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2 Samuel 19

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1 καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τῷ Ιωαβ λέγοντες ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεὺς κλαίει καὶ πενθεῖ ἐπὶ Αβεσσαλωμ 2 καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ σωτηρία ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ εἰς πένθος παντὶ τῷ λαῷ ὅτι ἤκουσεν ὁ λαὸς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ λέγων ὅτι λυπεῖται ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ 3 καὶ διεκλέπτετο ὁ λαὸς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καθὼς διακλέπτεται ὁ λαὸς οἱ αἰσχυνόμενοι ἐν τῷ αὐτοὺς φεύγειν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ 4 καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔκρυψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔκραξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγων υἱέ μου Αβεσσαλωμ Αβεσσαλωμ υἱέ μου 5 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ιωαβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὸν οἶκον καὶ εἶπεν κατῄσχυνας σήμερον τὸ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν δούλων σου τῶν ἐξαιρουμένων σε σήμερον καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν υἱῶν σου καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων σου καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν γυναικῶν σου καὶ τῶν παλλακῶν σου 6 τοῦ ἀγαπᾶν τοὺς μισοῦντάς σε καὶ μισεῖν τοὺς ἀγαπῶντάς σε καὶ ἀνήγγειλας σήμερον ὅτι οὔκ εἰσιν οἱ ἄρχοντές σου οὐδὲ παῖδες ὅτι ἔγνωκα σήμερον ὅτι εἰ Αβεσσαλωμ ἔζη πάντες ἡμεῖς σήμερον νεκροί ὅτι τότε τὸ εὐθὲς ἦν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου 7 καὶ νῦν ἀναστὰς ἔξελθε καὶ λάλησον εἰς τὴν καρδίαν τῶν δούλων σου ὅτι ἐν κυρίῳ ὤμοσα ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἐκπορεύσῃ σήμερον εἰ αὐλισθήσεται ἀνὴρ μετὰ σοῦ τὴν νύκτα ταύτην καὶ ἐπίγνωθι σεαυτῷ καὶ κακόν σοι τοῦτο ὑπὲρ πᾶν τὸ κακὸν τὸ ἐπελθόν σοι ἐκ νεότητός σου ἕως τοῦ νῦν 8 καὶ ἀνέστη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐν τῇ πύλῃ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἀνήγγειλαν λέγοντες ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεὺς κάθηται ἐν τῇ πύλῃ καὶ εἰσῆλθεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ Ισραηλ ἔφυγεν ἀνὴρ εἰς τὰ σκηνώματα αὐτοῦ

1 Word came back to Joab that the king was in tears, mourning over his son; 2 and the news of the royal grief went round among the army, so that the victory they had won that day issued only in lament. 3 They would not even return that day to the city, feeling such shame as a broken and routed army feels; 4 and all the while the king hid his face away, and went on crying aloud, My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son! 5 At last Joab made his way into the royal lodging, and said to the king, Here is a fine day’s work, to make all thy followers go about hanging their heads! The men who have saved thee and thy sons and daughters, thy wives and concubines, from peril of death! 6 Nothing but love for thy enemies, nothing but hatred for thy friends; never a thought, this day, for thy own captains and thy own men! If we were all dead, and Absalom still lived, I warrant thou hadst been the better pleased. 7 Bestir thyself, come out and speak to thy men, and earn their good will; I swear by the Lord that if thou dost not come out, not a man will be left to serve thy cause by night-fall; and worse awaits thee than all the troubles which have come upon thee from the days of thy youth till now. 8 So the king rose up, and seated himself at the gateway; and there, once the word had gone round that the king was sitting in the gateway, all his followers came into the royal presence.

