1 David hadde folket som var med ham talt opp, og han satte over dem høvdinger for tusen og høvdinger for hundre.

And David had the people who were with him numbered, and he put over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.

2 Og David sendte folket ut, en tredjedel under Joabs kommando, en tredjedel under Abisjai, sønn av Seruja, Joabs bror, og en tredjedel under Ittai fra Gat. Og kongen sa til folket: Jeg vil selv dra ut med dere.

And David sent the people out, a third of them under the orders of Joab, and a third under the orders of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, And I myself will certainly go out with you.

3 Men folket sa: Det er bedre at du ikke drar ut, for hvis vi må flykte, bryr de seg ikke om oss, og om halvparten av oss skulle dø, betyr det ingenting for dem. Men du er verdt mer enn ti tusen av oss. Det er bedre at du er klar til å hjelpe oss fra byen.

But the people said, It is better for you not to go out: for if we are put to flight, they will not give a thought to us, and if death overtakes half of us, it will be nothing to them: but you are of more value than ten thousand of us: so it is better for you to be ready to come to our help from this town.

4 Kongen sa: Jeg skal gjøre det som dere synes er best. Så ble kongen stående ved byporten mens hele hæren gikk ut i grupper på hundre og tusen.

And the king said to them, I will do whatever seems best to you. So the king took his place by the door of the town, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

5 Kongen ga ordre til Joab, Abisjai og Ittai og sa: For min skyld, vis omtanke for den unge mannen Absalom. Og alle folket hørte kongens ordre angående Absalom.

And the king gave orders to Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Because of me, be gentle to the young man Absalom. And this order about Absalom was given in the hearing of all the people.

6 Folket dro ut i felten mot Israel, og kampen fant sted i Efraimskogen.

So the people went out into the field against Israel, and the fight took place in the woods of Ephraim.

7 Israelsfolket ble beseiret av Davids tjenere, og det ble et stort blodbad den dagen, med tjue tusen menn fallt med sverdet.

And the people of Israel were overcome there by the servants of David, and there was a great destruction that day, and twenty thousand men were put to the sword.

8 Kampen spredte seg over hele landet, og skogen krevde flere liv enn sverdet.

And the fighting went on over all the face of the country: and the woods were responsible for more deaths than the sword.

9 Absalom møtte Davids menn. Absalom red på et muldyr, som kom under tette greiner av et stort tre. Hodet hans satte seg fast i treet, og han ble hengende mellom himmel og jord, mens dyret løp videre.

And Absalom came across some of David's men. And Absalom was seated on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great tree, and his head became fixed in the tree and he was lifted up between earth and heaven, and the beast under him went on.

10 En mann så dette og sa til Joab: Jeg så Absalom hengende i et tre.

And a certain man saw it and said to Joab, I saw Absalom hanging in a tree.

11 Joab sa til mannen som hadde fortalt dette: Hvorfor hogg du ikke ham ned der han hang? Jeg ville ha gitt deg ti sølvstykker og et belte.

And Joab said to the man who had given him the news, If you saw this, why did you not put your sword through him, and I would have given you ten bits of silver and a band for your robe?

12 Men mannen sa til Joab: Selv om du ga meg tusen sølvstykker, ville jeg ikke løfte hånden mot kongens sønn, for vi hørte kongens ordre til deg, Abisjai og Ittai: Behandle den unge mannen Absalom varsomt.

And the man said to Joab, Even if you gave me a thousand bits of silver, I would not put out my hand against the king's son: for in our hearing the king gave orders to you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Take care that the young man Absalom is not touched.

13 Hvis jeg hadde drept ham i hemmelighet (ingenting er skjult for kongen), ville du ha latt meg i stikken.

And if I had falsely put him to death (and nothing may be kept secret from the king), you would have had nothing to do with me.

14 Joab sa: Jeg kunne ha reddet deg fra det. Så tok han tre spyd og stakk dem gjennom Absaloms hjerte mens han fortsatt levde i treet.

Then Joab said, I would have made it safe for you. And he took three spears in his hand, and put them through Absalom's heart, while he was still living, in the branches of the tree.

15 Ti unge menn, Joabs tjenere, omringet Absalom og drepte ham.

And ten young men, servants of Joab, came round Absalom and put an end to him.

16 Så blåste Joab i hornet, og folket sluttet å forfølge Israel, for Joab holdt dem tilbake.

And Joab had the horn sounded, and the people came back from going after Israel, for Joab kept them back.

17 De tok Absaloms kropp og kastet den i en stor grop i skogen og fylte gropen med steiner. Hele Israel flyktet til sine telt.

And they took Absalom's body and put it into a great hole in the wood, and put a great mass of stones over it: and every man of Israel went in flight to his tent.

