Liber I Regum, 2

1. adpropinquaverant autem dies David ut moreretur præcepitque Salomoni filio suo dicens

1. And the days of David drew nigh that he should die, and he charged his son Solomon, saying:

2. ego ingredior viam universæ terræ confortare et esto vir

2. I am going the way of all flesh: take thou courage, and shew thyself a man.

3. et observa custodias Domini Dei tui ut ambules in viis ejus et custodias cærimonias ejus et præcepta ejus et judicia et testimonia sicut scriptum est in lege Mosi ut intellegas universa quæ facis et quocumque te verteris

3. And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and observe his ceremonies, and his precepts, and judgments, and testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses: that thou mayest understand all thou dost, and whithersoever thou shalt turn thyself :

4. ut confirmet Dominus sermones suos quos locutus est de me dicens si custodierint filii tui viam suam et ambulaverint coram me in veritate in omni corde suo et in omni anima sua non auferetur tibi vir de solio Israël

4. That the Lord may confirm his words, which he hath spoken of me, saying: If thy children shall take heed to their ways, and shall walk before me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, there shall not be taken away from thee a man on the throne of Israel.

5. tu quoque nosti quæ fecerit mihi Joab filius Sarviæ quæ fecerit duobus principibus exercitus Israël Abner filio Ner et Amasa filio Jether quos occidit et effudit sanguinem belli in pace et posuit cruorem prœlii in balteo suo qui erat circa lumbos ejus et in calciamento suo quod erat in pedibus ejus

5. Thou knowest also what Joab the son of Sarvia hath done to me, what he did to the two captains of the army of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether: whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war on his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.

6. facies ergo juxta sapientiam tuam et non deduces canitiem ejus pacifice ad inferos

6. Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoary head go down to hell in peace.

7. sed et filiis Berzellai Galaaditis reddes gratiam eruntque comedentes in mensa tua occurrerunt enim mihi quando fugiebam a facie Absalom fratris tui

7. But shew kindness to the sons of Berzellai the Galaadite, and let them eat at thy table: t for they met me when I fled from the face of Absalom thy brother.

8. habes quoque apud te Semei filium Gera filii Jemini de Baurim qui maledixit mihi maledictione pessima quando ibam ad Castra sed quia descendit mihi in occursum cum transirem Jordanem et juravi ei per Dominum dicens non te interficiam gladio

8. Thou hast also with thee Semei the son of Gera the son of Jemini of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse, when I went to the camp: but because he came down to meet me when I passed over the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying: I will not kill thee with a sword:

9. tu noli pati esse eum innoxium vir autem sapiens es et scies quæ facias ei deducesque canos ejus cum sanguine ad infernum

9. Do not thou hold him guiltless. But thou art a wise man, and knowest what to do with him, and thou shalt bring down his grey hairs with blood to hell.

10. dormivit igitur David cum patribus suis et sepultus est in civitate David

10. So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

11. dies autem quibus regnavit David super Israël quadraginta anni sunt in Hebron regnavit septem annis in Hierusalem triginta tribus

11. And the days that David reigned in Israel, were forty gears: in Hebron he reigned seven years, in Jerusalem thirty-three.

12. Salomon autem sedit super thronum David patris sui et firmatum est regnum ejus nimis

12. And Solomon sat upon the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was strengthened exceedingly.

13. et ingressus est Adonias filius Aggith ad Bethsabee matrem Salomonis quæ dixit ei pacificusne ingressus tuus qui respondit pacificus

13. And Adonias the son of Haggith came to Bethsabee the mother of Solomon. And she said to him: Is thy coming peaceable? he answered: Peaceable.

14. addiditque sermo mihi est ad te cui ait loquere et ille

14. And he added: I have a word to speak with thee. She said to him: Speak. And he said:

15. tu inquit nosti quia meum erat regnum et me proposuerat omnis Israël sibi in regem sed translatum est regnum et factum est fratris mei a Domino enim constitutum est ei

15. Thou knowest that the kingdom was nine, and all Israel had preferred me to be their king: but the kingdom is transferred, and is become my brother's: for it was appointed him by the Lord.

