Ii Samuelis 14

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

Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart desired to see Absalom.

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 word to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought to him. He said to her, “Please pretend you are a mourner and put on mourning clothes. Please do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.

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

Then go to the king and speak to him about what I will describe.” So Joab told her the words she was to say to the king.

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

When the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king, she lay facedown on the ground and said, “Help me, king.”

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

The king said to her, “What is wrong?” She answered, “The truth is that I am a widow, and 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

I, your servant, had two sons, and they fought together in the field, and there was no one to separate them. One struck the other and killed 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

Now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, 'Give into our hand the man who struck his brother, so that we may put him to death, to pay for the life of his brother whom he killed.' So they would also destroy the heir. Thus they will put out the burning coal that I have left, and they will leave for my husband neither name nor descendant on the surface of the earth.”

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

So the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will command something to be done for you.”

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

The woman of Tekoa replied to the king, “My master, king, may the guilt be on me and on my father's family. The king and his throne are guiltless.”

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

The king replied, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.”

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 she said, “Please, may the king call to mind Yahweh your God, so that the avenger of blood will not destroy anyone further, so that they will not destroy my son.” The king replied, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son will fall to the ground.”

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

Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a further word to my master the king.” He said, “Speak on.”

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

So the woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in saying this thing, the king is like someone who is guilty, because the king has not brought back home again his banished son.

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 we all must die, and we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life; instead, he finds a way for those who were driven away to be restored.

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 then, seeing that I have come to speak this thing to my master the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. So your servant said to herself, 'I will now speak to the king. It may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.

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

Perhaps the king will listen to me and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together, out of the inheritance God gave us.'

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

Then your servant prayed, 'Yahweh, please let the word of my master the king give me relief, for as an angel of God, so is my master the king in telling good from evil.' May Yahweh your God be with you.”

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

Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me anything that I will ask you.” The woman replied, “Let my master the king now 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

The king said, “Is not the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, “As you live, my master the king, no one can escape to the right hand or to the left from anything that my master the king has spoken. It was your servant Joab who commanded me and told me to say these things that your servant has spoken.

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

Your servant Joab has done this to change the course of what is happening. My master is wise, like the wisdom of an angel of God, and he knows everything that is happening in the land.”

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

So the king said to Joab, “Look now, I will do this thing. Go then, and bring the young man Absalom back.”

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 lay facedown on the ground in honor and gratitude to the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my master, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”

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

So Joab arose, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back 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

The king said, “He may return to his own house, but he may not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king's face.

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 in all Israel there was no one praised for his handsomeness more than Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head there was no blemish in him.

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

When he cut the hair of his head at the end of every year, because it was heavy on him, he weighed his hair; it would weigh about two hundred shekels, which is measured by the weight of the king's standard.

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

To Absalom were born three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.

28 mansitque Absalom Hierusalem duobus annis et faciem regis non vidit

Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without seeing the king's face.

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

Then Absalom sent word for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. So Absalom sent word a second time, but Joab still did 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

So Absalom said to his servants, “See, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

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

Then Joab arose and came to Absalom at his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field 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

Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent word to you saying, 'Come here so I may send you to the king to say, “Why did I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to still be there. Now therefore let me see the king's face, and if I am guilty, let him kill me.”'”

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 went to the king and told him. When the king called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed low to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.