18 Før sin død hadde Absalom reist en søyle for seg selv i Kongens dal, og kalte den etter seg, for han sa: Jeg har ingen sønn som kan holde mitt navn i levende minne. Og den kalles Absaloms søyle den dag i dag.

Now Absalom, before his death, had put up for himself a pillar in the king's valley, naming it after himself; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in memory: and to this day it is named Absalom's pillar.

19 Ahima'az, sønn av Sadok, sa: La meg løpe og fortelle kongen gode nyheter om hvordan Herren har handlet rettferdig mot dem som gjorde opprør mot ham.

Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, Let me go and give the king news of how the Lord has done right in his cause against those who took up arms against him.

20 Joab sa: Du skal ikke bære bud i dag; en annen dag kan du bære bud, men ikke i dag, for kongens sønn er død.

And Joab said, You will take no news today; another day you may give him the news, but you will take no news today, because the king's son is dead.

21 Så sa Joab til kusjitten: Gå og fortell kongen hva du har sett. Kusjitten bøyde seg for Joab og løp av sted.

Then Joab said to the Cushite, Go and give the king word of what you have seen. And the Cushite, making a sign of respect to Joab, went off running.

22 Ahima'az, sønn av Sadok, sa igjen til Joab: Uansett hva som skjer, la meg løpe etter kusjitten. Joab spurte: Hvorfor vil du løpe, min sønn, når du ikke får noen belønning for ditt budskap?

Then Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said to Joab again, Whatever may come of it, let me go after the Cushite. And Joab said, Why have you a desire to go, my son, seeing that you will get no reward for your news?

23 Uansett hva som skjer, sa han, vil jeg løpe. Da sa Joab: Løp! Og Ahima'az løp langs lavlandet og passerte kusjitten.

Whatever may come of it, he said, I will go. Then he said to him, Go. So Ahimaaz went running by the lowland road and overtook the Cushite.

24 David satt mellom de to byportene, og vaktmannen gikk opp på taket av portene, på muren, og så en mann komme løpende alene.

Now David was seated between the two town doors; and the watchman went up to the roof of the doorways, on the wall, and, lifting up his eyes, saw a man running by himself.

25 Vaktmannen ropte og fortalte det til kongen. Kongen sa: Kommer han alene, har han budskap. Mannen nærmet seg raskt.

And the watchman gave news of it to the king. And the king said, If he is coming by himself, then he has news. And the man was travelling quickly, and came near.

26 Så så vaktmannen en annen mann løpe, og han ropte til portvakta: Her kommer en annen mann løpende alene. Kongen sa: Han kommer også med budskap.

Then the watchman saw another man running: and crying out in the direction of the door he said, Here is another man running by himself. And the king said, He, like the other, comes with news.

27 Vaktmannen sa: Jeg tror det er Ahima'az, sønn av Sadok, som løper først. Kongen sa: Han er en god mann og kommer med gode nyheter.

And the watchman said, It seems to me that the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and his news will be good.

28 Ahima'az ropte til kongen: Alt er bra! Og han kastet seg ned foran kongen med ansiktet mot jorden og sa: Lovet være Herren din Gud, som har gitt de menn som gjorde opprør mot min herre, kongen, i dine hender!

And Ahimaaz, crying out to the king, said, It is well. And falling down before the king, with his face to the earth, he said, May the Lord your God be praised, who has given up the men who took up arms against my lord the king!

29 Kongen spurte: Går det bra med den unge mannen Absalom? Ahima'az svarte: Da Joab sendte meg, din tjener, så jeg en stor forstyrrelse, men jeg visste ikke hva det var.

And the king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said in answer, When Joab sent me, your servant, I saw a great outcry going on, but I had no knowledge of what it was.

30 Kongen sa: Stå til side og bli her. Så trådte han til side og ble stående.

And the king said, Get back and take your place here. So turning to one side, he took his place there.

31 Da kom kusjitten og sa: Jeg har gode nyheter til min herre kongen: I dag har Herren rettferdiggjort deg og beseiret alle dem som gjorde opprør mot deg.

And then the Cushite came and said, I have news for my lord the king: today the Lord has done right in your cause against all those who took up arms against you.

32 Kongen spurte kusjitten: Går det bra med den unge mannen Absalom? Kusjitten svarte: Måtte alle kongens fiender og de som gjør ondt mot ham, få samme skjebne som den unge mannen!

And the king said to the Cushite, Is the young man Absalom safe? And the Cushite said in answer, May all the king's haters and those who do evil against the king, be as that young man is!

33 Kongen ble dypt beveget, og gikk opp i rommet over porten, gråtende, og ropte: Min sønn Absalom, min sønn, min sønn Absalom! Hadde jeg bare kunnet dø i ditt sted, Absalom, min sønn, min sønn!

Then the king was much moved, and went up into the room over the door, weeping, and saying, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! if only my life might have been given for yours, O Absalom, my son, my son!