2 Samuel 18
1 Derpaa holdt David Mønstring over sit Mandskab og satte Tusindførere og Hundredførere over dem;
David counted the soldiers who were with him and appointed captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
2 og David delte Mandskabet i tre Dele; den ene Tredjedel stillede han under Joab, den anden under Abisjaj, Zerujas Søn og Joabs Broder, og den sidste Tredjedel under Gatiten Ittaj. Kongen sagde saa til Folkene: »Jeg vil selv drage med i Kampen!«
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 Men de svarede: »Du maa ikke drage med; thi om vi flygter, ænser man ikke os; ja, selv om Halvdelen af os falder, ænser man ikke os, men du gælder lige saa meget som ti Tusinde af os; derfor er det bedst, at du holder dig rede til at ile os til Hjælp fra Byen.«
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 Kongen svarede: »Jeg gør, hvad I finder bedst!« Derpaa stillede Kongen sig ved Porten, medens hele Mandskabet drog ud, hundredvis og tusindvis.
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 Men Kongen gav Joab, Abisjaj og Ittaj den Befaling: »Far nu lempeligt med den unge Absalom!« Og hele Mandskabet hørte, hvorledes Kongen gav alle Øversterne Befaling om Absalom.
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 Derpaa rykkede Krigerne i Marken mod Israel, og Slaget kom til at staa i Efraims Skov.
So the army went out into the countryside against Israel; the battle spread into the forest of Ephraim.
7 Der blev Israels Hær slaaet af Davids Folk, og der fandt et stort Mandefald Sted den Dag; der faldt 200 000 Mand.
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 Kampen bredte sig over hele Egnen, og Skoven fortærede den Dag flere Folk end Sværdet.
The battle spread throughout the whole countryside, and more men were consumed by the forest than by the sword.
9 Absalom selv stødte paa nogle af Davids Folk; Absalom red paa sit Muldyr, og da Muldyret kom ind under en stor Terebintes tætte Grene, blev hans Hoved hængende i Terebinten, saa han hang mellem Himmel og Jord, medens Muldyret, han sad paa, løb bort.
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 En Mand, der saa det meldte det til Joab og sagde: »Jeg saa Absalom hænge i en Terebinte.«
Someone saw this and told Joab, “Look, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11 Da sagde Joab til Manden, der havde meldt ham det: »Naar du saa det, hvorfor slog du ham da ikke til Jorden med det samme? Saa havde jeg givet dig ti Sekel Sølv og et Bælte!«
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 Men Manden svarede Joab: »Om jeg saa havde faaet tilvejet tusind Sekel, havde jeg ikke lagt Haand paa Kongens Søn; thi vi hørte jo selv, hvorledes Kongen bød dig, Abisjaj og Ittaj: Vogt vel paa den unge Absalom!
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 Dersom jeg havde handlet svigefuldt imod ham — intet bliver jo skjult for Kongen — vilde du have ladet mig i Stikken!«
If I had risked my life by a falsehood (and there is nothing hidden from the king), you would have abandoned me.”
14 Da sagde Joab: »Saa gør jeg det for dig!« Dermed greb han tre Spyd og stødte dem i Brystet paa Absalom, som endnu levede og hang mellem Terebintens Grene.
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 Derpaa traadte ti unge Mænd, der var Joabs Vaabendragere, til og gav Absalom Dødsstødet.
Then ten young men who carried Joab's armor surrounded Absalom, attacked him, and killed him.
16 Joab lod nu støde i Hornet, og Hæren opgav at forfølge Israel, thi Joab bød Folkene standse.
Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the army returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab held back the army.
17 Derpaa tog de og kastede Absalom i en stor Grube i Skoven og ophobede en mægtig Stendynge over ham. Og hele Israel flygtede hver til sit.
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 Men medens Absalom endnu levede, havde han taget og rejst sig den Stenstøtte, som staar i Kongedalen; thi han sagde: »Jeg har ingen Søn til at bevare Mindet om mit Navn.« Han havde opkaldt Stenstøtten efter sig selv, og endnu den Dag i Dag kaldes den »Absaloms Minde«.
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 Da sagde Ahima'az, Zadoks Søn: »Lad mig løbe hen og bringe Kongen den gode Tidende, at HERREN har skaffet ham Ret over for hans Fjender!«
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 Men Joab svarede ham: »Du skal ikke være den, der bringer Bud i Dag; en anden Gang kan du bringe Bud, men i Dag skal du ikke gøre det, da Kongens Søn er død!«
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 Og Joab sagde til Etiopieren: »Gaa du hen og meld Kongen, hvad du har set!« Da kastede Etiopieren sig til Jorden for Joab og ilede af Sted.
Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down to Joab, and ran.
22 Men Ahima'az, Zadoks Søn, sagde atter til Joab: »Ske, hvad der vil! Lad ogsaa mig løbe bag efter Etiopieren!« Da sagde Joab: »Hvorfor vil du det, min Søn? For dig er der ingen Budløn at hente!«
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 Men han blev ved: »Ske, hvad der vil! Jeg løber!« Saa sagde han: »Løb da!« Og Ahima'az løb ad Vejen gennem Jordanegnen og naaede frem før Etiopieren.
“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 David sad just mellem de to Porte, og Vægteren steg op paa Porttaget ved Muren; da han saa ud, se, da kom en Mand løbende alene.
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 Vægteren raabte og meldte det til Kongen, og Kongen sagde: »Er han alene, har han Bud at bringe!« Men medens Manden fortsatte sit Løb og kom nærmere,
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 saa Vægteren en anden Mand komme løbende og raabte ned i Porten: »Der kommer een Mand til løbende alene!« Kongen sagde: »Ogsaa han har Bud at bringe!«
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 Da raabte Vægteren: »Den forreste løber saaledes, at det ser ud til at være Ahima'az, Zadoks Søn!« Kongen sagde: »Det er en god Mand, han kommer med godt Bud!«
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 Imidlertid var Ahima'az kommet nærmere og raabte til Kongen: »Hil dig!« Saa kastede han sig ned paa Jorden for Kongen og sagde: »Lovet være HERREN din Gud, som gav dem, der løftede Haand mod min Herre Kongen, i din Haand!«
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 Kongen spurgte: »Er den unge Absalom uskadt?« Ahima'az svarede: »Jeg saa, at der var stor Tummel, da Kongens Træl Joab sendte din Træl af Sted, men jeg ved ikke, hvad det var.«
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 Kongen sagde da: »Træd til Side og stil dig der!« Og han traadte til Side og blev staaende.
Then the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So Ahimaaz turned aside, and stood still.
31 I det samme kom Etiopieren; og Etiopieren sagde: »Der er Bud til min Herre Kongen: HERREN har i Dag skaffet dig Ret over for alle dine Modstandere!«
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 Kongen spurgte Etiopieren: »Er den unge Absalom uskadt?« Og han svarede: »Det gaa min Herre Kongens Fjender og alle dine Modstandere som den unge Mand!«
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 Da blev Kongen dybt rystet, og han gik op i Stuen paa Taget over Porten og græd; og han gik frem og tilbage og klagede: »Min Søn Absalom, min Søn, min Søn Absalom! Var jeg blot død i dit Sted! Absalom, min Søn, min Søn!«
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!”
