撒母耳记下 18
1 大卫数点跟随他的人，立千夫长、百夫长率领他们。
David counted the soldiers who were with him and appointed captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
2 大卫打发军兵出战，分为三队：一队在约押手下，一队在洗鲁雅的儿子、约押兄弟亚比筛手下，一队在迦特人以太手下。大卫对军兵说：“我必与你们一同出战。”
Then David sent out the army, one-third under the command of Joab, another third under the command of Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and still another third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the army, “I will certainly go out with you myself, too.”
3 军兵却说：“你不可出战。若是我们逃跑，敌人必不介意；我们阵亡一半，敌人也不介意。因为你一人强似我们万人，你不如在城里预备帮助我们。”
But the men said, “You must not go to battle, for if we flee away they will not care about us, or if half of us die they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us! Therefore it is better that you be ready to help us from the city.”
4 王向他们说：“你们以为怎样好，我就怎样行。”于是王站在城门旁，军兵或百或千地挨次出去了。
So the king answered them, “I will do whatever seems best to you.” The king stood by the city gate while all the army went out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 王嘱咐约押、亚比筛、以太说：“你们要为我的缘故宽待那少年人押沙龙。”王为押沙龙嘱咐众将的话，兵都听见了。
The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man, with Absalom.” All the people heard that the king had given the captains this command about Absalom.
6 兵就出到田野迎着以色列人，在以法莲树林里交战。
So the army went out into the countryside against Israel; the battle spread into the forest of Ephraim.
7 以色列人败在大卫的仆人面前；那日阵亡的甚多，共有二万人。
The army of Israel was defeated there before the soldiers of David; there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
8 因为在那里四面打仗，死于树林的比死于刀剑的更多。
The battle spread throughout the whole countryside, and more men were consumed by the forest than by the sword.
9 押沙龙偶然遇见大卫的仆人。押沙龙骑着骡子，从大橡树密枝底下经过，他的头发被树枝绕住，就悬挂起来，所骑的骡子便离他去了。
Absalom happened to meet some of David's soldiers. Absalom was riding his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak tree, and his head was caught up in the tree branches. He was left dangling between the ground and the sky while the mule he was riding kept going.
10 有个人看见，就告诉约押说：“我看见押沙龙挂在橡树上了。”
Someone saw this and told Joab, “Look, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11 约押对报信的人说：“你既看见他，为什么不将他打死落在地上呢？你若打死他，我就赏你十舍客勒银子，一条带子。”
Joab said to the man who told him about Absalom, “Look! You saw him! Why did you not strike him down to the ground? I would have given you ten silver shekels and a belt.”
12 那人对约押说：“我就是得你一千舍客勒银子，我也不敢伸手害王的儿子；因为我们听见王嘱咐你和亚比筛并以太说：‘你们要谨慎，不可害那少年人押沙龙。’
The man replied to Joab, “Even if I received a thousand silver shekels, still I would not have reached out my hand against the king's son, because we all heard the king command you, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, 'No one must touch the young man Absalom.'
13 我若妄为害了他的性命，就是你自己也必与我为敌（原来，无论何事都瞒不过王。）”
If I had risked my life by a falsehood (and there is nothing hidden from the king), you would have abandoned me.”
14 约押说：“我不能与你留连。”约押手拿三杆短枪，趁押沙龙在橡树上还活着，就刺透他的心。
Then Joab said, “I will not wait for you.” So Joab took three javelins in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was still alive and hanging from the oak.
15 给约押拿兵器的十个少年人围绕押沙龙，将他杀死。
Then ten young men who carried Joab's armor surrounded Absalom, attacked him, and killed him.
16 约押吹角，拦阻众人，他们就回来，不再追赶以色列人。
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the army returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held back the army.
17 他们将押沙龙丢在林中一个大坑里，上头堆起一大堆石头。以色列众人都逃跑，各回各家去了。
They took Absalom and threw him into a large pit in the forest; they buried his body under a very large pile of stones, while all Israel fled, every man to his own home.
