2 Samuel 18
1 David mynstra folket sitt og sette førarar og underførar yver deim.
And so David, having reviewed his people, appointed over them tribunes and centurions.
2 So sende David ut folket; den eine tridjeparten under Joab, den andre tridjeparten under Abisai Serujason, bror åt Joab, og den tridje under Ittai frå Gat. Og kongen sagde til folket: «Eg er fast meint på å draga ut sjølv med dykk.»
And he placed a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Ittai, who was from Gath. And the king said to the people, “I, too, will go forth with you.”
3 Men dei svara: «Du fær ikkje draga ut. Um me lyt røma, bryr ingen seg um oss. Um helvti av oss vert drepne, bryr ingen seg um oss. Men du er no jamgod med titusund av oss. Difor er det likare at du er budd på å koma oss til hjelp frå byen.»
And the people responded: “You shall not go out. For if we flee, there will not be great concern in them for us. Or if one half part of us will fall, they will not care much. For you are considered as one for ten thousand. Therefore, it is better that you should be in the city to strengthen us.”
4 Kongen sagde: «Det de meiner er best, det vil eg gjera.» So tok kongen post attmed porten. Og heile heren drog ut i hundrad og i tusund.
And the king said to them, “I will do whatever seems good to you.” Therefore, the king stood beside the gate. And the people went out by their troops, by hundreds and by thousands.
5 Kongen baud Joab, Abisai og Ittai: «Far no varsamt med den unge mannen, med Absalom!» Heile heren høyrde kva kongen baud herhovdingarne um Absalom.
And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Preserve for me the boy Absalom.” And all the people heard the king commanding all the leaders on behalf of Absalom.
6 So drog heren ut i opi marki mot Israel. Og det kom til slag i Efraimsskogen.
And so, the people departed into the field against Israel. And the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 Der vart Israels-heren slegen av Davids herfolk. Og vart stort mannefall millom deim den dagen: tjuge tusund mann.
And the people of Israel were cut down in that place by the army of David. And a great slaughter occurred on that day: twenty thousand men.
8 Slaget spreidde seg utyver heile den kanten av landet. Og skogen øydde fleire folk den dagen enn sverdet.
Now the battle in that place was dispersed over the face of all the land. And there were many more of the people whom the forest had consumed, than the sword had devoured, on that day.
9 Det bar so til at Absalom råka på nokre av folki åt David. Han reid på eit muldyret. Og då muldyret kom inn under dei tette greinerne av ei stor eik, vart hovudet hans klemt fast millom greinerne. Og han vart hangande millom himmel og jord. For muldyret han reid på, sprang sin veg.
Then it happened that Absalom, riding on a mule, met the servants of David. And when the mule had entered under a thick and large oak tree, his head became trapped in the oak. And while he was suspended between heaven and earth, the mule on which he had been sitting continued on.
10 Ein mann som såg det, melde det til Joab: «Eg fekk sjå Absalom hangande i ei eik der burte.»
Then a certain one saw this and reported it to Joab, saying, “I saw Absalom hanging from an oak.”
11 Joab spurde bodberaren: «Når du såg det, kvifor slo du honom ikkje til marki med same? So skulde eg gjerne ha gjeve deg ti sylvdalar og eit belte for det.»
And Joab said to the man who had reported it to him, “If you saw him, why did you not stab him to the ground, and I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt?”
12 Mannen svara: «Um eg so skulde fenge ti tusund sylvdalar upp i neven, so ikkje eg leggja hand på kongssonen. Me høyrde då med eigne øyro kor kongen baud deg og Abisai og Ittai: «Tak vare på den unge mannen, på Absalom, for meg.»
And he said to Joab: “Even if you weighed out to my hands one thousand silver coins, I would never lay my hands on the son of the king. For in our hearing the king ordered you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Keep for me the boy Absalom.’
13 Og hadde eg gjort svik mot hans liv - for ingen ting vert løynd for kongen - so vilde du halde deg utanfor.»
Then too, if I had acted with such audacity, against my own life, this would never have been able to be hidden from the king. And would you then have stood by my side?”
14 «Eg vil ikkje hefta tidi lenger meg deg, » sagde Joab, treiv tri spjot i handi, og deim rende han i bringa på Absalom, som endå hekk livande millom greinerne på eiki.
And Joab said, “It will not be as you wish. Instead, I will be assailing him in your sight.” Then he took three lances in his hand, and he fixed them in the heart of Absalom. And while he was still clinging to life upon the oak,
15 So kom ti sveinar til, Joabs våpnsveinar, og gav Absalom banehogg.
ten young men, armor bearers of Joab, ran up, and striking him, they killed him.
16 Joab bles i luren. Og herfolket heldt upp med å forfylgja Israel, då Joab baud deim stogga.
Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and he held back the people, lest they pursue Israel in their flight, for he was willing to spare the multitude.
17 Dei tok og kasta Absalom i ei stor grop i skogen, og hauga i hop ei veldug steinrøys yver honom. Heile Israel tok til rømings kvar til seg.
And they took Absalom, and they threw him into a great pit in the forest. And they piled an exceedingly great heap of stones over him. But all of Israel fled to their own tents.
18 Absalom sjølv hadde i livande live teke og reist upp til minne for seg den merkesteinen som stend i Kongsdalen; med di han sagde: «Eg hev ingen son til å halda uppe namnet mitt!» Han kalla merkesteinen etter sitt namn; og han heiter «Absaloms minne» endå den dag i dag.
