2 Samuel 14
1 Joab, son of Zeruiah, knew that the king kept on thinking about Absalom.
洗魯雅的兒子約押，知道王心裏想念押沙龍，
2 So Joab sent a messenger to Tekoa to bring back a wise woman who lived there. He told her, “Pretend to be a mourner. Put on clothes for mourning, and don't use any scented oils. Be like a woman who has been in mourning for the dead a long time.
就打發人往提哥亞去，從那裏叫了一個聰明的婦人來，對她說：「請你假裝居喪的，穿上孝衣，不要用膏抹身，要裝作為死者許久悲哀的婦人；
3 Then go to the king and tell him this.” Joab told her what to say.
進去見王，對王如此如此說。」於是約押將當說的話教導了婦人。
4 When the woman from Tekoa went to see the king, she bowed facedown to the ground in respect, and said, “Please help me, Your Majesty!”
提哥亞婦人到王面前，伏地叩拜，說：「王啊，求你拯救！」
5 “What's the matter?” the king asked her. “Sadly I'm a widow. My husband is dead,” she replied.
王問她說：「你有甚麼事呢？」回答說：「婢女實在是寡婦，我丈夫死了。
6 “Your Majesty, I had two sons. They had a fight outside, and there was nobody there to stop them. One of them hit the other, and killed him.
我有兩個兒子，一日在田間爭鬥，沒有人解勸，這個就打死那個。
7 Now the whole family is against me. They're saying, ‘Hand over your son who killed his brother so we can put him to death for murdering his brother. That way he won't inherit anything either!’ By doing this they would snuff out the last ember of hope I have to carry on my husband's name and family in the world.”
現在全家的人都起來攻擊婢女，說：『你將那打死兄弟的交出來，我們好治死他，償他打死兄弟的命，滅絕那承受家業的。』這樣，他們要將我剩下的炭火滅盡，不與我丈夫留名留後在世上。」
8 “Go on home,” the king told the woman, “and I myself will make sure your case is dealt with for you.”
王對婦人說：「你回家去吧！我必為你下令。」
9 “Thank you, Your Majesty,” said the woman. “I and my family will take the blame, and may Your Majesty and your family be held to be innocent.”
提哥亞婦人又對王說：「我主我王，願這罪歸我和我父家，與王和王的位無干。」
10 “If anyone complains to you about it, bring him here to me, and he won't bother you again!” the king told her.
王說：「凡難為你的，你就帶他到我這裏來，他必不再攪擾你。」
11 “Please, Your Majesty,” the woman continued, “swear by the Lord your God that you will stop the person wanting to avenge the murder from making it worse by killing my son!” “As the Lord lives,” he promised, “not a single hair from your son's head will fall to the ground.”
婦人說：「願王記念耶和華－你的上帝，不許報血仇的人施行滅絕，恐怕他們滅絕我的兒子。」王說：「我指着永生的耶和華起誓：你的兒子連一根頭髮也不致落在地上。」
12 “Could I please ask for one other thing, Your Majesty?” the woman asked. “Go ahead,” he replied.
婦人說：「求我主我王容婢女再說一句話。」王說：「你說吧！」
13 “So why have you schemed in a similar way against the people of God?” the woman asked. “Since Your Majesty just decided my case by what you said, haven't you convicted yourself because you refuse to bring back the son you banished?
婦人說：「王為何也起意要害上帝的民呢？王不使那逃亡的人回來，王的這話就是自證己錯了！
14 Yes, we all have to die. We're like water spilled on the ground that can't be collected again. But that's not what God does. Instead he works out ways for anyone who is banished to come back home to him.
我們都是必死的，如同水潑在地上，不能收回。上帝並不奪取人的性命，乃設法使逃亡的人不致成為趕出、回不來的。
15 That's why I've come to explain this to Your Majesty, because someone has frightened me. So I thought to myself, I will go and speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant my request.
我來將這話告訴我主我王，是因百姓使我懼怕。婢女想，不如將這話告訴王，或者王成就婢女所求的。
16 Perhaps the king will listen and save me from the man who would cut off both me and my son from God's chosen people.
人要將我和我兒子從上帝的地業上一同除滅，王必應允救我脫離他的手。
17 I thought: May what Your Majesty says bring me peace, for Your Majesty is able to tell the difference between good and evil, just like an angel of God. May the Lord your God be with you!”
