| 撒慕爾紀下 |
2 Samuel |
| 1達味檢閱了跟隨他的人，給他們委派了千夫長和百夫長， |
1After mustering the troops he had with him, David placed officers in command of groups of a thousand and groups of a hundred. |
| 2將軍人分為三隊：一隊由約阿布率領，一隊由責魯雅的兒子，約阿布的兄弟阿彼瑟率領，一隊由加特人依泰率領；然後君王對軍人說：「我自己也要同你們一起出征。」 |
2David then put a third part of the soldiers under Joab's command, a third under command of Abishai, son of Zeruiah and brother of Joab, and a third under command of Ittai the Gittite. The king then said to the soldiers, "I intend to go out with you myself." |
| 3軍人回答說：「你萬不可去！因為若我們逃散，無人對我們介意，即使我們死了一半，也無人對我們介意；但是，你一個卻抵我們一萬，所以，現今你更好留在城內，設法援助我們。」 |
3But they replied: "You must not come out with us. For if we should flee, we shall not count; even if half of us should die, we shall not count. You are equal to ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that we have you to help us from the city." |
| 4君王對他們說：「你們看着怎樣好，我就怎樣作。」君王站在門旁，軍人整隊出發，或百人一組，或千人一組。 |
4So the king said to them, "I will do what you think best"; and he stood by the gate as all the soldiers marched out in units of a hundred and of a thousand. |
| 5君王命令約阿布、阿彼瑟和依泰說：「對少年阿貝沙隆，你們應給我留情。」軍人都聽見了君王關於阿貝沙隆，給眾將領所出的命令。 |
5But the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai and Ittai: "Be gentle with young Absalom for my sake." All the soldiers heard the king instruct the various leaders with regard to Absalom. |
| 6軍人出發，來到平原，攻打以色列；在厄弗辣因森林，發生了戰事。 |
6David's army then took the field against Israel, and a battle was fought in the forest near Mahanaim. |
| 7以色列人在那裏為達味的臣僕打敗，那天死傷慘重，陣亡的有二萬人。 |
7The forces of Israel were defeated by David's servants, and the casualties there that day were heavy--twenty thousand men. |
| 8戰事蔓延全境，樹林內死的人，比刀劍所殺的人還多。 |
8The battle spread out over that entire region, and the thickets consumed more combatants that day than did the sword. |
| 9阿貝沙隆正遇上了達味的臣僕，他那時騎着一匹騾子，由大橡樹的叢枝下經過，他的頭髮被橡樹枝纏住，身懸在天地間，所騎的騾子已跑走。 |
9Absalom unexpectedly came up against David's servants. He was mounted on a mule, and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth, his hair caught fast in the tree. He hung between heaven and earth while the mule he had been riding ran off. |
| 10有一個人看見，就告訴約阿布說：「我看見阿貝沙隆懸在橡樹上。」 |
10Someone saw this and reported to Joab that he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth. |
| 11約阿布對那向他報信的人說：「你看見了，為什麼不在那裏把他砍倒在地？那麼，我必賞你十『協刻耳』銀子和一條腰帶。」 |
11Joab said to his informant: "If you saw him, why did you not strike him to the ground on the spot? Then it would have been my duty to give you fifty pieces of silver and a belt." |
| 12那人對約阿布說：「即使人交在我手裏一千『協刻耳』銀子，我也不願伸手加害君王的兒子，因為我們親耳聽見君王吩咐你、阿彼瑟和依泰說：你們應為了我，保全少年阿貝沙隆。 |
12But the man replied to Joab: "Even if I already held a thousand pieces of silver in my two hands, I would not harm the king's son, for the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai in our hearing to protect the youth Absalom for his sake. |
| 13並且，若我冒性命的危險，做錯了事，也決不能瞞過君王，那時你也許不會保護我。」 |
13Had I been disloyal and killed him, the whole matter would have come to the attention of the king, and you would stand aloof." |
| 14約阿布說：「我不願在你面前這樣耽誤時間！」他就手裏拿了三根短箭，射在阿貝沙隆心中，那時，他在橡樹上還活着。 |
14Joab replied, "I will not waste time with you in this way." And taking three pikes in hand, he thrust for the heart of Absalom, still hanging from the tree alive. |
| 15約阿布的十個執戟的少年圍上前來，將阿貝沙隆擊斃。 |
15Next, ten of Joab's young armor-bearers closed in on Absalom, and killed him with further blows. |
| 16約阿布遂吹起號角，軍人便回來，不再追趕以色列人，因為約阿布願顧惜人民。 |
16Joab then sounded the horn, and the soldiers turned back from the pursuit of the Israelites, because Joab called on them to halt. |
| 17人們取下阿貝沙隆，將他丟在樹林中的一個大坑內，在他上面堆上了一大堆石頭。眾以色列人各自逃回本家去了。 |
