< サムエル記Ⅱ 18 >

1 爰にダビデ己とともにある民を核べて其上に千夫の長百夫の長を立たり
David counted the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
2 しかしてダビデ民を三に分ちて其一をヨアブの手に託け一をゼルヤの子ヨアブの兄弟アビシヤイの手に託け一をガテ人イツタイの手に託けたりかくして王民にいひけるは我もまた必ず汝らとともに出んと
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.”
3 されど民いふ汝は出べからず我儕如何に逃るとも彼等は我儕に心をとめじ又我儕半死とも我儕に心をとめざるべしされど汝は我儕の一萬に等し故に汝は城邑の中より我儕を助けなば善し
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.”
4 王かれらにいひけるは汝等の目に善と見ゆるところを爲すべしとかくて王門の傍に立ち民皆或は百人或は千人となりて出づ
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.
5 王ヨアブ、アビシヤイおよびイツタイに命じてわがために少年アブサロムを寛に待へよといふ王のアブサロムの事について諸の將官に命を下せる時民皆聞り
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.
6 爰に民イスラエルにむかひて野に出でエフライムの叢林に戰ひしが
So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
7 イスラエルの民其處にてダビデの臣僕のまへに敗る其日彼處の戰死大にして二萬にいたれり
The people of Israel were struck there before David’s servants, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
8 しかして戰徧く其地の表に廣がりぬ是日叢林の滅ぼせる者は刀劒の滅ぼせる者よりも多かりき
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.
9 爰にアブサロム、ダビデの臣僕に行き遭り時にアブサロム騾馬に乗居たりしが騾馬大なる橡樹の繁き枝の下を過ければアブサロムの頭其橡に繋りて彼天地のあひだにあがれり騾馬はかれの下より行過たり
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.
10 一箇の人見てヨアブに告ていひけるは我アブサロムが橡樹に懸りをるを見たりと
A certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”
11 ヨアブ其告たる人にいひけるはさらば爾見て何故に彼を其處にて地に撃落さざりしや我爾に銀十枚と一本の帶を與へんものを
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.”
12 其人ヨアブにいひけるは假令わが手に銀千枚を受べきも我は手をいだして王の子に敵せじ其は王我儕の聞るまへにて爾とアビシヤイとイツタイに命じて爾ら各少年アブサロムを害するなかれといひたまひたればなり
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.’
13 我若し反いてかれの生命を戕賊はば何事も王に隱るる所なければ爾自ら立て我を責んと
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.”
14 時にヨアブ我かく爾とともに滞るべからずといひて手に三本の槍を携へゆきて彼の橡樹の中に尚生をるアブサロムの胸に之を衝通せり
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.
15 ヨアブの武器を執る十人の少者繞きてアブサロムを撃ち之を死しめたり
Ten young men who bore Joab’s armour surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him.
16 かくてヨアブ喇叭を吹ければ民イスラエルの後を追ふことを息てかへれりヨアブ民を止めたればなり
Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held the people back.
17 衆アブサロムを將て叢林の中なる大なる穴に投げいれ其上に甚だ大きく石を疊あげたり是においてイスラエル皆おのおの其天幕に逃かへれり
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.
18 アブサロム我はわが名を傳ふべき子なしと言て其生る間に己のために一の表柱を建たり王の谷にあり彼おのれの名を其表柱に與たり其表柱今日にいたるまでアブサロムの碑と稱らる
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.
19 爰にザドクの子アヒマアズいひけるは請ふ我をして趨りて王にヱホバの王をまもりて其敵の手を免かれしめたまひし音信を傳へしめよと
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me now run and carry the king news, how the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.”
20 ヨアブかれにいひけるは汝は今日音信を傳ふるものとなるべからず他日に音信を傳ふべし今日は王の子死たれば汝音信を傳ふべからず
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.”
21 ヨアブ、クシ人にいひけるは往て爾が見たる所を王に告よクシ人ヨアブに禮をなして走れり
Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen!” The Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran.
22 ザドクの子アヒマアズ再びヨアブにいひけるは請ふ何にもあれ我をも亦クシ人の後より走ゆかしめよヨアブいひけるは我子よ爾は充分の音信を持ざるに何故に走りゆかんとするや
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?”
23 かれいふ何れにもあれ我をして走りゆかしめよとヨアブかれにいふ走るべし是においてアヒマアズ低地の路をはしりてクシ人を走越たり
“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.
24 時にダビデは二の門の間に坐しゐたり爰に守望者門の蓋上にのぼり石墻にのぼりて其目を擧て見るに視よ獨一人にて走きたる者あり
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.
25 守望者呼はりて王に告ければ王いふ若し獨ならば口に音信を持つならんと其人進み來りて近づけり
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.
26 守望者復一人の走りきたるを見しかば守望者守門者に呼はりて言ふ獨一人にて走きたる者あり王いふ其人もまた音信を持ものなり
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.”
27 守望者言ふ我先者の走を見るにザドクの子アヒマアズの走るが如しと王いひけるは彼は善人なり善き音信を持來るならん
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.”
28 アヒマアズ呼はりて王にいひけるはねがはくは平安なれとかくて王のまへに地に伏していふ爾の神ヱホバは讃べきかなヱホバかの手をあげて王わが主に敵したる人々を付したまへり
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 the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king!”
29 王いひけるは少年アブサロムは平安なるやアヒマアズこたへけるは王の僕ヨアブ僕を遣はせし時我大なる噪を見たれども何をも知らざるなり
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.”
30 王いひけるは側にいたりて其處に立よと乃ち側にいたりて立つ
The king said, “Come and stand here.” He came and stood still.
31 時に視よクシ人來れりクシ人いひけるはねがはくは王音信を受たまへヱホバ今日爾をまもりて凡て爾にたち逆ふ者の手を免かれしめたまへり
Behold, the Cushite came. The Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king, for the LORD has avenged you today of all those who rose up against you.”
32 王クシ人にいひけるは少年アブサロムは平安なるやクシ人いひけるはねがはくは王わが主の敵および凡て汝に起ち逆ひて害をなさんとする者は彼少年のごとくなれと
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.”
33 王大に感み門の樓にのぼりて哭り彼行ながらかくいへりわが子アブサロムよわが子わが子アブサロムよ鳴呼われ汝に代りて死たらん者をアブサロムわが子よわが子よ
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!”

< サムエル記Ⅱ 18 >