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2 KINGS (SAMUEL) CHAPTERS 11-21

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11

ΚΑΙ ἐγένετο ἐπιστρέψαντος τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἐξοδίας τῶν βασιλέων, καὶ ἀπέστειλε Δαυὶδ τὸν ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν πάντα ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ διέφθειραν τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Αμμὼν καὶ διεκάθισαν ἐπὶ Ραββάθ· καὶ Δαυὶδ ἐκάθισεν ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

2 καὶ ἐγένετο πρὸς ἑσπέραν καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυὶδ ἀπὸ τῆς κοίτης αὐτοῦ καὶ περιεπάτει ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ εἶδε γυναῖκα λουομένην ἀπὸ τοῦ δώματος, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ καλὴ τῷ εἴδει σφόδρα.

3 καὶ ἀπέστειλε Δαυὶδ καὶ ἐζήτησε τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ εἶπεν· οὐχὶ αὕτη Βηρσαβεὲ θυγάτηρ ᾿Ελιὰβ γυνὴ Οὐρίου τοῦ Χετταίου;

4 καὶ ἀπέστειλε Δαυὶδ ἀγγέλους καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτήν, καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτήν, καὶ ἐκοιμήθη μετ' αὐτῆς, καὶ αὐτὴ ἁγιαζομένη ἀπὸ ἀκαθαρσίας αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτῆς.

5 καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔλαβεν ἡ γυνή· καὶ ἀποστείλασα ἀπήγγειλε τῷ Δαυὶδ καὶ εἶπεν· ἐγώ εἰμι ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχω.

6 καὶ ἀπέστειλε Δαυὶδ πρὸς ᾿Ιωὰβ λέγων· ἀπόστειλον πρός με τὸν Οὐρίαν τὸν Χετταῖον· καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Ιωὰβ τὸν Οὐρίαν πρὸς Δαυίδ.

7 καὶ παραγίνεται Οὐρίας καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ ἐπηρώτησε Δαυὶδ εἰς εἰρήνην ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ εἰς εἰρήνην τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ εἰς εἰρήνην τοῦ πολέμου.

8 καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ τῷ Οὐρίᾳ· κατάβηθι εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου καὶ νίψαι τοὺς πόδας σου· καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Οὐρίας ἐξ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἄρσις τοῦ βασιλέως.

9 καὶ ἐκοιμήθη Οὐρίας παρὰ τῇ θύρᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως μετὰ τῶν δούλων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ κατέβη εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ.

10 καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν τῷ Δαυὶδ λέγοντες, ὅτι οὐ κατέβη Οὐρίας εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ. καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πρὸς Οὐρίαν· οὐχὶ ἐξ ὁδοῦ σὺ ἔρχῃ; τί ὅτι οὐ κατέβης εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου;

11 καὶ εἶπεν Οὐρίας πρὸς Δαυίδ· ἡ κιβωτὸς καὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ᾿Ιούδας κατοικοῦσιν ἐν σκηναῖς, καὶ ὁ κύριός μου ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ κυρίου μου ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἀγροῦ παρεμβάλλουσι· καὶ ἐγὼ εἰσελεύσομαι εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου τοῦ φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν καὶ κοιμηθῆναι μετὰ τῆς γυναικός μου; πῶς; ζῇ ἡ ψυχή σου, εἰ ποιήσω τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο.

12 καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πρὸς Οὐρίαν· κάθισον ἐνταῦθα καί γε σήμερον, καὶ αὔριον ἐξαποστελῶ σε. καὶ ἐκάθισεν Οὐρίας ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ καὶ τῇ ἐπαύριον.

13 καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν Δαυίδ, καὶ ἔφαγεν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔπιε καὶ ἐμέθυσεν αὐτόν· καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἑσπέρας τοῦ κοιμηθῆναι ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν δούλων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ οὐ κατέβη.

14 καὶ ἐγένετο πρωΐ καὶ ἔγραψε Δαυὶδ βιβλίον πρὸς ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἐν χειρὶ Οὐρίου.

15 καὶ ἔγραψεν ἐν βιβλίῳ λέγων· εἰσάγαγε τὸν Οὐρίαν ἐξ ἐναντίας τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ κραταιοῦ, καὶ ἀποστραφήσεσθε ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πληγήσεται ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πληγήσεται καὶ ἀποθανεῖται.

16 καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐν τῷ φυλάσσειν ᾿Ιωὰβ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἔθηκε τὸν Οὐρίαν εἰς τὸν τόπον, οὗ ᾔδει ὅτι ἄνδρες δυνάμεως ἐκεῖ.

17 καὶ ἐξῆλθον οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἐπολέμουν μετὰ ᾿Ιωάβ, καὶ ἔπεσαν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ ἐκ τῶν δούλων Δαυίδ, καὶ ἀπέθανε καί γε Οὐρίας ὁ Χετταῖος.

18 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ ἀπήγγειλε τῷ Δαυὶδ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τοῦ πολέμου λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα

19 καὶ ἐνετείλατο τῷ ἀγγέλῳ λέγων· ἐν τῷ συντελέσαι πάντας τοὺς λόγους τοῦ πολέμου λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα

20 καὶ ἔσται ἐὰν ἀναβῇ ὁ θυμὸς τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ εἴπῃ σοι· τί ὅτι ἠγγίσατε πρὸς τὴν πόλιν πολεμῆσαι; οὐκ ᾔδειτε ὅτι τοξεύσουσιν ἀπάνωθεν τοῦ τείχους;

21 τίς ἐπάταξε τὸν ᾿Αβιμέλεχ υἱὸν ῾Ιεροβάαλ υἱοῦ Νήρ; οὐχὶ γυνὴ ἔρριψε κλάσμα μύλου ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἀπὸ ἄνωθεν τοῦ τείχους καὶ ἀπέθανεν ἐν Θαμασί; ἱνατί προσηγάγετε πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος; καὶ ἐρεῖς· καί γε ὁ δοῦλός σου Οὐρίας ὁ Χετταῖος ἀπέθανε.

22 καὶ ἐπορεύθη ὁ ἄγγελος ᾿Ιωὰβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ παρεγένετο καὶ ἀπήγγειλε τῷ Δαυὶδ πάντα, ὅσα ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ ᾿Ιωὰβ πάντα τὰ ρήματα τοῦ πολέμου. καὶ ἐθυμώθη Δαυὶδ πρὸς ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον· ἱνατί προσηγάγετε πρὸς τὴν πόλιν τοῦ πολεμῆσαι; οὐκ ᾔδειτε ὅτι πληγήσεσθε ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους; τίς ἐπάταξε τὸν ᾿Αβιμέλεχ υἱὸν ῾Ιεροβάαλ; οὐχὶ γυνὴ ἔρριψεν ἐπ' αὐτὸν κλάσμα μύλου ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους καὶ ἀπέθανεν ἐν Θαμασί; ἱνατί προσηγάγετε πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος;

23 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἄγγελος πρὸς Δαυὶδ ὅτι ἐκραταίωσαν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς οἱ ἄνδρες καὶ ἐξῆλθαν ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸν ἀγρόν, καὶ ἐγενήθημεν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἕως τῆς θύρας τῆς πύλης,

24 καὶ ἐτόξευσαν οἱ τοξεύοντες πρὸς τοὺς παῖδάς σου ἀπάνωθεν τοῦ τείχους, καὶ ἀπέθανον τῶν παίδων τοῦ βασιλέως, καί γε ὁ δοῦλος σου Οὐρίας ὁ Χετταῖος ἀπέθανε.

25 καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον· τάδε ἐρεῖς πρὸς ᾿Ιωάβ· μὴ πονηρὸν ἔστω ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο, ὅτι ποτὲ μὲν οὕτως καὶ ποτὲ οὕτως φάγεται ἡ μάχαιρα· κραταίωσον τὸν πόλεμόν σου εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ κατάσπασον αὐτὴν καὶ κραταίωσον αὐτήν.

26 καὶ ἤκουσεν ἡ γυνὴ Οὐρίου ὅτι ἀπέθανεν Οὐρίας ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐκόψατο τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς.

27 καὶ διῆλθε τὸ πένθος καὶ ἀπέστειλε Δαυίδ, καὶ συνήγαγεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγενήθη αὐτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα, καὶ ἔτεκεν αὐτῷ υἱόν. καὶ πονηρὸν ἐφάνη τὸ ρῆμα, ὃ ἐποίησε Δαυίδ, ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς Κυρίου.


12

ΚΑΙ ἀπέστειλε Κύριος τὸν Νάθαν τὸν προφήτην πρὸς Δαυίδ, καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· δύο ἦσαν ἄνδρες ἐν πόλει μιᾷ, εἷς πλούσιος, καὶ εἷς πένης·

2 καὶ τῷ πλουσίῳ ἦν ποίμνια καὶ βουκόλια πολλὰ σφόδρα,

3 καὶ τῷ πένητι οὐδὲν ἀλλ' ἢ ἀμνὰς μία μικρά, ἣν ἐκτήσατο καὶ περιεποίησατο καὶ ἐξέθρεψεν αὐτὴν καὶ ἡδρύνθη μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ μετὰ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, ἐκ τοῦ ἄρτου αὐτοῦ ἤσθιε καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ποτηρίου αὐτοῦ ἔπινε καὶ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ αὐτοῦ ἐκάθευδε καὶ ἦν αὐτῷ ὡς θυγάτηρ·

4 καὶ ἦλθε πάροδος τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ πλουσίῳ, καὶ ἐφείσατο λαβεῖν ἐκ τῶν ποιμνίων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν βουκολίων αὐτοῦ τοῦ ποιῆσαι τῷ ξένῳ ὁδοιπόρῳ τῷ ἐλθόντι πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἔλαβε τὴν ἀμνάδα τοῦ πένητος καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὴν τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ ἐλθόντι πρὸς αὐτόν.

5 καὶ ἐθυμώθη ὀργῇ Δαυὶδ σφόδρα τῷ ἀνδρί, καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πρὸς Νάθαν· ζῇ Κύριος, ὅτι υἱὸς θανάτου ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ ποιήσας τοῦτο

6 καὶ τὴν ἀμνάδα ἀποτίσει ἑπταπλασίονα, ἀνθ' ὧν ὅτι ἐποίησε τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο καὶ περὶ οὗ οὐκ ἐφείσατο.

7 καὶ εἶπε Νάθαν πρὸς Δαυίδ· σὺ εἶ ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ ποιήσας τοῦτο· τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραήλ· ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ χρίσας σε εἰς βασιλέα ἐπὶ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ἐρρυσάμην σε ἐκ χειρὸς Σαοὺλ

8 καὶ ἔδωκά σοι τὸν οἶκον τοῦ κυρίου σου καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας τοῦ κυρίου σου ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ σου καὶ ἔδωκά σοι τὸν οἶκον ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ᾿Ιούδα· καὶ εἰ μικρόν ἐστι, προσθήσω σοι κατὰ ταῦτα.

9 τί ὅτι ἐφαύλισας τὸν λόγον Κυρίου τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ πονηρὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ; τὸν Οὐρίαν τὸν Χετταῖον ἐπάταξας ἐν ρομφαίᾳ καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ ἔλαβες σεαυτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα καὶ αὐτὸν ἀπέκτεινας ἐν ρομφαίᾳ υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών.

10 καὶ νῦν οὐκ ἀποστήσεται ρομφαία ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου σου ἕως αἰῶνος ἀνθ' ὧν ὅτι ἐξουδένωσάς με καὶ ἔλαβες τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ Οὐρίου τοῦ Χετταίου τοῦ εἶναί σοι εἰς γυναῖκα.

11 τάδε λέγει Κύριος· ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐξεγείρω ἐπὶ σὲ κακὰ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου σου καὶ λήψομαι τὰς γυναῖκάς σου κατ' ὀφθαλμούς σου καὶ δώσω τῷ πλησίον σου, καὶ κοιμηθήσεται μετὰ τῶν γυναικῶν σου ἐναντίον τοῦ ἡλίου τούτου·

12 ὅτι σὺ ἐποίησας κρυβῇ, κἀγὼ ποιήσω τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο ἐναντίον παντὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἀπέναντι τοῦ ἡλίου τούτου.

13 καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ τῷ Νάθαν· ἡμάρτηκα τῷ Κυρίῳ. καὶ εἶπε Νάθαν πρὸς Δαυίδ· καὶ Κύριος παρεβίβασε τὸ ἁμάρτημά σου, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς·

14 πλὴν ὅτι παροργίζων παρώργισας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς Κυρίου ἐν τῷ ρήματι τούτῳ, καί γε ὁ υἱός σου ὁ τεχθείς σοι θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖται.

15 καὶ ἀπῆλθε Νάθαν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἔθραυσε Κύριος τὸ παιδίον, ὃ ἔτεκεν ἡ γυνὴ Οὐρίου τοῦ Χετταίου τῷ Δαυίδ, καὶ ἠρρώστησε.

16 καὶ ἐζήτησε Δαυὶδ τὸν Θεὸν περὶ τοῦ παιδαρίου, καὶ ἐνήστευσε Δαυὶδ νηστείαν καὶ εἰσῆλθε καὶ ηὐλίσθη ἐν σάκκῳ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

17 καὶ ἀνέστησαν ἐπ' αὐτὸν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ ἐγεῖραι αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησε καὶ οὐ συνέφαγεν αὐτοῖς ἄρτον.

18 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ καὶ ἀπέθανε τὸ παιδάριον· καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν οἱ δοῦλοι Δαυὶδ ἀναγγεῖλαι αὐτῷ ὅτι τέθνηκε τὸ παιδάριον, ὅτι εἶπαν· ἰδοὺ ἐν τῷ τὸ παιδάριον ἔτι ζῆν ἐλαλήσαμεν πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουσε τῆς φωνῆς ἡμῶν· καὶ πῶς εἴπωμεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅτι τέθνηκε τὸ παιδάριον; καὶ ποιήσει κακά.

19 καὶ συνῆκε Δαυὶδ ὅτι οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ψιθυρίζουσι, καὶ ἐνόησε Δαυὶδ ὅτι τέθνηκε τὸ παιδάριον· καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πρὸς τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ· εἰ τέθνηκε τὸ παιδάριον; καὶ εἶπαν· τέθνηκε.

20 καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυὶδ ἐκ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐλούσατο καὶ ἠλείψατο καὶ ἤλλαξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ· καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ᾔτησεν ἄρτον φαγεῖν καὶ παρέθηκαν αὐτῷ ἄρτον, καὶ ἔφαγε.

21 καὶ εἶπαν οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ πρὸς αὐτόν· τί τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο, ὃ ἐποίησας ἕνεκα τοῦ παιδαρίου; ἔτι ζῶντος ἐνήστευες καὶ ἔκλαιες καὶ ἠγρύπνεις, καὶ ἡνίκα ἀπέθανε τὸ παιδάριον, ἀνέστης καὶ ἔφαγες ἄρτον καὶ πέπωκας;

22 καὶ εἶπε Δαυίδ· ἐν τῷ τὸ παιδάριον ἔτι ζῆν ἐνήστευσα καὶ ἔκλαυσα, ὅτι εἶπα· τίς οἶδεν εἰ ἐλεήσει με Κύριος καὶ ζήσεται τὸ παιδάριον;

23 καὶ νῦν τέθνηκεν· ἱνατί τοῦτο ἐγὼ νηστεύω; μὴ δυνήσομαι ἐπιστρέψαι αὐτὸν ἔτι; ἐγὼ πορεύσομαι πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἀναστρέψει πρός με.

24 καὶ παρεκάλεσε Δαυὶδ Βηρσαβεὲ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτὴν καὶ ἐκοιμήθη μετ' αὐτῆς καὶ συνέλαβε καὶ ἔτεκεν υἱόν, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Σαλωμών, καὶ Κύριος ἠγάπησεν αὐτόν.

25 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἐν χειρὶ Νάθαν τοῦ προφήτου, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ᾿Ιεδεδί, ἕνεκεν Κυρίου.

26 Καὶ ἐπολέμησεν ᾿Ιωὰβ ἐν Ραββὰθ υἱῶν ᾿Αμμὼν καὶ κατέλαβε τὴν πόλιν τῆς βασιλείας.

27 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Ιωὰβ ἀγγέλους πρὸς Δαυὶδ καὶ εἶπεν· ἐπολέμησα ἐν Ραββὰθ καὶ κατελαβόμην τὴν πόλιν τῶν ὑδάτων·

28 καὶ νῦν συνάγαγε τὸ κατάλοιπον τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ παρέμβαλε ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν καὶ προκαταλαβοῦ αὐτήν, ἵνα μὴ προκαταλάβωμαι ἐγὼ τὴν πόλιν καὶ κληθῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπ' αὐτήν.

29 καὶ συνήγαγε Δαυὶδ πάντα τὸν λαὸν καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Ραββὰθ καὶ ἐπολέμησεν ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ κατελάβετο αὐτήν.

