretly, as those who are shamed go secretly when they go in flight from the war.

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

But the king, covering his face, gave a great cry, 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.

And Joab came into the house to the king and said, Today you have put to shame the faces of all your servants who even now have kept you and your sons and your daughters and your wives and all your women safe from death;

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.

For your haters, it seems, are dear to you, and your friends are hated. For you have made it clear that captains and servants are nothing to you: and now I see that if Absalom was living and we had all been dead today, it would have been right in your eyes.

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.

So get up now, and go out and say some kind words to your servants; for, by the Lord, I give you my oath, that if you do not go out, not one of them will keep with you tonight; and that will be worse for you than all the evil which has overtaken you from your earliest years.

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.

Then the king got up and took his seat near the town-door. And word was given to all the people that the king was in the public place: and all the people came before the king. Now all the men of Israel had gone back in flight to their tents.

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 through all the tribes of Israel the people were having arguments, saying, The king made us safe from the hands of those who were against us and made us free from the hands of the Philistines; and now he has gone in flight from 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.

And Absalom, whom we made a ruler over us, is dead in the fight. So now why do you say nothing about getting the king back? And word of what all Israel was saying came to 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:

And King David sent word to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, Say to the responsible men of Judah, Why are you the last to take steps to get the king back to his house?

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

You are my brothers, my bone and my flesh; why are you the last to get the king back again?

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, Are you not my bone and my flesh? May God's punishment be on me, if I do not make you chief of the army before me at all times in place of Joab!

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

And the hearts of the men of Judah were moved like one man; so that they sent to the king, saying, Come back, with 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 came back, and came as far as Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, meeting the king there, to take him back with them over Jordan.

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

And Shimei, the son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, got up quickly and went down with the men of Judah for the purpose of meeting 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

And with him a thousand men of Benjamin, and Ziba, the servant of Saul, with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, came rushing to 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 kept going across the river to take the people of the king's house over, and to do whatever was desired by the king. And Shimei, the son of Gera, went down on his face in the dust before the king, when he was about to go over Jordan,

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 to him, Let me not be judged as a sinner in your eyes, O my lord, and do not keep in mind the wrong I did on the day when my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, or 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 is conscious of his sin: and so, as you see, I have come today, the first of all the sons of Joseph, for the purpose of meeting my lord the king.

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

But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said, Is not death the right fate for Shimei, because he has been cursing the one marked by the holy oil?

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 said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you put yourselves against me today? is it right for any man in Israel to be put to death today? for I am certain today that I am king in Israel.

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

So the king said to Shimei, You will not be put to death. And the king gave him his oath.

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.

And Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son, came down for the purpose of meeting the king; his feet had not been cared for or his hair cut or his clothing washed from the day when the king went away till the day when he came back in peace.

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

Now when he had come from Jerusalem to see the king, the king said to him, Why did you not come with me, Mephibosheth?

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.

And he said in answer, Because of the deceit of my servant, my lord king: for I, your servant, said to him, You are to make ready an ass and on it I will go with the king, for your servant has not the use of his feet.

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.

He has given you a false account of me: but my lord the king is like the angel of God: do then whatever seems good to you.

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 my father's family were only dead men before my lord the king: and still you put your servant among those whose place is at the king's table. What right then have I to say anything more to the king?

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

And the king said, Say nothing more about these things. I say, Let there be a division of the land between Ziba and you.

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

And Mephibosheth said, Let him take it all, now that my lord the king has come back to his house in peace!

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

And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim; and he went on as far as Jordan with the king to take him across Jordan.

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

Now Barzillai was a very old man, as much as eighty years old: and he had given the king everything he had need of, while he was at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.

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

And the king said to Barzillai, Come over with me, and I will take care of you in Jerusalem.

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

And Barzillai said to the king, How much of my life is still before me, for me to 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: good and bad are the same to me; have meat and drink any taste for me now? am I able to take pleasure in the voices of men or women in song? why then am I to be a trouble to my lord the king?

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

Your servant's desire was only to take the king over Jordan; why is the king to give me 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.

Let your servant now go back again, so that when death comes to me, it may be in my town and by the resting-place of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham: let him go with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you.

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

And the king said in answer, Let Chimham go over with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you: and whatever your desire is, I will do it for you.

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

Then all the people went over Jordan, and the king went over: and the king gave Barzillai a kiss, with his blessing; and he went back to his place.

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

So the king went over to Gilgal, and Chimham went with him: and all the people of Judah, as well as half the people of Israel, took the king on his way.

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?

Then the men of Israel came to the king and said, Why have our countrymen of Judah taken you away in secret and come over Jordan with the king and all his family, because all his people are 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 gave this answer to the men of Israel, Because the king is our near relation: why then are you angry about this? have we taken any of the king's food, or has he given us any offering?

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.

And in answer to the men of Judah, the men of Israel said, We have ten parts in the king, and we are the first in order of birth: why did you make nothing of us? and were we not the first to make suggestions for getting the king back? And the words of the men of Judah were more violent than the words of the men of Israel.