2 Kingdoms 18

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

2 Kingdoms 18

1And David numbered the people with him, and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.Καὶ ἐπεσκέψατο Δαυὶδ τὸν λαὸν τὸν μετʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατέστησεν ἐπʼ αὐτῶν χιλιάρχους καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους.

2And David sent away the people, the third part * under the hand of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Abessa the son of Saruia, the brother of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Ethi the Gittite. And David said to the people, I also will surely go out with you.Καὶ ἀπέστειλε Δαυὶδ τὸν λαὸν τὸ τρίτον ἐν χειρὶ Ἰωὰβ, καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐν χειρὶ Ἀβεσσὰ υἱοῦ Σαρουίας ἀδελφοῦ Ἰωὰβ, καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐν χειρὶ Ἐθὶ τοῦ Γεθαίου· καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πρὸς τὸν λαὸν, ἐξελθὼν ἐξελεύσομαι καί γε ἐγὼ μεθʼ ὑμῶν.

3And they said, You shall not go out: for if we should indeed flee, they will not care for us; and if half of us should die, they will not mind us; for you are † as ten thousand of us: and now it is well that you shall be to us an aid to help us in the city.Καὶ εἶπαν, οὐκ ἐξελεύσῃ, ὅτι ἐὰν φυγῇ φύγωμεν, οὐ θήσουσιν ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς καρδίαν· καὶ ἐὰν ἀποθάνωμεν τὸ ἥμισυ ἡμῶν, οὐ θήσουσιν ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς καρδίαν, ὅτι σὺ ὡς ἡμεῖς δέκα χιλιάδες· καὶ νῦν ἀγαθὸν, ὅτι ἔσῃ ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ πόλει βοήθεια τοῦ βοηθεῖν.

4And the king said to them, Whatsoever shall seem good in your eyes I will do. And the king stood by the ‡ side of the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὃ ἐὰν ἀρέσῃ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ὑμῶν, ποιήσω· καὶ ἔστη ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνὰ χεῖρα τῆς πύλης· καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἐξεπορεύετο εἰς ἑκατοντάδας καὶ εἰς χιλιάδας.

5And the king commanded Joab and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Spare for my sake the young man Abessalom. And all the people heard the king charging all the commanders concerning Abessalom.Καὶ ἐνετείλατο ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Ἰωὰβ καὶ τῷ Ἀβεσσὰ καὶ τῷ Ἐθὶ, λέγων, φείσασθέ μου τοῦ παιδαρίου τοῦ Ἀβεσσαλώμ· καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἤκουσεν ἐντελλομένου τοῦ βασιλέως πᾶσι τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ὑπὲρ Ἀβεσσαλώμ.

6And all the people went out into the wood against Israel; and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim.Καὶ ἐξῆλθε πᾶς ὁ λαὸς εἰς τὸν δρυμὸν ἐξεναντίας Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ πόλεμος ἐν τῷ δρυμῷ Ἐφραίμ.

7And the people of Israel fell down there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter in that day, even twenty thousand men.Καὶ ἔπταισεν ἐκεῖ ὁ λαὸς Ἰσραὴλ ἐνώπιον τῶν παίδων Δαυὶδ, καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ θραῦσις μεγάλη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, εἴκοσι χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν.

8And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land: and the wood consumed more of the people than the sword consumed among the people in that day.Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐκεῖ ὁ πόλεμος διεσπαρμένος ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς· καὶ ἐπλεόνασεν ὁ δρυμὸς τοῦ καταφαγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ, ὑπὲρ οὓς κατέφαγεν ἐν τῷ λαῷ ἡ μάχαιρα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκαίνῃ.

9And Abessalom went to meet the servants of David: and Abessalom was mounted on his mule, and the mule came under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head was entangled in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth; and the mule passed on from under him.Καὶ συνήντησεν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ ἐνώπιον τῶν παίδων Δαυίδ· καὶ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ ἦν ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ τοῦ ἡμιόνου αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ ἡμίονος ὑπὸ τὸ δάσος τῆς δρυὸς τῆς μεγάλης, καὶ περιεπλάκη ἡ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ δρυῒ, καὶ ἐκρεμάσθη ἀναμέσον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἀναμέσον τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὁ ἡμίονος ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ παρῆλθε.

10And a man saw it, and reported to Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Abessalom hanging in an oak.Καὶ εἶδεν ἀνὴρ εἷς, καὶ ἀνήγγειλε τῷ Ἰωὰβ, καὶ εἶπεν, ἰδοὺ ἑώρακα τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ κρεμάμενον ἐν τῇ δρυΐ.

11And Joab said to the man who reported it to him, And, behold, you did see him: why did you not strike him there to the ground? and I would have given you ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.Καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωὰβ τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῇ ἀναγγέλλοντι αὐτῷ, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἑώρακας· τί ὅτι οὐκ ἐπάταξας αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ εἰς τὴν γῆν; καὶ ἐγὼ ἂν δεδώκειν σοι δέκα ἀργυρίου καὶ παραζώνην μίαν.