30 καὶ ἔλαβε τὸν στέφανον Μολχὸμ τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ σταθμὸς αὐτοῦ τάλαντον χρυσίου καὶ λίθου τιμίου, καὶ ἦν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς Δαυίδ· καὶ σκῦλα τῆς πόλεως ἐξήνεγκε πολλὰ σφόδρα.

31 καὶ τὸν λαὸν τὸν ὄντα ἐν αὐτῇ ἐξήγαγε καὶ ἔθηκεν ἐν τῷ πρίονι καὶ ἐν τοῖς τριβόλοις τοῖς σιδηροῖς καὶ ὑποτομεῦσι σιδηροῖς καὶ διήγαγεν αὐτοὺς διὰ τοῦ πλινθείου· καὶ οὕτως ἐποίησε πάσαις ταῖς πόλεσιν υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών. καὶ ἐπέστρεψε Δαυὶδ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.


13

ΚΑΙ ἐγενήθη μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ τῷ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ υἱῷ Δαυὶδ ἀδελφὴ καλὴ τῷ εἴδει σφόδρα, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῇ Θημάρ, καὶ ἠγάπησεν αὐτὴν ᾿Αμνὼν υἱὸς Δαυίδ.

2 καὶ ἐθλίβετο ᾿Αμνὼν ὥστε ἀρρωστεῖν διὰ Θημὰρ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι παρθένος ἦν αὕτη, καὶ ὑπέρογκον ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ᾿Αμνὼν τοῦ ποιῆσαί τι αὐτῇ.

3 καὶ ἦν τῷ ᾿Αμνὼν ἑταῖρος, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ ᾿Ιωναδάβ, υἱὸς Σαμαὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Δαυίδ· καὶ ᾿Ιωναδὰβ ἀνὴρ σοφὸς σφόδρα.

4 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· τί σοι ὅτι σὺ οὕτως ἀσθενής, υἱὲ τοῦ βασιλέως, τὸ πρωΐ πρωΐ; οὐκ ἀπαγγέλλεις μοι; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ᾿Αμνών· Θημὰρ τὴν ἀδελφὴν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ.

5 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ᾿Ιωναδάβ· κοιμήθητι ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης σου καὶ μαλακίσθητι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ πατήρ σου τοῦ ἰδεῖν σε, καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτόν· ἐλθέτω δὴ Θημὰρ ἡ ἀδελφή μου καὶ ψωμισάτω με καὶ ποιησάτω κατ' ὀφθαλμούς μου βρῶμα, ὅπως ἴδω καὶ φάγω ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῆς.

6 καὶ ἐκοιμήθη ᾿Αμνὼν καὶ ἠρρώστησε, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἰδεῖν αὐτόν, καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αμνὼν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· ἐλθέτω δὴ Θημὰρ ἡ ἀδελφή μου πρός με καὶ κολλυρισάτω ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς μου δύο κολλυρίδας, καὶ φάγομαι ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῆς.

7 καὶ ἀπέστειλε Δαυὶδ πρὸς Θημὰρ εἰς τὸν οἶκον λέγων· πορεύθητι δὴ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου καὶ ποίησον αὐτῷ βρῶμα.

8 καὶ ἐπορεύθη Θημὰρ εἰς τὸν οἶκον ᾿Αμνὼν ἀδελφοῦ αὐτῆς, καὶ αὐτὸς κοιμώμενος. καὶ ἔλαβε τὸ σταῖς καὶ ἐφύρασε καὶ ἐκολλύρισε κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἥψησε τὰς κολλυρίδας·

9 καὶ ἔλαβε τὸ τήγανον καὶ κατεκένωσεν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησε φαγεῖν. καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αμνών· ἐξαγάγετε πάντα ἄνδρα ἀπὸ ἐπάνωθέν μου· καὶ ἐξήγαγον πάντα ἄνδρα ἐπάνωθεν αὐτοῦ.

10 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αμνὼν πρὸς Θημάρ· εἰσένεγκε τὸ βρῶμα εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον, καὶ φάγομαι ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου. καὶ ἔλαβε Θημὰρ τὰς κολλυρίδας, ἃς ἐποίησε, καὶ εἰσήνεγκε τῷ ᾿Αμνὼν ἀδελφῷ αὐτῆς εἰς τὸν κοιτῶνα

11 καὶ προσήγαγεν αὐτῷ τοῦ φαγεῖν, καὶ ἐπελάβετο αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· δεῦρο κοιμήθητι μετ' ἐμοῦ, ἀδελφή μου.

12 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· μή, ἀδελφέ μου· μὴ ταπεινώσῃς με, διότι οὐ ποιηθήσεται οὕτως ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ, μὴ ποιήσῃς τὴν ἀφροσύνην ταύτην·

13 καὶ ἐγὼ ποῦ ἀποίσω τὸ ὄνειδός μου; καὶ σὺ ἔσῃ ὡς εἷς τῶν ἀφρόνων ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ· καὶ νῦν λάλησον δὴ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, ὅτι οὐ μὴ κωλύσῃ με ἀπὸ σοῦ.

14 καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ᾿Αμνὼν τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῆς καὶ ἐκραταίωσεν ὑπὲρ αὐτὴν καὶ ἐταπείνωσεν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐκοιμήθη μετ' αὐτῆς.

15 καὶ ἐμίσησεν αὐτὴν ᾿Αμνὼν μῖσος μέγα σφόδρα, ὅτι μέγα τὸ μῖσος, ὃ ἐμίσησεν αὐτὴν ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀγάπην, ἣν ἠγάπησεν αὐτήν. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ᾿Αμνών· ἀνάστηθι καὶ πορεύου.

 

16 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Θημάρ· μή, ἀδελφέ, ὅτι μεγάλη ἡ κακία ἡ ἐσχάτη ὑπὲρ τὴν πρώτην, ἣν ἐποίησας μετ' ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἐξαποστεῖλαί με. καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ᾿Αμνὼν ἀκοῦσαι τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῆς.

17 καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ παιδάριον αὐτοῦ τὸν προεστηκότα τοῦ οἴκου καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἐξαποστείλατε δὴ ταύτην ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ἔξω καὶ ἀπόκλεισον τὴν θύραν ὀπίσω αὐτῆς.

18 καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῆς ἦν χιτὼν καρπωτός, ὅτι οὕτως ἐνεδιδύσκοντο αἱ θυγατέρες τοῦ βασιλέως αἱ παρθένοι τοὺς ἐπενδύτας αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐξήγαγεν αὐτὴν ὁ λειτουργὸς αὐτοῦ ἔξω καὶ ἀπέκλεισε τὴν θύραν ὀπίσω αὐτῆς.

19 καὶ ἔλαβε Θημὰρ σποδὸν καὶ ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα τὸν καρπωτὸν τὸν ἐπ' αὐτῆς διέρρηξε καὶ ἐπέθηκε τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπορεύθη πορευομένη καὶ κράζουσα.

20 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὴν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτῆς· μὴ ᾿Αμνὼν ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἐγένετο μετὰ σοῦ; καὶ νῦν, ἀδελφή μου, κώφευσον, ὅτι ἀδελφός σού ἐστι· μὴ θῇς τὴν καρδίαν σου τοῦ λαλῆσαι τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο. καὶ ἐκάθισε Θημὰρ χηρεύουσα ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτῆς.

21 καὶ ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυὶδ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους καὶ ἐθυμώθη σφόδρα· καὶ οὐκ ἐλύπησε τὸ πνεῦμα ᾿Αμνὼν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἠγάπα αὐτόν, ὅτι πρωτότοκος αὐτοῦ ἦν.

22 καὶ οὐκ ἐλάλησεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ μετὰ ᾿Αμνὼν ἀπὸ πονηροῦ ἕως ἀγαθοῦ,ὅτι ἐμίσει ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τὸν ᾿Αμνὼν ἐπὶ λόγου, οὗ ἐταπείνωσε Θημὰρ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτοῦ.

23 Καὶ ἐγένετο εἰς διετηρίδα ἡμερῶν καὶ ἦσαν κείροντες τῷ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἐν Βελασὼρ τῇ ἐχόμενα ᾿Εφραίμ, καὶ ἐκάλεσεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως.

24 καὶ ἦλθεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπεν· ἰδοὺ δὴ κείρουσι τῷ δούλῳ σου, πορευθήτω δὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου.

25 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· μὴ δή, υἱέ μου, μὴ πορευθῶμεν πάντες ἡμεῖς, καὶ οὐ μὴ καταβαρυνθῶμεν ἐπὶ σέ. καὶ ἐβιάσατο αὐτόν, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησε τοῦ πορευθῆναι καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτόν.

26 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς αὐτόν· καὶ εἰ μή, πορευθήτω δὴ μεθ' ἡμῶν ᾿Αμνὼν ὁ ἀδελφός μου. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς· ἱνατί πορευθῇ μετὰ σοῦ;

27 καὶ ἐβιάσατο αὐτὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ, καὶ ἀπέστειλε μετ' αὐτοῦ τὸν ᾿Αμνὼν καὶ πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως. καὶ ἐποίησεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πότον κατὰ τὸν πότον τοῦ βασιλέως.

28 καὶ ἐνετείλατο ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τοῖς παιδαρίοις αὐτοῦ λέγων· ἴδετε ὡς ἂν ἀγαθυνθῇ ἡ καρδία ᾿Αμνὼν ἐν τῷ οἴνῳ καὶ εἴπω πρὸς ὑμᾶς· πατάξατε τὸν ᾿Αμνών, καὶ θανατώσατε αὐτόν· μὴ φοβηθῆτε, ὅτι οὐχὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐντελλόμενος ὑμῖν; ἀνδρίζεσθε καὶ γίνεσθε εἰς υἱοὺς δυνάμεως.

29 καί ἐποίησαν τὰ παιδάρια ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τῷ ᾿Αμνὼν καθὰ ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ. καὶ ἀνέστησαν πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἐπεκάθισαν ἀνὴρ ἐπὶ τὴν ἡμίονον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔφυγαν.

30 καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτῶν ὄντων ἐν τῷ ὁδῷ καὶ ἡ ἀκοὴ ἦλθε πρὸς Δαυὶδ λέγων· ἐπάταξεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ οὐ κατελείφθη ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐδὲ εἷς.

31 καὶ ἀνέστη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ διέρρηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκοιμήθη ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ πάντες οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ οἱ περιεστῶτες αὐτῷ διέρρηξαν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν.

32 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Ιωναδὰβ υἱὸς Σαμαὰ ἀδελφοῦ Δαυὶδ καὶ εἶπε· μὴ εἰπάτω ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς, ὅτι πάντα τὰ παιδάρια τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐθανάτωσεν, ὅτι ᾿Αμνὼν μονώτατος ἀπέθανεν· ὅτι ἐπὶ στόματος ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἦν κείμενος ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας, ἧς ἐταπείνωσε Θημὰρ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτοῦ·

33 καὶ νῦν μὴ θέσθω ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ρῆμα λέγων· πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπέθανον, ὅτι ἀλλ' ἢ ᾿Αμνὼν μονώτατος ἀπέθανε.

34 καὶ ἀπέδρα ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ. καὶ ᾖρε τὸ παιδάριον ὁ σκοπὸς τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶδε καὶ ἰδοὺ λαὸς πολὺς πορευόμενος ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ ἐκ πλευρᾶς τοῦ ὄρους ἐν τῇ καταβάσει· καὶ παρεγένετο ὁ σκοπὸς καὶ ἀπήγγειλε τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ εἶπεν· ἄνδρας ἑώρακα ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ῾Ωρωνῆν ἐκ μέρους τοῦ ὄρους.

35 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωναδὰβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· ἰδοὺ οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως πάρεισι· κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ δούλου σου, οὕτως ἐγένετο.

36 καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα συνετέλεσε λαλῶν, καὶ ἰδοὺ οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἦλθαν καὶ ἐπῇραν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔκλαυσαν, καί γε ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πάντες οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ἔκλαυσαν κλαυθμὸν μέγαν σφόδρα.

37 καὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἔφυγε καὶ ἐπορεύθη πρὸς Θολμὶ υἱὸν ᾿Εμιοὺδ βασιλέα Γεδσοὺρ εἰς γῆν Μαχάδ. καὶ ἐπένθησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυὶδ ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας.

38 καὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἀπέδρα καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Γεδσοὺρ καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἔτη τρία.

39 καὶ ἐκόπασε τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ ἐξελθεῖν ὀπίσω ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ, ὅτι παρεκλήθη ἐπὶ ᾿Αμνὼν ὅτι ἀπέθανε.


14

ΚΑΙ ἔγνω ᾿Ιωὰβ υἱὸς Σαρουΐας ὅτι ἡ καρδία τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ.

2 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Ιωὰβ εἰς Θεκωέ, καὶ ἔλαβεν ἐκεῖθεν γυναῖκα σοφὴν καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτήν· πένθησον δὴ καὶ ἔνδυσαι ἱμάτια πενθικὰ καὶ μὴ ἀλείψῃ ἔλαιον καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς γυνὴ πενθοῦσα ἐπὶ τεθνηκότι τοῦτο ἡμέρας πολλὰς

3 καὶ ἐλεύσῃ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ λαλήσεις πρὸς αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο· καὶ ἔθηκεν ᾿Ιωὰβ τοὺς λόγους ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῆς.

4 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Θεκωῖτις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς εἰς τὴν γῆν καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπε· σῶσον, βασιλεῦ, σῶσον.

5 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ βασιλεύς· τί ἐστί σοι; ἡ δὲ εἶπε· καὶ μάλα γυνὴ χήρα ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀνήρ μου.

6 καί γε τῇ δούλῃ σου δύο υἱοί, καὶ ἐμαχέσαντο ἀμφότεροι ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐξαιρούμενος ἀνὰ μέσον αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔπαισεν ὁ εἷς τὸν ἕνα ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐθανάτωσεν αὐτόν.

7 καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐπανέστη ὅλη ἡ πατριὰ πρὸς τὴν δούλην σου καὶ εἶπαν· δὸς τὸν παίσαντα τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ θανατώσομεν αὐτὸν ἀντὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ, οὗ ἀπέκτεινε, καὶ ἐξαροῦμεν καί γε τὸν κληρονόμον ὑμῶν· καὶ σβέσουσι τὸν ἄνθρακά μου τὸν καταλειφθέντα, ὥστε μὴ θέσθαι τῷ ἀνδρί μου κατάλειμμα καὶ ὄνομα ἐπὶ προσώπου τῆς γῆς.

8 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα· ὑγιαίνουσα βάδιζε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, κἀγὼ ἐντελοῦμαι περὶ σοῦ.

9 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Θεκωῖτις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· ἐπ’ ἐμέ, κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ, ἡ ἀνομία καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ ἀθῷος.

10 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· τίς ὁ λαλῶν πρός σε; καί ἄξεις αὐτὸν πρὸς ἐμέ, καὶ οὐ προσθήσει ἔτι ἅψασθαι αὐτοῦ.

11 καὶ εἶπε· μνημονευσάτω δὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Κύριον Θεὸν αὐτοῦ πληθυνθῆναι ἀγχιστέα τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ διαφθεῖραι καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξάρωσι τὸν υἱόν μου· καὶ εἶπε· ζῇ Κύριος, εἰ πεσεῖται ἀπὸ τῆς τριχὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ σου ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν.

12 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· λαλησάτω δὴ ἡ δούλη σου πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου βασιλέα ρῆμα. καὶ εἶπε· λάλησον.

13 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· ἱνατί ἐλογίσω τοιοῦτο ἐπὶ λαὸν Θεοῦ; ἦ ἐκ στόματος τοῦ βασιλέως ὁ λόγος οὗτος ὡς πλημμέλεια τοῦ μὴ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα τὸν ἐξωσμένον αὐτοῦ;

14 ὅτι θανάτῳ ἀποθανούμεθα, καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ καταφερόμενον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὃ οὐ συναχθήσεται· καὶ λήψεται ὁ Θεὸς ψυχήν, καὶ λογιζόμενος τοῦ ἐξῶσαι ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐξεωσμένον.

15 καὶ νῦν ὃ ἦλθον λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν κύριόν μου τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο, ὅτι ὄψεταί με ὁ λαός, καὶ ἐρεῖ ἡ δούλη σου· λαλησάτω δὴ πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα, εἴπως ποιήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ ρῆμα τῆς δούλης αὐτοῦ·

16 ὅτι ἀκούσει ὁ βασιλεύς· ρυσάσθω τὴν δούλην αὐτοῦ ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τοῦ ζητοῦντος ἐξᾶραί με καὶ τὸν υἱόν μου ἀπὸ κληρονομίας Θεοῦ.

17 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· εἴη δὴ ὁ λόγος τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς θυσίαν, ὅτι καθὼς ἄγγελος Θεοῦ, οὕτως ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ἀκούειν τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸ πονηρόν, καὶ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου ἔσται μετὰ σοῦ.

18 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα· μὴ δὴ κρύψῃς ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ρῆμα, ὃ ἐγὼ ἐπερωτῶ σε. καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· λαλησάτω δὴ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς.