1 Nuntiatum est autem Joab quod rex fleret et lugeret filium suum, 2 et versa est victoria in luctum in die illa omni populo: audivit enim populus in die illa dici: Dolet rex super filio suo. 3 Et declinavit populus in die illa ingredi civitatem, quomodo declinare solet populus versus et fugiens de prælio. 4 Porro rex operuit caput suum, et clamabat voce magna: Fili mi Absalom, Absalom fili mi, fili mi. 5 Ingressus ergo Joab ad regem in domum, dixit: Confudisti hodie vultus omnium servorum tuorum, qui salvam fecerunt animam tuam, et animam filiorum tuorum et filiarum tuarum, et animam uxorum tuarum, et animam concubinarum tuarum. 6 Diligis odientes te, et odio habes diligentes te: et ostendisti hodie quia non curas de ducibus tuis et de servis tuis: et vere cognovi modo, quia si Absalom viveret, et omnes nos occubuissemus, tunc placeret tibi. 7 Nunc igitur surge, et procede, et alloquens satisfac servis tuis: juro enim tibi per Dominum quod si non exieris, ne unus quidem remansurus sit tecum nocte hac: et pejus erit hoc tibi quam omnia mala quæ venerunt super te ab adolescentia tua usque in præsens. 8 Surrexit ergo rex et sedit in porta: et omni populo nuntiatum est quod rex sederet in porta. Venitque universa multitudo coram rege: Israël autem fugit in tabernacula sua.

9 καὶ ἦν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς κρινόμενος ἐν πάσαις φυλαῖς Ισραηλ λέγοντες ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυιδ ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξείλατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς ἀλλοφύλων καὶ νῦν πέφευγεν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ Αβεσσαλωμ 10 καὶ Αβεσσαλωμ ὃν ἐχρίσαμεν ἐ{F'} ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ καὶ νῦν ἵνα τί ὑμεῖς κωφεύετε τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τὸ ῥῆμα παντὸς Ισραηλ ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα 11 καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυιδ ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς Σαδωκ καὶ πρὸς Αβιαθαρ τοὺς ἱερεῖς λέγων λαλήσατε πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους Ιουδα λέγοντες ἵνα τί γίνεσθε ἔσχατοι τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ λόγος παντὸς Ισραηλ ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα 12 ἀδελφοί μου ὑμεῖς ὀστᾶ μου καὶ σάρκες μου ὑμεῖς καὶ ἵνα τί γίνεσθε ἔσχατοι τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ 13 καὶ τῷ Αμεσσαϊ ἐρεῖτε οὐχὶ ὀστοῦν μου καὶ σάρξ μου σύ καὶ νῦν τάδε ποιήσαι μοι ὁ θεὸς καὶ τάδε προσθείη εἰ μὴ ἄρχων δυνάμεως ἔσῃ ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἀντὶ Ιωαβ 14 καὶ ἔκλινεν τὴν καρδίαν παντὸς ἀνδρὸς Ιουδα ὡς ἀνδρὸς ἑνός καὶ ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα λέγοντες ἐπιστράφητι σὺ καὶ πάντες οἱ δοῦλοί σου

9 But the men of Israel had fled home. And now, all through the tribes of Israel, there was high debate; Here is a king, men said, that has rid us of our enemies, rescued us from the power of the Philistines, and he must be exiled from his kingdom to please Absalom! 10 This Absalom, whom we anointed to be our king, has fallen in battle; why is no voice raised for bringing the king back to us? 11 News of what the Israelites were saying had reached the court, and now king David sent word to the priests, Sadoc and Abiathar, bidding them ask the elders of Juda, Why are you the last to welcome the king home again? 12 You are my own tribesmen, my own kith and kin, why do you hang back, instead of restoring me to the throne? 13 He bade them, too, give this message to Amasa, Art thou not my own flesh and blood? May the Lord punish me as I deserve, and more than I deserve, if I do not make thee, instead of Joab, commander of my army henceforward! 14 Thus he won over the men of Juda till they had but a single thought, and a message was sent to the king bidding him come back to them, and all his men with him.

