Samuelis II 18

VULGATA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Igitur considerato David populo suo, constituit super eos tribunos et centuriones,	1 And so David, having reviewed his people, appointed over them tribunes and centurions.
2 et dedit populi tertiam partem sub manu Joab, et tertiam partem sub manu Abisai filii Sarviæ fratris Joab, et tertiam partem sub manu Ethai, qui erat de Geth. Dixitque rex ad populum : Egrediar et ego vobiscum.	2 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 Et respondit populus : Non exibis : sive enim fugerimus, non magnopere ad eos de nobis pertinebit : sive media pars ceciderit e nobis, non satis curabunt, quia tu unus pro decem millibus computaris : melius est igitur ut sis nobis in urbe præsidio.	3 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 Ad quos rex ait : Quod vobis videtur rectum, hoc faciam. Stetit ergo rex juxta portam : egrediebaturque populus per turmas suas centeni et milleni.	4 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 Et præcepit rex Joab, et Abisai, et Ethai, dicens : Servate mihi puerum Absalom. Et omnis populus audiebat præcipientem regem cunctis principibus pro Absalom.	5 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 Itaque egressus est populus in campum contra Israël, et factum est prælium in saltu Ephraim.	6 And so, the people departed into the field against Israel. And the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 Et cæsus est ibi populus Israël ab exercitu David, factaque est plaga magna in die illa, viginti millium.	7 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 Fuit autem ibi prælium dispersum super faciem omnis terræ, et multo plures erant quos saltus consumpserat de populo, quam hi quos voraverat gladius in die illa.	8 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 Accidit autem ut occurreret Absalom servis David, sedens mulo : cumque ingressus fuisset mulus subter condensam quercum et magnam, adhæsit caput ejus quercui : et illo suspenso inter cælum et terram, mulus cui insederat, pertransivit.	9 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 Vidit autem hoc quispiam, et nuntiavit Joab, dicens : Vidi Absalom pendere de quercu.	10 Then a certain one saw this and reported it to Joab, saying, “I saw Absalom hanging from an oak.”
11 Et ait Joab viro qui nuntiaverat ei : Si vidisti, quare non confodisti eum cum terra, et ego dedissem tibi decem argenti siclos, et unum balteum ?	11 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 Qui dixit ad Joab : Si appenderes in manibus meis mille argenteos, nequaquam mitterem manum meam in filium regis : audientibus enim nobis præcepit rex tibi, et Abisai, et Ethai, dicens : Custodite mihi puerum Absalom.	12 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 Sed etsi fecissem contra animam meam audacter, nequaquam hoc regem latere potuisset, et tu stares ex adverso ?	13 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 Et ait Joab : Non sicut tu vis, sed aggrediar eum coram te. Tulit ergo tres lanceas in manu sua, et infixit eas in corde Absalom : cumque adhuc palpitaret hærens in quercu,	14 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 cucurrerunt decem juvenes armigeri Joab, et percutientes interfecerunt eum.	15 ten young men, armor bearers of Joab, ran up, and striking him, they killed him.
16 Cecinit autem Joab buccina, et retinuit populum, ne persequeretur fugientem Israël, volens parcere multitudini.	16 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 Et tulerunt Absalom, et projecerunt eum in saltu, in foveam grandem, et comportaverunt super eum acervum lapidum magnum nimis : omnis autem Israël fugit in tabernacula sua.	17 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 Porro Absalom erexerat sibi, cum adhuc viveret, titulum qui est in Valle regis : dixerat enim : Non habeo filium, et hoc erit monimentum nominis mei. Vocavitque titulum nomine suo, et appellatur Manus Absalom, usque ad hanc diem.	18 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 Achimaas autem filius Sadoc, ait : Curram, et nuntiabo regi quia judicium fecerit ei Dominus de manu inimicorum ejus.	19 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 Ad quem Joab dixit : Non eris nuntius in hac die, sed nuntiabis in alia : hodie nolo te nuntiare : filius enim regis est mortuus.	20 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 Et ait Joab Chusi : Vade, et nuntia regi quæ vidisti. Adoravit Chusi Joab, et cucurrit.	21 Then Joab said to Hushai, “Go, and report to the king what you have seen.” Hushai reverenced Joab, and he ran.
22 Rursus autem Achimaas filius Sadoc dixit ad Joab : Quid impedit si etiam ego curram post Chusi ? Dixitque ei Joab : Quid vis currere, fili mi ? non eris boni nuntii bajulus.	22 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 Qui respondit : Quid enim si cucurrero ? Et ait ei : Curre. Currens ergo Achimaas per viam compendii, transivit Chusi.	23 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 autem sedebat inter duas portas : speculator vero, qui erat in fastigio portæ super murum, elevans oculos, vidit hominem currentem solum.	24 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 Et exclamans indicavit regi : dixitque rex : Si solus est, bonus est nuntius in ore ejus. Properante autem illo, et accedente propius,	25 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 vidit speculator hominem alterum currentem, et vociferans in culmine, ait : Apparet mihi alter homo currens solus. Dixitque rex : Et iste bonus est nuntius.	26 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 Speculator autem : Contemplor, ait, cursum prioris, quasi cursum Achimaas filii Sadoc. Et ait rex : Vir bonus est, et nuntium portans bonum venit.	27 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 Clamans autem Achimaas, dixit ad regem : Salve rex. Et adorans regem coram eo pronus in terram, ait : Benedictus Dominus Deus tuus, qui conclusit homines qui levaverunt manus suas contra dominum meum regem.	28 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 Et ait rex : Estne pax puero Absalom ? Dixitque Achimaas : Vidi tumultum magnum cum mitteret Joab servus tuus, o rex, me servum tuum : nescio aliud.	29 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 Ad quem rex : Transi, ait, et sta hic. Cumque ille transisset, et staret,	30 And the king said to him, “Pass, and stand here.” And when he had passed and stood still,
31 apparuit Chusi : et veniens ait : Bonum apporto nuntium, domine mi rex : judicavit enim pro te Dominus hodie de manu omnium qui surrexerunt contra te.	31 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 Dixit autem rex ad Chusi : Estne pax puero Absalom ? Cui respondens Chusi : Fiant, inquit, sicut puer, inimici domini mei regis, et universi qui consurgunt adversus eum in malum.	32 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 Contristatus itaque rex, ascendit cœnaculum portæ, et flevit. Et sic loquebatur, vadens : Fili mi Absalom, Absalom fili mi : quis mihi tribuat ut ego moriar pro te, Absalom fili mi, fili mi Absalom ?	33 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!”