19 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· μὴ ἡ χεὶρ ᾿Ιωὰβ ἐν παντὶ τούτῳ μετὰ σοῦ; καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ τῷ βασιλεῖ· ζῇ ἡ ψυχή σου, κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ, εἰ ἔστιν εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ ἢ εἰς τὰ ἀριστερὰ ἐκ πάντων, ὧν ἐλάλησεν ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς, ὅτι ὁ δοῦλός σου ᾿Ιωὰβ αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατό μοι, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔθετο ἐν τῷ στόματι τῆς δούλης σου πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους·

20 ἕνεκεν τοῦ περιελθεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ρήματος τούτου ἐποίησεν ὁ δοῦλός σου ᾿Ιωὰβ τὸν λόγον τοῦτον, καὶ ὁ κύριός μου σοφὸς καθὼς σοφία ἀγγέλου τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ γνῶναι πάντα τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ. 21 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς ᾿Ιωάβ· ἰδοὺ δὴ ἐποίησά σοι κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου τοῦτον· πορεύου, ἐπίστρεψον τὸ παιδάριον τὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ.

22 καὶ ἔπεσεν ᾿Ιωὰβ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ προσεκύνησε καὶ εὐλόγησε τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωάβ· σήμερον ἔγνω ὁ δοῦλός σου ὅτι εὗρον χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ, ὅτι ἐποίησεν ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν λόγον τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ.

23 καὶ ἀνέστη ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Γεδσοὺρ καὶ ἤγαγε τὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

24 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· ἀποστραφήτω εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν μου μὴ βλεπέτω καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδε.

25 καὶ ὡς ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ οὐκ ἦν ἀνὴρ ἐν παντὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ αἰνετὸς σφόδρα, ἀπὸ ἴχνους ποδὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕως κορυφῆς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ μῶμος.

26 καὶ ἐν τῷ κείρεσθαι αὐτὸν τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ —καὶ ἐγένετο ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας, ὡς ἂν ἐκείρετο, ὅτι κατεβαρύνετο ἐπ’ αὐτὸν— καὶ κειρόμενος αὐτὴν ἔστησε τὴν τρίχα τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ διακοσίους σίκλους ἐν τῷ σίκλῳ τῷ βασιλικῷ.

27 καὶ ἐτέχθησαν τῷ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τρεῖς υἱοὶ καὶ θυγάτηρ μία, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῇ Θημάρ· αὕτη ἦν γυνὴ καλὴ σφόδρα καὶ γίνεται γυνὴ τῷ Ροβοὰμ υἱῷ Σαλωμὼν καὶ τίκτει αὐτῷ τὸν ᾿Αβιά.

28 καὶ ἐκάθισεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ δύο ἔτη ἡμερῶν, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδε.

29 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς ᾿Ιωὰβ ἀποστεῖλαι αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν· καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἐκ δευτέρου πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησε παραγενέσθαι.

30 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ· ἴδετε, ἡ μερὶς ἐν ἀγρῷ τοῦ ᾿Ιωὰβ ἐχόμενά μου, καὶ αὐτῷ ἐκεῖ κριθαί, πορεύεσθε καὶ ἐμπρήσατε αὐτὴν ἐν πυρί· καὶ ἐνέπρησαν οἱ παῖδες ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τὴν μερίδα. καὶ παραγίνονται οἱ δοῦλοι ᾿Ιωὰβ πρὸς αὐτὸν διερρηχότες τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπον· ἐνεπύρισαν οἱ δοῦλοι ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τὴν μερίδα ἐν πυρί.

31 καὶ ἀνέστη ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ ἦλθε πρὸς ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ εἰς τὸν οἶκον καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· ἱνατί ἐνεπύρισαν οἱ παῖδές σου τὴν μερίδα τὴν ἐμὴν ἐν πυρί;

32 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς ᾿Ιωάβ· ἰδοὺ ἀπέστειλα πρός σε λέγων· ἦκε ὧδε, καὶ ἀποστελῶ σε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα λέγων· ἱνατί ἦλθον ἐκ Γεδσούρ; ἀγαθόν μοι ἦν εἶναι ἐκεῖ· καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδον· εἰ δέ ἐστιν ἐν ἐμοὶ ἀδικία, καὶ θανάτωσόν με.

33 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ᾿Ιωὰβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ. καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ κατεφίλησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ.


15

ΚΑΙ ἐγένετο μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐποίησεν ἑαυτῷ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἅρματα καὶ ἵππους καὶ πεντήκοντα ἄνδρας παρατρέχειν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ.

2 καὶ ὤρθρισεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ καὶ ἔστη ἀνὰ χεῖρας τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς πύλης καὶ ἐγένετο πᾶς ἀνήρ, ᾧ ἐγένετο κρίσις, ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἰς κρίσιν, καὶ ἐβόησε πρὸς αὐτὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτῷ· ἐκ ποίας πόλεως σὺ εἶ; καὶ εἶπεν· ἐκ μιᾶς φυλῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ ὁ δοῦλός σου.

3 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· ἰδοὺ οἱ λόγοι σου ἀγαθοὶ καὶ εὔκολοι, καὶ ὁ ἀκούων οὐκ ἔστι σοι παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως.

4 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· τίς με καταστήσει κριτὴν ἐν τῇ γῇ, καὶ ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἐλεύσεται πᾶς ἀνήρ, ᾧ ἐὰν ᾖ ἀντιλογία καὶ κρίσις, καὶ δικαιώσω αὐτόν;

5 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν ἄνδρα τοῦ προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ καὶ ἐξέτεινε τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπελαμβάνετο αὐτοῦ καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν.

6 καὶ ἐποίησεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ κατὰ τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο παντὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ τοῖς παραγινομένοις εἰς κρίσιν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ ἰδιοποιεῖτο ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τὴν καρδίαν ἀνδρῶν ᾿Ισραήλ.

7 καὶ ἐγένετο ἀπὸ τέλους τεσσαράκοντα ἐτῶν καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ· πορεύσομαι δὴ καὶ ἀποτίσω τὰς εὐχάς μου, ἃς ηὐξάμην τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν Χεβρών·

8 ὅτι εὐχὴν ηὔξατο ὁ δοῦλός σου ἐν τῷ οἰκεῖν με ἐν Γεδσοὺρ ἐν Συρίᾳ λέγων· ἐὰν ἐπιστρέφων ἐπιστρέψῃ με Κύριος εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ λατρεύσω τῷ Κυρίῳ.

9 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς· βάδιζε εἰς εἰρήνην· καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐπορεύθη εἰς Χεβρών.

10 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ κατασκόπους ἐν πάσαις φυλαῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ λέγων· ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαι ὑμᾶς τὴν φωνὴν τῆς κερατίνης καὶ ἐρεῖτε· βεβασίλευκε βασιλεὺς ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἐν Χεβρών.

11 καὶ μετὰ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἐπορεύθησαν διακόσιοι ἄνδρες ἐξ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ κλητοὶ καὶ πορευόμενοι τῇ ἁπλότητι αὐτῶν καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν πᾶν ρῆμα.

12 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸν ᾿Αχιτόφελ τὸν Γελμωναῖον τὸν σύμβουλον Δαυὶδ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως αὐτοῦ ἐκ Γωλὰ ἐν τῷ θυσιάζειν αὐτόν. καὶ ἐγένετο σύστρεμμα ἰσχυρόν, καὶ ὁ λαὸς ὁ πορευόμενος καὶ πολὺς μετὰ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ.

13 καὶ παρεγένετο ὁ ἀπαγγέλλων πρὸς Δαυὶδ λέγων· ἐγενήθη ἡ καρδία ἀνδρῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ ὀπίσω ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ.

14 καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πᾶσι τοῖς παισὶν αὐτοῦ τοῖς μετ’ αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ· ἀνάστητε καὶ φύγωμεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν σωτηρία ἀπὸ προσώπου ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· ταχύνατε τοῦ πορευθῆναι, ἵνα μὴ ταχύνῃ καὶ καταλάβῃ ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐξώσῃ ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς τὴν κακίαν καὶ πατάξῃ τὴν πόλιν ἐν στόματι μαχαίρας.

15 καὶ εἶπον οἱ παῖδες τοῦ βασιλέως πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· κατὰ πάντα, ὅσα αἱρεῖται ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν ὁ βασιλεύς, ἰδοὺ οἱ παῖδές σου.

16 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πᾶς ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτῶν· καὶ ἀφῆκεν ὁ βασιλεὺς δέκα γυναῖκας τῶν παλλακῶν αὐτοῦ φυλάσσειν τὸν οἶκον.

17 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πάντες οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ πεζῇ καὶ ἔστησαν ἐν οἴκῳ τῷ μακράν.

18 καὶ πάντες οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ἀνὰ χεῖρα αὐτοῦ παρῆγον καὶ πᾶς Χελεθὶ καὶ πᾶς ὁ Φελεθὶ καὶ ἔστησαν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐλαίας ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς παρεπορεύετο ἐχόμενος αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν καὶ πάντες οἱ ἁδροὶ καὶ πάντες οἱ μαχηταὶ ἑξακόσιοι ἄνδρες, καὶ παρῆσαν ἐπὶ χεῖρα αὐτοῦ· καὶ πᾶς ὁ Χελεθὶ καὶ πᾶς ὁ Φελεθὶ καὶ πάντες οἱ Γεθθαῖοι, οἱ ἑξακόσιοι ἄνδρες οἱ ἐλθόντες τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτῶν ἐκ Γέθ, πορευόμενοι ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως.

19 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς ᾿Εθθὶ τὸν Γεθθαῖον· ἱνατί πορεύῃ καὶ σὺ μεθ’ ἡμῶν; ἐπίστρεφε καὶ οἴκει μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως, ὅτι ξένος εἶ σὺ καὶ ὅτι μετῴκησας σὺ ἐκ τοῦ τόπου σου.

20 εἰ ἐχθὲς παραγέγονας, καὶ σήμερον κινήσω σε μεθ’ ἡμῶν; καί γε μεταναστήσεις τὸν τόπον σου; ἐχθὲς ἡ ἐξέλευσίς σου, καὶ σήμερον μετακινήσω σε μεθ’ ἡμῶν τοῦ πορευθῆναι; καὶ ἐγὼ πορεύσομαι οὗ ἐὰν ἐγὼ πορευθῶ. ἐπιστρέφου καὶ ἐπίστρεψον τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ Κύριος ποιήσει μετὰ σοῦ ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθειαν.

21 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Εθθὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ εἶπε· ζῇ Κύριος καὶ ζῇ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς, ὅτι εἰς τὸν τόπον, οὗ ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ κύριός μου, καὶ ἐὰν εἰς θάνατον καὶ ἐὰν εἰς ζωήν, ὅτι ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ δοῦλός σου.

22 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς ᾿Εθθί· δεῦρο καὶ διάβαινε μετ’ ἐμοῦ· καὶ παρῆλθεν ᾿Εθθὶ ὁ Γεθθαῖος καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πάντες οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ὁ μετ’ αὐτοῦ.

23 καὶ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ ἔκλαιε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ. καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς παρεπορεύοντο ἐν τῷ χειμάρρῳ τῶν Κέδρων, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς διέβη τὸν χειμάρρουν Κέδρων καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς παρεπορεύοντο ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ὁδοῦ τὴν ἔρημον.

24 καὶ ἰδοὺ καί γε Σαδὼκ καὶ πάντες οἱ Λευῖται μετ’ αὐτοῦ αἴροντες τὴν κιβωτὸν διαθήκης Κυρίου ἀπὸ Βαιθὰρ καὶ ἔστησαν τὴν κιβωτὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ. καὶ ἀνέβη ᾿Αβιάθαρ, ἕως ἐπαύσατο πᾶς ὁ λαὸς παρελθεῖν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως.

25 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸν Σαδώκ· ἀπόστρεψον τὴν κιβωτὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τὴν πόλιν· ἐὰν εὕρω χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς Κυρίου, καὶ ἐπιστρέψει με καὶ δείξει μοι αὐτήν καὶ τὴν εὐπρέπειαν αὐτῆς.

26 καὶ ἐὰν εἴπῃ οὕτως· οὐκ ἠθέληκα ἐν σοί, ἰδοὺ ἐγώ εἰμι, ποιείτω μοι κατὰ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ.

27 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Σαδὼκ τῷ ἱερεῖ· ἴδετε, σὺ ἐπιστρέφεις εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐν εἰρήνῃ, καὶ ᾿Αχιμάας ὁ υἱός σου καὶ ᾿Ιωνάθαν ὁ υἱὸς ᾿Αβιάθαρ οἱ δύο υἱοὶ ὑμῶν μεθ’ ὑμῶν·

28 ἴδετε, ἐγώ εἰμι στρατεύομαι ἐν ᾿Αραβὼθ τῆς ἐρήμου ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν ρῆμα παρ’ ὑμῶν τοῦ ἀπαγγεῖλαί μοι.

29 καὶ ἀπέστρεψε Σαδὼκ καὶ ᾿Αβιάθαρ τὴν κιβωτὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐκεῖ.

30 καὶ Δαυὶδ ἀνέβαινεν ἐν τῇ ἀναβάσει τῶν ἐλαιῶν ἀναβαίνων καὶ κλαίων καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπικεκαλυμμένος, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπορεύετο ἀνυπόδετος, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετ’ αὐτοῦ ἐπεκάλυψεν ἀνὴρ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνέβαινον ἀναβαίνοντες καὶ κλαίοντες.

31 καὶ ἀνηγγέλη Δαυὶδ λέγοντες· καὶ ᾿Αχιτόφελ ἐν τοῖς συστρεφομένοις μετὰ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· καὶ εἶπε Δαυίδ· διασκέδασον δὴ τὴν βουλὴν ᾿Αχιτόφελ, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου.

32 καὶ ἦν Δαυὶδ ἐρχόμενος ἕως τοῦ Ροώς, οὗ προσεκύνησεν ἐκεῖ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἰδοὺ εἰς ἀπαντὴν αὐτῷ Χουσὶ ὁ ἀρχιεταῖρος Δαυὶδ διερρηχὼς τὸν χιτῶνα αὐτοῦ καὶ γῆ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ.

33 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Δαυίδ· ἐὰν μὲν διαβῇς μετ’ ἐμοῦ, καὶ ἔσῃ ἐπ’ ἐμὲ εἰς βάσταγμα·

34 καὶ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃς ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ἐρεῖς τῷ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· διεληλύθασιν οἱ ἀδελφοί σου, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς κατόπισθέν μου διελήλυθεν ὁ πατήρ σου, καὶ νῦν παῖς σού εἰμι, βασιλεῦ, ἔασόν με ζῆσαι, παῖς τοῦ πατρός σου ἤμην τότε καὶ ἀρτίως, καὶ νῦν ἐγὼ δοῦλος σός· καὶ διασκεδάσεις μοι τὴν βουλὴν ᾿Αχιτόφελ.

35 καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐκεῖ μετὰ σοῦ Σαδὼκ καὶ ᾿Αβιάθαρ οἱ ἱερεῖς, καὶ ἔσται πᾶν ρῆμα, ὃ ἐὰν ἀκούσῃς ἐξ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἀπαγγελεῖς τῷ Σαδὼκ καὶ τῷ ᾿Αβιάθαρ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν.

36 ἰδοὺ ἐκεῖ μετ’ αὐτῶν δύο υἱοὶ αὐτῶν, ᾿Αχιμάας υἱὸς τῷ Σαδὼκ καὶ ᾿Ιωνάθαν υἱὸς τῷ ᾿Αβιάθαρ, καὶ ἀποστελεῖτε ἐν χειρὶ αὐτῶν πρός με πᾶν ρῆμα, ὃ ἐὰν ἀκούσητε.

37 καὶ εἰσῆλθε Χουσὶ ὁ ἑταῖρος Δαυὶδ εἰς τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἄρτι εἰσεπορεύετο εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.


16

ΚΑΙ Δαυὶδ παρῆλθε βραχύ τι ἀπὸ τῆς Ροὼς καὶ ἰδοὺ Σιβὰ τὸ παιδάριον Μεμφιβοσθὲ εἰς ἀπαντὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ζεῦγος ὄνων ἐπίσεσαγμένων, καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς διακόσιοι ἄρτοι καὶ ἑκατὸν σταφίδες καὶ ἑκατὸν φοίνικες καὶ νέβελ οἴνου.

 

2 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Σιβά· τί ταῦτά σοι; καὶ εἶπε Σιβά· τὰ ὑποζύγια τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ ἐπικαθῆσθαι, καὶ οἱ ἄρτοι καὶ οἱ φοίνικες εἰς βρῶσιν τοῖς παιδαρίοις, καὶ ὁ οἶνος πιεῖν τοῖς ἐκλελυμένοις ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.

