Liber II Samuelis, 18

1. Igitur, recensito David populo suo, constituit super eum tribunos et centuriones.

1. Then David mustered the men who were with him, and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

2. Et divisit David populum in tres partes: tertiam partem sub manu Ioab et tertiam sub manu Abisai filii Sarviae fratris Ioab et tertiam in manu Ethai, qui erat de Geth. Dixitque rex ad populum: “Egrediar et ego vobiscum”.

2. And David sent forth the army, one third under the command of Jo'ab, one third under the command of Abi'shai the son of Zeru'iah, Jo'ab's brother, and one third under the command of It'tai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, "I myself will also go out with you."

3. Et respondit populus: “Non exibis. Sive enim fugerimus, non magnopere ad eos de nobis pertinebit; et si media pars ceciderit e nobis, non satis curabunt, sed tu unus pro decem milibus computaris. Melius est igitur, ut sis nobis ex urbe praesidio”.

3. But the men said, "You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore it is better that you send us help from the city."

4. Ad quos rex ait: “Quod vobis rectum videtur, hoc faciam”. Stetit ergo rex iuxta portam; egrediebaturque populus per turmas suas centeni et milleni.

4. The king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands.

5. Et praecepit rex Ioab et Abisai et Ethai dicens: “Leniter mihi agite cum puero Absalom”. Et omnis populus audiebat praecipientem regem cunctis principibus pro Absalom.

5. And the king ordered Jo'ab and Abi'shai and It'tai, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Ab'salom." And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Ab'salom.

6. Itaque egressus est populus in campum contra Israel, et factum est proelium in saltu Ephraim.

6. So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of E'phraim.

7. Et caesus est ibi populus Israel ab exercitu David; factaque est ibi plaga magna in die illa viginti milium hominum.

7. And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men.

8. Fuit autem ibi proelium dispersum super faciem omnis terrae; et multo plures erant, quos saltus consumpserat de populo, quam hi, quos voraverat gladius in die illa.

8. The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.

9. Accidit autem, ut occurreret Absalom servis David sedens mulo; cumque ingressus fuisset mulus subter condensam quercum et magnam, adhaesit caput eius quercui, et mansit suspensus inter caelum et terram; mulus, cui insederat, pertransivit.

9. And Ab'salom chanced to meet the servants of David. Ab'salom was riding upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.

10. Vidit autem hoc quispiam et nuntiavit Ioab dicens: “Vidi Absalom pendere de quercu”.

10. And a certain man saw it, and told Jo'ab, "Behold, I saw Ab'salom hanging in an oak."

11. Et ait Ioab viro, qui nuntiaverat ei: “Si vidisti, quare non confodisti eum in terra? Ego vero dedissem tibi decem argenti siclos et unum balteum”.

11. Jo'ab said to the man who told him, "What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a girdle."

12. Qui dixit ad Ioab: “Et si appenderes in manibus meis mille argenteos, nequaquam mitterem manum meam in filium regis. Audientibus enim nobis, praecepit rex tibi et Abisai et Ethai dicens: “Custodite, quisquis sit, puerum Absalom!”.

12. But the man said to Jo'ab, "Even if I felt in my hand the weight of a thousand pieces of silver, I would not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abi'shai and It'tai, `For my sake protect the young man Ab'salom.'

13. Sed et si fecissem contra animam meam infideliter, nequaquam hoc regem latere potuisset, et tu stares ex adverso”.

13. On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof."

14. Et ait Ioab: “Non ita praestolabor coram te”. Tulit ergo tres lanceas in manu sua et infixit eas in corde Absalom, cum adhuc palpitaret haerens in quercu;

14. Jo'ab said, "I will not waste time like this with you." And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Ab'salom, while he was still alive in the oak.

15. et cucurrerunt decem iuvenes armigeri Ioab et percutientes interfecerunt eum.

15. And ten young men, Jo'ab's armor-bearers, surrounded Ab'salom and struck him, and killed him.

16. Cecinit autem Ioab bucina, et destitit populus persequi fugientem Israel, quia Ioab retinuit populum.

16. Then Jo'ab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel; for Jo'ab restrained them.

17. Et tulerunt Absalom et proiecerunt eum in saltu in foveam grandem et erexerunt super eum acervum lapidum magnum nimis; omnis autem Israel fugit in tabernacula sua.

17. And they took Ab'salom, and threw him into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones; and all Israel fled every one to his own home.

