1押沙龙战败
1And David inspecteth the people who [are] with him, and setteth over them heads of thousands and heads of hundreds,
2大卫派遣众人出战：三分之一在约押手下，三分之一在约押的兄弟、洗鲁雅的儿子亚比筛手下，三分之一在迦特人以太手下。大卫对众人说：“我也必与你们一同出战。”
2and David sendeth the third of the people by the hand of Joab, and the third by the hand of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, and the third by the hand of Ittai the Gittite, and the king saith unto the people, `I certainly go out — I also — with you.`
3众人却说：“你不可以出战。因为如果我们逃跑，他们不会把我们放在心上，即使我们死了一半，他们也不会把我们放在心上。因为你一个人抵得上我们一万人；所以你最好还是留在城里，随时支援我们。”
3And the people say, `Thou dost not go out, for if we utterly flee, they do not set [their] heart upon us; and if half of us die, they do not set [their] heart unto us — for now like us [are] ten thousand; and now, better that thou be to us from the city for an helper.`
4王对他们说：“你们看怎么好，我就怎样作吧！”于是王站在城门旁边，众人组成百人一队或千人一队出发了。
4And the king saith unto them, `That which is good in your eyes I do;` and the king standeth at the side of the gate, and all the people have gone out by hundreds and by thousands,
5王吩咐约押、亚比筛和以太说：“为我的缘故，你们要宽待那年轻人押沙龙。”王为押沙龙吩咐众将领的话，众人都听到了。
5and the king chargeth Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, `Gently — for me, for the youth, for Absalom;` and all the people heard in the king`s charging all the heads concerning Absalom.
6众人出到田野迎战以色列人；战争发生在以法莲的树林里。
6And the people goeth out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle is in a forest of Ephraim;
7在那里，以色列人在大卫的臣仆面前被打败了；那天被杀的人很多，共有二万人。
7and smitten there are the people of Israel before the servants of David, and the smiting there is great on that day — twenty thousand;
8战事在那里蔓延到全地；那一天，树林所吞灭的比刀剑所吞灭的更多。
8and the battle is there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest multiplieth to devour among the people more than those whom the sword hath devoured in that day.
9押沙龙惨死押沙龙偶然遇上了大卫的臣仆。那时押沙龙骑着骡子，骡子从一棵大橡树茂密的树枝下经过，押沙龙的头发被橡树枝紧紧勾住，他就吊在空中，他所骑的骡子却跑开了。
9And Absalom meeteth before the servants of David, and Absalom is riding on the mule, and the mule cometh in under an entangled bough of the great oak, and his head taketh hold on the oak, and he is placed between the heavens and the earth, and the mule that [is] under him hath passed on.
10有一个人看见了，就告诉约押说：“看哪！我看见押沙龙悬在一棵橡树上。”
10And one man seeth, and declareth to Joab, and saith, `Lo, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.`
11约押对那向他报告的人说：“你既然看见了，为什么不当场把他击杀，落在地上呢？那样，我就赏赐你一百一十四克银子和一条腰带。”
11And Joab saith to the man who is declaring [it] to him, `And lo, thou hast seen — and wherefore didst thou not smite him there to the earth — and on me to give to thee ten silverlings and one girdle?`
12那人回答约押：“就是量十一公斤银子放在我手中，我也不敢伸手伤害王的儿子，因为我们亲耳听见王吩咐你、亚比筛和以太说：‘你们要为我的缘故，照顾那年轻人押沙龙。’
12And the man saith unto Joab, `Yea, though I am weighing on my hand a thousand silverlings, I do not put forth my hand unto the son of the king; for in our ears hath the king charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Observe ye who [is] against the youth — against Absalom;
13我若是胆大妄为伤害了他的性命，那时你也不会维护我。”
13or I had done against my soul a vain thing, and no matter is hid from the king, and thou — thou dost station thyself over-against.`
14约押说：“我不能与你这样耽误时间。”于是约押手里拿起三根短矛，趁押沙龙还悬挂在橡树上的时候，就刺透了他的心。
14And Joab saith, `Not right — I tarry before thee;` and he taketh three darts in his hand, and striketh them into the heart of Absalom, while he [is] alive, in the midst of the oak.
15给约押拿武器的十个年轻人围着押沙龙，攻击他，把他杀死。
15And they go round — ten youths bearing weapons of Joab — and smite Absalom, and put him to death.
16约押吹响号角，众人就回来，不再追赶以色列人；因为约押拦阻众人继续追赶。
16And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and the people turneth back from pursuing after Israel, for Joab hath kept back the people;
17他们把押沙龙的尸体抬起来，丢在树林中的一个大坑里，又在上面堆起一大堆石头。以色列众人都逃跑，各回自己的家去了。
17and they take Absalom and cast him in the forest unto the great pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones, and all Israel have fled — each to his tent.
18押沙龙生前曾在王谷为自己立了一根石柱，因为他想：“我没有儿子记念我的名字。”他就以自己的名字称那石柱。因此人称那石柱为押沙龙柱，直到今日。
18And Absalom hath taken, and setteth up for himself in his life, the standing-pillar that [is] in the king`s valley, for he said, `I have no son to cause my name to be remembered;` and he calleth the standing-pillar by his own name, and it is called `The monument of Absalom` unto this day.