17Absalom was taken up and cast into a deep pit in the forest, and a very large mound of stones was erected over him. And all the Israelites fled to their own tents. |
| 18阿貝沙隆活着時，在君王山谷就曾為自己建立一石柱說：「我沒有兒子來懷念我的名字」；所以給那石柱起了自己的名字。直至今日，人還稱那石柱為阿貝沙隆紀念碑。 |
18During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it for himself in the King's Valley, for he said, "I have no son to perpetuate my name." The pillar which he named for himself is called Yadabshalom to the present day. |
| 19匝多克的兒子阿希瑪茲對約阿布說：「讓我跑去，將上主對王的仇敵替王伸冤的喜訊，稟報給君王。」 |
19Then Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, said, "Let me run to take the good news to the king that the LORD has set him free from the grasp of his enemies." |
| 20約阿布卻對他說：「今日你不是報喜訊的人，改天再去報罷！因為君王的兒子死了，今日你不可去報信。」 |
20But Joab said to him: "You are not the man to bring the news today. On some other day you may take the good news, but today you would not be bringing good news, for in fact the king's son is dead." |
| 21約阿布遂對一個雇士人說：「你去將所見的事報告君王。」雇士人就拜別約阿布跑去報信。 |
21Then Joab said to a Cushite, "Go, tell the king what you have seen." The Cushite bowed to Joab and sped away. |
| 22匝多克的兒子阿希瑪茲又對約阿布說：「無論如何，我得跟着雇士人去！」約阿布答說：「為什麼你要去？我兒，為這喜訊你得不到什麼報酬！」 |
22But Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, said to Joab again, "Come what may, permit me also to run after the Cushite." Joab replied: "Why do you want to run, my son? You will receive no reward." |
| 23他說：「我無論如何要去！」他答說：「去罷！」阿希瑪茲就沿着約但平原的大路跑去，跑過了雇士人。 |
23But he insisted, "Come what may, I want to run." Joab said to him, "Very well." Ahimaaz sped off by way of the Jordan plain and outran the Cushite. |
| 24那時，達味正坐在兩門中間，守衛士兵上了門樓頂。守衛兵舉目一望，見一人獨自跑來， |
24Now David was sitting between the two gates, and a lookout mounted to the roof of the gate above the city wall, where he looked about and saw a man running all alone. |
| 25就大聲喊叫，報告君王。王說：「若是一人，必有喜訊傳報。」他越來越近了。 |
25The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said, "If he is alone, he has good news to report." As he kept coming nearer, |
| 26守衛兵又看見一個人跑來，守衛兵立即對看門的大聲喊說：「看，又有一人獨自跑來。」王說：「這也是來報喜訊的。」 |
26the lookout spied another runner. From his place atop the gate he cried out, "There is another man running by himself." And the king responded, "He, too, is bringing good news." |
| 27守衛兵說：「我看見前一個人的跑法，像匝多克的兒子阿希瑪茲的跑法。」王說：「他是個好人，必是來報喜訊的。」 |
27Then the lookout said, "I notice that the first one runs like Ahimaaz, son of Zadok." The king replied, "He is a good man; he comes with good news." |
| 28阿希瑪茲上前對君王說：「安好！」就俯首至地，叩拜君王，接着說：「上主，你的天主是可讚美的，因為他消滅了舉手反抗我主大王的人。」 |
28Then Ahimaaz called out and greeted the king. With face to the ground he paid homage to the king and said, "Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who rebelled against my lord the king." |
| 29王問說：「少年阿貝沙隆是否無恙？」阿希瑪茲答說：「當大王的臣僕約阿布打發你的僕人時，我見有大騷動，但不知是什麼事？」 |
29But the king asked, "Is the youth Absalom safe?" And Ahimaaz replied, "I saw a great disturbance when the king's servant Joab sent your servant on, but I do not know what it was." |
| 30王說：「你退在一邊，站在那裏。」他便退在一邊，站在那裏。 |
30The king said, "Step aside and remain in attendance here." So he stepped aside and remained there. |
| 31雇士人也來到了，雇士人說：「有喜訊報告給我主大王！上主今日對一切起來反抗你的人為你伸了冤。」 |
31When the Cushite came in, he said, "Let my lord the king receive the good news that this day the LORD has taken your part, freeing you from the grasp of all who rebelled against you." |
| 32王問雇士人說：「少年阿貝沙隆是否無恙？」雇士人答說：「願我主大王的仇敵，以及凡心懷惡意起來反抗你的人，都相似這個少年人！」 |
32But the king asked the Cushite, "Is young Absalom safe?" The Cushite replied, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rebel against you with evil intent be as that young man!" |
