¹And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds over them.

¹David pa sešteje ljudstvo, ki je bilo pri njem, in mu postavi poveljnike nad tisoč in poveljnike nad sto.

²And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

²In David odpošlje ljudstvo, tretjino pod roko Joabovo, tretjino pod roko Abisaja, sina Zervije, brata Joabovega, in tretjino pod roko Itaja Gatovca. In kralj reče ljudstvu: Tudi jaz pojdem vsekakor z vami!

³But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succor us out of the city.

³A ljudstvo reče: Ne pojdeš! Zakaj če pobegnemo, jim ne bode mar za nas; tudi če nas polovica pogine, ne bodo marali za nas; temuč ti si kakor nas deset tisoč. Zatorej je bolje, da boš pripravljen priskočiti nam v pomoč iz mesta.

⁴And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

⁴Kralj jim reče: Kar se vam zdi najboljše, storim. In kralj se ustopi pri vratih, in vse ljudstvo gre ven po sto in po tisoč.

⁵And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

⁵In kralj zapove Joabu in Abisaju in Itaju, rekoč: Milo mi ravnajte z mladeničem, z Absalomom! In vse ljudstvo je slišalo, ko je kralj zapovedoval vsem poveljnikom za Absaloma.

⁶So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;

⁶Šlo je torej ljudstvo na polje v boj proti Izraelu, in bitka se je začela v Efraimskem gozdu.

⁷Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.

⁷In ljudstvo Izraelovo je bilo ondi poraženo pred hlapci Davidovimi, in bil je tam velik poboj tisti dan, ker je padlo dvajset tisoč mož.

⁸For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁸Zakaj boj se je ondi razširil po vsej deželi, in gozd je požrl več ljudstva tisti dan, nego jih je pobil meč.

⁹And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.

⁹Primeri se pa, da sreča Absalom hlapce Davidove. In Absalom je jezdil na mezgu svojem, in mezg je prišel pod debele veje košatega hrasta, in Absalomu je obtičala glava na hrastu, da je visel med nebom in zemljo, kajti mezg je izpod njega zdirjal.

¹⁰And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.

¹⁰In neki mož vidi to in oznani Joabu in reče: Glej, videl sem Absaloma, da visi na hrastu.

¹¹And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle.

¹¹Joab pa veli možu, ki mu je povedal: Glej, ako si ga videl, zakaj ga nisi ondi pobil na zemljo? In jaz bi ti bil dal deset srebrnikov in pas.

¹²And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.

¹²Mož pa odvrne Joabu: Da si mi odštel tisoč srebrnikov na roko, ne bi bil hotel iztegniti roke zoper sina kraljevega; zakaj kralj je pred našimi ušesi zapovedal tebi in Abisaju in Itaju, rekoč: Pazite, da se nihče ne dotakne mladeniča Absaloma!

¹³Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.

¹³Sicer pa, ako bi bil storil kaj žalega zoper življenje njegovo (kajti nič ne ostane kralju skrito), ti sam bi stal zoper mene.

¹⁴Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

¹⁴Nato reče Joab: Ne bom tu časa tratil s teboj! In vzame tri sulice v roko in jih zasadi Absalomu v srce, ko je še živel viseč na hrastu.

¹⁵And ten young men that bare Joab's armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

¹⁵In deset mladeničev, oprod Joabovih, stopi okoli Absaloma in ga bijejo in umore.

¹⁶And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people.

¹⁶In Joab zatrobi v trobento, in ljudstvo se vrne, da ne podi več Izraela; zakaj Joab je zadržal ljudstvo.

¹⁷And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.

¹⁷In vzamejo Absaloma ter ga vržejo v veliko jamo v gozdu in nanosijo nanj velik kup kamenja. In ves Izrael je bežal, vsak v šator svoj.

¹⁸Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.

¹⁸Absalom pa si je bil še za življenja svojega oskrbel in postavil spomenik, ki je v Kraljevi dolini; zakaj dejal je: Nimam sina, da se ohrani imena mojega spomin! In imenoval je tisti spomenik z imenom svojim, in imenuje se Absalomov spomenik do današnjega dne.

¹⁹Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.

¹⁹Ahimaaz pa, sin Zadokov, reče: Dovoli, da tečem in sporočim kralju, da mu je GOSPOD storil pravico in ga otel iz roke njegovih sovražnikov.

²⁰And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.

²⁰A Joab mu veli: Danes nisi poročevalec dobrega! Drugi dan lahko sporočiš blago vest, a danes nimaš kaj dobrega oznaniti, ker je kraljev sin mrtev.

²¹Then said Joab to Cushy, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushy bowed himself unto Joab, and ran.

²¹Potem veli Joab Kušitu: Pojdi, povej kralju, kar si videl! In Kušit se prikloni Joabu in teče.

²²Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushy. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?

²²Tedaj reče Ahimaaz, sin Zadokov, zopet Joabu: Bodisi kakorkoli, dovoli, da tečem tudi jaz za Kušitom! Joab pa reče: Čemu hočeš tja teči, sin moj! Saj nimaš poročila, ki bi zanje dobil pohvalo.

²³But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushy.

²³On reče: Bodisi kakorkoli, potečem! In mu veli: Teci! In teče Ahimaaz po ravnini in prehiti Kušita.

²⁴And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.

²⁴David pa je sedel med dvojimi vrati. In stražar stopi na streho od vrat, na obzidju, povzdigne oči in gleda; in glej, mož teče sam.

²⁵And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, and drew near.

²⁵In stražar zakliče in oznani kralju. Kralj pa reče: Ako je sam, je dobro oznanilo v njegovih ustih. Ko pa ta prihaja bliže in bliže,

²⁶And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold another man running alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings.

²⁶zagleda stražar drugega moža tekočega, in zakliče vratarju in reče: Glej, mož teče sam! Kralj pa veli: Tudi ta ima dobro oznanilo.

²⁷And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.

²⁷In stražar reče: Zdi se mi, da tek prvega je kakor tek Ahimaaza, sina Zadokovega. In kralj veli: Dober mož je in prihaja z dobrim poročilom.

²⁸And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.

²⁸In Ahimaaz zakliče in reče kralju: Mir! Potem se pokloni pred kraljem z obrazom do tal in pravi: Hvaljen bodi GOSPOD, Bog tvoj, ki nam je izdal može, ki so vzdignili roko svojo zoper gospoda mojega, kralja.

²⁹And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

²⁹In kralj vpraša: Je li dobro mladeniču Absalomu? Ahimaaz pa odgovori: Ko je Joab pošiljal kraljevega hlapca, mene, hlapca tvojega, sem videl velik hrup, pa ne vem, kaj je bilo.

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

³⁰Kralj veli: Stopi strani in stoj tu! In stopi tja in obstoji.

³¹And, behold, Cushy came; and Cushy said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.

³¹Glej, v tem pride Kušit in reče: Vesela vest gospodu mojemu kralju! Zakaj GOSPOD ti je danes pravico storil in te otel iz roke vseh, ki so se vzdignili zoper tebe.

³²And the king said unto Cushy, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushy answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.

³²Kralj pa vpraša Kušita: Je li dobro z mladeničem Absalomom? In Kušit odvrne: Zgodi se naj kakor temu mladeniču sovražnikom gospoda mojega kralja in vsem, ki se vzdigujejo zoper tebe, da ti store hudo!In kralju se zelo užali in stopi v hram nad vrati in joče; in grede govori: O sin moj Absalom, sin moj, sin moj Absalom! Ah, da bi bil jaz umrl zate! O Absalom, sin moj, sin moj!

³³And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

³³In kralju se zelo užali in stopi v hram nad vrati in joče; in grede govori: O sin moj Absalom, sin moj, sin moj Absalom! Ah, da bi bil jaz umrl zate! O Absalom, sin moj, sin moj!