3 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· καὶ ποῦ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ κυρίου σου; καὶ εἶπε Σιβὰ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· ἰδοὺ κάθηται ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, ὅτι εἶπε· σήμερον ἐπιστρέψουσί μοι οἶκος ᾿Ισραὴλ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ πατρός μου.

4 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Σιβά· ἰδού σοι πάντα, ὅσα ἐστὶ Μεμφιβοσθέ. καὶ εἶπε Σιβὰ προσκυνήσας· εὕροιμι χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ.

5 καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυὶδ ἕως Βαουρίμ· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐκεῖθεν ἀνὴρ ἐξεπορεύετο ἐκ συγγενείας οἴκου Σαούλ, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ Σεμεΐ υἱὸς Γηρά· ἐξῆλθεν ἐκπορευόμενος καὶ καταρώμενος

6 καὶ λιθάζων ἐν λίθοις τὸν Δαυὶδ καὶ πάντας τοὺς παῖδας τοῦ βασιλέως Δαυίδ. καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἦν καὶ πάντες οἱ δυνατοὶ ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων τοῦ βασιλέως.

7 καὶ οὕτως ἔλεγε Σεμεΐ ἐν τῷ καταρᾶσθαι αὐτόν· ἔξελθε, ἔξελθε ἀνὴρ αἱμάτων καὶ ἀνὴρ ὁ παράνομος·

8 ἐπέστρεψεν ἐπὶ σὲ Κύριος πάντα τὰ αἵματα τοῦ οἴκου Σαούλ, ὅτι ἐβασίλευσας ἀντ’ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔδωκε Κύριος τὴν βασιλείαν ἐν χειρὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τοῦ υἱοῦ σου· καὶ ἰδοὺ σὺ ἐν τῇ κακίᾳ σου, ὅτι ἀνὴρ αἱμάτων σύ.

9 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσὰ υἱὸς Σαρουΐας πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· ἱνατί καταρᾶται ὁ κύων ὁ τεθνηκὼς οὗτος τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα; διαβήσομαι δὴ καὶ ἀφελῶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ.

10 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· τί ἐμοὶ καὶ ὑμῖν, υἱοὶ Σαρουΐας; ἄφετε αὐτὸν καὶ οὕτως καταράσθω, ὅτι Κύριος εἶπεν αὐτῷ καταρᾶσθαι τὸν Δαυίδ, καὶ τίς ἐρεῖ, ὡς τί ἐποίησας οὕτως;

11 καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πρὸς ᾿Αβεσσὰ καὶ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ· ἰδοὺ ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἐξελθὼν ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας μου ζητεῖ τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ προσέτι νῦν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ᾿Ιεμινί· ἄφετε αὐτὸν καταρᾶσθαι, ὅτι εἶπεν αὐτῷ Κύριος·

12 εἴπως ἴδοι Κύριος ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει μου καὶ ἐπιστρέψει μοι ἀγαθὰ ἀντὶ τῆς κατάρας αὐτοῦ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ.

13 καὶ ἐπορεύθη Δαυὶδ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, καὶ Σεμεΐ ἐπορεύετο ἐκ πλευρᾶς τοῦ ὄρους ἐχόμενα αὐτοῦ πορευόμενος καὶ καταρώμενος καὶ λιθάζων ἐν λίθοις ἐκ πλαγίων αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ χοΐ πάσσων.

14 καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς μετ’ αὐτοῦ ἐκλελυμένοι καὶ ἀνέψυξαν ἐκεῖ.

15 Καὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ εἰσῆλθον εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ᾿Αχιτόφελ μετ’ αὐτοῦ.

16 καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡνίκα ἦλθε Χουσὶ ὁ ἀρχιεταῖρος Δαυὶδ πρὸς ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ, καὶ εἶπε Χουσὶ πρὸς ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· ζήτω ὁ βασιλεύς.

17 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς Χουσί· τοῦτο τὸ ἔλεός σου μετὰ τοῦ ἑταίρου σου; ἱνατί οὐκ ἀπῆλθες μετὰ τοῦ ἑταίρου σου;

18 καὶ εἶπε Χουσὶ πρὸς ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· οὐχί, ἀλλὰ κατόπισθεν οὗ ἐξελέξατο Κύριος καὶ ὁ λαὸς οὗτος καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραήλ, αὐτῷ ἔσομαι καὶ μετὰ αὐτοῦ καθήσομαι·

19 καὶ τὸ δεύτερον, τίνι ἐγὼ δουλεύσω; οὐχὶ ἐνώπιον τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ; καθάπερ ἐδούλευσα ἐνώπιον τοῦ πατρός σου, οὕτως ἔσομαι ἐνώπιόν σου.

20 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς ᾿Αχιτόφελ· φέρετε ἑαυτοῖς βουλὴν τί ποιήσωμεν;

21 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αχιτόφελ πρὸς ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· εἴσελθε πρὸς τὰς παλλακὰς τοῦ πατρός σου, ἃς κατέλιπε φυλάσσειν τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀκούσεται πᾶς ᾿Ισραὴλ ὅτι κατῄσχυνας τὸν πατέρα σου, καὶ ἐνισχύσουσιν αἱ χεῖρες πάντων τῶν μετὰ σοῦ.

22 καὶ ἔπηξαν τὴν σκηνὴν τῷ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἐπὶ τὸ δῶμα, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς τὰς παλλακὰς τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ κατ’ ὀφθαλμοὺς παντὸς ᾿Ισραήλ.

23 καὶ ἡ βουλὴ ᾿Αχιτόφελ, ἣν ἐβουλεύσατο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταῖς πρώταις, ὃν τρόπον ἐπερωτήσῃ τις ἐν λόγῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὕτως πᾶσα ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ ᾿Αχιτόφελ καί γε τῷ Δαυὶδ καί γε τῷ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ.


17

ΚΑΙ εἶπεν ᾿Αχιτόφελ πρὸς ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· ἐπιλέξω δὴ ἐμαυτῷ δώδεκα χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἀναστήσομαι καὶ καταδιώξω ὀπίσω Δαυὶδ τὴν νύκτα·

2 καὶ ἐπελεύσομαι ἐπ' αὐτόν, καὶ αὐτὸς κοπιῶν καὶ ἐκλελυμένος χερσί, καὶ ἐκστήσω αὐτόν, καὶ φεύξεται πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ πατάξω τὸν βασιλέα μονώτατον·

3 καὶ ἐπιστρέψω πάντα τὸν λαὸν πρός σε, ὃν τρόπον ἐπιστρέφει ἡ νύμφη πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς· πλὴν ψυχὴν ἀνδρὸς ἑνὸς σὺ ζητεῖς καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ ἔσται εἰρήνη.

4 καὶ εὐθὴς ὁ λόγος ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ καὶ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς πάντων τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ᾿Ισραήλ·

5 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· καλέσατε δὴ καί γε τὸν Χουσὶ τὸν ᾿Αραχί, καὶ ἀκούσωμεν τί ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ καί γε αὐτοῦ.

6 καὶ εἰσῆλθε Χουσὶ πρὸς ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγων· κατὰ τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο ἐλάλησεν ᾿Αχιτόφελ· εἰ ποιήσομεν κατὰ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ; εἰ δὲ μή, σὺ λάλησον·

7 καὶ εἶπε Χουσὶ πρὸς ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· οὐκ ἀγαθὴ αὕτη ἡ βουλή, ἣν ἐβουλεύσατο ᾿Αχιτόφελ τὸ ἅπαξ τοῦτο.

8 καὶ εἶπε Χουσί· σὺ οἶδας τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας αὐτοῦ, ὅτι δυνατοί εἰσι σφόδρα καὶ κατάπικροι τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτῶν, ὡς ἄρκος ἠτεκνωμένη ἐν ἀγρῷ καὶ ὡς ὗς τραχεῖα ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ, καὶ ὁ πατήρ σου ἀνὴρ πολεμιστὴς καὶ οὐ μὴ καταλύσῃ τὸν λαόν·

9 ἰδοὺ γὰρ αὐτὸς νῦν κέκρυπται ἐν ἑνὶ τῶν βουνῶν ἢ ἐν ἑνὶ τῶν τόπων, καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ ἐπιπεσεῖν αὐτοῖς ἐν ἀρχῇ καὶ ἀκούσῃ ὁ ἀκούων καὶ εἴπῃ· ἐγενήθη θραῦσις ἐν τῷ λαῷ τῷ ὀπίσω ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ,

10 καί γε αὐτὸς υἱὸς δυνάμεως, οὗ ἡ καρδία καθὼς ἡ καρδία τοῦ λέοντος, τηκομένη τακήσεται, ὅτι οἶδε πᾶς ᾿Ισραὴλ ὅτι δυνατὸς ὁ πατήρ σου καὶ υἱοὶ δυνάμεως οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ.

11 ὅτι οὕτως συμβουλεύων ἐγὼ συνεβούλευσα, καὶ συναγόμενος συναχθήσεται ἐπὶ σὲ πᾶς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀπὸ Δὰν καὶ ἕως Βηρσαβεὲ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης εἰς πλῆθος, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου πορευόμενον ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν,

12 καὶ ἥξομεν πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰς ἕνα τῶν τόπων, οὗ ἐὰν εὕρωμεν αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ, καὶ παρεμβαλοῦμεν ἐπ' αὐτόν, ὡς πίπτει δρόσος ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ οὐχ ὑπολειψόμεθα ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ τοῖς ἀνδράσι τοῖς μετ' αὐτοῦ καί γε ἕνα·

13 καὶ ἐὰν εἰς τὴν πόλιν συναχθῇ, καὶ λήψεται πᾶς ᾿Ισραὴλ πρὸς τὴν πόλιν ἐκείνην σχοινία καὶ συροῦμεν αὐτὴν ἕως εἰς τὸν χειμάρρουν, ὅπως μὴ καταλειφθῇ ἐκεῖ μηδὲ λίθος.

14 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραήλ· ἀγαθὴ ἡ βουλὴ Χουσὶ τοῦ ᾿Αραχὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν βουλὴν ᾿Αχιτόφελ· καὶ Κύριος ἐνετείλατο διασκεδάσαι τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ ᾿Αχιτόφελ τὴν ἀγαθήν, ὅπως ἂν ἐπαγάγῃ Κύριος ἐπὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τὰ κακὰ πάντα.

15 καὶ εἶπε Χουσὶ ὁ τοῦ ᾿Αραχὶ πρὸς Σαδὼκ καὶ ᾿Αβιάθαρ τοὺς ἱερεῖς· οὕτως καὶ οὕτως συνεβούλευσεν ᾿Αχιτόφελ τῷ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ οὕτως καὶ οὕτως συνεβούλευσα ἐγώ.

16 καὶ νῦν ἀποστείλατε ταχὺ καὶ ἀναγγείλατε τῷ Δαυὶδ λέγοντες· μὴ αὐλισθῇς τὴν νύκτα ἐν ᾿Αραβὼθ τῆς ἐρήμου καί γε διαβαίνων σπεῦσον, μή ποτε καταπείσῃ τὸν βασιλέα καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν τὸν μετ' αὐτοῦ.

17 καὶ ᾿Ιωνάθαν καὶ ᾿Αχιμάας εἱστήκεισαν ἐν τῇ πηγῇ Ρωγήλ, καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἡ παιδίσκη καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὐτοὶ πορεύονται καὶ ἀναγγέλλουσι τῷ βασιλεῖ Δαυίδ, ὅτι οὐκ ἠδύναντο ὀφθῆναι τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν.

18 καὶ εἶδεν αὐτοὺς παιδάριον καὶ ἀνήγγειλε τῷ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ, καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν οἱ δύο ταχέως καὶ εἰσῆλθαν εἰς οἰκίαν ἀνδρὸς ἐν Βαουρίμ, καὶ αὐτῷ λάκκος ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ, καὶ κατέβησαν ἐκεῖ.

19 καὶ ἔλαβεν ἡ γυνὴ καὶ διεπέτασε τὸ ἐπικάλυμμα ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τοῦ λάκκου καὶ ἔψυξεν ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἀραφώθ, καὶ οὐκ ἐγνώσθη ρῆμα.

20 καὶ ἦλθαν οἱ παῖδες ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ εἶπαν· ποῦ ᾿Αχιμάας καὶ ᾿Ιωνάθαν; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἡ γυνή· παρῆλθαν μικρὸν τοῦ ὕδατος, καὶ ἐζήτησαν καὶ οὐχ εὗραν καὶ ἀνέστρεψαν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

21 ἐγένετο δὲ μετὰ τὸ ἀπελθεῖν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀνέβησαν ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν τῷ βασιλεῖ Δαυὶδ καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς Δαυίδ· ἀνάστητε καὶ διάβητε ταχέως τὸ ὕδωρ, ὅτι οὕτως ἐβουλεύσατο περὶ ὑμῶν ᾿Αχιτόφελ.

22 καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυὶδ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ διέβησαν τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην ἕως τοῦ φωτὸς τοῦ πρωΐ, ἕως ἑνὸς οὐκ ἔλαθεν ὃς οὐ διῆλθε τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην.

23 καὶ ᾿Αχιτόφελ εἶδεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐγενήθη ἡ βουλὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπέσαξε τὴν ὄνον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνέστη καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν πόλιν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐνετείλατο τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπήγξατο καὶ ἀπέθανε καὶ ἐτάφη ἐν τῷ τάφῳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ.

24 καὶ Δαυὶδ διῆλθεν εἰς Μαναΐμ, καὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ διέβη τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην αὐτὸς καὶ πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ μετ' αὐτοῦ.

25 καὶ τὸν ᾿Αμεσσαΐ κατέστησεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἀντὶ ᾿Ιωὰβ ἐπὶ τῆς δυνάμεως· καὶ ᾿Αμεσσαΐ υἱὸς ἀνδρὸς καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ ᾿Ιοθὸρ ὁ ᾿Ισραηλίτης, οὗτος εἰσῆλθε πρὸς ᾿Αβιγαίαν θυγατέρα Νάας ἀδελφὴν Σαρουΐας μητρὸς ᾿Ιωάβ.

26 καὶ παρενέβαλε πᾶς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ εἰς τὴν γῆν Γαλαάδ.

27 καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα ἦλθε Δαυὶδ εἰς Μαναΐμ, καὶ Οὐεσβὶ υἱὸς Νάας ἐκ Ραββὰθ υἱῶν ᾿Αμμὼν καὶ Μαχὶρ υἱὸς ᾿Αμιὴλ ἐκ Λωδαβὰρ καὶ Βερζελλὶ ὁ Γαλααδίτης ἐκ Ρωγελλὶμ

28 ἤνεγκαν δέκα κοίτας καὶ ἀμφιτάπους καὶ λέβητας δέκα καὶ σκεύη κεράμου καὶ πυροὺς καὶ κριθὰς καὶ ἄλευρον καὶ ἄλφιτον καὶ κύαμον καὶ φακὸν

29 καὶ μέλι καὶ βούτυρον καὶ πρόβατα καὶ σαφφὼθ βοῶν καὶ προσήνεγκαν τῷ Δαυὶδ καὶ τῷ λαῷ τῷ μετ' αὐτοῦ φαγεῖν, ὅτι εἶπαν· ὁ λαὸς πεινῶν καὶ ἐκλελυμένος καὶ διψῶν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.


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ΚΑΙ ἐπεσκέψατο Δαυὶδ τὸν λαὸν τὸν μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ κατέστησεν ἐπ' αὐτῶν χιλιάρχους καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους.

2 καὶ ἀπέστειλε Δαυὶδ τὸν λαόν, τὸ τρίτον ἐν χειρὶ ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐν χειρὶ ᾿Αβεσσὰ υἱοῦ Σαρουΐας ἀδελφοῦ ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐν χειρὶ ᾿Εθθὶ τοῦ Γεθθαίου. καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πρὸς τὸν λαόν· ἐξελθὼν ἐξελεύσομαι καί γε ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν.

 

3 καὶ εἶπαν· οὐκ ἐξελεύσῃ, ὅτι ἐὰν φυγῇ φύγωμεν, οὐ θήσουσιν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς καρδίαν, καὶ ἐὰν ἀποθάνωμεν τὸ ἥμισυ ἡμῶν, οὐ θήσουσιν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς καρδίαν, ὅτι σὺ ὡς ἡμεῖς δέκα χιλιάδες· καὶ νῦν ἀγαθὸν ὅτι ἔσῃ ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ πόλει βοήθεια τοῦ βοηθεῖν.

4 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ βασιλεύς· ὃ ἐὰν ἀρέσῃ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ὑμῶν, ποιήσω. καὶ ἔστη ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνὰ χεῖρα τῆς πύλης, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἐξεπορεύετο εἰς ἑκατοντάδας καὶ εἰς χιλιάδας.

5 καὶ ἐνετείλατο ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ τῷ ᾿Αβεσσὰ καὶ τῷ ᾿Εθθὶ λέγων· φείσασθέ μοι τοῦ παιδαρίου τοῦ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ· καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἤκουσεν ἐντελλομένου τοῦ βασιλέως πᾶσι τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ὑπὲρ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ,

6 καὶ ἐξῆλθε πᾶς ὁ λαὸς εἰς τὸν δρυμὸν ἐξεναντίας ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ πόλεμος ἐν τῷ δρυμῷ ᾿Εφραίμ.