9 Omnis quoque populus certabat in cunctis tribubus Israël, dicens: Rex liberavit nos de manu inimicorum nostrorum; ipse salvavit nos de manu Philisthinorum: et nunc fugit de terra propter Absalom. 10 Absalom autem, quem unximus super nos, mortuus est in bello: usquequo siletis, et non reducitis regem? 11 Rex vero David misit ad Sadoc et Abiathar sacerdotes, dicens: Loquimini ad majores natu Juda, dicentes: Cur venitis novissimi ad reducendum regem in domum suam? (Sermo autem omnis Israël pervenerat ad regem in domo ejus.) 12 Fratres mei vos, os meum, et caro mea vos, quare novissimi reducitis regem? 13 Et Amasæ dicite: Nonne os meum, et caro mea es? hæc faciat mihi Deus, et hæc addat, si non magister militiæ fueris coram me omni tempore pro Joab. 14 Et inclinavit cor omnium virorum Juda quasi viri unius: miseruntque ad regem, dicentes: Revertere tu, et omnes servi tui.

15 καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἦλθεν ἕως τοῦ Ιορδάνου καὶ ἄνδρες Ιουδα ἦλθαν εἰς Γαλγαλα τοῦ πορεύεσθαι εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ βασιλέως διαβιβάσαι τὸν βασιλέα τὸν Ιορδάνην 16 καὶ ἐτάχυνεν Σεμεϊ υἱὸς Γηρα υἱοῦ τοῦ Ιεμενι ἐκ Βαουριμ καὶ κατέβη μετὰ ἀνδρὸς Ιουδα εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ βασιλέως Δαυιδ 17 καὶ χίλιοι ἄνδρες με{T'} αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ Βενιαμιν καὶ Σιβα τὸ παιδάριον τοῦ οἴκου Σαουλ καὶ δέκα πέντε υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ με{T'} αὐτοῦ καὶ εἴκοσι δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ με{T'} αὐτοῦ καὶ κατεύθυναν τὸν Ιορδάνην ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βασιλέως 18 καὶ ἐλειτούργησαν τὴν λειτουργίαν τοῦ διαβιβάσαι τὸν βασιλέα καὶ διέβη ἡ διάβασις ἐξεγεῖραι τὸν οἶκον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ εὐθὲς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ Σεμεϊ υἱὸς Γηρα ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως διαβαίνοντος αὐτοῦ τὸν Ιορδάνην 19 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα μὴ διαλογισάσθω ὁ κύριός μου ἀνομίαν καὶ μὴ μνησθῇς ὅσα ἠδίκησεν ὁ παῖς σου ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξεπορεύετο ἐξ Ιερουσαλημ τοῦ θέσθαι τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ 20 ὅτι ἔγνω ὁ δοῦλός σου ὅτι ἐγὼ ἥμαρτον καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἦλθον σήμερον πρότερος παντὸς οἴκου Ιωσηφ τοῦ καταβῆναι εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως 21 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Αβεσσα υἱὸς Σαρουιας καὶ εἶπεν μὴ ἀντὶ τούτου οὐ θανατωθήσεται Σεμεϊ ὅτι κατηράσατο τὸν χριστὸν κυρίου 22 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ τί ἐμοὶ καὶ ὑμῖν υἱοὶ Σαρουιας ὅτι γίνεσθέ μοι σήμερον εἰς ἐπίβουλον σήμερον οὐ θανατωθήσεταί τις ἀνὴρ ἐξ Ισραηλ ὅτι οὐκ οἶδα εἰ σήμερον βασιλεύω ἐγὼ ἐπὶ τὸν Ισραηλ 23 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Σεμεϊ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς

