Βασιλειῶν Βʹ 16
1 καὶ Δαυιδ παρῆλθεν βραχύ τι ἀπὸ τῆς Ροως καὶ ἰδοὺ Σιβα τὸ παιδάριον Μεμφιβοσθε εἰς ἀπαντὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ζεῦγος ὄνων ἐπισεσαγμένων καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς διακόσιοι ἄρτοι καὶ ἑκατὸν σταφίδες καὶ ἑκατὸν φοίνικες καὶ Νεβελ οἴνου
After David had gone a little way past the top of the mountain, there was Ziba, Mephibosheth's servant, waiting to meet him. He had two donkeys already saddled with him carrying two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred raisin cakes, a hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine.
2 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Σιβα τί ταῦτά σοι καὶ εἶπεν Σιβα τὰ ὑποζύγια τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ ἐπικαθῆσθαι καὶ οἱ ἄρτοι καὶ οἱ φοίνικες εἰς βρῶσιν τοῖς παιδαρίοις καὶ ὁ οἶνος πιεῖν τοῖς ἐκλελυμένοις ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ
“What did you bring these for?” David asked Ziba. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king's family to ride on, the bread and summer fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who get worn out in the wilderness.”
3 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς καὶ ποῦ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ κυρίου σου καὶ εἶπεν Σιβα πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἰδοὺ κάθηται ἐν Ιερουσαλημ ὅτι εἶπεν σήμερον ἐπιστρέψουσίν μοι ὁ οἶκος Ισραηλ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ πατρός μου
“Where is your master's grandson?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He decided to stay in Jerusalem. He's saying, ‘Today the people of Israel will give me back my grandfather's kingdom.’”
4 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Σιβα ιδοὺ σοὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐστὶν τῷ Μεμφιβοσθε καὶ εἶπεν Σιβα προσκυνήσας εὕροιμι χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ
The king told Ziba, “I give you everything that belongs to Mephibosheth!” “I bow before you,” Ziba replied. “May you approve of me, Your Majesty.”
5 καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυιδ ἕως Βαουριμ καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐκεῖθεν ἀνὴρ ἐξεπορεύετο ἐκ συγγενείας οἴκου Σαουλ καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ Σεμεϊ υἱὸς Γηρα ἐξῆλθεν ἐκπορευόμενος καὶ καταρώμενος
As King David arrived at the town of Bahurim, a man from Saul's family was just leaving. His name was Shimei, son of Gera, and he was shouting out curses as he came.
6 καὶ λιθάζων ἐν λίθοις τὸν Δαυιδ καὶ πάντας τοὺς παῖδας τοῦ βασιλέως Δαυιδ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἦν καὶ πάντες οἱ δυνατοὶ ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων τοῦ βασιλέως
He threw stones at David and all the king's officers, even though the king's men and all his bodyguards surrounded David.
7 καὶ οὕτως ἔλεγεν Σεμεϊ ἐν τῷ καταρᾶσθαι αὐτόν ἔξελθε ἔξελθε ἀνὴρ αἱμάτων καὶ ἀνὴρ ὁ παράνομος
“Get out of here, just get out, you murderer, you wicked man!” Shimei said as he cursed.
8 ἐπέστρεψεν ἐπὶ σὲ κύριος πάντα τὰ αἵματα τοῦ οἴκου Σαουλ ὅτι ἐβασίλευσας ἀντ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔδωκεν κύριος τὴν βασιλείαν ἐν χειρὶ Αβεσσαλωμ τοῦ υἱοῦ σου καὶ ἰδοὺ σὺ ἐν τῇ κακίᾳ σου ὅτι ἀνὴρ αἱμάτων σύ
“The Lord has paid you back for all of Saul's family that you killed, and for stealing Saul's throne. The Lord has given the kingdom to your son Absalom. Look how you've ended up in disaster because you're a murderer!”
9 καὶ εἶπεν Αβεσσα υἱὸς Σαρουιας πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἵνα τί καταρᾶται ὁ κύων ὁ τεθνηκὼς οὗτος τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα διαβήσομαι δὴ καὶ ἀφελῶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ
Abishai, son of Zeruiah, asked the king, “Why should this dead dog curse Your Majesty? Let me go and cut off his head!”
10 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς τί ἐμοὶ καὶ ὑμῖν υἱοὶ Σαρουιας ἄφετε αὐτὸν καὶ οὕτως καταράσθω ὅτι κύριος εἶπεν αὐτῷ καταρᾶσθαι τὸν Δαυιδ καὶ τίς ἐρεῖ ὡς τί ἐποίησας οὕτως
“What's that got to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah?” the king replied. “If he's cursing me because the Lord told him to, then who can question what he's doing?”
