2 Samuel 18
1 David counted the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
Derpaa holdt David Mønstring over sit Mandskab og satte Tusindførere og Hundredførere over dem;
2 David sent the people out, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the people, “I will also surely go out with you myself.”
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!«
3 But the people said, “You shall not go out, for if we flee away, they will not care for us, neither if half of us die, will they care for us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore now it is better that you are ready to help us out of the city.”
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.«
4 The king said to them, “I will do what seems best to you.” The king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
Kongen svarede: »Jeg gør, hvad I finder bedst!« Derpaa stillede Kongen sig ved Porten, medens hele Mandskabet drog ud, hundredvis og tusindvis.
5 The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” All the people heard when the king commanded all the captains concerning Absalom.
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.
6 So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
Derpaa rykkede Krigerne i Marken mod Israel, og Slaget kom til at staa i Efraims Skov.
7 The people of Israel were struck there before David’s servants, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
Der blev Israels Hær slaaet af Davids Folk, og der fandt et stort Mandefald Sted den Dag; der faldt 200 000 Mand.
8 For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Kampen bredte sig over hele Egnen, og Skoven fortærede den Dag flere Folk end Sværdet.
9 Absalom happened to meet David’s servants. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was hanging between the sky and earth; and the mule that was under him went on.
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.
10 A certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”
En Mand, der saa det meldte det til Joab og sagde: »Jeg saa Absalom hænge i en Terebinte.«
11 Joab said to the man who told him, “Behold, you saw it, and why didn’t you strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a sash.”
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!«
12 The man said to Joab, “Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I still wouldn’t stretch out my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware that no one touch the young man Absalom.’
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!
13 Otherwise, if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hidden from the king), then you yourself would have set yourself against me.”
Dersom jeg havde handlet svigefuldt imod ham — intet bliver jo skjult for Kongen — vilde du have ladet mig i Stikken!«
14 Then Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this with you.” He took three darts in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the middle of the oak.
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.
15 Ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him.
Derpaa traadte ti unge Mænd, der var Joabs Vaabendragere, til og gav Absalom Dødsstødet.
16 Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held the people back.
Joab lod nu støde i Hornet, og Hæren opgav at forfølge Israel, thi Joab bød Folkene standse.
17 They took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. Then all Israel fled, each to his own tent.
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.
18 Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar which is in the king’s valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in memory.” He called the pillar after his own name. It is called Absalom’s monument, to this day.
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«.
19 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me now run and carry the king news, how Yahweh has avenged him of his enemies.”
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!«
20 Joab said to him, “You must not be the bearer of news today, but you must carry news another day. But today you must carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.”
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!«
21 Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen!” The Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran.
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.
22 Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, “But come what may, please let me also run after the Cushite.” Joab said, “Why do you want to run, my son, since you will have no reward for the news?”
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!«
23 “But come what may,” he said, “I will run.” He said to him, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite.
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.
24 Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, a man running alone.
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.
25 The watchman shouted and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” He came closer and closer.
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,
26 The watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, a man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings news.”
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!«
27 The watchman said, “I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man, and comes with good news.”
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!«
28 Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, “All is well.” He bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, “Blessed is Yahweh your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king!”
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!«
29 The king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, even me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I don’t know what it was.”
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.«
30 The king said, “Come and stand here.” He came and stood still.
Kongen sagde da: »Træd til Side og stil dig der!« Og han traadte til Side og blev staaende.
31 Behold, the Cushite came. The Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king, for Yahweh has avenged you today of all those who rose up against you.”
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!«
32 The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you to do you harm, be as that young man is.”
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!«
33 The king was much moved, and went up to the room over the gate and wept. As he went, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
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!«