15 So the king set out for home, and by the time he reached the Jordan, the whole of Juda had assembled at Galgal to meet him and escort him over the river. 16 Semei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, hastened to bear them company, welcoming king David 17 with a thousand of his own tribesmen; there was Siba, too, that had once been a servant in the court of Saul, with his fifteen sons and twenty servants of his, and these, plunging into the Jordan 18 before the king could reach it, were across the ford, ready to escort his household and wait upon his bidding. Semei, Gera’s son, was no sooner across Jordan than he fell at the king’s feet; 19 My lord, he said, do not hold me guilty, forget the wrong thy servant did thee when thou, my lord king, hadst left Jerusalem; let there be no grudge in thy royal heart. 20 I, thy servant, confess this day the wrong I did; that is why I have come, first spokesman of the other tribes, to meet the king’s grace on his way.[1] 21 At this, Abisai son of Sarvia would have Semei put to death, for the curses he uttered against an anointed king. 22 What, sons of Sarvia, David answered, will you never give me rest? This day, of all others, would you mar my peace? No Israelite shall lose his life this day, which has taught me for the first time that I am king in Israel. 23 And to Semei he said, Thou shalt not die, and took his oath to confirm it.

15 Et reversus est rex, et venit usque ad Jordanem: et omnis Juda venit usque in Galgalam ut occurreret regi, et traduceret eum Jordanem. 16 Festinavit autem Semei filius Gera filii Jemini de Bahurim, et descendit cum viris Juda in occursum regis David, 17 cum mille viris de Benjamin, et Siba puer de domo Saul: et quindecim filii ejus, ac viginti servi erant cum eo: et irrumpentes Jordanem, ante regem 18 transierunt vada, ut traducerent domum regis, et facerent juxta jussionem ejus: Semei autem filius Gera prostratus coram rege, cum jam transisset Jordanem, 19 dixit ad eum: Ne reputes mihi, domine mi, iniquitatem, neque memineris injuriarum servi tui in die qua egressus es, domine mi rex, de Jerusalem, neque ponas, rex, in corde tuo. 20 Agnosco enim servus tuus peccatum meum: et idcirco hodie primus veni de omni domo Joseph, descendique in occursum domini mei regis. 21 Respondens vero Abisai filius Sarviæ, dixit: Numquid pro his verbis non occidetur Semei, quia maledixit christo Domini? 22 Et ait David: Quid mihi et vobis, filii Sarviæ? cur efficimini mihi hodie in satan? ergone hodie interficietur vir in Israël? an ignoro hodie me factum regem super Israël? 23 Et ait rex Semei: Non morieris. Juravitque ei.

24 καὶ Μεμφιβοσθε υἱὸς Ιωναθαν υἱοῦ Σαουλ κατέβη εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ οὐκ ἐθεράπευσεν τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ὠνυχίσατο οὐδὲ ἐποίησεν τὸν μύστακα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔπλυνεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἧς ἀπῆλθεν ὁ βασιλεύς ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ἧς αὐτὸς παρεγένετο ἐν εἰρήνῃ 25 καὶ ἐγένετο ὅτε εἰσῆλθεν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς τί ὅτι οὐκ ἐπορεύθης με{T'} ἐμοῦ Μεμφιβοσθε 26 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Μεμφιβοσθε κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ ὁ δοῦλός μου παρελογίσατό με ὅτι εἶπεν ὁ παῖς σου αὐτῷ ἐπίσαξόν μοι τὴν ὄνον καὶ ἐπιβῶ ἐ{P'} αὐτὴν καὶ πορεύσομαι μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ὅτι χωλὸς ὁ δοῦλός σου 27 καὶ μεθώδευσεν ἐν τῷ δούλῳ σου πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς ὡς ἄγγελος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ποίησον τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου 28 ὅτι οὐκ ἦν πᾶς ὁ οἶκος τοῦ πατρός μου ἀλ{L'} ἢ ὅτι ἄνδρες θανάτου τῷ κυρίῳ μου τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ ἔθηκας τὸν δοῦλόν σου ἐν τοῖς ἐσθίουσιν τὴν τράπεζάν σου καὶ τί ἐστίν μοι ἔτι δικαίωμα καὶ τοῦ κεκραγέναι με ἔτι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα 29 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς ἵνα τί λαλεῖς ἔτι τοὺς λόγους σου εἶπον σὺ καὶ Σιβα διελεῖσθε τὸν ἀγρόν 30 καὶ εἶπεν Μεμφιβοσθε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καί γε τὰ πάντα λαβέτω μετὰ τὸ παραγενέσθαι τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα ἐν εἰρήνῃ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ

24 Then the king was met by Miphiboseth, that was heir to Saul; he came with feet begrimed, with beard untrimmed, in garments that went unwashed from the day of the king’s departure to the day of his return. 25 Down from Jerusalem he came to meet him, and when the king asked, Why didst thou not bear me company, Miphiboseth? 26 his answer was, My lord king, my own servant played me false; may it please thee, I bade him saddle me an ass, so that I could ride in the king’s company, lame as I am; 27 and he, not content with disobeying, has brought a false charge against me before my lord the king. But thou, my lord king, art wise as an angel of God; do what thou wilt. 28 For indeed, the whole of my father’s line deserve nothing better than death at thy hands, and thou hast given me, thy servant, a place among the guests at thy table; what right have I to complain? I will raise my voice no more in my defence. 29 And the king told him, No need to say more. My word has been passed; do thou and Siba divide the lands between you.[2] 30 Why, let him take all, Miphiboseth answered; enough for me that my lord the king has come home in peace.

24 Miphiboseth quoque filius Saul descendit in occursum regis, illotis pedibus et intonsa barba: vestesque suas non laverat a die qua egressus fuerat rex, usque ad diem reversionis ejus in pace. 25 Cumque Jerusalem occurrisset regi, dixit ei rex: Quare non venisti mecum, Miphiboseth? 26 Et respondens ait: Domine mi rex, servus meus contempsit me: dixique ei ego famulus tuus ut sterneret mihi asinum, et ascendens abirem cum rege: claudus enim sum servus tuus. 27 Insuper et accusavit me servum tuum ad te dominum meum regem: tu autem, domine mi rex, sicut angelus Dei es: fac quod placitum est tibi. 28 Neque enim fuit domus patris mei, nisi morti obnoxia domino meo regi: tu autem posuisti me servum tuum inter convivas mensæ tuæ: quid ergo habeo justæ querelæ? aut quid possum ultra vociferari ad regem? 29 Ait ergo ei rex: Quid ultra loqueris? fixum est quod locutus sum: tu et Siba dividite possessiones. 30 Responditque Miphiboseth regi: Etiam cuncta accipiat, postquam reversus est dominus meus rex pacifice in domum suam.

