Ii Samuelis 15

1 Igitur post hæc fecit sibi Absalom currus, et equites, et quinquaginta viros, qui præcederent eum.

And it came to pass, after this, that Absolom prepared him chariots and horses, —and fifty men, to run before him.

2 Et mane consurgens Absalom, stabat iuxta introitum portæ, et omnem virum, qui habebat negotium ut veniret ad regis iudicium, vocabat Absalom ad se, et dicebat: De qua civitate es tu? Qui respondens aiebat: Ex una tribu Israel ego sum servus tuus.

And Absolom used to rise up early, and take his stand beside the way of the gate, —and so it was—when any man who had a controversy would come unto the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said: Of what city, art, thou? And he said, Of one of the tribes of Israel, is thy servant. And Absolom said unto him,

3 Respondebatque ei Absalom: Videntur mihi sermones tui boni et iusti. Sed non est qui te audiat constitutus a rege. Dicebatque Absalom:

See! thy cause, is good and right, —but, to hear it, thou hast no one, from the king.

4 Quis me constituat iudicem super terram, ut ad me veniant omnes, qui habent negotium, et iuste iudicem?

And Absalom said, Oh would that I were appointed to judge in the land! that, unto me, might come every man having a complaint or a defence, then would I see him righted.

5 Sed et cum accederet ad eum homo ut salutaret illum, extendebat manum suam, et apprehendens, osculabatur eum.

Moreover, so it used to be, that, when any man came near to do him homage, he would put forth his hand, and lay hold of him, and kiss him.

6 Faciebatque hoc omni Israel venienti ad iudicium, ut audiretur a rege, et solicitabat corda virorum Israel.

And Absolom did, after this manner, to all Israel who came for judgment, unto the king, —so Absolom stole away the heart of the men of Israel.

7 Post quadraginta autem annos, dixit Absalom ad regem David: Vadam, et reddam vota mea quæ vovi Domino in Hebron.

And it came to pass, at the end of forty years, that Absolom said unto the king—Let me go, I pray thee, that I may pay my vow which I have vowed unto Yahweh, in Hebron;

8 Vovens enim vovit servus tuus, cum esset in Gessur Syriæ, dicens: Si reduxerit me Dominus in Ierusalem, sacrificabo Domino.

for thy servant vowed, a vow, while I abode in Geshur in Syria, saying, —If Yahweh, will but bring me back, unto Jerusalem, then will I serve Yahweh,

9 Dixitque ei rex David: Vade in pace. Et surrexit, et abiit in Hebron.

And the king said unto him—Go and prosper! So he arose and went to Hebron.

10 Misit autem Absalom exploratores in universas tribus Israel, dicens: Statim ut audieritis clangorem buccinæ, dicite: Regnavit Absalom in Hebron.

And Absolom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, —When ye hear the sound of the horn, then shall ye say, Absolom hath become king in Hebron!

11 Porro cum Absalom ierunt ducenti viri de Ierusalem vocati, euntes simplici corde, et causam penitus ignorantes.

And, with Absolom, went two hundred men, out of Jerusalem, who, having been bidden, were going in their simplicity, —neither knew they anything.

12 Accersivit quoque Absalom Achitophel Gilonitem consiliarium David, de civitate sua Gilo. Cumque immolaret victimas, facta est coniuratio valida, populusque concurrens augebatur cum Absalom.

And Absalom sent and called Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, out of his city, out of Gilo, when he was offering sacrifices, —and so it was that the conspiracy was strong, and, the people, went on multiplying with Absolom.

13 Venit igitur nuncius ad David, dicens: Toto corde universus Israel sequitur Absalom.

Then came one bearing tidings unto David, saying, —It hath come about, that the heart of the men of Israel goeth after Absolom.

14 Et ait David servis suis, qui erant cum eo in Ierusalem: Surgite, fugiamus: neque enim erit nobis effugium a facie Absalom: festinate egredi, ne forte veniens occupet nos, et impellat super nos ruinam, et percutiat civitatem in ore gladii.

Then said David, to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem—Arise and let us flee, or we shall have no way of escape from the face of Absolom, —make speed to depart, lest he make speed, and so overtake us, and bring down misfortune upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

15 Dixeruntque servi regis ad eum: omnia quæcumque præceperit dominus noster rex, libenter exequemur servi tui.

And the king’s servants said unto the king, —According to all that my lord the king shall choose, here are thy servants.

16 Egressus est ergo rex, et universa domus eius pedibus suis: et dereliquit rex decem mulieres concubinas ad custodiendam domum.

So the king went forth, with all his household attending him, —but the king left ten women who were concubines, to keep the house.

17 Egressusque rex et omnis Israel pedibus suis, stetit procul a domo:

Thus then the king went forth, with all the people attending him, —and they came to a stand at a place that was far off.

18 et universi servi eius ambulabant iuxta eum, et legiones Cerethi, et Phelethi, et omnes Gethæi, pugnatores validi, sexcenti viri qui secuti eum fuerant de Geth pedites, præcedebant regem.

And, all his servants, were passing on beside him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, —and, all the Gittites—six hundred men, who had accompanied him from Gath, —were passing on before the king.

19 Dixit autem rex ad Ethai Gethæum: Cur venis nobiscum? Revertere, et habita cum rege, quia peregrinus es, et egressus es de loco tuo.

Then said the king, unto Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore shouldest, thou also, go with us? return and abide with the king, for, a stranger, art thou, moreover also, an exile, art thou from thine own country.