18. Porro Absalom erexerat sibi, cum adhuc viveret, lapidem, qui est in valle Regis; dixerat enim: “Non habeo filium, qui memoriam servabit nominis mei”. Vocavitque titulum nomine suo, et appellatur Manus Absalom usque ad hanc diem.

18. Now Ab'salom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar which is in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance"; he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Ab'salom's monument to this day.

19. Achimaas autem filius Sadoc ait: “Curram et nuntiabo regi, quia iudicium fecerit ei Dominus de manu inimicorum eius”.

19. Then said Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok, "Let me run, and carry tidings to the king that the LORD has delivered him from the power of his enemies."

20. Ad quem Ioab dixit: “Non es vir boni nuntii in hac die, sed nuntiabis in alia; hodie enim non nuntiabis bona, eo quod filius regis est mortuus”.

20. And Jo'ab said to him, "You are not to carry tidings today; you may carry tidings another day, but today you shall carry no tidings, because the king's son is dead."

21. Et ait Ioab Aethiopi: “Vade et nuntia regi, quae vidisti”. Adoravit Aethiops Ioab et cucurrit.

21. Then Jo'ab said to the Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed before Jo'ab, and ran.

22. Rursus autem Achimaas filius Sadoc dixit ad Ioab: “Quidquid evenerit, etiam ego curram post Aethiopem!”. Dixitque Ioab: “Quid vis currere, fili mi? Non erit tibi merces pro bono nuntio”.

22. Then Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok said again to Jo'ab, "Come what may, let me also run after the Cushite." And Jo'ab said, "Why will you run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the tidings?"

23. Qui respondit: “Quidquid evenerit, curram”. Et ait ei: “Curre!”. Currens ergo Achimaas per viam regionis transivit Aethiopem.

23. "Come what may," he said, "I will run." So he said to him, "Run." Then Ahi'ma-az ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.

24. David autem sedebat inter duas portas; speculator vero, qui ierat in solarium portae super murum, elevans oculos vidit hominem currentem solum

24. Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone.

25. et exclamans indicavit regi. Dixitque rex: “Si solus est, bonus est nuntius in ore eius”. Properante autem illo et accedente propius,

25. And the watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, "If he is alone, there are tidings in his mouth." And he came apace, and drew near.

26. vidit speculator hominem alterum currentem, et clamavit speculator ad ianitorem: “Apparet mihi homo currens solus”. Dixitque rex: “Et iste bonus est nuntius”.

26. And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gate and said, "See, another man running alone!" The king said, "He also brings tidings."

27. Speculator autem: “Contemplor, ait, cursum prioris quasi cursum Achimaas filii Sadoc”. Et ait rex: “Vir bonus est et nuntium portans bonum venit”.

27. And the watchman said, "I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahi'ma-az the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man, and comes with good tidings."

28. Clamans autem Achimaas dixit ad regem: “Pax!”. Et adorans regem pronus in terram ait: “Benedictus Dominus Deus tuus, qui conclusit homines, qui levaverunt manus suas contra dominum meum regem!”.

28. Then Ahi'ma-az cried out to the king, "All is well." And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth, and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king."

29. Et ait rex: “Estne pax puero Absalom?”. Dixitque Achimaas: “Vidi tumultum magnum, cum mitteret Ioab servum regis et me servum tuum, sed nescio quid fuerit”.

29. And the king said, "Is it well with the young man Ab'salom?" Ahi'ma-az answered, "When Jo'ab sent your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was."

30. Ad quem rex: “Recede, ait, et sta illic”. Cumque ille recessisset et staret,

30. And the king said, "Turn aside, and stand here." So he turned aside, and stood still.

31. apparuit Aethiops et veniens ait: “Bonum apporto nuntium, domine mi rex; iudicavit enim pro te Dominus hodie salvans te de manu omnium, qui surrexerunt contra te”.

31. And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, "Good tidings for my lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the power of all who rose up against you."

32. Dixit autem rex ad Aethiopem: “Estne pax puero Absalom?”. Cui respondens Aethiops: “Fiant, inquit, sicut puer inimici domini mei regis et universi, qui consurrexerunt adversus eum in malum!”.

32. The king said to the Cushite, "Is it well with the young man Ab'salom?" And the Cushite answered, "May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be like that young man."

33.

33. And the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, "O my son Ab'salom, my son, my son Ab'salom! Would I had died instead of you, O Ab'salom, my son, my son!"