Ii Samuelis 16

1 Cumque David transisset paululum montis verticem, apparuit Siba puer Miphiboseth in occursum eius, cum duobus asinis, qui onerati erant ducentis panibus, et centum alligaturis uvæ passæ, et centum massis palatharum, et utre vini.

And when David had gone a little way past the top of the slope, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, came to him, with two asses on which were two hundred cakes of bread and a hundred stems of dry grapes and a hundred summer fruits and a skin of wine.

2 Et dixit rex Sibæ: Quid sibi volunt hæc? Responditque Siba: Asini, domesticis regis ut sedeant: panes et palathæ ad vescendum pueris tuis: vinum autem ut bibat siquis defecerit in deserto.

And David said to Ziba, What is your reason for this? And Ziba said, The asses are for the use of the king's people, and the bread and the fruit are food for the young men; and the wine is for drink for those who are overcome by weariness in the waste land.

3 Et ait rex: Ubi est filius domini tui? Responditque Siba regi: Remansit in Ierusalem, dicens: Hodie restituet mihi domus Israel regnum patris mei.

And the king said, And where is your master's son? And Ziba said, He is still at Jerusalem: for he said, Today Israel will give back to me the kingdom of my father.

4 Et ait rex Sibæ: Tua sint omnia quæ fuerunt Miphiboseth. Dixitque Siba: Oro ut inveniam gratiam coram te, domine mi rex.

Then the king said to Ziba, Truly everything which was Mephibosheth's is yours. And Ziba said, I give honour to my lord, may I have grace in your eyes, my lord, O king!

5 Venit ergo rex David usque Bahurim: et ecce egrediebatur inde vir de cognatione domus Saul, nomine Semei, filius Gera, procedebatque egrediens, et maledicebat,

And when King David came to Bahurim, a man of Saul's family named Shimei, the son of Gera, came out from there, calling curses after him.

6 mittebatque lapides contra David, et contra universos servos regis David: omnis autem populus, et universi bellatores a dextro, et a sinistro latere regis incedebant.

And he sent stones at David and at all the king's servants and at all the people and at all the men of war by his side, on the right hand and on the left.

7 Ita autem loquebatur Semei cum malediceret regi: Egredere, egredere vir sanguinum, et vir Belial.

And Shimei said, with curses, Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, you good-for-nothing:

8 Reddidit tibi Dominus universum sanguinem domus Saul: quoniam invasisti regnum pro eo, et dedit Dominus regnum in manu Absalom filii tui, et ecce premunt te mala tua, quoniam vir sanguinum es.

The Lord has sent punishment on you for all the blood of the family of Saul, whose kingdom you have taken; and the Lord has given the kingdom to Absalom, your son: now you yourself are taken in your evil, because you are a man of blood.

9 Dixit autem Abisai filius Sarviæ, regi: Quare maledicit canis hic mortuus domino meo regi? Vadam, et amputabo caput eius.

Then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said to the king, Is this dead dog to go on cursing my lord the king? let me go over and take off his head.

10 Et ait rex: Quid mihi et vobis est filii Sarviæ? Dimittite eum, ut maledicat: Dominus enim præcepit ei ut malediceret David: et quis est qui audeat dicere, quare sic fecerit?

And the king said, What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Let him go on cursing, for the Lord has said, Put a curse on David, and who then may say, Why have you done so?

11 Et ait rex Abisai, et universis servis suis: Ecce filius meus, qui egressus est de utero meo, quærit animam meam: quanto magis nunc filius Iemini? Dimittite eum ut maledicat iuxta præceptum Domini:

And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, You see how my son, the offspring of my body, has made designs against my life: how much more then may this Benjamite do so? Let him be, and let him go on cursing; for the Lord has given him orders.

12 si forte respiciat Dominus afflictionem meam, et reddat mihi Dominus bonum pro maledictione hac hodierna.

It may be that the Lord will take note of my wrongs, and give me back good in answer to his cursing of me today.

13 Ambulabat itaque David et socii eius per viam cum eo. Semei autem per iugum montis ex latere, contra illum gradiebatur, maledicens, et mittens lapides adversum eum, terramque spargens.

So David and his men went on their way: and Shimei went by the hillside parallel with them, cursing and sending stones and dust at him.

14 Venit itaque rex, et universus populus cum eo lassus, et refocillati sunt ibi.

And the king and his people came tired to Jordan, and took their rest there.

15 Absalom autem et omnis populus eius ingressi sunt Ierusalem, sed et Achitophel cum eo.

And Absalom and the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.

16 Cum autem venisset Chusai Arachites amicus David ad Absalom, locutus est ad eum: Salve rex, salve rex.

Then Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom and said, Long life to the king, long life to the king!

17 Ad quem Absalom: Hæc est, inquit, gratia tua ad amicum tuum? Quare non ivisti cum amico tuo?

And Absalom said, Is this your love for your friend? why did you not go with your friend?

18 Responditque Chusai ad Absalom: Nequaquam: quia illius ero, quem elegit Dominus, et omnis hic populus, et universus Israel, et cum eo manebo.

And Hushai said to Absalom, Not so; I am for that man whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel have taken as king, and I will take my place with him.

19 Sed ut et hoc inferam, cui ego serviturus sum? Nonne filio regis? Sicut parui patri tuo, ita parebo et tibi.

And more than this! where is my place as a servant? is it not before his son? as I have been your father's servant, so will I be yours.

20 Dixit autem Absalom ad Achitophel: Inite consilium quid agere debeamus.

Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give your opinion now, what are we to do?

21 Et ait Achitophel ad Absalom: Ingredere ad concubinas patris tui, quas dimisit ad custodiendam domum: ut cum audierit omnis Israel quod fœdaveris patrem tuum, roborentur tecum manus eorum.

And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father's women who are here looking after his house; then all Israel will have the news that you are hated by your father, and the hands of your supporters will be strong.

22 Tetenderunt ergo Absalom tabernaculum in solario, ingressusque est ad concubinas patris sui coram universo Israel.

So they put up the tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father's women before the eyes of all Israel.

23 Consilium autem Achitophel, quod dabat in diebus illis, quasi siquis consuleret Deum: sic erat omne consilium Achitophel, et cum esset cum David, et cum esset cum Absalom.

In those days the opinions of Ahithophel were valued as highly as if through him a man might get direction from God; so were they valued by David as much as by Absalom.