Ii Samuelis 14

1 intellegens autem Ioab filius Sarviae quod cor regis versum esset ad Absalom

And Joab, son of Zeruiah, perceived that the heart of the king was towards Absolom.

2 misit Thecuam et tulit inde mulierem sapientem dixitque ad eam lugere te simula et induere veste lugubri et ne unguaris oleo ut sis quasi mulier plurimo iam tempore lugens mortuum

So Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched from thence, a wise woman, —and said unto her—I pray thee, feign thyself a mourner, and put on, I pray thee, mourning apparel, and do not anoint thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath, these many days, been mourning for the dead;

3 et ingredieris ad regem et loqueris ad eum sermones huiuscemodi posuit autem Ioab verba in ore eius

so shalt thou come in unto the king, and speak unto him, after this manner. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 itaque cum ingressa fuisset mulier thecuites ad regem cecidit coram eo super terram et adoravit et dixit serva me rex

And, when the woman of Tekoa came in unto the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did homage, —and said—Save, O king!

5 et ait ad eam rex quid causae habes quae respondit heu mulier vidua ego sum mortuus est enim vir meus

And the king said to her—What aileth thee? And she said—Of a truth, a widow woman, am I, for my husband is dead.

6 et ancillae tuae erant duo filii qui rixati sunt adversum se in agro nullusque erat qui eos prohibere posset et percussit alter alterum et interfecit eum

Now, thy maidservant, had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, with none to tear them apart, —so the one smote the other, and slew him.

7 et ecce consurgens universa cognatio adversum ancillam tuam dicit trade eum qui percussit fratrem suum ut occidamus eum pro anima fratris sui quem interfecit et deleamus heredem et quaerunt extinguere scintillam meam quae relicta est ut non supersit viro meo nomen et reliquiae super terram

Lo! therefore, all the family hath risen up against thy maidservant, and have said: Give up him that hath smitten his brother, that we may put him to death, for the life of his brother, whom he hath slain, that we may destroy, the heir also. So will they quench my ember that is left, and make my husband without name or remainder, on the face of the ground.

8 et ait rex ad mulierem vade in domum tuam et ego iubebo pro te

And the king said unto the woman—Go to thy house, and, I, will give command concerning thee.

9 dixitque mulier thecuites ad regem in me domine mi rex iniquitas et in domum patris mei rex autem et thronus eius sit innocens

Then said the woman of Tekoa unto the king, Upon me, my lord, O king, be the iniquity, and upon the house of my father, —but, the king and his throne, be guiltless.

10 et ait rex qui contradixerit tibi adduc eum ad me et ultra non addet ut tangat te

And the king said, —He that speaketh unto thee, bring him in unto me, and he shall, no more, annoy thee.

11 quae ait recordetur rex Domini Dei sui ut non multiplicentur proximi sanguinis ad ulciscendum et nequaquam interficient filium meum qui ait vivit Dominus quia non cadet de capillis filii tui super terram

Then said she: Let the king, I pray thee, remember Yahweh thy God; so that the blood-redeemer may not make utter ruin, and that they destroy not my son. And he said—By the life of Yahweh, not one hair of thy son shall fall to the earth.

12 dixit ergo mulier loquatur ancilla tua ad dominum meum regem verbum et ait loquere

Then said the woman, Pray let thy maidservant speak unto my lord the king, a word. And he said—Speak.

13 dixitque mulier quare cogitasti istiusmodi rem contra populum Dei et locutus est rex verbum istud ut peccet et non reducat eiectum suum

And the woman said, Wherefore, then, hast thou devised the like of this, for the people of God; and yet the king, in speaking this word, is verily guilty, unless the king, bring back his fugitive?

14 omnes morimur et quasi aquae delabimur in terram quae non revertuntur nec vult perire Deus animam sed retractat cogitans ne penitus pereat qui abiectus est

For, when we, die, we become as water poured on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again, —therefore doth God not take away the life, but deviseth plans so as not to thrust out from him, a fugitive.

15 nunc igitur veni ut loquar ad regem dominum meum verbum hoc praesente populo et dixit ancilla tua loquar ad regem si quo modo faciat rex verbum ancillae suae

Now, therefore, [is it] that I have come to speak unto the king my lord this word, because the people kept putting me in fear, —so thy maidservant said—Do let me, I pray you, speak unto the king! peradventure the king will fulfil the request of his handmaid.

16 et audivit rex ut liberaret ancillam suam de manu omnium qui volebant delere me et filium meum simul de hereditate Dei

For the king can hearken, to rescue his handmaid out of the power of the man who would seek to destroy both me and my son together, out of the inheritance of God.

17 dicat ergo ancilla tua ut fiat verbum domini mei regis quasi sacrificium sicut enim angelus Dei sic est dominus meus rex ut nec benedictione nec maledictione moveatur unde et Dominus Deus tuus est tecum

So thy maidservant said, Pray let the word of my lord the king be comforting, —for, as the messenger of God, so is my lord the king, in hearing the good and the bad, Yahweh thy God, then, be with thee.