7 καὶ ἔπταισεν ἐκεῖ ὁ λαὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐνώπιον τῶν παίδων Δαυίδ, καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ θραῦσις μεγάλη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, εἴκοσι χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν.

8 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐκεῖ ὁ πόλεμος διεσπαρμένος ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐπλεόνασεν ὁ δρυμὸς τοῦ καταφαγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ ὑπὲρ οὓς κατέφαγεν ἐν τῷ λαῷ ἡ μάχαιρα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ.

9 καὶ συνήντησεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἐνώπιον τῶν παίδων Δαυίδ, καὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἦν ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ τοῦ ἡμιόνου αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ ἡμίονος ὑπὸ τὸ δάσος τῆς δρυὸς τῆς μεγάλης, καὶ περιεπλάκη ἡ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ δρυΐ, καὶ ἐκρεμάσθη ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὁ ἡμίονος ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ παρῆλθε.

10 καὶ εἶδεν ἀνὴρ εἷς καὶ ἀνήγγειλε τῷ ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ εἶπεν· ἰδοὺ ἑώρακα τὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ κρεμάμενον ἐν τῇ δρυΐ.

11 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωὰβ τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ ἀναγγέλλοντι αὐτῷ· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἑώρακας· τί ὅτι οὐκ ἐπάταξας αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ εἰς τὴν γῆν; καὶ ἐγὼ ἂν ἐδεδώκειν σοι δέκα ἀργυρίου καὶ παραζώνην μίαν.

12 εἶπε δὲ ὁ ἀνὴρ πρὸς ᾿Ιωάβ· καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ἵστημι ἐπὶ τὰς χεῖράς μου χιλίους σίκλους ἀργυρίου, οὐ μὴ ἐπιβάλω τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ βασιλέως, ὅτι ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ἡμῶν ἐνετείλατο ὁ βασιλεύς σοι καὶ τῷ ᾿Αβεσσὰ καὶ τῷ ᾿Εθθὶ λέγων· φυλάξατέ μοι τὸ παιδάριον τὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ

13 μὴ ποιῆσαι ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἄδικον· καὶ πᾶς ὁ λόγος οὐ λήσεται ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ σὺ στήσῃ ἐξεναντίας.

14 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ᾿Ιωάβ· τοῦτο ἐγὼ ἄρξομαι· οὐχ οὕτως μενῶ ἐνώπιόν σου. καὶ ἔλαβεν ᾿Ιωὰβ τρία βέλη ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνέπηξεν αὐτὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἔτι αὐτοῦ ζῶντος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς δρυός.

15 καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν δέκα παιδάρια αἴροντα τὰ σκεύη ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ ἐπάταξαν τὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ καὶ ἐθανάτωσαν αὐτόν.

16 καὶ ἐσάλπισεν ᾿Ιωὰβ ἐν κερατίνῃ, καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν ὁ λαὸς τοῦ μὴ διώκειν ὀπίσω ᾿Ισραήλ, ὅτι ἐφείδετο ᾿Ιωὰβ τοῦ λαοῦ.

17 καὶ ἔλαβε τὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ καὶ ἔρριψεν αὐτὸν εἰς χάσμα μέγα ἐν τῷ δρυμῷ εἰς τὸν βόθυνον τὸν μέγαν καὶ ἐστήλωσεν ἐπ' αὐτὸν σωρὸν λίθων μέγαν σφόδρα. καὶ πᾶς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἔφυγεν ἀνὴρ εἰς τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ.

18 καὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἔτι ζῶν ἔλαβε καὶ ἔστησεν ἑαυτῷ τὴν στήλην, ἐν ᾗ ἐλήφθη, καὶ ἐστήλωσεν αὐτὴν λαβεῖν τὴν στήλην τὴν ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι τοῦ βασιλέως, ὅτι εἶπεν· οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ υἱὸς ἕνεκα τοῦ ἀναμνῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὴν στήλην Χεὶρ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης.

19 καὶ ᾿Αχιμάας υἱὸς Σαδὼκ εἶπε· δράμω δὴ καὶ εὐαγγελιῶ τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὅτι ἔκρινε Κύριος ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ.

20 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ᾿Ιωάβ· οὐκ ἀνὴρ εὐαγγελίας σὺ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ καὶ εὐαγγελιῇ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἄλλῃ, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ οὐκ εὐαγγελιῇ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπέθανε.

21 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωὰβ τῷ Χουσί· βαδίσας ἀνάγγειλον τῷ βασιλεῖ ὅσα εἶδες· καὶ προσεκύνησε Χουσὶ τῷ ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ ἐξῆλθε.

22 καὶ προσέθετο ἔτι ᾿Αχιμάας υἱὸς Σαδὼκ καὶ εἶπε πρὸς ᾿Ιωάβ· καὶ ἔστω ὅτι δράμω καί γε ἐγὼ ὀπίσω τοῦ Χουσί. καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωάβ· ἱνατί σὺ τοῦτο τρέχεις, υἱέ μου; δεῦρο, οὐκ ἔστι σοι εὐαγγέλια εἰς ὠφέλειαν πορευομένῳ.

23 καὶ εἶπε· τί γὰρ ἐὰν δράμω; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ᾿Ιωάβ· δράμε. καὶ ἔδραμεν ᾿Αχιμάας τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν τοῦ Κεχὰρ καὶ ὑπερέβη τὸν Χουσί.

24 καὶ Δαυὶδ ἐκάθητο ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν δύο πυλῶν. καὶ ἐπορεύθη ὁ σκοπὸς εἰς τὸ δῶμα τῆς πύλης πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος καὶ ἐπῇρε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶδε καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ τρέχων μόνος ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ

25 καὶ ἀνεβόησεν ὁ σκοπὸς καὶ ἀπήγγειλε τῷ βασιλεῖ. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· εἰ μόνος ἐστίν, εὐαγγελία ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐπορεύετο πορευόμενος καὶ ἐγγίζων.

26 καὶ εἶδεν ὁ σκοπὸς ἄνδρα ἕτερον τρέχοντα, καὶ ἐβόησεν ὁ σκοπὸς πρὸς τῇ πύλῃ καὶ εἶπε· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ ἕτερος τρέχων μόνος. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· καί γε οὗτος εὐαγγελιζόμενος.

27 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ σκοπός· ἐγὼ ὁρῷ τὸν δρόμον τοῦ πρώτου ὡς δρόμον ᾿Αχιμάας υἱοῦ Σαδώκ. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς οὗτος καί γε εἰς εὐαγγελίαν ἀγαθὴν ἐλεύσεται.

28 καὶ ἐβόησεν ᾿Αχιμάας καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· εἰρήνη· καὶ προσεκύνησε τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ εἶπεν· εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, ὃς ἀπέκλεισε τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς ἐπαραμένους τὴν χεῖρα αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ μου τῷ βασιλεῖ.

29 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· εἰρήνη τῷ παιδαρίῳ τῷ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ; καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αχιμάας· εἶδον τὸ πλῆθος τὸ μέγα τοῦ ἀποστεῖλαι τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ βασιλέως ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ τὸν δοῦλόν σου, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων τί ἐκεῖ.

30 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· ἐπίστρεψον, στηλώθητι ὧδε· καὶ ἐπεστράφη καὶ ἔστη.

31 καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ Χουσὶ παρεγένετο καὶ εἶπε τῷ βασιλεῖ· εὐαγγελισθήτω ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς, ὅτι ἔκρινέ σοι Κύριος σήμερον ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν ἐπεγειρομένων ἐπὶ σέ.

32 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸν Χουσί· εἰ εἰρήνη τῷ παιδαρίῳ τῷ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ; καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Χουσί· γένοιντο ὡς τὸ παιδάριον οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ πάντες, ὅσοι ἐπανέστησαν ἐπ' αὐτὸν εἰς κακά.

33 καὶ ἐταράχθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὑπερῷον τῆς πύλης καὶ ἔκλαυσε· καὶ οὕτως εἶπεν ἐν τῷ πορεύεσθαι αὐτόν· υἱέ μου ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ, υἱέ μου, υἱέ μου ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ, τίς δῴη τὸν θάνατόν μου ἀντὶ σοῦ; ἐγὼ ἀντὶ σοῦ, ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ, υἱέ μου υἱέ μου.


19

ΚΑΙ ἀνηγγέλη τῷ ᾿Ιωὰβ λέγοντες· ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεὺς κλαίει καὶ πενθεῖ ἐπὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ.

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 ἔκρυψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἔκραξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγων· υἱέ μου ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ, ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ υἱέ μου.

5 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ᾿Ιωὰβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὸν οἶκον καὶ εἶπε· κατῄσχυνας σήμερον τὰ πρόσωπα 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 οὐκ εἰσὶν οἱ ἄρχοντές σου, οὐδὲ παῖδες· ὅτι ἔγνωκα σήμερον ὅτι εἰ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ 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 εἰσῆλθε πᾶς ὁ λαὸς κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην. καὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἔφυγεν ἀνὴρ εἰς τὰ σκηνώματα αὐτοῦ.

9 Καὶ ἦν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς κρινόμενος ἐν πάσαις φυλαῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ λέγοντες· ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυὶδ ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξείλετο ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ νῦν πέφευγεν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπὸ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ·

10 καὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ, ὃν ἐχρίσαμεν ἐφ' ἡμῶν, ἀπέθανεν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ, καὶ νῦν ἱνατί ὑμεῖς κωφεύετε τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα; καὶ τὸ ρῆμα παντὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα.

11 καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαυὶδ ἀπέστειλε πρὸς Σαδὼκ καὶ πρὸς ᾿Αβιάθαρ τοὺς ἱερεῖς λέγων· λαλήσατε πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους ᾿Ιούδα λέγοντες· ἱνατί γίνεσθε ἔσχατοι τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ; καὶ λόγος παντὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα.

12 ἀδελφοί μου ὑμεῖς, ὀστᾶ μου καὶ σάρκες μου ὑμεῖς, ἱνατί γίνεσθε ἔσχατοι τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ;

13 καὶ τῷ ᾿Αμεσσαΐ 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 ᾿Ιωάβ.

14 καὶ ἔκλινε τὴν καρδίαν παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ᾿Ιούδα ὡς ἀνδρὸς ἑνός, καὶ ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα λέγοντες· ἐπιστράφηθι σὺ καὶ πάντες οἱ δοῦλοί σου.

15 καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἦλθεν ἕως τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου, καὶ ἄνδρες ᾿Ιούδα ἦλθαν εἰς Γάλγαλα τοῦ πορεύεσθαι εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ βασιλέως διαβιβάσαι τὸν βασιλέα τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην.

16 καὶ ἐτάχυνε Σεμεΐ υἱὸς Γηρὰ υἱοῦ τοῦ ᾿Ιεμινὶ ἐκ Βαουρὶμ καὶ κατέβη μετὰ ἀνδρὸς ᾿Ιούδα εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ βασιλέως Δαυὶδ

17 καὶ χίλιοι ἄνδρες μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ Βενιαμὶν καὶ Σιβὰ τὸ παιδάριον τοῦ οἴκου Σαοὺλ καὶ πεντεκαίδεκα υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ εἴκοσι δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ κατεύθυναν τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βασιλέως

18 καὶ ἐλειτούργησαν τὴν λειτουργίαν τοῦ διαβιβάσαι τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ διέβη ἡ διάβασις τοῦ ἐξεγεῖραι τὸν οἶκον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ εὐθὲς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ. καὶ Σεμεΐ υἱὸς Γηρὰ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως διαβαίνοντος αὐτοῦ τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην

19 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· μὴ δὴ λογισάσθω ὁ κύριός μου ἀνομίαν καὶ μὴ μνησθῇς ὅσα ἠδίκησεν ὁ παῖς σου ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ᾗ ὁ κύριός μου ἐξεπορεύετο ἐξ ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, τοῦ θέσθαι τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ,

20 ὅτι ἔγνω ὁ δοῦλός σου ὅτι ἐγὼ ἥμαρτον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἦλθον σήμερον πρότερος παντὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ οἴκου ᾿Ιωσὴφ τοῦ καταβῆναί με εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως.

21 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Αβεσσὰ υἱὸς Σαρουΐας καὶ εἶπε· μὴ ἀντὶ τούτου οὐ θανατωθήσεται Σεμεΐ, ὅτι κατηράσατο τὸν χριστὸν Κυρίου;

22 καὶ εἶπε Δαυίδ· τί ἐμοὶ καὶ ὑμῖν, υἱοὶ Σαρουΐας, ὅτι γίνεσθέ μοι σήμερον εἰς ἐπίβουλον; σήμερον οὐ θανατωθήσεταί τις ἀνὴρ ἐξ ᾿Ισραήλ, ὅτι οὐκ οἶδα εἰ σήμερον βασιλεύω ἐγὼ ἐπὶ τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ.

23 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Σεμέΐ· οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς· καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς.

24 καὶ Μεμφιβοσθὲ υἱὸς υἱοῦ Σαοὺλ κατέβη εἰς ἀπαντὴν τοῦ βασιλέως· καὶ οὐκ ἐθεράπευσε τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ὠνυχίσατο, οὐδὲ ἐποίησε τὸν μύστακα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀπέπλυνεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας, ἧς ἀπῆλθεν ὁ βασιλεύς, ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ἧς αὐτὸς παρεγένετο ἐν εἰρήνῃ.

25 καὶ ἐγένετο ὅτε εἰσῆλθεν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς· τί ὅτι οὐκ ἐπορεύθης μετ' ἐμοῦ, Μεμφιβοσθέ;

26 καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Μεμφιβοσθέ· κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ, ὁ δοῦλός μου παρελογίσατό με, ὅτι εἶπεν ὁ παῖς σου αὐτῷ· ἐπίσαξόν μοι τὴν ὄνον καὶ ἐπιβῶ ἐπ' 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, ἀλλ' ἢ ὅτι ἄνδρες θανάτου τῷ κυρίῳ μου τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ ἔθηκας τὸν δοῦλόν σου ἐν τοῖς ἐσθίουσι τὴν τράπεζάν σου· καὶ τί ἔστι μοι ἔτι δικαίωμα καὶ τοῦ κεκραγέναι με ἔτι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα;

29 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς· ἱνατί λαλεῖς ἔτι τοὺς λόγους σου; εἶπον· σὺ καὶ Σιβὰ διελεῖσθε τὸν ἀγρόν.

30 καὶ εἶπε Μεμφιβοσθὲ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· καί γε τὰ πάντα λαβέτω μετὰ τὸ παραγενέσθαι τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα ἐν εἰρήνῃ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ.

31 καὶ Βερζελλὶ ὁ Γαλααδίτης κατέβη ἐκ Ρωγελλὶμ καὶ διέβη μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην ἐκπέμψαι αὐτὸν τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην·

32 καὶ Βερζελλὶ ἀνὴρ πρεσβύτερος σφόδρα, υἱὸς ὀγδοήκοντα ἐτῶν, καὶ αὐτὸς διέθρεψε τὸν βασιλέα ἐν τῷ οἰκεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν Μαναΐμ, ὅτι ἀνὴρ μέγας ἦν σφόδρα.

33 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Βερζελλί· σὺ διαβήσῃ μετ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ διαθρέψω τὸ γῆράς σου μετ' ἐμοῦ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

34 καὶ εἶπε Βερζελλὶ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· πόσαι ἡμέραι ἐτῶν ζωῆς μου, ὅτι ἀναβήσομαι μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ;

35 υἱὸς ὀγδοήκοντα ἐτῶν ἐγώ εἰμι σήμερον· μὴ γνώσομαι ἀνὰ μέσον ἀγαθοῦ καὶ κακοῦ; εἰ γεύσεται ὁ δοῦλός σου ἔτι ὃ φάγομαι ἢ πίομαι; ἢ ἀκούσομαι ἔτι φωνὴν ἆδόντων καὶ ἆδουσῶν; καὶ ἱνατί 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 ἱνατί ἀνταποδίδωσί μοι ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν ταύτην;

37 καθισάτω δὴ ὁ δοῦλός σου καὶ ἀποθανοῦμαι ἐν τῇ πόλει μου παρὰ τῷ τάφῳ τοῦ πατρὸς μου καὶ τῆς μητρός μου· καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ δοῦλός σου Χαμαὰμ διαβήσεται μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ποίησον αὐτῷ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου.

38 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· μετ' ἐμοῦ διαβήτω Χαμαάμ, κἀγὼ ποιήσω αὐτῷ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ πάντα, ὅσα ἂν ἐκλέξῃ ἐπ' ἐμοί, ποιήσω σοι.

39 καὶ διέβη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς διέβη· καὶ κατεφίλησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Βερζελλὶ καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ.

40 καὶ διέβη ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς Γάλγαλα, καὶ Χαμαὰμ διέβη μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ᾿Ιούδα διαβαίνοντες μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καί γε τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ λαοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ.