31 καὶ Βερζελλι ὁ Γαλααδίτης κατέβη ἐκ Ρωγελλιμ καὶ διέβη μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τὸν Ιορδάνην ἐκπέμψαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ιορδάνην 32 καὶ Βερζελλι ἀνὴρ πρεσβύτερος σφόδρα υἱὸς ὀγδοήκοντα ἐτῶν καὶ αὐτὸς διέθρεψεν τὸν βασιλέα ἐν τῷ οἰκεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν Μαναϊμ ὅτι ἀνὴρ μέγας ἐστὶν σφόδρα 33 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Βερζελλι σὺ διαβήσῃ με{T'} ἐμοῦ καὶ διαθρέψω τὸ γῆράς σου με{T'} ἐμοῦ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ 34 καὶ εἶπεν Βερζελλι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα πόσαι ἡμέραι ἐτῶν ζωῆς μου ὅτι ἀναβήσομαι μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς Ιερουσαλημ 35 υἱὸς ὀγδοήκοντα ἐτῶν ἐγώ εἰμι σήμερον μὴ γνώσομαι ἀνὰ μέσον ἀγαθοῦ καὶ κακοῦ ἢ γεύσεται ὁ δοῦλός σου ἔτι ὃ φάγομαι ἢ πίομαι ἢ ἀκούσομαι ἔτι φωνὴν ᾀδόντων καὶ ᾀδουσῶν ἵνα τί ἔσται ἔτι ὁ δοῦλός σου εἰς φορτίον ἐπὶ τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα 36 ὡς βραχὺ διαβήσεται ὁ δοῦλός σου τὸν Ιορδάνην μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἵνα τί ἀνταποδίδωσίν μοι ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν ταύτην 37 καθισάτω δὴ ὁ δοῦλός σου καὶ ἀποθανοῦμαι ἐν τῇ πόλει μου παρὰ τῷ τάφῳ τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ τῆς μητρός μου καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ δοῦλός σου Χαμααμ διαβήσεται μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ποίησον αὐτῷ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου 38 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς με{T'} ἐμοῦ διαβήτω Χαμααμ κἀγὼ ποιήσω αὐτῷ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐκλέξῃ ἐ{P'} ἐμοί ποιήσω σοι 39 καὶ διέβη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὸν Ιορδάνην καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς διέβη καὶ κατεφίλησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Βερζελλι καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτόν καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ 40 καὶ διέβη ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς Γαλγαλα καὶ Χαμααμ διέβη με{T'} αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς Ιουδα διαβαίνοντες μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καί γε τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ λαοῦ Ισραηλ 41 καὶ ἰδοὺ πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ παρεγένοντο πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπον πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τί ὅτι ἔκλεψάν σε οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν ἀνὴρ Ιουδα καὶ διεβίβασαν τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ τὸν Ιορδάνην καὶ πάντες ἄνδρες Δαυιδ με{T'} αὐτοῦ 42 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ιουδα πρὸς ἄνδρα Ισραηλ καὶ εἶπαν διότι ἐγγίζει πρός με ὁ βασιλεύς καὶ ἵνα τί οὕτως ἐθυμώθης περὶ τοῦ λόγου τούτου μὴ βρώσει ἐφάγαμεν ἐκ τοῦ βασιλέως ἢ δόμα ἔδωκεν ἢ ἄρσιν ἦρεν ἡμῖν 43 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ τῷ ἀνδρὶ Ιουδα καὶ εἶπεν δέκα χεῖρές μοι ἐν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ πρωτότοκος ἐγὼ ἢ σύ καί γε ἐν τῷ Δαυιδ εἰμὶ ὑπὲρ σέ καὶ ἵνα τί τοῦτο ὕβρισάς με καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσθη ὁ λόγος μου πρῶτός μοι τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα ἐμοί καὶ ἐσκληρύνθη ὁ λόγος ἀνδρὸς Ιουδα ὑπὲρ τὸν λόγον ἀνδρὸς Ισραηλ

31 Berzellai, too, the man of Galaad, came down from Rogelim, to attend his crossing of Jordan, ready to accompany him to the further bank. 32 Berzellai of Galaad was an old man, eighty years old; he it was that brought the king provisions, while he lay at the Encampment, for he was a man of great riches. 33 To him the king said, Bear me company, and take thy ease with me at Jerusalem. 34 But Berzellai answered, What, a man of my years go up to Jerusalem with the king’s grace? 35 I am eighty years old now; are my senses still keen, to tell sweet from bitter? Can thy servant take pleasure in food and drink? Can my ear catch the tone of songster and songstress? Nay, I would not be a burden to my lord the king; 36 let thy servant go with thee a little of the way beyond Jordan, and no more. I need no such exchange of friendship; 37 rather, my prayer is that I should be allowed to go back and die in my own city, and be buried close to the grave where my father and mother lie. Here is thy servant Chamaam; let him go with thee, my lord king, and do with him what thou wilt. 38 Chamaam shall go with me, the king replied, and it shall be for thee to choose what is to be done with him; no request of thine shall go ungranted. 39 So, when he and all the people had crossed over Jordan, the king kissed Berzellai and blessed him, and he went home, 40 while the king passed on to Galgal, and Chamaam with him.

