2 Samuel 14

1 Joab, hijo de Sarvia, se dio cuenta de que el corazón del rey estaba inclinado hacia Absalón.

Joab realized that the king yearned [IDM] to see Absalom.

2 Joab envió a Tecoa y trajo de allí a una mujer sabia, y le dijo: “Por favor, actúa como una mujer de luto, y ponte ropa de luto, por favor, y no te unjas con aceite, sino sé como una mujer que ha llorado mucho tiempo a un muerto.

So Joab sent someone to Tekoa [town] to bring back a woman who was very clever. [When she arrived, ] Joab said to her, “Pretend that you are grieving because someone has died. Put on clothes that show that you are mourning. Do not put any lotion/ointment on your body. Act as if you are a woman who has been mourning for a long time.

3 Entra al rey y háblale así”. Entonces Joab puso las palabras en su boca.

And go to the king, and tell him what I tell you to say.” Then Joab told her what to say [MTY] [to the king].

4 Cuando la mujer de Tecoa se dirigió al rey, se postró en el suelo, mostró respeto y dijo: “¡Ayuda, oh rey!”

So the woman from Tekoa went to the king. She prostrated herself in front of him and then bowed down to him, and said, “Your Majesty, help me!”

5 El rey le dijo: “¿Qué te pasa?” Ella respondió: “Verdaderamente soy viuda, y mi marido ha muerto.

The king replied, “What is your problem?” She replied, “Please, sir, I am a widow. My husband died [some time ago].

6 Tu siervo tenía dos hijos, y ambos peleaban juntos en el campo, y no había quien los separara, pero el uno hirió al otro y lo mató.

I had two sons. But one day they quarreled with each other out in the fields. There was no one to separate them, and one of them struck the other one and killed him.

7 He aquí que toda la familia se ha levantado contra tu siervo, y dicen: “Entrega al que hirió a su hermano, para que lo matemos por la vida de su hermano al que mató, y así destruir también al heredero. Así apagarían mi carbón que queda, y no dejarían a mi marido ni nombre ni resto en la superficie de la tierra.”

Now, all my family oppose me. They are insisting that I allow them to kill my son who is still alive [MTY], in order that they may get revenge for his killing his brother. But if they do that, I will not have any son to inherit [my husband’s possessions]. That would be like [MET] extinguishing the last coals of a fire, and my husband would not have a son to preserve our family’s name. [DOU]”

8 El rey dijo a la mujer: “Vete a tu casa, y yo daré una orden sobre ti”.

Then the king said to the woman, “Go back home; I will take care of this matter for you.”

9 La mujer de Tecoa dijo al rey: “Rey, señor mío, que la iniquidad caiga sobre mí y sobre la casa de mi padre, y que el rey y su trono queden libres de culpa.”

The woman from Tekoa replied to the king, “Your Majesty, if you are criticized [for helping me], my family and I will accept the blame. You and the royal family will (be innocent/not have done what is wrong).”

10 El rey dijo: “Quien te diga algo, tráemelo y no te molestará más”.

The king said to her, “If anyone says anything [to threaten you/cause you trouble] you, bring that person to me, and [I will make sure that] he will never cause you trouble again.”

11 Entonces ella dijo: “Por favor, que el rey se acuerde de Yahvé, tu Dios, para que el vengador de la sangre no destruya más, para que no destruyan a mi hijo”. Dijo: “Vive Yahvé, que ni un pelo de tu hijo caerá a la tierra”.

Then the woman said, “Your Majesty, please pray that Yahweh your God will not allow my relative, who [wants to get] revenge on my son for killing [MTY] his brother, to be able to do that.” David replied, “As surely as Yahweh lives, your son will not be harmed at all. [IDM]”

12 Entonces la mujer dijo: “Por favor, deja que tu siervo hable una palabra a mi señor el rey”. Dijo: “Diga”.

Then the woman said, “Your Majesty, please allow me to say one more thing to you.” He replied, “Speak!”

13 La mujer dijo: “¿Por qué, pues, has ideado tal cosa contra el pueblo de Dios? Porque al decir esta palabra el rey es como uno que es culpable, ya que el rey no hace volver a casa a su desterrado.

The woman said, “Why have you done this bad thing to God’s people? You have not allowed your son Absalom to return home. By saying what you have just said, you have certainly declared [RHQ] that what you have done is wrong.

14 Porque es necesario que muramos, y somos como el agua derramada en la tierra, que no puede volver a recogerse; y Dios no quita la vida, sino que inventa medios para que el desterrado no sea desterrado de él.

We all die; we are like [SIM] water that cannot be picked up after it is spilled on the ground. But God does not just cause us to die; he creates ways to bring us back when we become separated from him.

15 Ahora, pues, viendo que he venido a decir esta palabra a mi señor el rey, es porque el pueblo me ha hecho temer. Tu siervo dijo: ‘Ahora hablaré al rey; puede ser que el rey cumpla la petición de su siervo’.

“Now, Your Majesty, I have come to you because others have threatened me. So I said to myself, ‘I will go and talk to the king, and perhaps he will do what I request him to do.

16 Porque el rey escuchará, para librar a su siervo de la mano del hombre que quiere destruirnos a mí y a mi hijo juntos de la herencia de Dios.

Perhaps he will listen to me, and save me from the man who is trying to kill my son. If my son is killed, it would result in us disappearing from the land that God gave to us.’

17 Entonces su siervo dijo: ‘Por favor, que la palabra de mi señor el rey traiga descanso; porque como un ángel de Dios, así es mi señor el rey para discernir lo bueno y lo malo. Que Yahvé, tu Dios, esté contigo’”.

“And I thought, ‘What the king says will comfort/encourage me, because the king is like [SIM] an angel of God. He knows what is good and what is evil.’ I pray/desire that Yahweh our God will (be with/direct) you.”