12And the man said to Joab, Were I even to § receive a thousand shekels of silver, I would not lift my hand against the king's son; for in our ears the king charged you and Abessa and Ethi, saying, Take care of the young man Abessalom for me,Εἶπε δὲ ὁ ἀνὴρ πρὸς Ἰωὰβ, καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ἵστημι ἐπὶ τὰς χεῖράς μου χιλίους σίκλους ἀργυρίου, οὐ μὴ ἐπιβάλω τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ βασιλέως· ὅτι ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ἡμῶν ἐνετείλατο ὁ βασιλεύς σοι καὶ τῷ Ἀβεσσὰ καὶ τῷ Ἐθὶ, λέγων, φυλάξατέ μοι τὸ παιδάριον τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ,

13so as to do no harm to his life: and nothing of the matter will be concealed from the king, and you will set yourself against me.μὴ ποιῆσαι ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἄδικον· καὶ πᾶς ὁ λόγος οὐ λήσεται ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ σὺ στήσῃ ἐξεναντίας.

14And Joab said, I will begin this; I will not thus remain with you. And Joab took three darts in his hand, and thrust them into the heart of Abessalom, while he was yet alive in the heart of the oak.Καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωὰβ, τοῦτο ἐγὼ ἄρξομαι, οὐχ οὕτως μενῶ ἐνώπιόν σου· καὶ ἔλαβεν Ἰωὰβ τρία βέλη ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνέπηξεν αὐτὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, ἔτι αὐτοῦ ζῶντος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς δρυός.

15And ten young men that bore Joab's armor compassed Abessalom, and struck him and killed him.Καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν δέκα παιδάρια αἴροντα τὰ σκεύη Ἰωὰβ, καὶ ἐπάταξαν τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, καὶ ἐθανάτωσαν αὐτόν.

16And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab spared the people.Καὶ ἐσάλπισεν Ἰωὰβ ἐν κερατίνῃ, καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν ὁ λαὸς τοῦ μὴ διώκειν ὀπίσω Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι ἐφείδετο Ἰωὰβ τοῦ λαοῦ.

17And he took Abessalom, and cast him into a great cavern in the wood, into a deep pit, and set up over him a very great heap of stones: and all Israel fled every man to his tent.Καὶ ἔλαβε τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, καὶ ἔῤῥιψεν αὐτὸν εἰς χάσμα μέγα ἐν τῷ δρυμῷ εἰς τὸν βόθυνον τὸν μέγαν, καὶ ἐστήλωσεν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν σωρὸν λίθων μέγαν σφόδρα· καὶ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ ἔφυγεν ἀνὴρ εἰς τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ.

18Now Abessalom while yet alive had taken and set up for himself the pillar ** near which he was taken, and set it up so as to have the pillar in the king's dale; for he said he had no son to keep his name in remembrance: †† and he called the pillar, Abessalom's ‡‡ hand, until this day.Καὶ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ ἔτι ζῶν ἔλαβε καὶ ἔστησεν ἑαυτῷ τὴν στήλην ἐν ᾗ ἐλήφθη, καὶ ἐστήλωσεν αὐτὴν λαβεῖν τὴν στήλην τὴν ἐν τῇ βασιλέως, ὅτι εἶπεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ υἱὸς ἕνεκν τοῦ ἀναμνῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὴν στήλην, Χεὶρ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης.

19And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said, Let me run now and carry glad tidings to the king, for the Lord has delivered him from the hand of his enemies.Καὶ Ἀχιμάας υἱὸς Σαδὼκ εἶπε, δράμω δὴ καὶ εὐαγγελιῶ τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὅτι ἔκρινε Κύριος ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ.

20And Joab said to him, You shall not be a messenger of glad tidings this day; you shall bear them another day; but on this day you shall bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead.Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ἰωὰβ, οὐκ ἀνὴρ εὐαγγελίας σὺ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ, καὶ εὐαγγελιῇ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἄλλῃ· ἐν δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ οὐκ εὐαγγελιῇ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπέθανε.

21And Joab said to Chusi, Go, report to the king all that you have seen. And Chusi did obeisance to Joab, and went out.Καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωὰβ τῷ Χουσὶ, Βαδίσας ἀνάγγειλον τῷ βασιλεῖ ὅσα εἶδες· καὶ προσεκύνησε Χουσεὶ τῷ Ἰωὰβ, καὶ ἐξῆλθε.

22And Achimaas the son of Sadoc said again to Joab, Nay, let me also run after Chusi. And Joab said, Why §§ would you thus run, my son? attend, you have no tidings for profit if you go.Καὶ προσέθετο ἕτι Ἀχιμάας υἱὸς Σαδὼκ, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς Ἰωὰβ, καὶ ἔστω, ὅτι δράμω καί γε ἐγὼ ὀπίσω τοῦ Χουσί· καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωὰβ, ἱνατί σὺ τοῦτο τρέχεις, υἱέ μου; δεῦρο, οὐκ ἔστι σοι εὐαγγέλια εἰς ὠφέλειαν πορευομένῳ.

