Liber II Samuelis, 14

1. Intellegens autem Ioab filius Sarviae quod cor regis ver sum esset ad Absalom,

1. Now Jo'ab the son of Zeru'iah perceived that the king's heart went out to Ab'salom.

2. misit Thecuam et tulit inde mulierem sapientem dixitque ad eam: “Lugere te simula et induere veste lugubri et ne ungaris oleo, ut sis quasi mulier plurimo iam tempore lugens mortuum.

2. And Jo'ab sent to Teko'a, and fetched from there a wise woman, and said to her, "Pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments; do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead;

3. Et ingredieris ad regem et loqueris ad eum sermones huiuscemodi”. Posuit autem Ioab verba in ore eius.

3. and go to the king, and speak thus to him." So Jo'ab put the words in her mouth.

4. Itaque, cum ingressa fuisset mulier Thecuites ad regem, cecidit coram eo super terram et adoravit et dixit: “Serva me, rex”.

4. When the woman of Teko'a came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, "Help, O king."

5. Et ait ad eam rex: “Quid causae habes?”. Quae respondit: “Heu, mulier vidua ego sum: mortuus est vir meus.

5. And the king said to her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.

6. Et ancillae tuae erant duo filii, qui rixati sunt adversum se in agro, nullusque erat, qui eos interveniens prohibere posset; et percussit alter alterum et interfecit eum.

6. And your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field; there was no one to part them, and 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 exstinguere scintillam meam, quae relicta est, ut non supersit viro meo nomen et reliquiae super terram”.

7. And now the whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, `Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew'; and so they would destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the face of the earth."

8. Et ait rex ad mulierem: “Vade in domum tuam, et ego iubebo de te”.

8. Then the king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning 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”.

9. And the woman of Teko'a said to the king, "On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless."

10. Et ait rex: “Qui contradixerit tibi, adduc eum ad me, et ultra non addet ut tangat te”.

10. The king said, "If any one says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again."

11. Quae ait: “Recordetur rex Domini Dei sui, ut non augeat ultor sanguinis perniciem, et nequaquam interficiant filium meum”. Qui ait: “Vivit Dominus, quia non cadet de capillis filii tui super terram”.

11. Then she said, "Pray let the king invoke the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood slay no more, and my son be not destroyed." He said, "As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground."

12. Dixit ergo mulier: “Loquatur ancilla tua ad dominum meum regem verbum”. Et ait: “Loquere”.

12. Then the woman said, "Pray let your handmaid speak a word to my lord the king." He said, "Speak."

13. Dixitque mulier: “Quare cogitasti istiusmodi rem contra populum Dei? Eo enim quod rex locutus est verbum istud, hoc est quasi delictum, quia rex noluit reducere eiectum suum.

13. And the woman said, "Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again.

14. Omnes morimur et quasi aquae sumus, quae delabuntur in terram, quae non colliguntur; nec tamen vult perire Deus animam, sed retractat cogitans, ne penitus pereat, qui abiectus est.

14. We must all die, we are like water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; but God will not take away the life of him who devises means not to keep his banished one an outcast.

15. Nunc igitur veni, ut loquar ad regem dominum meum verbum hoc, quia populus terruit me. Et dixit ancilla tua: Loquar ad regem, si quo modo faciat rex verbum ancillae suae.

15. Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid; and your handmaid thought, `I will speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.

16. Nam audiet rex, ut liberet ancillam suam de manu illius, qui vult delere me et filium meum simul de hereditate Dei.

16. For the king will hear, and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the heritage of God.'

17. Dixit ergo ancilla tua: Fiat verbum domini mei regis mihi in quietem. Sicut enim angelus Dei, sic est dominus meus rex, ut audiat et discernat bonum et malum. Et Dominus Deus tuus sit tecum!”.

17. And your handmaid thought, `The word of my lord the king will set me at rest'; for my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The LORD your God be with you!"

18. Et respondens rex dixit ad mulierem: “Ne abscondas a me verbum, quod te interrogo”. Dixitque mulier: “Loquatur dominus meus rex”.

18. Then the king answered the woman, "Do not hide from me anything I ask you." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king 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 potest deviari ab 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;

19. The king said, "Is the hand of Jo'ab with you in all this?" The woman answered and said, "As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. It was your servant Jo'ab who bade me; it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid.

20. ut verterem figuram rei huius, servus tuus Ioab fecit istud. Tu autem, domine mi, sapiens es, sicut habet sapientiam angelus Dei, ut intellegas omnia, quae fiunt super terram”.

20. In order to change the course of affairs your servant Jo'ab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth."

21. Et ait rex ad Ioab: “Ecce hoc facio; vade igitur et revoca puerum Absalom”.

21. Then the king said to Jo'ab, "Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Ab'salom."

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”.

22. And Jo'ab fell on his face to the ground, and did obeisance, and blessed the king; and Jo'ab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant."

23. Surrexit ergo Ioab et abiit in Gesur et adduxit Absalom in Ierusalem.

23. So Jo'ab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Ab'salom 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.

24. And the king said, "Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence." So Ab'salom dwelt apart in his own house, and did not come into the king's presence.

25. Porro sicut Absalom vir non erat pulcher in omni Israel, qui valde laudaretur, a vestigio pedis usque ad verticem non erat in eo ulla macula.

25. Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his beauty as Ab'salom; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

26. Et quando tondebatur capillus — semel autem in anno tondebatur, quia gravabat eum caesaries — ponderabat capillos capitis sui ducentis siclis pondere regio.

26. And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king's weight.

27. Nati sunt autem Absalom filii tres et filia una, nomine Thamar, eleganti forma.

27. There were born to Ab'salom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.

28. Mansitque Absalom Ierusalem duobus annis et faciem regis non vidit.

28. So Ab'salom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king's presence.

29. Misit itaque ad Ioab, ut mitteret eum ad regem; qui noluit venire ad eum. Cumque secundo misisset, et ille noluisset venire,

29. Then Ab'salom sent for Jo'ab, to send him to the king; but Jo'ab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Jo'ab would not come.

30. dixit servis suis: “Videte agrum Ioab iuxta agrum meum habentem messem hordei; ite igitur et succendite eum igni”. Succenderunt ergo servi Absalom segetem igni. Et venientes servi Ioab, scissis vestibus suis, dixerunt: “Succenderunt servi Absalom agrum igni!”.

30. Then he said to his servants, "See, Jo'ab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire." So Ab'salom'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?”.

31. Then Jo'ab arose and went to Ab'salom 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 Gesur? Melius mihi erat adhuc ibi esse”. Obsecro ergo, ut videam faciem regis; quod si est in me iniquitas, interficiat me”.

32. Ab'salom answered Jo'ab, "Behold, I sent word to you, `Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still." Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king; and if there is guilt in me, let him kill me.'"

33. Ingressus Ioab ad regem nuntiavit ei. Vocatusque Absalom intravit ad regem et adoravit super faciem in terra coram eo; osculatusque est rex Absalom.

33. Then Jo'ab went to the king, and told him; and he summoned Ab'salom. So he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Ab'salom.