19二人向大卫报信撒督的儿子亚希玛斯说：“让我跑去，把这好消息向王报告，就是耶和华已经把他从仇敌的手中拯救出来了。”
19And Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, `Let me run, I pray thee, and I bear the king tidings, for Jehovah hath delivered him out of the hand of his enemies;`
20约押对他说：“你今天不可去报消息，改天才可以去报。你今天不可去报消息，因为王的儿子死了。”
20and Joab saith to him, `Thou art not a man of tidings this day, but thou hast borne tidings on another day, and this day thou dost not bear tidings, because the king`s son [is] dead.`
21于是约押对一个古实人说：“你去把你所看见的告诉王吧！”那古实人叩拜了约押，就跑去了。
21And Joab saith to Cushi, `Go, declare to the king that which thou hast seen;` and Cushi boweth himself to Joab, and runneth.
22撒督的儿子亚希玛斯又对约押说：“不管怎样，请让我也跟着那古实人跑去。”约押说：“你为什么要跑去呢？我儿，你是不会得到报消息的赏赐的。”
22And Ahimaaz son of Zadok addeth again, and saith unto Joab, `And whatever it be, let me run, I pray thee, I also, after the Cushite.` And Joab saith, `Why [is] this — thou art running, my son, and for thee there are no tidings found?` —
23“不管怎样，请让我跑去！”于是约押对他说：“你跑去吧！”亚希玛斯就沿着约旦河大道跑去，赶过了那古实人。
23`And, whatever it be, [said he,] let me run.` And he saith to him, `Run;` and Ahimaaz runneth the way of the circuit, and passeth by the Cushite.
24那时，大卫正坐在内外城门中间的地方。守望的人上到城楼的平顶上，举目观看，见有一个人独自跑来。
24And David is sitting between the two gates, and the watchman goeth unto the roof of the gate, unto the wall, and lifteth up his eyes, and looketh, and lo, a man running by himself.
25守望的人就喊叫，把这事告诉王；王说：“他若是单独一人，必是来报好消息的。”那人越走越近了。
25And the watchman calleth, and declareth to the king, and the king saith, `If by himself, tidings [are] in his mouth;` and he cometh, coming on and drawing near.
26后来，守望的人又看见另一个人跑来，就对守城门的人喊叫，说：“看哪！又有一个人独自跑来！”王说：“这也必是来报好消息的。”
26And the watchman seeth another man running, and the watchman calleth unto the gatekeeper, and saith, `Lo, a man running by himself;` and the king saith, `Also this one is bearing tidings.`
27守望的人说：“我看前头那人的跑法好像撒督的儿子亚希玛斯的跑法一样。”王说：“他是个好人，必是带好消息来的。”
27And the watchman saith, `I see the running of the first as the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.` And the king saith, `This [is] a good man, and with good tidings he cometh.`
28亚希玛斯向王呼叫，说：“平安！”就脸伏于地，叩拜王，说：“耶和华你的 神是应当称颂的，因为他已经把举手攻击我主我王的人交给你了！”
28And Ahimaaz calleth and saith unto the king, `Peace;` and he boweth himself to the king, on his face, to the earth, and saith, `Blessed [is] Jehovah thy God who hath shut up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king.`
29王问：“那年轻人押沙龙平安不平安？”亚希玛斯回答：“约押差派王的仆人，就是你的仆人我来的时候，我看见有大动乱，却不知道是什么事。”
29And the king saith, `Peace to the youth — to Absalom?` And Ahimaaz saith, `I saw the great multitude, at the sending away of the servant of the king, even thy servant [by] Joab, and I have not known what [it is].`
30王说：“你退到一旁，站在那里！”他就退到一旁，站在那里。
30And the king saith, `Turn round, station thyself here;` and he turneth round and standeth still.
31大卫闻报大大哀恸那古实人也到了。他说：“有好消息报给我主我王；今天耶和华已经救你脱离那些起来攻击你的人的手了！”
31And lo, the Cushite hath come, and the Cushite saith, `Let tidings be proclaimed, my lord, O king; for Jehovah hath delivered thee to-day out of the hand of all those rising up against thee.`
32王问古实人：“那年轻人押沙龙平安吗？”古实人回答：“愿我主我王的仇敌和一切来攻击你、伤害你的人，都像那年轻人一样。”
32And the king saith unto the Cushite, `Peace to the youth — to Absalom?` And the Cushite saith, `Let them be — as the youth — the enemies of my lord the king, and all who have risen up against thee for evil.`
33王悲恸得全身发抖，就上城楼去哀哭。他一面走一面这样说：“我儿押沙龙啊！我儿，我儿押沙龙啊！但愿我替你死。押沙龙啊！我儿，我儿啊！”（本节在《马索拉抄本》为19:1）
33And the king trembleth, and goeth up on the upper chamber of the gate, and weepeth, and thus he hath said in his going, `My son! Absalom my son; my son Absalom; oh that I had died for thee, Absalom, my son, my son.`