18 El rey respondió a la mujer: “Por favor, no me ocultes nada de lo que te pido”. La mujer dijo: “Que hable ahora mi señor el rey”.

Then the king said to the woman, “I will now ask you a question. Answer it, and tell me the truth. [LIT]” The woman replied, “Your majesty, ask your question.”

19 El rey dijo: “¿Está la mano de Joab contigo en todo esto?” La mujer respondió: “Vive tu alma, mi señor el rey, que nadie puede volverse a la derecha o a la izquierda de nada de lo que mi señor el rey ha dicho; porque tu siervo Joab me urgió, y puso todas estas palabras en boca de tu siervo.

The king said, “Was Joab the one who told you to do this?” She replied, “Yes, Your Majesty, as surely as you live, I cannot avoid telling you what is true. Yes, indeed, it was Joab who told me to come here, and who told me what to say.

20 Tu siervo Joab ha hecho esto para cambiar la cara del asunto. Mi señor es sabio, según la sabiduría de un ángel de Dios, para conocer todas las cosas que hay en la tierra.”

He did it in order to cause you to think differently about this matter. Your Majesty, you are as wise as God’s angels, and [it seems that] you know everything [that happens] on the earth, [so you know why Joab sent me here].”

21 El rey dijo a Joab: “Mira ahora, he concedido esto. Ve, pues, y haz volver al joven Absalón”.

Then the king [summoned] Joab [and] said to him, “Listen! I have decided to do [what you want]. So go and get that young man Absalom and bring him back [to Jerusalem].”

22 Joab se postró en el suelo sobre su rostro, mostró respeto y bendijo al rey. Joab dijo: “Hoy sabe tu siervo que he hallado gracia ante tus ojos, mi señor, oh rey, pues el rey ha cumplido la petición de su siervo”.

Joab prostrated himself on the ground, and then he bowed down before the king, and [asked God to] bless him. Then Joab said, “Your Majesty, today I know that you are pleased with me, because you have agreed to do what I requested.”

23 Entonces Joab se levantó y fue a Gesur, y trajo a Absalón a Jerusalén.

Then Joab got up and went to Geshur, and got Absalom and brought him back to Jerusalem.

24 El rey dijo: “Que vuelva a su casa, pero que no vea mi rostro”. Así que Absalón volvió a su casa y no vio el rostro del rey.

But the king said/commanded that Absalom would not be permitted to live in the palace. He said, “I do not want him to come to see me.” So Absalom lived in his own house, and did not go to [talk to] the king.

25 En todo Israel no había nadie que fuera tan alabado como Absalón por su belleza. Desde la planta de su pie hasta la coronilla de su cabeza no había en él ningún defecto.

Absalom was very handsome. He looked perfect, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. In all of Israel there was no one whom people admired more than Absalom.

26 Cuando se cortaba el pelo de la cabeza (ahora era al final de cada año que se lo cortaba; porque le pesaba, por eso se lo cortaba), pesaba el pelo de su cabeza en doscientos siclos, según el peso del rey.

His hair was very thick, and he cut it only once each year, when it became too heavy for him. Using the standard weights, he would weigh the hair [that he cut off], and it always weighed about five pounds.

27 A Absalón le nacieron tres hijos y una hija que se llamaba Tamar. Era una mujer de rostro hermoso.

Absalom had three sons and one daughter named Tamar. She was a very beautiful woman.

28 Absalón vivió dos años enteros en Jerusalén, y no vio el rostro del rey.

[After] Absalom [returned to] Jerusalem, he lived there two years, and during that time he never [was allowed to] see the king.

29 Entonces Absalón mandó llamar a Joab para que lo enviara al rey, pero éste no quiso acudir a él. Volvió a enviar por segunda vez, pero no quiso venir.

So he sent [a messenger] to Joab to ask him to come [and talk to him], but Joab refused to come. So Absalom sent [a message to him] a second time, but he still would not come.

30 Entonces dijo a sus siervos: “He aquí que el campo de Joab está cerca del mío, y tiene allí cebada. Vayan y préndanle fuego”. Así que los siervos de Absalón prendieron fuego al campo.

Then Absalom said to his servants, “You know that Joab’s field is next to mine, and that he has barley [growing] there. Go and light a fire there [to burn his barley].” So Absalom’s servants [went there and] lit a fire, [and all his barley burned].

31 Entonces Joab se levantó y vino a Absalón a su casa y le dijo: “¿Por qué tus siervos han incendiado mi campo?”

Joab [knew who had done it, so he] went to Absalom’s house and said to him, “Why have your servants burned [the barley in] my field?”

32 Absalón respondió a Joab: “He aquí que yo te envié a decir: “Ven aquí, para que te envíe al rey a decir: “¿Por qué he venido de Guesur? Sería mejor para mí estar todavía allí. Ahora, pues, déjame ver la cara del rey; y si hay iniquidad en mí, que me mate””.

Absalom replied, “Because [you did not come to me when] I sent messages to you [requesting that you come]. I wanted to request that you go to the king to say to him, ‘Absalom (wants to know what good it did/says that is was useless) [RHQ] for him [RHQ] to leave Geshur and come here. [He thinks that] it would have been better for him to have stayed there. [He wants you to] allow him to talk to you. And if you think that he has done something that is wrong, you can [command that] he be executed.’”

33 Entonces Joab vino al rey y se lo comunicó; y cuando llamó a Absalón, éste vino al rey y se postró en tierra ante el rey; y el rey besó a Absalón.

So Joab went to the king, and told him [what Absalom had said]. Then the king [summoned Absalom], and he came to the king and knelt down in front of him with his face touching the ground. Then the king kissed Absalom [to show that he was pleased to see him].