Now Absalom had raised up for himself, when he was still alive, a monument, which is in the Valley of the King. For he said, “I have no son, and so this shall be the memorial to my name.” And he called the monument by his own name. And it is called the Hand of Absalom, even to this day.
19 Ahima’as Sadoksson sagde: «Lat meg skunda meg og melda kongen fagnadtiendi, at Herren hev hjelpt honom til retten sin mot uvenerne sine!»
Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, “I will run and report to the king that the Lord has accomplished judgment for him, from the hand of his enemies.”
20 «Nei, » sagde Joab, «det vert inkje fagnadbod det du hev å bera i dag. Ein annan dag kann du koma med fagnadtiend. Men i dag vert det ingen fagnadtiend; for det er son åt kongen som er avliden.»
And Joab said to him: “You shall not be the messenger on this day. Instead, you shall report on another day. I am not willing for you to give the report today, because the son of the king is dead.”
21 So baud Joab ein ætiop: «Gakk og meld kongen det du hev set!» Ætiopen fall ned for Joab og sprang av stad.
Then Joab said to Hushai, “Go, and report to the king what you have seen.” Hushai reverenced Joab, and he ran.
22 Ahima’as Sadoksson bad Joab andre gongen: «Kome kva kome vil: lat meg springa eg og, etter ætiopen!» Joab svara: «Kvifor vil du det, guten min? Dette er då ikkje nokor fagnadtiend, som du kann venta løn for!»
And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said to Joab again, “What prevents me from running after Hushai also?” And Joab said to him: “Why do you want to run, my son? You would not be the bearer of good news.”
23 Han sagde: «Koma kva kome vil: eg spring!» «So spring då!» sagde Joab. Og Ahima’as sprang, og tok vegen yver Jordan-kverven og kom fyre ætiopen.
And he responded, “But what if I do run?” And he said to him, “Run.” Then Ahimaaz, running along a shorter way, passed Hushai.
24 David sat inni dubbelporten. Og ein vaktmann steig upp på porttaket innmed muren. Då han skoda ut, fekk han sjå ein koma springande åleine.
Now David was sitting between the two gates. Truly, the watchman, who was at the summit of the gate upon the wall, lifting up his eyes, saw a man running alone.
25 Vaktmannen ropa og melde det åt kongen. Då sagde kongen. «Er han åleine, so hev han eit fagnadbod å bera fram. Men medan han kom næmare,
And crying out, he told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is good news in his mouth.” But as he was advancing and drawing nearer,
26 fekk vaktmannen sjå ein annan kom springande. Då ropa vaktmannen ned til portvakti: «No ser eg ein til kjem springande åleine.» Kongen sagde: «Han kjem og med fagnadbod.»
the watchman saw another man running. And so, crying out from the height, he said: “Another man has appeared, running alone.” And the king said, “This one also is a good messenger.”
27 Vaktmannen sagde: Etter måten å springa på, tykkjer eg den fyrste må vera Ahima’as Sadoksson.» Kongen sagde: «Han er ein god mann! han kjem visseleg med fagnadtidend.»
Then the watchman said, “The running of the closest one seems like the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “He is a good man, and he arrives bearing good news.”
28 Ahima’as ropa til kongen: «Heil og sæl!» So fall han å gruve til jordi framfor kongen og sagde: «Lova vere Herren, din Gud! Han hev gjeve deg dei mennerne som lyfte handi mot deg, herre konge!»
Then, Ahimaaz, crying out, said to the king, “Be well, O king.” And reverencing the king prone on the ground before him, he said, “Blessed be the Lord your God, who has enclosed the men who had lifted up their hands against my lord the king.”
29 Kongen spurde: «Stend det vel til med den unge mannen, med Absalom?» Ahima’as svara: «Eg såg ei stor mannemuge då Joab sende den andre kongstenaren og meg. Men eg veit ikkje kva det galdt.»
And the king said, “Is there peace for the boy Absalom?” And Ahimaaz said: “I saw a great tumult, O king, when your servant Joab sent me, your servant. I know nothing else.”
30 Kongen sagde: «Gakk til sides, og statt der!» Han so gjorde.
And the king said to him, “Pass, and stand here.” And when he had passed and stood still,
31 Nett då kom ætiopen. Han sagde: «Tak imot fagnadbodet, herre konge, at i dag hev Herren gjeve deg rett mot alle deim som reiste seg mot deg.»
Hushai appeared. And approaching, he said: “I bear good news, my lord the king. For today the Lord has judged for you, from the hand of all who had risen up against you.”
32 Kongen spurde ætiopen: «Stend det vel til med den unge mannen, med Absalom?» Ætiopen svara: «Gjev det må ganga soleis med uvenerne dine, herre konge, og med alle som reiser seg mot deg og vil gjera deg mein, som det gjekk med den unge mannen!»
But the king said to Hushai, “Is there peace for the boy Absalom?” And responding, Hushai said to him, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against him for evil, be as the boy is.”
33 Då vart kongen reint ille ved, gjekk upp i taksalen yver porten, og gret. Og alt medan han gjekk, jamra han: «Absalom, son min, Absalom, son min, son min! Gjev eg hadde døytt i staden din! Absalom, son min, son min!»
And so the king, being greatly saddened, ascended to the upper room of the gate, and he wept. And as he went, he was speaking in this manner: “My son Absalom! Absalom my son! Who can grant to me that I may die on your behalf? Absalom, my son! My son, Absalom!”
