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

¹And David inspecteth the people who [are] with him, and setteth over them heads of thousands and heads of hundreds,

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!

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.`

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.

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.`

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.

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,

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.

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.

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

⁶And the people goeth out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle is in a forest of Ephraim;

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

⁷and smitten there are the people of Israel before the servants of David, and the smiting there is great on that day — twenty thousand;

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

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.

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.

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.

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

¹⁰And one man seeth, and declareth to Joab, and saith, `Lo, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.`

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.

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?`

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!

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;

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

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.`

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.

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.

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

¹⁵And they go round — ten youths bearing weapons of Joab — and smite Absalom, and put him to death.

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

¹⁶And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and the people turneth back from pursuing after Israel, for Joab hath kept back the people;

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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;`

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.

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.`

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

²¹And Joab saith to Cushi, `Go, declare to the king that which thou hast seen;` and Cushi boweth himself to Joab, and runneth.

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.

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?` —

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

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

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

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.`

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.

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.`

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.

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.`

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.

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].`

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

³⁰And the king saith, `Turn round, station thyself here;` and he turneth round and standeth still.

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.

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.`

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!

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.`

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!

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.`