20 Heri venisti, et hodie compelleris nobiscum egredi? Ego autem vadam quo iturus sum: revertere, et reduc tecum fratres tuos, et Dominus faciet tecum misericordiam, et veritatem, quia ostendisti gratiam et fidem.

Only yesterday, camest thou, and, today, shall I let thee wander with us, on our journey, seeing that, I, am going, whithersoever I may? Return and take back thy brethren with thee, and may Yahweh deal with thee in lovingkindness and faithfulness.

21 Et respondit Ethai regi, dicens: Vivit Dominus, et vivit dominus meus rex: quoniam in quocumque loco fueris domine mi rex, sive in morte, sive in vita, ibi erit servus tuus.

But Ittai answered the king, and said, —By the life of Yahweh, and by the life of my lord the king, surely, in whatsoever place, my lord the king, may be, whether for death or for life, there will, thy servant, be.

22 Et ait David Ethai: Veni, et transi. Et transivit Ethai Gethæus, et omnes viri, qui cum eo erant, et reliqua multitudo.

Then said David unto Ittai—Go, and pass on. So Ittai the Gittite passed on, with all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.

23 Omnesque flebant voce magna, et universus populus transibat: rex quoque transgrediebatur Torrentem Cedron, et cunctus populus incedebat contra viam, quæ respicit ad desertum.

And, fall the land, was weeping, with a loud voice, and, all the people, were passing on, —the king also, was passing on, through the torrent-bed of Kidron, and all the people were passing on over the face of the way leading to the wilderness.

24 Venit autem et Sadoc sacerdos, et universi Levitæ cum eo, portantes arcam fœderis Dei, et deposuerunt arcam Dei: et ascendit Abiathar, donec expletus esset omnis populus, qui egressus fuerat de civitate.

And lo! Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, were bearing the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up, until all the people had made an end of passing over out of the city.

25 Et dixit rex ad Sadoc: Reporta arcam Dei in urbem: si invenero gratiam in oculis Domini, reducet me, et ostendet mihi eam, et tabernaculum suum.

Then said the king unto Zadok, Take back the ark of God into the city, —if I find favour in the eyes of Yahweh, then will he bring me back, and let me see both him and his habitation,

26 Si autem dixerit mihi: Non places: præsto sum, faciat quod bonum est coram se.

but, if thus, he say, I have no delight in thee, here I am, let him do unto me as may be good in his eyes.

27 Et dixit rex ad Sadoc sacerdotem: O videns revertere in civitatem in pace: et Achimaas filius tuus, et Ionathas filius Abiathar duo filii vestri, sint vobiscum.

And the king said, unto Zadok the priest, Art thou not, a seer? return into the city, in peace, —and Ahimaaz thine own son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar—your two sons, with you.

28 Ecce ego abscondar in campestribus deserti, donec veniat sermo a vobis indicans mihi.

See! I, am tarrying in the waste plains of the wilderness—until there come word from you, to tell me.

29 Reportaverunt ergo Sadoc, et Abiathar arcam Dei in Ierusalem: et manserunt ibi.

So Zadok and Abiathar took back the ark of God to Jerusalem, —and abode there.

30 Porro David ascendebat clivum Olivarum, scandens et flens, nudis pedibus incedens, et operto capite, sed et omnis populus, qui erat cum eo, operto capite ascendebat plorans.

Now, David, was going up by the ascent of Olivet, weeping as he went up, with his head covered, himself, passing on barefoot, —and all the people who were with him, covered every man his head, and went up, weeping as they went.

31 Nunciatum est autem David quod et Achitophel esset in coniuratione cum Absalom, dixitque David: Infatua, quæso, Domine consilium Achitophel.

And, unto David, it was told, saying, Ahithophel, is among the conspirators with Absolom. And David said, Turn to foolishness, I pray thee, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh.

32 Cumque ascenderet David summitatem montis, in quo adoraturus erat Dominum, ecce occurrit ei Chusai Arachites, scissa veste, et terra pleno capite.

And it came to pass, when David reached the summit, where he bowed himself down unto God, that lo! there met him, Hushai the Archite, his tunic rent, and earth upon his head.

33 Et dixit ei David: Si veneris mecum, eris mihi oneri:

And David said unto him, —If thou pass over with me, then shalt thou become unto me, a burden;

34 si autem in civitatem revertaris, et dixeris Absalom: Servus tuus sum, rex: sicut fui servus patris tui, sic ero servus tuus: dissipabis consilium Achitophel.

but, if, to the city, thou return, then canst thou say unto Absolom—Thy servant, I, O king, will be, as, the servant of thy father, I was formerly, so will I, now, be thy servant: thus shalt thou frustrate for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

35 Habes autem tecum Sadoc, et Abiathar sacerdotes: et omne verbum quodcumque audieris de domo regis, indicabis Sadoc, et Abiathar sacerdotibus.

And hast thou not, with thee, there Zadok and Abiathar the priests? so then it shall be, that, what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the house of the king, thou shalt tell to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests.

36 Sunt autem cum eis duo filii eorum Achimaas filius Sadoc, et Ionathas filius Abiathar: et mittetis per eos ad me omne verbum quod audieritis.

Lo! they have there with them, their two sons, Ahimaaz for Zadok, and Jonathan for Abiathar, —so shall ye send, by their hand, unto me, everything which ye shall hear.

37 Veniente ergo Chusai amico David in civitatem, Absalom quoque ingressus est Ierusalem.

So Hushai, David’s friend, went into the city, —when, Absolom, was about to enter Jerusalem.