Ii Samuelis 15

1 igitur post haec fecit sibi Absalom currum et equites et quinquaginta viros qui praecederent eum

And it came to pass, after this, that Absolom prepared him chariots and horses, —and fifty men, to run before him.

2 et mane consurgens Absalom stabat iuxta introitum portae 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 Israhel ego sum servus tuus

And Absolom used to rise up early, and take his stand beside the way of the gate, —and so it was—when any man who had a controversy would come unto the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said: Of what city, art, thou? And he said, Of one of the tribes of Israel, is thy servant. And Absolom said unto him,

3 respondebatque ei Absalom videntur mihi sermones tui boni et iusti sed non est qui te audiat constitutus a rege dicebatque Absalom

See! thy cause, is good and right, —but, to hear it, thou hast no one, from the king.

4 quis me constituat iudicem super terram ut ad me veniant omnes qui habent negotium et iuste iudicem

And Absalom said, Oh would that I were appointed to judge in the land! that, unto me, might come every man having a complaint or a defence, then would I see him righted.

5 sed et cum accederet ad eum homo ut salutaret illum extendebat manum suam et adprehendens osculabatur eum

Moreover, so it used to be, that, when any man came near to do him homage, he would put forth his hand, and lay hold of him, and kiss him.

6 faciebatque hoc omni Israhel qui veniebat ad iudicium ut audiretur a rege et sollicitabat corda virorum Israhel

And Absolom did, after this manner, to all Israel who came for judgment, unto the king, —so Absolom stole away the heart of the men of Israel.

7 post quattuor autem annos dixit Absalom ad regem vadam et reddam vota mea quae vovi Domino in Hebron

And it came to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absolom said unto the king—Let me go, I pray thee, that I may pay my vow which I have vowed unto Yahweh, in Hebron;

8 vovens enim vovit servus tuus cum esset in Gessur Syriae dicens si reduxerit me Dominus in Hierusalem sacrificabo Domino

for thy servant vowed, a vow, while I abode in Geshur in Syria, saying, —If Yahweh, will but bring me back, unto Jerusalem, then will I serve Yahweh,

9 dixitque ei rex vade in pace et surrexit et abiit in Hebron

And the king said unto him—Go and prosper! So he arose and went to Hebron.

10 misit autem Absalom exploratores in universas tribus Israhel dicens statim ut audieritis clangorem bucinae dicite regnavit Absalom in Hebron

And Absolom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, —When ye hear the sound of the horn, then shall ye say, Absolom hath become king in Hebron!

11 porro cum Absalom ierunt ducenti viri de Hierusalem vocati euntes simplici corde et causam penitus ignorantes

And, with Absolom, went two hundred men, out of Jerusalem, who, having been bidden, were going in their simplicity, —neither knew they anything.

12 accersivit quoque Absalom Ahitofel Gilonitem consiliarium David de civitate sua Gilo cum immolaret victimas et facta est coniuratio valida populusque concurrens augebatur cum Absalom

And Absalom sent and called Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, out of his city, out of Gilo, when he was offering sacrifices, —and so it was that the conspiracy was strong, and, the people, went on multiplying with Absolom.

13 venit igitur nuntius ad David dicens toto corde universus Israhel sequitur Absalom

Then came one bearing tidings unto David, saying, —It hath come about, that the heart of the men of Israel goeth after Absolom.

14 et ait David servis suis qui erant cum eo in Hierusalem surgite fugiamus neque enim erit nobis effugium a facie Absalom festinate egredi ne forte veniens occupet nos et inpellat super nos ruinam et percutiat civitatem in ore gladii

Then said David, to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem—Arise and let us flee, or we shall have no way of escape from the face of Absolom, —make speed to depart, lest he make speed, and so overtake us, and bring down misfortune upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

15 dixeruntque servi regis ad eum omnia quaecumque praeceperit dominus noster rex libenter exsequimur servi tui

And the king’s servants said unto the king, —According to all that my lord the king shall choose, here are thy servants.

16 egressus est ergo rex et universa domus eius pedibus suis et dereliquit rex decem mulieres concubinas ad custodiendam domum

So the king went forth, with all his household attending him, —but the king left ten women who were concubines, to keep the house.

17 egressusque rex et omnis Israhel pedibus suis stetit procul a domo

Thus then the king went forth, with all the people attending him, —and they came to a stand at a place that was far off.

18 et universi servi eius ambulabant iuxta eum et legiones Cherethi et Felethi et omnes Getthei sescenti viri qui secuti eum fuerant de Geth praecedebant regem

And, all his servants, were passing on beside him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, —and, all the Gittites—six hundred men, who had accompanied him from Gath, —were passing on before the king.

19 dixit autem rex ad Ethai Gettheum cur venis nobiscum revertere et habita cum rege quia peregrinus es et egressus de loco tuo

Then said the king, unto Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore shouldest, thou also, go with us? return and abide with the king, for, a stranger, art thou, moreover also, an exile, art thou from thine own country.