41 καὶ ἰδοὺ πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ παρεγένοντο πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· τί ὅτι ἔκλεψάν σε οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν ἀνὴρ ᾿Ιούδα καὶ διεβίβασαν τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην καὶ πάντες ἄνδρες Δαυὶδ μετ' αὐτοῦ;

42 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ιούδα πρὸς ἄνδρα ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ εἶπαν· διότι ἐγγίζει πρός με ὁ βασιλεύς· καὶ ἱνατί οὕτως ἐθυμώθης περὶ τοῦ λόγου τούτου; μὴ βρώσει ἐφάγαμεν ἐκ τοῦ βασιλέως, ἢ δόμα ἔδωκεν ἢ ἄρσιν ᾖρεν ἡμῖν;

43 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ τῷ ἀνδρὶ ᾿Ιούδα καὶ εἶπε· δέκα χεῖρές μοι ἐν τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ πρωτότοκος ἐγὼ ἢ σύ, καί γε ἐν τῷ Δαυίδ εἰμι ὑπὲρ σέ· καὶ ἱνατί τοῦτο ὕβρισάς με καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσθη ὁ λόγος μου πρῶτός μοι τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα ἐμοί; καὶ ἐσκληρύνθη ὁ λόγος ἀνδρὸς ᾿Ιούδα ὑπὲρ τὸν λόγον ἀνδρὸς ᾿Ισραήλ.


20

ΚΑΙ ἐκεῖ ἐπικαλούμενος υἱὸς παράνομος, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ Σαβεέ, υἱὸς Βοχορὶ ἀνὴρ ὁ ᾿Ιεμινί, καὶ ἐσάλπισε τῇ κερατίνῃ καὶ εἶπεν· οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν μερὶς ἐν Δαυὶδ οὐδὲ κληρονομία ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ υἱῷ ᾿Ιεσσαί· ἀνὴρ εἰς τὰ σκηνώματά σου, ᾿Ισραήλ.

2 καὶ ἀνέβη πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν Δαυὶδ ὀπίσω Σαβεὲ υἱοῦ Βοχορί. καὶ ἀνὴρ ᾿Ιούδα ἐκολλήθη τῷ βασιλεῖ αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου καὶ ἕως ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

3 καὶ εἰσῆλθε Δαυὶδ εἰς οἶκον αὐτοῦ εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ ἔλαβεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰς δέκα γυναῖκας τὰς παλλακὰς αὐτοῦ, ἃς ἀφῆκε φυλάσσειν τὸν οἶκον, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὰς ἐν οἴκῳ φυλακῆς καὶ διέθρεψεν αὐτὰς καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰς οὐκ εἰσῆλθε, καὶ ἦσαν συνεχόμεναι ἕως θανάτου αὐτῶν, χῆραι ζῶσαι.

4 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς ᾿Αμεσσαΐ· βόησόν μοι τὸν ἄνδρα ᾿Ιούδα τρεῖς ἡμέρας, σὺ δὲ αὐτοῦ στῆθι.

5 καὶ ἐπορεύθη ᾿Αμεσσαΐ τοῦ βοῆσαι τὸν ᾿Ιούδαν καὶ ἐχρόνισεν ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ, οὗ ἐτάξατο αὐτῷ Δαυίδ.

6 καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πρὸς ᾿Αμεσσαΐ· νῦν κακοποιήσει ἡμᾶς Σαβεὲ υἱὸς Βοχορὶ ὑπὲρ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ, καὶ νῦν σὺ λάβε μετὰ σεαυτοῦ τοὺς παῖδας τοῦ κυρίου σου καὶ καταδίωξον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, μήποτε ἑαυτῷ εὕρῃ πόλεις ὀχυρὰς καὶ σκιάσει τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἡμῶν.

7 καὶ ἐξῆλθον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ οἱ ἄνδρες ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ ὁ Χερεθὶ καὶ ὁ Φελεθὶ καὶ πάντες οἱ δυνατοὶ καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἐξ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ διῶξαι ὀπίσω Σαβεὲ υἱοῦ Βοχορί.

8 καὶ αὐτοὶ παρὰ τῷ λίθῳ τῷ μεγάλῳ τῷ ἐν Γαβαών, καὶ ᾿Αμεσσαΐ εἰσῆλθεν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν. καὶ ᾿Ιωὰβ περιεζωσμένος μανδύαν τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἐζωσμένος μάχαιραν ἐζευγμένην ἐπὶ τῆς ὀσφύος αὐτοῦ ἐν κολεῷ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἡ μάχαιρα ἐξῆλθε καὶ ἔπεσε.

9 καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωὰβ τῷ ᾿Αμεσσαΐ· εἰ ὑγιαίνεις σὺ ἀδελφέ; καὶ ἐκράτησεν ἡ χεὶρ ἡ δεξιὰ ᾿Ιωὰβ τοῦ πώγωνος ᾿Αμεσσαΐ τοῦ καταφιλῆσαι αὐτόν.

10 καὶ ᾿Αμεσσαΐ οὐκ ἐφυλάξατο τὴν μάχαιραν τὴν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ ᾿Ιωάβ, καὶ ἔπαισεν αὐτὸν ἐν αὐτῇ ᾿Ιωὰβ εἰς τὴν ψόαν, καὶ ἐξεχύθη ἡ κοιλία αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν γῆν, καὶ οὐκ ἐδευτέρωσεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀπέθανε. καὶ ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ ᾿Αβεσσαΐ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ ἐδίωξεν ὀπίσω Σαβεὲ υἱοῦ Βοχορί·

11 καὶ ἀνὴρ ἔστη ἐπ' αὐτὸν τῶν παιδαρίων ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ εἶπε· τίς ὁ βουλόμενος ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ τίς τοῦ Δαυίδ, ὀπίσω ᾿Ιωάβ;

12 καὶ ᾿Αμεσσαΐ πεφυρμένος ἐν τῷ αἵματι ἐν μέσῳ τῆς τρίβου, καὶ εἶδεν ἀνήρ, ὅτι εἱστήκει πᾶς ὁ λαός, καὶ ἀπέστρεψε τὸν ᾿Αμεσσαΐ ἐκ τῆς τρίβου εἰς ἀγρὸν καὶ ἐπέρριψεν ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἱμάτιον, καθότι εἶδε πάντα τὸν ἐρχόμενον ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἑστηκότα·

13 ἡνίκα δὲ ἔφθασεν ἐκ τῆς τρίβου, παρῆλθε πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ισραὴλ ὀπίσω ᾿Ιωάβ τοῦ διῶξαι ὀπίσω Σαβεὲ υἱοῦ Βοχορί.

14 καὶ διῆλθεν ἐν πάσαις φυλαῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ εἰς ᾿Αβὲλ καὶ εἰς Βαιθμαχὰ καὶ πάντες ἐν Χαρρί, καὶ ἐξεκκλησιάσθησαν, καὶ ἦλθον κατόπισθεν αὐτοῦ.

15 καὶ παρεγενήθησαν καὶ ἐπολιόρκουν ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὴν ᾿Αβὲλ καὶ Βαιθμαχὰ καὶ ἐξέχεαν πρόσχωμα πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ἔστη ἐν τῷ προτειχίσματι, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς μετά ᾿Ιωὰβ ἐνοοῦσαν καταβαλεῖν τὸ τεῖχος.

16 καὶ ἐβόησε γυνὴ σοφὴ ἐκ τοῦ τείχους καὶ εἶπεν· ἀκούσατε ἀκούσατε, εἴπατε δὴ πρὸς ᾿Ιωάβ· ἔγγισον ἕως ὧδε, καὶ λαλήσω πρὸς αὐτόν.

17 καὶ προσήγγισε πρὸς αὐτήν, καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· εἰ σὺ εἶ ᾿Ιωάβ; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ἐγώ. εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ· ἄκουσον τοὺς λόγους τῆς δούλης σου. καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωάβ· ἀκούω ἐγώ εἰμι.

18 καὶ εἶπε λέγουσα· λόγον ἐλάλησαν ἐν πρώτοις λέγοντες· ἠρωτημένος ἠρωτήθη ἐν τῇ ᾿Αβὲλ καὶ ἐν Δὰν εἰ ἐξέλιπον ἃ ἔθεντο οἱ πιστοὶ τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ, ἐρωτῶντες ἐπερωτήσουσιν ἐν ᾿Αβέλ, καὶ οὕτως εἰ ἐξέλιπον.

19 ἐγώ εἰμι εἰρηνικὰ τῶν στηριγμάτων ᾿Ισραήλ, σὺ δὲ ζητεῖς θανατῶσαι πόλιν καὶ μητρόπολιν ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ· ἱνατί καταποντίζεις κληρονομίαν Κυρίου;

 

20 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Ιωάβ, καὶ εἶπεν· ἵλεώς μοι ἵλεώς μοι, εἰ καταποντιῶ καὶ εἰ διαφθερῶ·

21 οὐχ οὕτως ὁ λόγος, ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἐξ ὄρους ᾿Εφραίμ, Σαβεὲ υἱὸς Βοχορὶ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπῇρε τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα Δαυίδ· δότε αὐτόν μοι μόνον, καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι ἀπάνωθεν τῆς πόλεως. καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ πρὸς ᾿Ιωάβ· ἰδοὺ ἡ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ ριφήσεται πρὸς σὲ διὰ τοῦ τείχους.

22 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ἡ γυνὴ πρὸς πάντα τὸν λαὸν καὶ ἐλάλησε πρὸς πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτῆς· καὶ ἀφεῖλε τὴν κεφαλὴν Σαβεὲ υἱοῦ Βοχορί. καὶ ἀφεῖλε καὶ ἔβαλε πρὸς ᾿Ιωάβ. καὶ ἐσάλπισεν ἐν κερατίνῃ, καὶ διεσπάρησαν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἀνὴρ εἰς τὰ σκηνώματα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ᾿Ιωὰβ ἀπέστρεψεν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα.

23 Καὶ ὁ ᾿Ιωὰβ πρὸς πάσῃ τῇ δυνάμει ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ Βαναίας υἱὸς ᾿Ιωδαὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χερεθὶ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Φελεθί,

24 καὶ ᾿Αδωνιρὰμ ἐπὶ τοῦ φόρου, καὶ ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ υἱὸς ᾿Αχιλοὺθ ἀναμιμνήσκων,

25 καὶ Σουσὰ γραμματεύς, καὶ Σαδὼκ καὶ ᾿Αβιάθαρ ἱερεῖς,

26 καί γε ᾿Ιρὰς ὁ ᾿Ιαρὶν ἦν ἱερεὺς τοῦ Δαυίδ.

 



 

 

    

 

    

       

2 KINGS


11

And it came to pass when the time o the year for kings going out to battle had come round, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbath: but David remained at Jerusalem.

 

2 And it came to pass toward evening, that David arose off his couch, and walked on the roof of the king’s house, and saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

3 And David sent and enquired about the woman: and one said, Is not this Bersabee the daughter of Eliab, the wife of Urias the Chettite?

4 And David sent messengers, and took her, and went in to her, and he lay with her: and she was purified from her uncleanness, and returned to her house.

 

5 And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

 

6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Urias the Chettite; and Joab sent Urias to David.

 

7 And Urias arrived and went in to him, and David asked him how Joab was, and how the people were, and how the war went on.

8 And David said to Urias, Go to thy house, and wash thy feet: and Urias departed from the house of the king, and a portion of meat from the king followed him.

9 And Urias slept at the door of the king with the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

 

10 And they brought David word, saying, Urias has not gone down to his house. And David said to Urias, Art thou not come from a journey? why hast thou not gone down to thy house?

11 And Urias said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Juda dwell in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; and shall I go into my house to eat and drink, and lie with my wife? how should I do this? as thy soul lives, I will not do this thing.

 

12 And David said to Urias, Remain here to-day also, and to-morrow I will let thee go. So Urias remained in Jerusalem that day and the day following.

 

13 And David called him, and he ate before him and drank, and he made him drunk: and he went out in the evening to lie upon his bed with the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

 

14 And the morning came, and David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Urias.

15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Station Urias in front of the severe part of the fight, and retreat from behind him, so shall he be wounded and die.

 

 

16 And it came to pass while Joab was watching against the city, that he set Urias in a place where he knew that valiant men were.

17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and some of the people of the servants of David fell, and Urias the Chettite died also.

 

18 And Joab sent, and reported to David all the events of the war, so as to tell them to the king.

 

19 And he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast finished reporting all the events of the war to the king,

20 then it shall come to pass if the anger of the king shall arise, and he shall say to thee, Why did ye draw nigh to the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from off the wall?

21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobaal son of Ner? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from above the wall, and he died in Thamasi? why did ye draw near to the wall? then thou shalt say, Thy servant Urias the Chettite is also dead.

22 And the messenger of Joab went to the king to Jerusalem, and he came and reported to David all that Joab told him, all the affairs of the war. And David was very angry with Joab, and said to the messenger, Why did ye draw nigh to the wall to fight? knew ye not that ye would be wounded from off the wall? Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobaal? did not a woman cast upon him a piece of millstone from the wall, and he died in Thamasi? why did ye draw near to the wall?

 

23 And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us, and they came out against us into the field, and we came upon them even to the door of the gate.

24 And the archers shot at thy servants from off the wall, and some of the king’s servants died, and thy servant Urias the Chettite is dead also.

 

25 And David said to the messenger, Thus shalt thou say to Joab, Let not the matter be grievous in thine eyes, for the sword devours one way at one time and another way at another: strengthen thine array against the city, and destroy it, and strengthen him.

 

26 And the wife of Urias heard that Urias her husband was dead, and she mourned for her husband.

27 And the time of mourning expired, and David sent and took her into his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son: but the thing which David did was evil in the eyes of the Lord.

 


12

And the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David; and he went in to him, and said to him, There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor.

 

2 And the rich man had very many flocks and herds.

 

3 But the poor man had only one little ewe lamb, which he had purchased, and preserved, and reared; an it grew up with himself and his children in common; it ate of his bread and drank of his cup, and slept in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter.

 

4 And a traveller came to the rich man, and he spared to take of his flocks and of his herds, to dress for the traveller that came to him; and he took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that came to him.

 

5 And David was greatly moved with anger against the man; and David said to Nathan, As the Lord lives, the man that did this thing shall surely die.

6 And he shall restore the lamb seven-fold, because he has not spared.

 

7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man that has done this. Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee to be king over Israel, and I rescued thee out the hand of Saul;

8 and I gave thee the house of thy lord, and the wives of thy lord into thy bosom, and I gave to thee the house of Israel and Juda; and if that had been little, I would have given thee yet more.

9 Why hast thou set at nought the word of the Lord, to do that which is evil in his eyes? thou hast slain Urias the Chettite with the sword, and thou hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and thou hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

10 Now therefore the sword shall not depart from thy house for ever, because thou has set me at nought, and thou hast taken the wife of Urias the Chettite, to be thy wife.

11 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will raise up against thee evil out of thy house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and will give them to thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

12 For thou didst it secretly, but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and before the sun.

 

13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, And the Lord has put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

14 Only because thou hast given great occasion of provocation to the enemies of the Lord by this thing, thy son also that is born to thee shall surely die.

15 And Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord smote the child, which the wife of Urias the Chettite bore to David, and it was ill.

16 And David enquired of God concerning the child, and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground.

17 And the elders of his house arose and went to him to raise him up from the ground, but he would not rise, nor did he eat bread with them.

18 And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died: and the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive we spoke to him, and he hearkened not to our voice; and thou should we tell him that the child is dead?—so would he do himself harm.

19 And David understood that his servants were whispering, and David perceived that the child was dead: and David said to his servants, Is the child dead? and they said, He is dead.

 

20 Then David rose up from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his raiment, and went into the house of God, and worshipped him; and went into his own house, and called for bread to eat, and they set bread before him and he ate.

 

21 And his servants said to him, What is this thing that thou hast done concerning the child? while it was yet living thou didst fast, and weep, and watch: and when the child was dead thou didst rise up, and didst eat bread, and drink.

22 And David said, While the child yet lived, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows if the Lord will pity me, and the child live?

23 But now it is dead, why should I fast thus? shall I be able to bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

24 And David comforted Bersabee his wife, and he went in to her, and lay with her; and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his named Solomon, and the Lord loved him.

 

25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and called his name Jeddedi, for the Lord’s sake.

 

26 And Joab fought against Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbath, and taken the city of waters.

28 And now gather the rest of the people, and encamp against the city, an take it beforehand; lest I take the city first, and my name be called upon it.

 

29 And David gathered all the people, and went to Rabbath, and fought against it, and took it.

 

30 And he took the crown of Molchom their king from off his head, and the weight of it was a talent of gold, with precious stones, and it was upon the head of David; and he carried forth very much spoil of the city.

31 And he brought forth the people that were in it, and put them under the saw, and under iron harrows, and axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus he did to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.


13

And it happened after this that Abessalom the son of David had a very beautiful sister, and her name was Themar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

 

2 And Amnon was distressed even to sickness, because of Themar his sister; for she was a virgin, and it seemed very difficult for Amnon to do anything to her.