婢女又想，我主我王的話必安慰我；因為我主我王能辨別是非，如同上帝的使者一樣。惟願耶和華－你的上帝與你同在！」
18 “Please don't refuse to answer the question I'm about to ask,” the king said to the woman. “Please ask your question, Your Majesty,” she replied.
王對婦人說：「我要問你一句話，你一點不要瞞我。」婦人說：「願我主我王說。」
19 “Is all this Joab's doing?” the king asked. The woman replied, “As you live, Your Majesty, no one can hide anything from you. Yes, it was Joab, your officer, who ordered me to do this—he told me exactly what to say.
王說：「你這些話莫非是約押的主意嗎？」婦人說：「我敢在我主我王面前起誓：王的話正對，不偏左右，是王的僕人約押吩咐我的，這些話是他教導我的。
20 He did so to show the other side of the situation, but Your Majesty is as wise as an angel of God, and you know everything that happens in this country.”
王的僕人約押如此行，為要挽回這事。我主的智慧卻如上帝使者的智慧，能知世上一切事。」
21 The king said to Joab, “Fine, I'll do it. Go and bring young Absalom back.”
王對約押說：「我應允你這事。你可以去，把那少年人押沙龍帶回來。」
22 Joab bowed down with his face to the ground in respect, and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “I, your servant, know that you approve of me, Your Majesty, because you have granted my request.”
約押就面伏於地叩拜，祝謝於王，又說：「王既應允僕人所求的，僕人今日知道在我主我王眼前蒙恩了。」
23 Joab went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
於是約押起身往基述去，將押沙龍帶回耶路撒冷。
24 But the king gave this order, “He may return to his home, but he's not to come and see me.” So Absalom returned to his own home, but he didn't go and see the king.
王說：「使他回自己家裏去，不要見我的面。」押沙龍就回自己家裏去，沒有見王的面。
25 Absalom was admired as the most handsome man in the whole of Israel. He didn't have a single blemish from head to toe.
以色列全地之中，無人像押沙龍那樣俊美，得人的稱讚，從腳底到頭頂毫無瑕疵。
26 He cut his hair every year because it got so heavy—it weighed two hundred royal shekels.
他的頭髮甚重，每到年底剪髮一次；所剪下來的，按王的平稱一稱，重二百舍客勒。
27 He had three sons, and a daughter named Tamar—a very beautiful woman.
押沙龍生了三個兒子，一個女兒。女兒名叫她瑪，是個容貌俊美的女子。
28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years but was not permitted to see the king.
押沙龍住在耶路撒冷足有二年，沒有見王的面。
29 Absalom called Joab to arrange for him to see the king, for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come. Absalom called Joab again, but Joab still wouldn't come.
押沙龍打發人去叫約押來，要託他去見王，約押卻不肯來。第二次打發人去叫他，他仍不肯來。
30 So Absalom told his servants, “Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley growing there. Go and set it on fire!” Absalom's servants went and set the field on fire.
所以押沙龍對僕人說：「你們看，約押有一塊田，與我的田相近，其中有大麥，你們去放火燒了。」押沙龍的僕人就去放火燒了那田。
31 Joab went to Absalom's house and asked “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
於是約押起來，到了押沙龍家裏，問他說：「你的僕人為何放火燒了我的田呢？」
32 “Look here,” said Absalom, “I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here. I want you to go to the king and ask: Why did I bother coming back from Geshur? It would have been better for me to stay there.’ So go and arrange for me to see the king, and if I'm guilty of anything, he can kill me.”
押沙龍回答約押說：「我打發人去請你來，好託你去見王，替我說：『我為何從基述回來呢？不如仍在那裏。』現在要許我見王的面；我若有罪，任憑王殺我就是了。」
33 So Joab went and told the king what Absalom had said. Then David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed down with his face to the ground before him in respect. Then the king kissed Absalom.
於是約押去見王，將這話奏告王，王便叫押沙龍來。押沙龍來見王，在王面前俯伏於地，王就與押沙龍親嘴。
