2 Kingdoms 14

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

2 Kingdoms 14

1And Joab the son of Saruia knew that the heart of the king was toward Abessalom.Καὶ ἔγνω Ἰωὰβ υἱὸς Σαρουίας ὅτι ἡ καρδία τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ Ἀβεσσαλώμ.

2And Joab sent to Thecoe, and took thence a cunning woman, and said to her, Mourn, I pray you, and put on mourning apparel, and anoint you not with oil, and you shall be as a woman mourning for one that is dead thus for many days.Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ἰωὰβ εἰς Θεκωὲ, καὶ ἔλαβεν ἐκεῖθεν γυναῖκα σοφὴν, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὴν, πένθησον δὴ, καὶ ἔνδυσαι ἱμάτια πενθικὰ, καὶ μὴ ἀλείψῃ ἔλαιον, καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς γυνὴ πενθοῦσα ἐπὶ τεθνηκότι τοῦτο ἡμέρας πολλὰς,

3And you shall go to the king, and speak to him according to this word. And Joab put the words in her mouth.καὶ ἐλεύσῃ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ λαλήσεις πρὸς αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο· καὶ ἔθηκεν Ἰωὰβ τοὺς λόγους ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῆς.

4So 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.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.

5And the king said to her, What is the matter with you? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ βασιλεὺς, τί ἐστι σοι;

6And moreover your handmaid had two sons, and they fought † together in the field, and there was no one to part them; and the one struck the other his brother, and killed him.Ἡ δὲ εἶπε, καὶ μάλα γυνὴ χήρα ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀνήρ μου. Καί γε τῇ δούλῃ σου δύο υἱοὶ, καὶ ἐμαχέσαντο ἀμφότεροι ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐξαιρούμενος ἀναμέσον αὐτῶν· καὶ ἔπαισεν ὁ εἷς τὸν ἕνα ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐθανάτωσεν αὐτόν.

7And behold the whole family rose up against your handmaid, and they said, Give up the one that struck his brother, and we will put him to death for the life of his brother, whom he killed, 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.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.

8And the king said to the woman, Go § in peace to your house, and I will give commandment concerning you.Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα, ὑγιαίνουσα βάδιζε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, κᾀγὼ ἐντελοῦμαι περὶ σοῦ.

9And 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.Καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Θεκωΐτις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, ἐπʼ ἐμὲ, κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ, ἡ ἀνομία καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ ἀθῶος.

10And the king said, Who was it that spoke to you? you shall even bring him to me, and one shall not touch ** him any more.Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς, τίς ὁ λαλῶν πρὸς σὲ, καὶ ἄξεις αὐτὸν πρὸς ἐμὲ, καὶ οὐ προσθήσει ἔτι ἅψασθαι αὐτοῦ;

11And 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 your son shall fall to the ground.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, εἶ πεσεῖται ἀπὸ τῆς τριχὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ σου ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν.

12And the woman said, Let now your servant speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Say on.Καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ, λαλησάτω δὴ ἡ δούλη σου πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου βασιλέα ῥῆμα· καὶ εἶπε, λάλησον.

13And the woman said, Why have you 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?Καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ, ἱνατί ἐλογίσω τοιοῦτο ἐπὶ λαὸν Θεοῦ; ἢ ἐκ στόματος τοῦ βασιλέως ὁ λόγος οὗτος ὡς πλημμέλεια, τοῦ μὴ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα τὸν ἐξωσμένον αὐτοῦ;

14For 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.Ὅτι θανάτῳ ἀποθανούμεθα, καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ καταφερόμενον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὃ οὐ συναχθήσεται, καὶ λήψεται ὁ Θεὸς ψυχὴν, καὶ λογιζόμενος τοῦ ἐξῶσαι ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ ἐξεωσμένον.

15And now whereas I came to speak this word to my lord the king, the reason is that the people will see me, and your handmaid will say, Let one now speak to my lord the king, if perhaps the king will perform the request of his handmaid;Καὶ νῦν ὃ ἦλθον λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν κύριόν μου τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο, ὅτι ὄψεταί με ὁ λαὸς, καὶ ἐρεῖ ἡ δούλη σου, λαλησάτω δὴ πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μον τὸν βασιλέα, εἴπως ποιήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς δούλης αὐτοῦ

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

17And 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 your God shall be with you.Καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή, εἰ ἤδη ὁ λόγος τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς θυσίας· 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.

18And the king answered, and said to the woman, Hide not from me, I pray you, the matter which I ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king by all means speak.Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα, μὴ δὴ κρύψῃς ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ ῥῆμα, ὃ ἐγὼ ἐπερωτῶ σε· καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή, λαλησάτω δὴ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς.

19And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab in all this matter with you? and the woman said to the king, As your 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 your servant Joab himself charged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid.Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, μὴ ἡ χεὶρ Ἰωὰβ 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 βασιλεὺς, ὅτι ὁ δοῦλός σου Ἰωὰβ αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατό μοι, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔθετο ἐν τῷ στόματι τῆς δούλης σου πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους.