3 And Amnon had a friend, and his name was Jonadab, the son of Samaa the brother of David: and Jonadab was a very cunning man.

4 And he said to him, What ails thee that thou art thus weak? O son of the king, morning by morning? wilt thou not tell me? and Ammon said, I love Themar the sister of my brother Abessalom.

5 And Jonadab said to him, Lie upon thy bed, and make thyself sick, and thy father shall come in to see thee; and thou shalt say to him, Let, I pray thee, Themar my sister come, and feed me with morsels, and let her prepare food before my eyes, that I may see and eat at her hands.

6 So Ammon lay down, and made himself sick; and the king came in to see him: and Amnon said to the king, Let, I pray thee, my sister Themar come to me, and make a couple of cakes in my sight, and I will eat them at her hand.

 

7 And David sent to Themar to the house, saying, Go now to thy brother’s house, and dress him food.

 

8 And Themar went to the house of her brother Amnon, and he was lying down: and she took the dough and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.

9 And she took the frying pan and poured them out before him, but he would not eat. And Amnon said, Send out every man from about me. And they removed every man from about him.

 

10 And Amnon said to Themar, Bring in the food into the closet, and I will eat of thy hand. And Themar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them to her brother Amnon into the chamber.

 

11 And she brought them to him to eat, and he caught hold of her, and said to her, Come, lie with me, my sister.

12 And she said to him, Nay, my brother, do not humble me, for it ought not to be so done in Israel; do not this folly.

13 And I, whither shall I remove my reproach? and thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. And now, speak, I pray thee, to the king, for surely he will not keep me from thee.

14 But Amnon would not hearken to her voice; and he prevailed against her, and humbled her, and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her, for the last wickedness was greater than the first: and Amnon said to her, Rise, and be gone.

16 And Themar spoke to him concerning this great mischief, greater, said she, than the other that thou didst me, to send me away: but Amnon would not hearken to her voice.

17 And he called his servant who had charge of the house, and said to him, Put now this woman out from me, and shut the door after her.

 

18 And she had on her a variegated robe, for so were the king’s daughters that were virgins attired in their apparel: and his servant led her forth, and shut the door after her.

 

19 And Themar took ashes, and put them on her head; and she rent the variegated garment that was upon her: and she laid her hands on her head, and went crying continually.

 

20 And Abessalom her brother said to her, Has thy brother Amnon been with thee? now then, my sister, be silent, for he is thy brother: be not careful to mention this matter. So Themar dwelt as a widow in the house of her brother Abessalom.

 

21 And king David heard of all these things, and was very angry; but he did not grieve the spirit of his son Amnon, because be loved him, for he was his first-born.

22 And Abessalom spoke not to Amnon, good or bad, because Abessalom hated Amnon, on account of his humbling his sister Themar.

 

23 And it came to pass at the end of two whole years, that they were shearing sheep for Abessalom in Belasor near Ephraim: and Abessalom invited all the king’s sons.

24 And Abessalom came to the king, and said, Behold, thy servant has a sheep-shearing; let now the king and his servants go with thy servant.

 

25 And the king said to Abessalom, Nay, my son, let us not all go, and let us not be burdensome to thee. And he pressed him; but he would not go, but blessed him.

 

26 And Abessalom said to him, And if not, let I pray thee, my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with thee?

 

27 And Abessalom pressed him, and he sent with him Amnon and all the king’s sons; and Abessalom made a banquet like the banquet of the king.

 

28 And Abessalom charged his servants, saying, Mark when the heart of Amnon shall be merry with wine, and I shall say to you, Smite Amnon, and slay him: fear not; for is it not I that command you? Be courageous, and be valiant.

 

29 And the servants of Abessalom did to Amnon as Abessalom commanded them: and all the sons of the king rose up, and they mounted every man his mule, and fled.

 

30 And it came to pass, when they were in the way, that a report came to David, saying, Abessalom has slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left.

31 Then the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay upon the ground: and all his servants that were standing round him rent their garments.

 

32 And Jonadab the son of Samaa brother of David, answered and said, Let not my Lord the king say that he has slain all the young men the sons of the king, for Amnon only of them all is dead; for he was appointed to death by the mouth of Abessalom from the day that he humbled his sister Themar.

 

33 And now let not my lord the king take the matter to heart, saying, All the king’s sons are dead: for Amnon only of them is dead.

 

34 And Abessalom escaped: and the young man the watchman, lifted up his eyes, and looked; and, behold, much people went in the way behind him from the side of the mountain in the descent: and the watchman came and told the king, and said, I have seen men by the way of Oronen, by the side of the mountain.

35 And Jonadab said to the king, Behold, the king’s sons are present: according to the word of thy servant, so has it happened.

36 And it came to pass when he had finished speaking, that, behold, the king’s sons came, and lifted up their voices and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept with a very great weeping.

 

37 But Abessalom fled, and went to Tholmi son of Emiud the king of Gedsur to the land of Chamaachad: and king David mourned for his son continually.

 

38 So Abessalom fled, and departed to Gedsur, and was there three years.

39 And king David ceased to go out after Abessalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, touching his death.


14

And Joab the son of Saruia knew that the heart of the king was toward Abessalom.

2 And Joab sent to Thecoe, and took thence a cunning woman, and said to her, Mourn, I pray thee, and put on mourning apparel, and anoint thee not with oil, and thou shalt be as a woman mourning for one that is dead thus for many days.

3 And thou shalt go to the king, and speak to him according to this word. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 So the woman of Thecoe went in to the king and fell upon her face to the earth, and did him obeisance, and said, Help, O king, help.

 

5 And the king said to her, What is the matter with thee? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.

6 And moreover thy handmaid had two sons, and they fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them; and the one smote the other his brother, and slew him.

7 And behold the whole family rose up against thine handmaid, and they said, Give up the one that smote his brother, and we will put him to death for the life of his brother, whom he slew, and we will take away even your heir: so they will quench my coal that is left, so as not to leave my husband remnant or name on the face of the earth.

 

8 And the king said to the woman, Go in peace to thy house, and I will give commandment concerning thee.

 

9 And the woman of Thecoe said to the king, On me, my lord, O king, and on my father’s house be the iniquity, and the king and his throne be guiltless.

 

10 And the king said, Who was it that spoke to thee? thou shalt even bring him to me, and one shall not touch him any more.

11 And she said, Let now the king remember concerning his Lord God in that the avenger of blood is multiplied to destroy, and let them not take away my son. And he said, As the lord lives, not a hair of thy son shall fall to the ground.

12 And the woman said, Let now thy servant speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

 

13 And the woman said, Why hast thou devised this thing against the people of God? or is this word out of the king’s mouth as a transgression, so that the king should not bring back his banished?

14 For we shall surely die, and be as water poured upon the earth, which shall not be gathered up, and God shall take the life, even as he devises to thrust forth from him his outcast.

15 And now whereas I came to speak this word to my lord the king, the reason is that the people will see me, and thy handmaid will say, Let one now speak to my lord the king, if peradventure the king will perform the request of his handmaid;

16 for the king will hear. Let him rescue his handmaid out of the hand of the man that seeks to cast out me and my son from the inheritance of God.

17 And the woman said, If now the word of my lord the king be gracious, —well: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king, to hear good and evil: and the Lord thy God shall be with thee.

 

18 And the king answered, and said to the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the matter which I ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king by all means speak.

19 And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab in all this matter with thee? and the woman said to the king, As thy soul lives, my lord, O king, there is no turning to the right hand or to the left from all that my lord the king has spoken; for thy servant Joab himself charged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid.

 

20 In order that this form of speech might come about it was that thy servant Joab has framed this matter: and my lord is wise as is the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

21 And the king said to Joab, Behold now, I have done to thee according to this thy word: go, bring back the young man Abessalom.

22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground, and did obeisance, and blessed the king: and Joab said, To-day thy servant knows that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, for my lord the king has performed the request of his servant.

 

23 And Joab arose, and went to Gedsur, and brought Abessalom to Jerusalem.

24 And the king said, Let him return to his house, and not see my face. And Abessalom returned to his house, and saw not the king’s face.

 

25 And there was not a man in Israel so very comely as Abessalom: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

26 And when he polled his head, (and it was at the beginning of every year that he polled it, because it grew, heavy upon him,) even when he polled it, he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels according to the royal shekel.

 

27 And there were born to Abessalom three sons and one daughter, and her name was Themar: she was a very beautiful woman, and she becomes the wife of Roboam son of Solomon, and she bears to him Abia.

28 And Abessalom remained in Jerusalem two full years, and he saw not the king’s face.

 

29 And Abessalom sent to Joab to bring him in to the king, and he would not come to him: and he sent to him the second time, and he would not come.

 

 

30 And Abessalom said to his servants, Behold, Joab’s portion in the field is next to mine, and he has in it barley; go and set it on fire. And the servants of Abessalom set the field on fire: and the servants of Joab come to him with their clothes rent, and they said to him, The servants of Abessalom have set the field on fire.

 

31 And Joab arose, and came to Abessalom into the house, and said to him, Why have thy servants set my field on fire?

 

32 And Abessalom said to Joab, Behold, I sent to thee, saying, Come hither, and I will send thee to the king, saying, Why did I come out of Gedsur? it would have been better for me to have remained there: and now, behold, I have not seen the face of the king; but if there is iniquity in me, then put me to death.

33 And Joab went in to the king, and brought him word: and he called Abessalom, and he went in to the king, and did him obeisance, and fell upon his face to the ground, even in the presence of the king; and the king kissed Abessalom.

 

 
15

And it came to pass after this that Abessalom prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

2 And Abessalom rose early, and stood by the side of the way of the gate: and it came to pass that every man who had a cause, came to the king for judgment, and Abessalom cried to him, and said to him, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

3 And Abessalom said to him, See, thy affairs are right and clear, yet thou hast no one appointed of the king to hear thee.

4 And Abessalom said, O that one would make me a judge in the land; then every man who had a dispute or a cause would come to me, and I would judge him!

5 And it came to pass when a man came near to do him obeisance, that he stretched out his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him.

6 And Abessalom did after this manner to all Israel that came to the king for judgment; and Abessalom gained the hearts of the men of Israel.

 

7 And it came to pass after forty years, that Abessalom said to his father, I will go now, and pay my vows, which I vowed to the Lord in Chebron.

 

8 For thy servant vowed a vow when I dwelt at Gedsur in Syria, saying, If the Lord should indeed restore me to Jerusalem, then will I serve the Lord.

 

9 And the king said to him, Go in peace. And he arose and went to Chebron.

10 And Abessalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, When ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then shall ye say, Abessalom is become king in Chebron.

11 And there went with Abessalom two hundred chosen men from Jerusalem; and they went in their simplicity, and knew not anything.

12 And Abessalom sent to Achitophel the Theconite, the counsellor of David, from his city, from Gola, where he was sacrificing: and there was a strong conspiracy; and the people with Abessalom were increasingly numerous.

13 And there came a messenger to David, saying, the heart of the men of Israel is gone after Abessalom.

 

14 And David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, Rise, and let us flee, for we have no refuge from Abessalom: make haste and go, lest he overtake us speedily, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

 

 

15 And the king’s servants said to the king, In all things which our lord the king chooses, behold we are thy servants.

16 And the king and all his house went out on foot: and the king left ten women of his concubines to keep the house.

 

17 And the king and all his servants went out on foot; and abode in a distant house.

18 And all his servants passed on by his side, and every Chelethite, and every Phelethite, and they stood by the olive tree in the wilderness: and all the people marched near him, and all his court, and all the men of might, and all the men of war, six hundred: and they were present at his side: and every Chelethite, and every Phelethite, and all the six hundred Gittites that came on foot out of Geth, and they went on before the king.

 

19 And the king said to Ethi, the Gittite, Why dost thou also go with us? return, and dwell with the king, for thou art a stranger, and thou has come forth as a sojourner out of thy place.

20 Whereas thou camest yesterday, shall I to-day cause thee to travel with us, and shalt thou thus change thy place? thou didst come forth yesterday, and to-day shall I set thee in motion to go along with us? I indeed will go whithersoever I may go: return then, and cause thy brethren to return with thee, and may the Lord deal mercifully and truly with thee.

21 And Ethi answered the king and said, As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, in the place wheresoever my lord shall be, whether it be for death or life, there shall thy servant be.

22 And the king said to Ethi, Come and pass over with me. So Ethi the Gittite and the king passed over, and all his servants, and all the multitude with him.

 

23 And all the country wept with a loud voice. And all the people passed by over the brook of Kedron; and the king crossed the brook Kedron: and all the people and the king passed on toward the way of the wilderness.

24 And behold also Sadoc, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Baethar: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had passed out of the city.

25 And the king said to Sadoc, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I should find favour in the eyes of the Lord, then will he bring me back, and he will shew me it and its beauty.

 

26 But if he should say thus, I have no pleasure in thee; behold, here I am, let him do to me according to that which is good in his eyes.

27 And the king said to Sadoc the priest, Behold, thou shalt return to the city in peace, and Achimaas thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons with you.

28 Behold, I continue in arms in Araboth of the desert, until there come tidings from you to report to me.

 

29 So Sadoc and Abiathar brought back the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem, and it continued there.

 

30 And David went up by the ascent of the mount of Olives, ascending and weeping, and had his head covered, and went barefooted: and all the people that were with him covered every man his head; and they went up, ascending and weeping.

 

31 And it was reported to David, saying, Achitophel also is among the conspirators with Abessalom. And David said, O Lord my God, disconcert, I pray thee, the counsel of Achitophel.

32 And David came as far as Ros, where he worshipped God: and behold, Chusi the chief friend of David came out to meet him, having rent his garment, and earth was upon his head.

33 And David said to him, If thou shouldest go over with me, then wilt thou be a burden to me;

34 but if thou shall return to the city, and shalt say to Abessalom, Thy brethren are passed over, and the king thy father is passed over after me: and now I am thy servant, O king, suffer me to live: at one time even of late I was the servant of thy father, and now I am thy humble servant—so shalt thou disconcert for me, the counsel of Achitophel.

35 And, behold, there are there with thee Sadoc and Abiathar the priests; and it shall be that every word that thou shalt hear of the house of the king, thou shalt report it to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests.

36 Behold, there are there with them their two sons, Achimaas the son of Sadoc, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar; and by them ye shall report to me every word which ye shall hear.

37 So Chusi the friend of David went into the city, and Abessalom was lately gone into Jerusalem.

 

 
16

And David passed on a little way from Ros; and, behold, Siba the servant of Memphibosthe came to meet him; and he had a couple of asses laden, and upon them two hundred loaves, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred cakes of dates, and bottle of wine.

2 And the king said to Siba, What meanest thou by these? and Siba, said, The asses are for the household of the king to sit upon, and the loaves and the dates are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for them that are faint in the wilderness to drink.

3 And the king said, And where is the son of thy master? and Siba said to the king, Behold, he remains in Jerusalem; for he said, To-day shall the house of Israel restore to me the kingdom of my father.

 

4 And the king said to Siba, Behold, all Memphibosthe’s property is thine. And Siba did obeisance and said, My lord, O king, let me find grace in thine eyes.

5 And king David came to Baurim; and, behold, there came out from thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, and his name was Semei the son of Gera. He came forth and cursed as he went,

6 and cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on the right and left hand of the king.

 

7 And thus Semei said when he cursed him, Go out, go out, thou bloody man, and man of sin.

 

8 The Lord has returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, because thou hast reigned in his stead; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of Abessalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.

9 And Abessa the son of Saruia said to the king, Why does this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over now and take off his head.

 

10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Saruia? even let him alone, and so let him curse, for the Lord has told him to curse David: and who shall say, Why hast thou done thus?

11 And David said to Abessa and to all his servants, Behold, my son who came forth out of my bowels seeks my life; still more now may the son of Benjamin: let him curse, because the Lord has told him.

12 If by any means the Lord may look on my affliction, thus shall he return me good for his cursing this day.

13 And David and all the men with him went on the way: and Semei went by the side of the hill next to him, cursing as he went, and casting stones at him, and sprinkling him with dirt.

 

14 And the king, and all the people with him, came away and refreshed themselves there.

15 And Abessalom and all the men of Israel went into Jerusalem, and Achitophel with him.

 

16 And it came to pass when Chusi the chief friend of David came to Abessalom, that Chusi said to Abessalom, Let the king live.

17 And Abessalom said to Chusi, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not forth with thy friend?

18 And Chusi said to Abessalom, Nay, but following whom the Lord, and this people, and all Israel have chosen, —his will I be, and with him I will dwell.

 

19 And again, whom shall I serve? should I not in the presence of his son? As I served in the sight of thy father, so will I be in thy presence.

 

20 And Abessalom said to Achitophel, Deliberate among yourselves concerning what we should do.

21 And Achitophel said to Abessalom, Go in to thy father’s concubines, whom he left to keep his house; and all Israel shall hear that thou hast dishonoured thy father; and the hands of all that are with thee shall be strengthened.

22 And they pitched a tent for Abessalom on the roof, and Abessalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.

 

23 And the counsel of Achitophel, which he counselled in former days, was as if one should enquire of the word of God: so was all the counsel of Achitophel both to David and also to Abessalom.