16. nunc ergo petitionem unam deprecor a te ne confundas faciem meam quæ dixit ad eum loquere

16. Now therefore I ask one petition of thee: turn not away my face. And she said to him: Say on.

17. et ille ait precor ut dicas Salomoni regi neque enim negare tibi quicquam potest ut det mihi Abisag Sunamitin uxorem

17. And he said: I pray thee speak to king Solomon (for he cannot deny thee any thing) to give me Abisag the Sunamitess to wife.

18. et ait Bethsabee bene ego loquar pro te regi

18. And Bethsabee said: Well, I will speak for thee to the king.

19. venit ergo Bethsabee ad regem Salomonem ut loqueretur ei pro Adonia et surrexit rex in occursum ejus adoravitque eam et sedit super thronum suum positus quoque est thronus matri regis quæ sedit ad dexteram ejus

19. Then Bethsabee came to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonias: and the king arose to meet her, and bowed to her, and sat down upon his throne: and a throne was set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand.

20. dixitque ei petitionem unam parvulam ego deprecor a te ne confundas faciem meam dixit ei rex pete mater mi neque enim fas est ut avertam faciem tuam

20. And she said to him: I desire one small petition of thee, do not put me to confusion. And the king said to her: My mother, ask: for I must not turn away thy face.

21. quæ ait detur Abisag Sunamitis Adoniæ fratri tuo uxor

21. And she said: Let Abisag the Sunamitess be given to Adonias thy brother to wife.

22. responditque rex Salomon et dixit matri suæ quare postulas Abisag Sunamitin Adoniæ postula ei et regnum ipse est enim frater meus major me et habet Abiathar sacerdotem et Joab filium Sarviæ

22. And king Solomon answered, and said to his mother: Why dost thou ask Abisag the Sunamitess for Adonias? ask for him also the kingdom: for he is my elder brother, and hath Abiathar the priest, and Joab the son of Sarvia.

23. juravit itaque rex Salomon per Dominum dicens hæc faciat mihi Deus et hæc addat quia contra animam suam locutus est Adonias verbum hoc

23. Then king Solomon swore by the Lord, saying: So and so may God do to me, and add more, if Adonias hath not spoken this word against his own life.

24. et nunc vivit Dominus qui firmavit me et conlocavit super solium David patris mei et qui fecit mihi domum sicut locutus est quia hodie occidetur Adonias

24. And now as the Lord liveth, who hath established me, and placed me upon the throne of David my father, and who hath made me a house, as he promised, Adonias shall be put to death this day.

25. misitque rex Salomon per manum Banajæ filii Jojadæ qui interfecit eum et mortuus est

25. And king Solomon sent by the hand of Banaias the son of Joiada, who slew him, and he died.

26. Abiathar quoque sacerdoti dixit rex vade in Anathot ad agrum tuum es quidem vir mortis sed hodie te non interficiam quia portasti arcam Domini Dei coram David patre meo et sustinuisti laborem in omnibus in quibus laboravit pater meus

26. And the king said also to Abiathar the priest: Go to Anathoth to thy lands, for indeed thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst carry the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and hast endured trouble in all the troubles my father endured.

27. ejecit ergo Salomon Abiathar ut non esset sacerdos Domini ut impleretur sermo Domini quem locutus est super domum Heli in Silo

27. So Solomon cast out Abiathar, from being the priest of the Lord, that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he spoke concerning the house of Deli in Silo.

28. venit autem nuntius ad Joab quod Joab declinasset post Adoniam et post Absalom non declinasset fugit ergo Joab in tabernaculum Domini et adprehendit cornu altaris

28. And the news came to Joab, because Joab had turned after Adonias, and had not turned after Solomon: and Joab fled into the tabernacle of the Lord and laid hold on the horn of the altar.

29. nuntiatumque est regi Salomoni quod fugisset Joab in tabernaculum Domini et esset juxta altare misitque Salomon Banajam filium Jojadæ dicens vade interfice eum

29. And it was told king Solomon, that Joab was fled into the tabernacle of the Lord, and was by the altar: and Solomon sent Banaias the son of Joiada, saying: Go, kill him.

30. venit Banajas ad tabernaculum Domini et dixit ei hæc dicit rex egredere qui ait non egrediar sed hic moriar renuntiavit Banajas regi sermonem dicens hæc locutus est Joab et hæc respondit mihi

30. And Banaias came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him: Thus saith the king: Come forth. And he said: I will not come forth, but here I will die. Banaias brought word back to the king, saying: Thus saith Joab, and thus he answered me.