20In order that this form of speech might come about it was that your 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.Ἕνεκεν τοῦ περιελθεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου, ὃ ἐποίησεν ὁ δοῦλός σου Ἰωὰβ τὸν λόγον τοῦτον· καὶ ὁ κύριός μου σοφὸς καθὼς σοφία ἀγγέλου τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ γνῶναι πάντα τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ.

21And the king said to Joab, Behold now, I have done to you according to this your word: go, bring back the young man Abessalom.Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Ἰωὰβ, ἰδοὺ δὴ ἐποίησά σοι κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου τοῦτον· πορεύου, ἐπιστρέψον τὸ παιδάριον τὸν Ἀβεσσαλώμ.

22And Joab fell on his face to the ground, and did obeisance, and blessed the king: and Joab said, To-day your servant knows that I have found grace in your sight, my lord, O king, for my lord the king has performed the request of his servant.Καὶ ἔπεσεν Ἰωὰβ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ προσεκύνησε, καὶ εὐλόγησε τὸν βασιλέα· καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωὰβ, 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.

23And Joab arose, and went to Gedsur, and brought Abessalom to Jerusalem.Καὶ ἀνέστη Ἰωὰβ, καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Γεδσούρ, καὶ ἤγαγε τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ.

24And 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.Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἀποστραφήτω εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν μου μὴ βλεπέτω· καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδε.

25And 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.Καὶ ὡς Ἀβεσσαλὼμ οὐκ ἦν ἀνὴρ ἐν παντὶ Ἰσραὴλ αἰνετὸς σφόδρα, ἀπὸ ἴχνους ποδὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕως κορυφῆς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ μῶμος.

26And 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.Καὶ ἐν τῷ κείρεσθαι αὐτὸν τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγένετο ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας ὡς ἂν ἐκείρετο, ὅτι κατεβαρύνετο ἐπʼ αὐτὸν, καὶ κειρόμενος αὐτὴν ἔστησε τὴν τρίχα τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ διακοσίους σίκλους ἐν τῷ σίκλῳ τῷ βασιλικῷ.

27And 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.Καὶ ἐτέχθησαν τῷ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ τρεῖς υἱοὶ, καὶ θυγάτηρ μία, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῇ Θημάρ· αὕτη ἦν γυνὴ καλὴ σφόδρα· καὶ γίνεται γυνὴ Ῥοβοὰμ υἱῷ Σαλωμὼν, καὶ τίκτει αὐτῷ τὸν Ἀβία.

28And Abessalom remained in Jerusalem two *** full years, and he saw not the king's face.Καὶ ἐκάθισεν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ δύο ἔτη ἡμερῶν, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδε.

29And 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.Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς Ἰωὰβ ἀποστεῖλαι αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν· καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἐκ δευτέρου πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησε παραγενέσθαι.

30And 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 torn, and they said to him, The servants of Abessalom have set the field on fire.Καὶ εἶπεν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ, ἴδετε, ἡ μερὶς ἐν ἀγρῷ τοῦ Ἰωὰβ ἐχόμενά μου, καὶ αὐτῷ ἐκεῖ κριθαὶ, πορεύεσθε καὶ ἐμπρήσατε αὐτὴν ἐν πυρί· καὶ ἐνέπρησαν οἱ παῖδες Ἀβεσσαλὼμ τὴν μερίδα· καὶ παραγίνονται οἱ δοῦλοι Ἰωὰβ πρὸς αὐτὸν διεῤῥηχότες τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν, καὶ εἶπον, ἐνεπύρισαν οἱ δοῦλοι Ἀβεσσαλὼμ τὴν μερίδα ἐν πυρί.

31And Joab arose, and came to Abessalom into the house, and said to him, Why have your servants set my field on fire?Καὶ ἀνέστη Ἰωὰβ, καὶ ἦλθε πρὸς Ἀβεσσαλὼμ εἰς τὸν οἶκον, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἱνατί ἐνεπύρισαν οἱ παῖδές σου τὴν μερίδα τὴν ἐμὴν ἐν πυρί;

32And Abessalom said to Joab, Behold, I sent to you, saying, Come hither, and I will send you 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.Καὶ εἶπεν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς Ἰωὰβ, ἰδοὺ ἀπέστειλα πρὸς σὲ, λέγων, ἧκε 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.

33And 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.Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ἰωὰβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸν Ἀβεσσαλώμ· καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως· καὶ κατεφίλησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Ἀβεσσαλώμ.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

• v. 4*Or, save.
• v. 6†Gr. both.
• v. 7‡Gr. place.
• v. 8§Gr. in health.
• v. 10**q.d. your son.
• v. 19††Gr. If there is, etc.
• v. 25‡‡Gr. praised.
• v. 26§§Gr. from the beginning of days to days. Hebraism.
• v. 28***Gr. years of days.