18 押沙龙活着的时候，在王谷立了一根石柱，因他说：“我没有儿子为我留名。”他就以自己的名称那石柱叫押沙龙柱，直到今日。
Now Absalom, while still alive, had built for himself a large stone pillar in the King's Valley, for he said, “I have no son to carry along the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after his own name, so it is called Absalom's Monument to this very day.
19 撒督的儿子亚希玛斯说：“容我跑去，将耶和华向仇敌给王报仇的信息报与王知。”
Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Let me now run to the king with the good news, how Yahweh has rescued him from the hand of his enemies.”
20 约押对他说：“你今日不可去报信，改日可以报信；因为今日王的儿子死了，所以你不可去报信。”
Joab answered him, “You will not be the bearer of news today; you must do it another day. Today you will bear no news because the king's son is dead.”
21 约押对古示人说：“你去将你所看见的告诉王。”古示人在约押面前下拜，就跑去了。
Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down to Joab, and ran.
22 撒督的儿子亚希玛斯又对约押说：“无论怎样，求你容我随着古示人跑去。”约押说：“我儿，你报这信息，既不得赏赐，何必要跑去呢？”
Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said again to Joab, “Regardless of what may happen, please let me also run and follow the Cushite.” Joab replied, “Why do you want to run, my son, seeing that you will have no reward for the news?”
23 他又说：“无论怎样，我要跑去。”约押说：“你跑去吧！”亚希玛斯就从平原往前跑，跑过古示人去了。
“Whatever happens,” said Ahimaaz, “I will run.” So Joab answered him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.
24 大卫正坐在城瓮里。守望的人上城门楼的顶上，举目观看，见有一个人独自跑来。
Now David was sitting between the inner and outer gates. The watchman had gone up to the roof of the gate to the wall and raised his eyes. As he looked, he saw a man approaching, running alone.
25 守望的人就大声告诉王。王说：“他若独自来，必是报口信的。”那人跑得渐渐近了。
The watchman shouted out and told the king. Then the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” The runner came closer and neared the city.
26 守望的人又见一人跑来，就对守城门的人说：“又有一人独自跑来。”王说：“这也必是报信的。”
Then the watchman noticed another man running, and the watchman called to the gatekeeper; he said, “Look, there is another man running alone.” The king said, “He is also bringing news.”
27 守望的人说：“我看前头人的跑法，好像撒督的儿子亚希玛斯的跑法一样。”王说：“他是个好人，必是报好信息。”
So the watchman said, “I think the running of the man in front is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man and is coming with good news.”
28 亚希玛斯向王呼叫说：“平安了！”就在王面前脸伏于地叩拜，说：“耶和华—你的 神是应当称颂的，因他已将那举手攻击我主我王的人交给王了。”
Then Ahimaaz called out and said to the king, “All is well.” He bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Blessed be Yahweh your God! He has delivered the men who lifted up their hand against my master the king.”
29 王问说：“少年人押沙龙平安不平安？”亚希玛斯回答说：“约押打发王的仆人，那时仆人听见众民大声喧哗，却不知道是什么事。”
So the king replied, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent me, the king's servant, to you, king, I saw a great disturbance, but I did not know what it was.”
30 王说：“你退去，站在旁边。”他就退去，站在旁边。
Then the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So Ahimaaz turned aside, and stood still.
31 古示人也来到，说：“有信息报给我主我王！耶和华今日向一切兴起攻击你的人给你报仇了。”
Immediately then the Cushite arrived and said, “There is good news for my master the king, for Yahweh has avenged you today from all who rose up against you.”
32 王问古示人说：“少年人押沙龙平安不平安？”古示人回答说：“愿我主我王的仇敌，和一切兴起要杀害你的人，都与那少年人一样。”
Then the king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “The enemies of my master the king, and all who rise up against you to do harm to you, should be as that young man is.”
33 王就心里伤恸，上城门楼去哀哭，一面走一面说：“我儿押沙龙啊！我儿，我儿押沙龙啊！我恨不得替你死，押沙龙啊，我儿！我儿！”
Then the king was deeply unnerved, and he went up to the room over the gate and wept. As he went he grieved, “My son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