17

And Achitophel said to Abessalom, Let me now choose out for myself twelve thousand men, and I will arise and follow after David this night:

 

2 and I will come upon him when he is weary and weak-handed, and I will strike him with terror; and all the people with him shall flee, and I will smite the king only of all.

3 And I will bring back all the people to thee, as a bride returns to her husband: only thou seekest the life of one man, and all the people shall have peace.

 

4 And the saying was right in the eyes of Abessalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.

5 And Abessalom said, Call now also Chusi the Arachite, and let us hear what is in his mouth, even in his also.

6 And Chusi went in to Abessalom, and Abessalom spoke to him, saying, After this manner spoke Achitophel: shall we do according to his word? but if not, do thou speak.

7 And Chusi said to Abessalom, This counsel which Achitophel has counselled this one time is not good.

 

8 And Chusi said, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are very mighty, and bitter in their spirit, as a bereaved bear in the field, [[and as a wild boar in the plain]]: and thy father is a man of war, and will not give the people rest.

 

9 For, behold, he is now hidden in one of the hills or in some other place: and it shall come to pass when he falls upon them at the beginning, that some one will certainly hear, and say, There has been a slaughter among the people that follow after Abessalom.

10 Then even he that is strong, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, —it shall utterly melt: for all Israel knows that thy father is mighty, and they that are with him are mighty men.

11 For thus I have surely given counsel, that all Israel be generally gathered to thee from Dan even to Bersabee, as the sand that is upon the sea-shore for multitude: and that thy presence go in the midst of them.

12 And we will come upon him in one of the places where we shall find him, and we will encamp against him, as the dew falls upon the earth; and we will not leave of him and of his men so much as one.

 

13 And if he shall have taken refuge with his army in a city, then shall all Israel take ropes to that city, and we will draw it even into the river, that there may not be left there even a stone.

14 And Abessalom, and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Chusi the Arachite is better than the counsel of Achitophel. For the Lord ordained to disconcert the good counsel of Achitophel, that the Lord might bring all evil upon Abessalom.

 

15 And Chusi the Arachite said to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus Achitophel counselled Abessalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.

 

16 And now send quickly and report to David, saying, Lodge not this night in Araboth of the wilderness: even go and make haste, lest one swallow up the king, and all the people with him.

 

17 And Jonathan and Achimaas stood by the well of Rogel, and a maid-servant went and reported to them, and they go and tell king David; for they might not be seen to enter into the city.

 

18 But a young man saw them and told Abessalom: and the two went quickly, and entered into the house of a man in Baurim; and he had a well in his court, and they went down into it.

19 And a woman took a covering, and spread it over the mouth of the well, and spread out ground corn upon it to dry, and the thing was not known.

20 And the servants of Abessalom came to the woman into the house, and said, Where are Achimaas and Jonathan? and the woman said to them, They are gone a little way beyond the water. And they sought and found them not, and returned to Jerusalem.

21 And it came to pass after they were gone, that they came up out of the pit, and went on their way; and reported to king David, and said to David, Arise ye and go quickly over the water, for thus has Achitophel counselled concerning you.

22 And David rose up and all the people with him, and they passed over Jordan till the morning light; there was not one missing who did not pass over Jordan.

23 And Achitophel saw that his counsel was not followed, and he saddled his ass, and rose and departed to his house into his city; and he gave orders to his household, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

 

24 And David passed over to Manaim: and Abessalom crossed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

25 And Abessalom appointed Amessai in the room of Joab over the host. And Amessai was the son of a man whose name was Jether of Jezrael: he went in to Abigaia the daughter of Naas, the sister of Saruia the mother of Joab.

26 And all Israel and Abessalom encamped in the land of Galaad.

27 And it came to pass when David came to Manaim, that Uesbi the son of Naas of Rabbath of the sons of Ammon, and Machir son of Amiel of Lodabar, and Berzelli the Galaadite of Rogellim,

28 brought ten embroidered beds, (with double coverings,) and ten caldrons, and earthenware, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and meal, and beans, and pulse,

29 and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheeses of kine: and they brought them to David and to his people with him to eat; for one said, The people is faint and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.


18

And David numbered the people with him, and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.

2 And David sent away the people, the third part under the hand of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Abessa the son of Saruia, the brother of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Ethi the Gittite. And David said to the people, I also will surely go out with you.

3 And they said, Thou shalt not go out: for if we should indeed flee, they will not care for us; and if half of us should die, they will not mind us; for thou art as ten thousand of us: and now it is well that thou shalt be to us an aid to help us in the city.

 

4 And the king said to them, Whatsoever shall seem good in your eyes I will do. And the king stood by the side of the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

5 And the king commanded Joab and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Spare for my sake the young man Abessalom. And all the people heard the king charging all the commanders concerning Abessalom.

 

6 And all the people went out into the wood against Israel; and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim.

 

7 And the people of Israel fell down there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter in that day, even twenty thousand men.

8 And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land: and the wood consumed more of the people than the sword consumed among the people in that day.

9 And Abessalom went to meet the servants of David: and Abessalom was mounted on his mule, and the mule came under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head was entangled in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth; and the mule passed on from under him.

 

10 And a man saw it, and reported to Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Abessalom hanging in an oak.

11 And Joab said to the man who reported it to him, And, behold, thou didst see him: why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.

 

12 And the man said to Joab, Were I even to receive a thousand shekels of silver, I would not lift my hand against the king’s son; for in our ears the king charged thee and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Take care of the young man Abessalom for me,

 

13 so as to do no harm to his life: and nothing of the matter will be concealed from the king, and thou wilt set thyself against me.

14 And Joab said, I will begin this; I will not thus remain with thee. And Joab took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Abessalom, while he was yet alive in the heart of the oak.

 

15 And ten young men that bore Joab’s armour compassed Abessalom, and smote him and slew him.

16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab spared the people.

 

17 And he took Abessalom, and cast him into a great cavern in the wood, into a deep pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones: and all Israel fled every man to his tent.

 

18 Now Abessalom while yet alive had taken and set up for himself the pillar near which he was taken, and set it up so as to have the pillar in the king’s dale; for he said he had no son to keep his name in remembrance: and he called the pillar, Abessalom’s hand, until this day.

19 And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said, Let me run now and carry glad tidings to the king, for the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.

20 And Joab said to him, Thou shalt not be a messenger of glad tidings this day; thou shalt bear them another day; but on this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead.

21 And Joab said to Chusi, Go, report to the king all that thou hast seen. And Chusi did obeisance to Joab, and went out.

22 And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said again to Joab, Nay, let me also run after Chusi. And Joab said, Why wouldest thou thus run, my son? attend, thou hast no tidings for profit if thou go.

 

23 And he said, Why should I not run? and Joab said to him, Run. And Achimaas ran along the way of Kechar, and outran Chusi.

24 And David was sitting between the two gates: and the watchman went up on the top of the gate of the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone before him.

 

25 And the watchman cried out, and reported to the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth. And the man came and drew near.

26 And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman cried at the gate, and said, And look, another man running alone. And the king said, He also brings glad tidings.

27 And the watchman said, I see the running of the first as the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said, He is a good man, and will come to report glad tidings.

28 And Achimaas cried out and said to the king, Peace. And he did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground, and said, Blessed be the Lord thy God, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hands against my lord the king.

 

29 And the king said, Is the young man Abessalom safe? and Achimaas said, I saw a great multitude at the time of Joab’s sending the king’s servant and thy servant, and I knew not what was there.

30 And the king said, Turn aside, stand still here. And he turned aside, and stood.

31 And, behold, Chusi came up, and said to the king, Let my lord the king hear glad tidings, for the Lord has avenged thee this day upon all them that rose up against thee.

32 And the king said to Chusi, Is it well with the young man Abessalom? and Chusi said, Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all whosoever have risen up against him for evil, be as that young man.

 

33 And the king was troubled, and went to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and thus he said as he went, My son Abessalom, my son, my son Abessalom; would God I had died for thee, even I had died for thee, Abessalom, my son, my son!

 

 
19

And they brought Joab word, saying, Behold, the king weeps and mourns for Abessalom.

2 And the victory was turned that day into mourning to all the people, for the people heard say that day, The king grieves after his son.

 

3 And the people stole away that day to go into the city, as people steal away when they are ashamed as they flee in the battle.

 

4 And the king hid his face: and the king cried with a loud voice, My son Abessalom! Abessalom my son!

 

5 And Joab went in to the king, into the house, and said, Thou hast this day shamed the faces of all thy servants that have delivered thee this day, and have saved the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and of thy concubines,

 

6 forasmuch as thou lovest them that hate thee, and hatest them that love thee; and thou hast this day declared, that thy princes and thy servants are nothing in thy sight: for I know this day, that if Abessalom were alive, and all of us dead to-day, then it would have been right in thy sight.

7 And now arise, and go forth, and speak comfortably to thy servants; for I have sworn by the Lord, that unless thou wilt go forth to-day, there shall not a man remain with thee this night: and know for thyself, this thing will indeed be evil to thee beyond all the evil that has come upon thee from thy youth until now.

8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate: and all the people reported, saying, Behold, the king sits in the gate. And all the people went in before the king to the gate; for Israel had fled every man to his tent.

 

 

9 And all the people disputed among all the tribes of Israel, saying, King David delivered us from all our enemies, and he rescued us from the hand of the Philistines: and now he has fled from the land, and from his kingdom, and from Abessalom.

 

10 And Abessalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle: and now why are ye silent about bringing back the king? And the word of all Israel came to the king.

11 And king David sent to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak to the elders of Israel, saying, Why are ye the last to bring back the king to his house? whereas the word of all Israel is come to the king to his house.

 

12 Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: why are ye the last to bring back the king to his house?

13 And ye shall say to Amessai, Art thou not my bone and my flesh? and now God do so to me, and more also, if thou shalt not be commander of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.

14 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Juda as that of one man; and they sent to the king, saying, Return thou, and all thy servants.

 

15 And the king returned, and came as far s Jordan. And the men of Juda came to Galgala on their way to meet the king, to cause the king to pass over Jordan.

 

16 And Semei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Baurim, hasted and went down with the men of Juda to meet king David.

17 And a thousand men of Benjamin were with him, and Siba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons with him, and his twenty servants with him: and they went directly down to Jordan before the king,

18 and they performed the service of bringing the king over; and there went over a ferry-boat to remove the household of the king, and to do that which was right in his eyes. And Semei the son of Gera fell on his face before the king, as he went over Jordan;

 

19 and said to the king, Let not my lord now impute iniquity, and remember not all the iniquity of thy servant in the day in which my lord went out from Jerusalem, so that the king should mind it.

 

20 For thy servant knows that I have sinned: and, behold, I am come to-day before all Israel and the house of Joseph, to go down and meet my lord the king.

21 And Abessai the son of Saruia answered and said, Shall not Semei therefore be put to death, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?

22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Saruia, that ye as it were lie in wait against me this day? to-day no man in Israel shall be put to death, for I know not if I this day reign over Israel.

23 And the king said to Semei, Thou shalt not die: and the king swore to him.

24 And Memphibosthe the son of Saul’s son went down to meet the king, and had not dressed his feet, nor pared his nails, nor shaved himself, neither had he washed his garments, from the day that the king departed, until the day when he arrived in peace.

 

 

25 And it came to pass when he went into Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, Why didst thou not go with me, Memphibosthe?

 

26 And Memphibosthe said to him, My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for thy servant said to him, Saddle me the ass, and I will ride upon it, and go with the king; for thy servant is lame.

 

27 And he has dealt deceitfully with thy servant to my lord the king: but my lord the king is as an angel of God, and do thou that which is good in thine eyes.

 

28 For all the house of my father were but as dead men before my lord the king; yet thou hast set thy servant among them that eat at thy table: and what right have I any longer even to cry to the king?

 

29 And the king said to him, Why speakest thou any longer of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Siba shall divide the land.

30 And Memphibosthe said to the king, Yea, let him take all, since my lord the king has come in peace to his house.

 

31 And Berzelli the Galaadite came down from Rogellim, and crossed over Jordan with the king, that he might conduct the king over Jordan.

32 And Berzelli was a very old man, eighty years old; and he had maintained the king when he dwelt in Manaim; for he was a very great man.

 

33 And the king said to Berzelli, Thou shalt go over with me, and I will nourish thine old age with me in Jerusalem.

34 And Berzelli said to the king, How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

35 I am this day eighty years old: can I then distinguish between good and evil? Can thy servant taste any longer what I eat or drink? can I any longer hear the voice of singing men or singing women? and wherefore shall thy servant any longer be a burden to my lord the king?

36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why does the king return me this recompense?

 

37 Let, I pray thee, thy servant remain, and I will die in my city, by the tomb of my father and of my mother. And, behold, thy servant Chamaam shall go over with my lord the king; and do thou to him as it seems good in thine eyes.

38 And the king said, Let Chamaam go over with me, and I will do to him what is good in my sight; and whatsoever thou shalt choose at my hand, I will do for thee.

39 And all the people went over Jordan, and the king went over; and the king kissed Berzelli, and blessed him; and he returned to his place.

 

40 And the king went over to Galgala, and Chamaam went over with him: and all the men of Juda went over with the king, and also half the people of Israel.

 

41 And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, Why have our brethren the men of Juda stolen thee away, and caused the king and all his house to pass over Jordan, and all the men of David with him?

42 And all the men of Juda answered the men of Israel, and said, Because the king is near of kin to us: and why were you thus angry concerning this matter? have we indeed eaten of the king’s food? or has he given us a gift, or has he sent us a portion?

43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Juda, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we are older than you, we have also an interest in David above you: and why have ye thus insulted us, and why was not our advice taken before that of Juda, to bring back our king? And the speech of the men of Juda was sharper than the speech of the men of Israel.


20

And there was a transgressor so called there, and his name was Sabee, a Benjamite, the son of Bochori: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we any inheritance in the son of Jessae: to thy tents, O Israel, every one.

2 And all the men of Israel went up from following David after Sabee the son of Bochori: but the men of Juda adhered to their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

3 And David went into his house at Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and he put them in a place of custody, and maintained them, and went not in to them; and they were kept living as widows, till the day of their death.

 

4 And the king said to Amessai, Call to me the men of Juda for three days, and do thou be present here.

5 And Amessai went to call Juda, and delayed beyond the time which David appointed him.

 

6 And David said to Amessai, Now shall Sabee the son of Bochori do us more harm than Abessalom: now then take thou with thee the servants of thy lord, and follow after him, lest he find for himself strong cities, so will he blind our eyes.

 

7 And there went out after him Amessai and the men of Joab, and the Cherethites, and the Phelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sabee the son of Bochori.

8 And they were by the great stone that is in Gabaon: and Amessai went in before them: and Joab had upon him a military cloak over his apparel, and over it he was girded with a dagger fastened upon his loins in its scabbard: and the dagger came out, it even came out and fell.

9 And Joab said to Amessai, Art thou in health, my brother? and the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amessai to kiss him.

10 And Amessai observed not the dagger that was in the hand of Joab: and Joab smote him with it on the loins, and his bowels were shed out upon the ground, and he did not repeat the blow, and he died: and Joab and Abessai his brother pursued after Sabee the son of Bochori.

11 And there stood over him one of the servants of Joab, and said, Who is he that is for Joab, and who is on the side of David following Joab?

12 And Amessai was weltering in blood in the midst of the way. And a man saw that all the people stood still; and he removed Amessai out of the path into a field, and he cast a garment upon him, because he saw every one that came to him standing still.

13 And when he was quickly removed from the road, every man of Israel passed after Joab to pursue after Sabee the son of Bochori.

14 And he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Bethmacha; and all in Charri too were assembled, and followed after him.

15 And they came and besieged him in Abel and Phermacha: and they raised a mound against the city and it stood close to the wall; and all the people with Joab proposed to throw down the wall.

 

16 And a wise woman cried from the wall, and said, Hear, hear; say, I pray ye, to Joab, Draw near hither, and I will speak to him.

17 And he drew nigh to her, and the woman said to him, Art thou Joab? and he said, I am. And she said to him, Hear the words of thy handmaid; and Joab said, I do hear.

18 And she spoke, saying, Of old time they said thus, Surely one was asked in Abel, and Dan, whether the faithful in Israel failed in what they purposed; they will surely ask in Abel, even in like manner, whether they have failed.

19 I am a peaceable one of the strong ones in Israel; but thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother city in Israel: why dost thou seek to ruin the inheritance of the Lord?

20 And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should ruin or destroy.

21 Is not the case thus, that a man of mount Ephraim, Sabee, son of Bochori by name, has even lifted up his hand against king David? Give him only to me, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

22 And the woman went in to all the people, and she spoke to all the city in her wisdom; and they took off the head of Sabee the son of Bochori; and took it away and threw it to Joab: and he blew the trumpet, and the people separated from the city away from him, every man to his tent: and Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

 

23 And Joab was over all the forces of Israel: and Banaias the son of Jodae was over the Cherethites and over the Phelethites.

24 And Adoniram was over the tribute: and Josaphath the son of Achiluth was recorder.

25 And Susa was scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar were priests.

26 Moreover Iras the son of Iarin was priest to David.

 

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