31. dixitque ei rex fac sicut locutus est et interfice eum et sepeli et amovebis sanguinem innocentem qui effusus est a Joab a me et a domo patris mei

31. And the king said to him: Do as he hath said: and kill him, and bury him, and thou shalt remove the innocent blood which hath been shed by Joab, from me, and from the house of my father.

32. et reddat Dominus sanguinem ejus super caput ejus quia interfecit duos viros justos melioresque se et occidit eos gladio patre meo David ignorante Abner filium Ner principem militiæ Israël et Amasa filium Jether principem exercitus Juda

32. And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, because he murdered two men, just and better than himself: and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing it, Abner the son of Ner, general of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, general of the army of Juda.

33. et revertetur sanguis illorum in caput Joab et in caput seminis ejus in sempiternum David autem et semini ejus et domui et throno illius sit pax usque in æternum a Domino

33. And their blood shall return the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever. But to David and his seed and his house, and to his throne be peace for ever from the Lord.

34. ascendit itaque Banajas filius Jojadæ et adgressus eum interfecit sepultusque est in domo sua in deserto

34. So Banaias the son of Joiada went up, and setting upon him slew him, and he was buried in his house in the desert.

35. et constituit rex Banajam filium Jojadæ pro eo super exercitum et Sadoc sacerdotem posuit pro Abiathar

35. And the king appointed Banaias the son of Joiada in his room over the army, and Sadoc the priest he put in the place of Abiathar.

36. misit quoque rex et vocavit Semei dixitque ei ædifica tibi domum in Hierusalem et habita ibi et non egredieris inde huc atque illuc

36. The king also sent, and called for Semei, and said to him: Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there: and go not out from thence any whither.

37. quacumque autem die egressus fueris et transieris torrentem Cedron scito te interficiendum sanguis tuus erit super caput tuum

37. For on what day soever thou shalt go out, and shalt pass over the brook Cedron, know that thou shalt be put to death: thy blood shall be upon thy own head:

38. dixitque Semei regi bonus sermo sicut locutus est dominus meus rex sic faciet servus tuus habitavit itaque Semei in Hierusalem diebus multis

38. And Semei said to the king: The saying is good : as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Semei dwelt in Jerusalem, many days.

39. factum est autem post annos tres ut fugerent servi Semei ad Achis filium Maacha regem Geth nuntiatumque est Semei quod servi ejus essent in Geth

39. And it came to pass after three years, that the servants of Semei ran away to Achis the son of Maacha the king of Geth: and it was told Semei that his servants were gone to Geth.

40. et surrexit Semei et stravit asinum suum ivitque in Geth ad Achis ad requirendos servos suos et adduxit eos de Geth

40. And Semei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Achis to Geth to seek his servants, and he brought them out of Geth.

41. nuntiatum est autem Salomoni quod isset Semei in Geth de Hierusalem et redisset

41. And it was told Solomon that Semei had gone from Jerusalem to Geth, and was come back.

42. et mittens vocavit eum dixitque illi nonne testificatus sum tibi per Dominum et prædixi tibi quacumque die egressus jeris huc et illuc scito te esse moriturum et respondisti mihi bonus sermo audivi

42. And sending he called for him, and said to him: Did I not protest to thee by the Lord, and tell thee before: On what day soever thou shalt go out and walk abroad any whither, know that thou shalt die? And thou answeredst me: The word that I have heard is good.

43. quare ergo non custodisti jusiurandum Domini et præceptum quod præceperam tibi

43. Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment that I laid upon thee?

44. dixitque rex ad Semei tu nosti omne malum cujus tibi conscium est cor tuum quod fecisti David patri meo reddidit Dominus malitiam tuam in caput tuum

44. And the king said to Semei: Thou knowest all the evil, of which thy heart is conscious, which thou didst to David my father: the Lord hath returned thy wickedness upon thy own head:

45. et rex Salomon benedictus et thronus David erit stabilis coram Domino usque in sempiternum

45. And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever.

46. jussit itaque rex Banajæ filio Jojadæ qui egressus percussit eum et mortuus est

46. So the king commanded Banaias the son of Joiada: and he went out and struck him, and he died.