All the men of Juda had been the king’s escort, but of the other Israelites only a half; 41 and now the men of Israel came to him with one accord, and asked, How is it that our brethren, the men of Juda, have stolen thee from us? By what warrant did they escort the king, and his household and the warriors of David’s army, on their passage over Jordan? 42 Why, answered the men of Juda, he is nearer of kin to us. There is no cause here for anger. Have we lived on the king’s bounty, or been singled out to receive his gifts? 43 And the Israelites replied, We are ten to one; our rights with the king, our claims upon David, are ten times as great as yours. Why did you wrong us by not conferring with us first about our king’s restoration? Thus either side pleaded its own cause, but the men of Juda more bitterly than the men of Israel.

31 Berzellai quoque Galaadites, descendens de Rogelim, traduxit regem Jordanem, paratus etiam ultra fluvium prosequi eum. 32 Erat autem Berzellai Galaadites senex valde, id est, octogenarius, et ipse præbuit alimenta regi cum moraretur in castris: fuit quippe vir dives nimis. 33 Dixit itaque rex ad Berzellai: Veni mecum, ut requiescas securus mecum in Jerusalem. 34 Et ait Berzellai ad regem: Quot sunt dies annorum vitæ meæ, ut ascendam cum rege in Jerusalem? 35 Octogenarius sum hodie: numquid vigent sensus mei ad discernendum suave aut amarum? aut delectare potest servum tuum cibus et potus? vel audire possum ultra vocem cantorum atque cantatricum? quare servus tuus sit oneri domino meo regi? 36 Paululum procedam famulus tuus ab Jordane tecum: non indigeo hac vicissitudine, 37 sed obsecro ut revertar servus tuus, et moriar in civitate mea, et sepeliar juxta sepulchrum patris mei et matris meæ. Est autem servus tuus Chamaam: ipse vadat tecum, domine mi rex, et fac ei quidquid tibi bonum videtur. 38 Dixit itaque ei rex: Mecum transeat Chamaam, et ego faciam ei quidquid tibi placuerit: et omne quod petieris a me, impetrabis. 39 Cumque transisset universus populus et rex Jordanem, osculatus est rex Berzellai, et benedixit ei: et ille reversus est in locum suum. 40 Transivit ergo rex in Galgalam, et Chamaam cum eo.

Omnis autem populus Juda traduxerat regem, et media tantum pars adfuerat de populo Israël. 41 Itaque omnes viri Israël concurrentes ad regem dixerunt ei: Quare te furati sunt fratres nostri viri Juda, et traduxerunt regem et domum ejus Jordanem, omnesque viros David cum eo? 42 Et respondit omnis vir Juda ad viros Israël: Quia mihi propior est rex: cur irasceris super hac re? numquid comedimus aliquid ex rege, aut munera nobis data sunt? 43 Et respondit vir Israël ad viros Juda, et ait: Decem partibus major ego sum apud regem, magisque ad me pertinet David quam ad te: cur fecisti mihi injuriam, et non mihi nuntiatum est priori, ut reducerem regem meum? Durius autem responderunt viri Juda viris Israël.

[1] ‘First spokesman of the other tribes’; literally, ‘first among all the house of Joseph’, but the name Joseph is evidently used here, as in several other places, to designate the rest of Israel apart from Juda. Benjamin is here included under ‘Joseph’, although, when the kingdom was divided under Roboam, it remained united to Juda.

[2] ‘My word has been passed’, cf. 16.4 above. David is perhaps interpreting his promise there made, ‘All that was Miphiboseth’s is thine’ as meaning ‘All that was Miphiboseth’s is equally thine’, so that the property would have to be divided between them. David has been criticized for not punishing Siba’s treachery to his master; but it is quite possible that Siba was acting partly in Miphiboseth’s interest, under the impression that Absalom was likely to be victorious—the property which Siba managed for his master (9.10) would be safe from confiscation in either event.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd