1Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.
1約押設計安排押沙龍回來洗魯雅的兒子約押知道王的心想念押沙龍，
2Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched there a wise woman, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil, but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.
2就派人到提哥亞去，從那裡帶了一位聰明的婦人來，對她說：“你要假裝居喪的，穿上喪服，不要用油膏抹身體。要裝成一個為死者居喪很久的婦人。
3Go in to the king, and speak like this to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.
3然後進去見王，對他這樣這樣說。”於是約押把要說的話教了她。
4When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”
4提哥亞婦人進去見王，俯伏在地，叩拜他，說：“王啊！求你幫助我。”
5The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
5王問她：“你有甚麼事呢？”她回答：“我實在是個寡婦，我的丈夫死了。
6Your handmaid had two sons, and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other, and killed him.
6婢女有兩個兒子；有一天，他們兩人在田裡打架，當時沒有人勸開他們，這個就擊打那個，竟把他打死了。
7Behold, the whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth.”
7看哪！現在全家族的人都起來攻擊婢女，說：‘你要把那擊殺他兄弟的兇手交出來，好讓我們把他處死，以償他兄弟的命，也可以滅絕那繼承產業的。’這樣他們要使我所剩下的炭火也都熄滅了，不讓我丈夫在這世上留下名字，或留下後代。”
8The king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you.”
8王對那婦人說：“你回家去吧！我必為你下令辦這件事。”
9The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.”
9提哥亞婦人又對王說：“我主我王，願這罪歸於我和我父的家；願王和王的王位與這罪無關。”
10The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more.”
10王說：“對你說這事的，你就把他帶到我這裡來，他必不會再打擾你了。”
11Then she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”
11婦人說：“願王記念耶和華你的 神，不許報血仇的人多行殺戮，免得他們滅絕我的兒子。”王說：“我指著永活的耶和華起誓，你的兒子連一根頭髮也不會落在地上。”
12Then the woman said, “Please let your handmaid speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Say on.”
12那婦人又說：“請允許婢女對我主我王再說一句話。”王說：“你說吧。”
13The woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one.
13婦人說：“你為甚麼想出這樣的事來陷害 神的子民呢？王說了這話，如果不讓自己逃亡的人回來，就是個有罪的人了。
14For we must die, and are as water split on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him.
14我們都是必死的，像水潑在地上不能收回來一樣；但 神並不取去人的命，反而設法使逃亡的人不致永遠離開他逃亡。
15Now therefore seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and your handmaid said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.’
15現在我來對我主我王說這話，是因為眾民使我害怕，所以婢女想：‘現在我要對王說，也許王會成全婢女所求的。’
16For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.
16人要把我和我的兒子從 神的產業上一同消滅，也許王會垂聽，會把婢女從那人的手下救出來。
17Then your handmaid said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May Yahweh, your God, be with you.’”
17婢女又想：‘我主我王的話必能使我得安慰，因為我主我王像 神的使者一樣，能分辨是非。願耶和華你的 神與你同在。’”
18Then the king answered the woman, “Please don’t hide anything from me that I ask you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king now speak.”
18王對那婦人說：“我要問你一句話，請你不要瞞我。”婦人回答：“我主我王，請說！”
19The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab, he urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid;
19王問：“這一切都是約押一手安排的嗎？”婦人回答：“我指著我主我王起誓，王所說的絲毫不差。這正是王的僕人約押吩咐我的，這一切話也都是他教婢女說的。
20to change the face of the matter has your servant Joab done this thing. My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.”
20王的僕人約押這樣作，為要挽回這件事。我主有智慧，像 神使者的智慧一樣，能知道世上的一切事。”
21The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have done this thing. Go therefore, bring the young man Absalom back.”
21王對約押說：“看哪！這事我已經同意了。你去把那年輕人押沙龍帶回來吧！”
22Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”
22約押就面伏於地，叩拜王，為王祝福；又說：“今天你僕人知道在我主我王眼前蒙了恩寵，因為王成全了你僕人所求的。”
23So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
23於是約押起來，往基述去，把押沙龍帶回耶路撒冷。
24The king said, “Let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, and didn’t see the king’s face.
24王說：“讓他回自己的家裡去，不要見王的面。”押沙龍就轉回自己的家裡去，沒有見王的面。
25Now in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
25押沙龍的儀表及其子女在全以色列中，沒有一個人像押沙龍那樣英俊，得人稱讚，從腳底到頭頂，都沒有一點缺陷。
26When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year’s end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight.
26他每年年底剪髮一次，因為他頭上的頭髮太厚，所以把它剪下來；他把頭髮剪下來以後，總是把頭髮稱一稱；按照王的法碼重約兩公斤。
27To Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a beautiful face.
27押沙龍生了三個兒子，一個女兒。女兒名叫他瑪，是個容貌美麗的女子。
28Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem; and he didn’t see the king’s face.
28大衛召見押沙龍和好如初押沙龍在耶路撒冷住了兩年，都沒有見王的面。
29Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.
29押沙龍派人去叫約押來，要託他去見王，約押卻不肯來見他。他第二次再派人去叫他，他還是不肯來。
30Therefore he said to his servants, “Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
30於是押沙龍對僕人說：“你們看，約押的一塊田和我相鄰，田裡有大麥。你們去放火燒田！”押沙龍的僕人就放火把那塊田燒了。
31Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
31於是約押起來，到了押沙龍的家，問他：“你的僕人為甚麼放火燒了我那塊田呢？”
32Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”’”
32押沙龍回答約押：“看哪，我派人去見你，說：‘請你到這裡來，我要託你去見王，替我說：“我為甚麼從基述回來呢？我若是還留在那邊，會覺得更好。”’現在，我要見王的面，如果我有罪，任由他把我殺死好了。”
33So Joab came to the king, and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.
33於是約押進去見王，把這事告訴了他，王就召見押沙龍。押沙龍進去見王，在王面前臉伏在地拜他，王就與押沙龍親嘴。