18 et respondens rex dixit ad mulierem ne abscondas a me verbum quod te interrogo dixitque mulier loquere domine mi rex

Then responded the king, and said unto the woman, Nay, now! do not hide from me, the thing which I am about to ask thee. And the woman said, Pray let my lord the king speak.

19 et ait rex numquid manus Ioab tecum est in omnibus istis respondit mulier et ait per salutem animae tuae domine mi rex nec ad dextram nec ad sinistram est ex omnibus his quae locutus est dominus meus rex servus enim tuus Ioab ipse praecepit mihi et ipse posuit in os ancillae tuae omnia verba haec

Then said the king, Is, the hand of Joab, with thee, in all this? And the woman answered and said—By the life of thy soul, my lord, O king, there is no way to the right or to the left, of anything that my lord the king hath spoken, for, thy servant Joab himself, charged me, and, himself, put, in the mouth of thy maidservant, all these words:

20 ut verterem figuram sermonis huius servus tuus Ioab praecepit istud tu autem domine mi sapiens es sicut habet sapientiam angelus Dei ut intellegas omnia super terram

for the purpose of turning round the face of the matter, hath thy servant Joab done this thing, —my lord being wise, as with the wisdom of a messenger of God, in knowing all that is [done] in the land.

21 et ait rex ad Ioab ecce placatus feci verbum tuum vade igitur et revoca puerum Absalom

Then said the king unto Joab, See, I pray thee, I a have done this thing, —go then—bring back the young man, Absolom.

22 cadensque Ioab super faciem suam in terram adoravit et benedixit regi et dixit Ioab hodie intellexit servus tuus quia inveni gratiam in oculis tuis domine mi rex fecisti enim sermonem servi tui

So Joab fell with his face to the earth, and did homage, and blessed the king, —and Joab said—To-day, doth thy servant know, that I have found favour in thine eyes, my lord O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of thy servant.

23 surrexit ergo Ioab et abiit in Gessur et adduxit Absalom in Hierusalem

And Joab arose, and went to Geshur, —and brought Absolom to Jerusalem.

24 dixit autem rex revertatur in domum suam et faciem meam non videat reversus est itaque Absalom in domum suam et faciem regis non vidit

And the king said—Let him go round to his own house, and, my face, let him not see. So Absolom went round, unto his own house, and, the face of the king, saw he not.

25 porro sicut Absalom vir non erat pulcher in omni Israhel et decorus nimis a vestigio pedis usque ad verticem non erat in eo ulla macula

Now, like unto Absolom, was there no man handsome in all Israel, to be greatly praised, —from the sole of his foot, even unto the crown of his head, there was not, in him, a blemish.

26 et quando tondebatur capillum semel autem in anno tondebatur quia gravabat eum caesaries ponderabat capillos capitis sui ducentis siclis pondere publico

And when he polled his head—and it was at every year’s end that he used to poll it, because it was heavy upon him, therefore he used to poll it—he would weigh the hair of his head, two hundred shekels, by the royal standard.

27 nati sunt autem Absalom filii tres et filia una nomine Thamar eleganti forma

And there were born to Absolom three sons, and one daughter, whose name, was Tamar, —she, was a woman beautiful to look upon.

28 mansitque Absalom Hierusalem duobus annis et faciem regis non vidit

So Absolom dwelt in Jerusalem two years of days, —and, the face of the king, had he not seen.

29 misit itaque ad Ioab ut mitteret eum ad regem qui noluit venire ad eum cumque secundo misisset et ille noluisset venire

Then sent Absolom unto Joab, to send him unto the king, but he would not come to him, —so he sent yet a second time, but he would not come.

30 dixit servis suis scitis agrum Ioab iuxta agrum meum habentem messem hordei ite igitur et succendite eum igni succenderunt ergo servi Absalom segetem igni

Then said he unto his servants—See, the allotted portion of Joab, adjoineth me, and, he, hath barley there, go, and set it on fire. So the servants of Absolom set the portion on fire.

31 surrexitque Ioab et venit ad Absalom in domum eius et dixit quare succenderunt servi tui segetem meam igni

Then rose Joab, and went unto Absolom, in his house, —and said unto him, Wherefore, have thy servants set the portion that pertaineth to me, on fire?

32 et respondit Absalom ad Ioab misi ad te obsecrans ut venires ad me et mitterem te ad regem ut diceres ei quare veni de Gessur melius mihi erat ibi esse obsecro ergo ut videam faciem regis quod si memor est iniquitatis meae interficiat me

And Absolom said unto Joab—Lo! I sent unto thee, saying—Come hither, that I may send thee unto the king, saying—Wherefore, am I come from Geshur? I, might as well have yet been there. Now, therefore, let me see the face of the king, and, if there is in me iniquity, then let him put me to death.

33 ingressus Ioab ad regem nuntiavit ei vocatusque Absalom intravit ad regem et adoravit super faciem terrae coram eo osculatusque est rex Absalom

So Joab came unto the king, and told him, and the king called for Absolom, and he came in unto the king, and bowed himself down with his face to the ground, before the king, —and the king kissed Absolom.