11 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ πρὸς Αβεσσα καὶ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ ἰδοὺ ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἐξελθὼν ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας μου ζητεῖ τὴν ψυχήν μου καὶ προσέτι νῦν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Ιεμινι ἄφετε αὐτὸν καταρᾶσθαι ὅτι εἶπεν αὐτῷ κύριος
David said to Abishai and to all his officers, “Look, if my very own son is trying to kill me, why shouldn't this Benjamite want to even more! Leave him alone; let him curse me, for the Lord told him to.
12 εἴ πως ἴδοι κύριος ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει μου καὶ ἐπιστρέψει μοι ἀγαθὰ ἀντὶ τῆς κατάρας αὐτοῦ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ
Perhaps the Lord will see how I'm suffering and will pay me back with good for his curses today.”
13 καὶ ἐπορεύθη Δαυιδ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ καὶ Σεμεϊ ἐπορεύετο ἐκ πλευρᾶς τοῦ ὄρους ἐχόμενα αὐτοῦ πορευόμενος καὶ καταρώμενος καὶ λιθάζων ἐν λίθοις ἐκ πλαγίων αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ χοῒ πάσσων
David and his men continued down the road, with Shimei keeping up with them on the hillside opposite. He went on cursing as he went along, throwing stones and dirt at David.
14 καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς αὐτοῦ ἐκλελυμένοι καὶ ἀνέψυξαν ἐκεῖ
The king and everyone with him were tired out when they arrived at the Jordan. David rested there.
15 καὶ Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ εἰσῆλθον εἰς Ιερουσαλημ καὶ Αχιτοφελ μετ’ αὐτοῦ
In the meantime Absalom and all the Israelites with him arrived in Jerusalem, along with Ahithophel.
16 καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡνίκα ἦλθεν Χουσι ὁ Αρχι ἑταῖρος Δαυιδ πρὸς Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ εἶπεν Χουσι πρὸς Αβεσσαλωμ ζήτω ὁ βασιλεύς
Hushai the Arkite, David's friend, went to see Absalom and declared, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
17 καὶ εἶπεν Αβεσσαλωμ πρὸς Χουσι τοῦτο τὸ ἔλεός σου μετὰ τοῦ ἑταίρου σου ἵνα τί οὐκ ἀπῆλθες μετὰ τοῦ ἑταίρου σου
“Is this how you show loyalty to your friend?” Absalom asked. “Why didn't you leave with your friend?”
18 καὶ εἶπεν Χουσι πρὸς Αβεσσαλωμ οὐχί ἀλλὰ κατόπισθεν οὗ ἐξελέξατο κύριος καὶ ὁ λαὸς οὗτος καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ αὐτῷ ἔσομαι καὶ μετ’ αὐτοῦ καθήσομαι
“Certainly not!” Hushai replied. “I'm on the side of the one chosen by the Lord, by the army, and by all the people of Israel. I will remain loyal to him.
19 καὶ τὸ δεύτερον τίνι ἐγὼ δουλεύσω οὐχὶ ἐνώπιον τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ καθάπερ ἐδούλευσα ἐνώπιον τοῦ πατρός σου οὕτως ἔσομαι ἐνώπιόν σου
In any case, why shouldn't I serve his son? In the same way I served your father I will serve you.”
20 καὶ εἶπεν Αβεσσαλωμ πρὸς Αχιτοφελ φέρετε ἑαυτοῖς βουλὴν τί ποιήσωμεν
Then Absalom asked Ahithophel, “Give me your advice. What shall we do?”
21 καὶ εἶπεν Αχιτοφελ πρὸς Αβεσσαλωμ εἴσελθε πρὸς τὰς παλλακὰς τοῦ πατρός σου ἃς κατέλιπεν φυλάσσειν τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκούσεται πᾶς Ισραηλ ὅτι κατῄσχυνας τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ ἐνισχύσουσιν αἱ χεῖρες πάντων τῶν μετὰ σοῦ
Ahithophel told him, “Go and sleep with your father's concubines—the ones he left here to look after the palace. Then everyone in Israel will realize that you have so offended your father there's no turning back, which will encourage all your supporters.”
22 καὶ ἔπηξαν τὴν σκηνὴν τῷ Αβεσσαλωμ ἐπὶ τὸ δῶμα καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Αβεσσαλωμ πρὸς τὰς παλλακὰς τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ κατ’ ὀφθαλμοὺς παντὸς Ισραηλ
So they put up a tent on the palace roof and Absalom went in and had sex with his father's concubines in the full view of everyone.
23 καὶ ἡ βουλὴ Αχιτοφελ ἣν ἐβουλεύσατο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταῖς πρώταις ὃν τρόπον ἐπερωτήσῃ ἐν λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ οὕτως πᾶσα ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ Αχιτοφελ καί γε τῷ Δαυιδ καί γε τῷ Αβεσσαλωμ
At that time Ahithophel's advice was like receiving messages from God himself. This was how both David and Absalom viewed Ahithophel's advice.