23And he said, *** Why should I not run? and Joab said to him, Run. And Achimaas ran along the way of Kechar, and outran Chusi.Καὶ εἶπε, τί γὰρ ἐὰν δράμω; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ἰωὰβ, δράμε· καὶ ἔδραμεν Ἀχιμάας τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν τοῦ Κεχὰρ, καὶ ὑπερέβη τὸν Χουσί.

24And David was sitting between the two gates: and the watchman went up on the top of the gate of the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone before him.Καὶ Δαυὶδ ἐκάθητο ἀναμέσον τῶν δύο πυλῶν· καὶ ἐπορεύθη ὁ σκοπὸς εἰς τὸ δῶμα τῆς πύλης πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος, καὶ ἐπῇρε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶδε. καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ τρέχων μόνος ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ.

25And the watchman cried out, and reported to the king. And the king said, If he be alone, there are good tidings in his mouth. And the man came and drew near.Καὶ ἀνεβόησεν ὁ σκοπὸς καὶ ἀπήγγειλε τῷ βασιλεῖ· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, εἰ μόνος ἐστὶν, εὐαγγέλια ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐπορεύετο πορευόμενος καὶ ἐγγίζων.

26And the watchman saw another man running: and the watchman cried at the gate, and said, And look, another man running alone. And the king said, He also brings glad tidings.Καὶ εἶδεν ὁ σκοπὸς ἄνδρα ἕτερον τρέχοντα· καὶ ἐβόησεν ὁ σκοπὸς πρὸς τῇ πύλῃ, καὶ εἶπε, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ ἕτερος τρέχων μόνος· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, καί γε οὗτος εὐαγγελιζόμενος.

27And the watchman said, I see the running of the first as the running of Achimaas the son of Sadoc. And the king said, He is a good man, and will come to report glad tidings.Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ σκοπός, ἐγὼ ὁρῶ τὸν δρόμον τοῦ πρώτου ὡς δρόμον Ἀχιμάας υἱοῦ Σαδώκ· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς οὗτος, καί γε εἰς εὐαγγελίαν ἀγαθὴν ἐλεύσεται.

28And Achimaas cried out and said to the king, Peace. And he did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground, and said, Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delivered up the men that lifted up their hands against my lord the king.Καὶ ἐβόησεν Ἀχιμάας, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, εἰρήνη· καὶ προσεκύνησε τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ εἶπεν, εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, ὃς ἀπέκλεισε τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς ἐπαραμένους τὴν χεῖρα αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ μου τῷ βασιλεῖ.

29And the king said, Is the young man Abessalom safe? and Achimaas said, I saw a great multitude at the time of Joab's sending the king's servant and your servant, and I knew not what was there.Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, εἰρήνη τῷ παιδαρίῳ τῷ Ἀβεσσαλώμ; καὶ εἶπεν Ἀχιμάας, εἶδον τὸ πλῆθος τὸ μέγα τοῦ ἀποστεῖλαι τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ βασιλέως Ἰωὰβ καὶ τὸν δοῦλόν σου, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων τί ἐκεῖ.

30And the king said, Turn aside, stand still here. And he turned aside, and stood.Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἐπίστρεψον, στηλώθητι ὧδε· καὶ ἐπεστράφη, καὶ ἔστη.

31And, behold, Chusi came up, and said to the king, Let my lord the king hear glad tidings, for the Lord has avenged you this day upon all them that rose up against you.Καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ Χουσὶ παρεγένετο, καὶ εἶπε τῷ βασιλεῖ, εὐαγγελισθήτω ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὅτι ἔκρινέ σοι Κύριος σήμερον ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν ἐπεγειρομένων ἐπὶ σέ.

32And the king said to Chusi, Is it well with the young man Abessalom? and Chusi said, Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all whoever have risen up against him for evil, be as that young man.Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸν Χουσὶ, εἰ εἰρήνη τῷ παιδαρίῳ τῷ Ἀβεσσαλώμ; καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Χουσὶ, γένοιντο ὡς τὸ παιδάριον οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ πάντες ὅσοι ἐπανέστησαν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν εἰς κακά.

33And the king was troubled, and went to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and thus he said as he went, My son Abessalom, my son, my son Abessalom; ††† would God I had died for you, even I had died for you, Abessalom, my son, my son!

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. 2*Gr. in, by.
• v. 3†Gr. as we, ten thousand.
• v. 4‡Gr. hand.
• v. 12§Gr. weigh upon my nanda.
• v. 18**Gr. in, or by.
• v. 18††Heb. and Alex. insert 'and he called the pillar after his own name.'
• v. 18‡‡Heb. idiom for 'place.'
• v. 22§§Gr. do.
• v. 23***Gr. for what if I should run?.
• v. 33†††Gr. who will give my death for you?.