20 heri venisti et hodie inpelleris nobiscum egredi ego autem vadam quo iturus sum revertere et reduc tecum fratres tuos ostendisti gratiam et fidem

Only yesterday, camest thou, and, today, shall I let thee wander with us, on our journey, seeing that, I, am going, whithersoever I may? Return and take back thy brethren with thee, and may Yahweh deal with thee in lovingkindness 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, and said, —By the life of Yahweh, and by the life of my lord the king, surely, in whatsoever place, my lord the king, may be, whether for death or for life, there will, thy servant, be.

22 et ait David Ethai veni et transi et transivit Ethai Gettheus et omnes viri qui cum eo erant et reliqua multitudo

Then said David unto Ittai—Go, and pass on. So Ittai the Gittite passed on, with all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.

23 omnesque flebant voce magna et universus populus transiebat rex quoque transgrediebatur torrentem Cedron et cunctus populus incedebat contra viam quae respicit ad desertum

And, fall the land, was weeping, with a loud voice, and, all the people, were passing on, —the king also, was passing on, through the torrent-bed of Kidron, and all the people were passing on over the face of the way leading to the wilderness.

24 venit autem et Sadoc et universi Levitae cum eo portantes arcam foederis Dei et deposuerunt arcam Dei et ascendit Abiathar donec expletus est omnis populus qui egressus fuerat de civitate

And lo! Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, were bearing the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up, until all the people had made an end of passing over out of 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 said the king unto Zadok, Take back the ark of God into the city, —if I find favour in the eyes of Yahweh, then will he bring me back, and let me see both him and his habitation,

26 si autem dixerit non places praesto sum faciat quod bonum est coram se

but, if thus, he say, I have no delight in thee, here I am, let him do unto me as may be good in his eyes.

27 et dixit rex ad Sadoc sacerdotem o videns revertere in civitatem in pace et Achimaas filius tuus et Ionathan filius Abiathar duo filii vestri sint vobiscum

And the king said, unto Zadok the priest, Art thou not, a seer? return into the city, in peace, —and Ahimaaz thine own son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar—your two sons, with you.

28 ecce ego abscondar in campestribus deserti donec veniat sermo a vobis indicans mihi

See! I, am tarrying in the waste plains of the wilderness—until there come word from you, to tell me.

29 reportaverunt igitur Sadoc et Abiathar arcam Dei Hierusalem et manserunt ibi

So Zadok and Abiathar took back the ark of God to Jerusalem, —and abode there.

30 porro David ascendebat clivum Olivarum scandens et flens operto capite et nudis pedibus incedens sed et omnis populus qui erat cum eo operto capite ascendebat plorans

Now, David, was going up by the ascent of Olivet, weeping as he went up, with his head covered, himself, passing on barefoot, —and all the people who were with him, covered every man his head, and went up, weeping as they went.

31 nuntiatum est autem David quod et Ahitofel esset in coniuratione cum Absalom dixitque David infatua quaeso consilium Ahitofel Domine

And, unto David, it was told, saying, Ahithophel, is among the conspirators with Absolom. And David said, Turn to foolishness, I pray thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh.

32 cumque ascenderet David summitatem montis in quo adoraturus erat Dominum ecce occurrit ei Husai Arachites scissa veste et terra pleno capite

And it came to pass, when David reached the summit, where he bowed himself down unto God, that lo! there met him, Hushai the Archite, his tunic rent, and earth upon his head.

33 et dixit ei David si veneris mecum eris mihi oneri

And David said unto him, —If thou pass over with me, then shalt thou become unto me, a burden;

34 si autem in civitatem revertaris et dixeris Absalom servus tuus sum rex sicut fui servus patris tui sic ero servus tuus dissipabis consilium Ahitofel

but, if, to the city, thou return, then canst thou say unto Absolom—Thy servant, I, O king, will be, as, the servant of thy father, I was formerly, so will I, now, be thy servant: thus shalt thou frustrate for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

35 habes autem tecum Sadoc et Abiathar sacerdotes et omne verbum quodcumque audieris de domo regis indicabis Sadoc et Abiathar sacerdotibus

And hast thou not, with thee, there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? so then it shall be, that, what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the house of the king, thou shalt tell to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests.

36 sunt autem cum eis duo filii eorum Achimaas Sadoc et Ionathan Abiathar et mittetis per eos ad me omne verbum quod audieritis

Lo! they have there with them, their two sons, Ahimaaz for Zadok, and Jonathan for Abiathar, —so shall ye send, by their hand, unto me, everything which ye shall hear.

37 veniente ergo Husai amico David in civitatem Absalom quoque ingressus est Hierusalem

So Hushai, David’s friend, went into the city, —when, Absolom, was about to enter Jerusalem.