2 Samuel 18

1 Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds.

1 大卫召集军队，设立了千夫长和百夫长率领他们。

2 He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.”

2 他兵分三队，一队由约押率领，一队由洗鲁雅的儿子、约押的兄弟亚比筛率领，一队由迦特人以太率领。大卫对部下说：“我必与你们一同出战。”

3 But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will not care about us. Even if half of us die, they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better now if you support us from the city.”

3 他们却说：“你不要出战。因为如果我们败逃，敌方不会放在心上；即使我们一半人阵亡，敌方也不会放在心上。你一人比我们一万人更宝贵。你还是留在城中支援我们吧。”

4 “I will do whatever seems best to you,” the king replied. So he stood beside the gate, while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands.

4 王说：“你们认为怎样好，我就怎样做。”于是，大卫王站在城门旁边，军兵百人一队、千人一队地出城了。

5 Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.

5 大卫王吩咐约押、亚比筛和以太说：“你们要看在我的份上对年轻的押沙龙手下留情。”全体的军兵都听见了大卫吩咐众将领的话。

6 So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.

6 大卫的军队在以法莲的树林里跟以色列人交战。

7 There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men.

7 以色列人被大卫的部下打败，伤亡惨重，有两万人阵亡。

8 The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword.

8 战事蔓延到整个郊野，那天死在树林里的人比死在刀下的人还多。

9 Now Absalom was riding on his mule when he met the servants of David, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so that he was suspended in midair.

9 押沙龙碰巧遇见大卫的部下。他骑着骡子逃走，骡子从一棵大橡树的茂密枝条下经过，押沙龙的头发被树枝缠住，整个人吊在半空中，胯下的骡子也跑了。

10 When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”

10 大卫的一个部下看见，就向约押禀告说：“我看见押沙龙正吊在橡树上。”

11 “You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed. “Why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt!”

11 约押对那报信的说：“什么！你看见他吊在树上，为什么不把他杀掉呢？要是你把他杀了，我会赏你十块银子和一条腰带。”

12 The man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels of silver were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king. For we heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’

12 他却答道：“就是你赏我一千块银子，我也不敢加害王的儿子啊！我们曾听见王吩咐你、亚比筛和以太不可伤害年轻的押沙龙。

13 If I had jeopardized my own life—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.”

13 如果我胆敢杀死押沙龙，王迟早会查出真相，到时你就撒手不管了。”

14 But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree.

14 约押说：“我不跟你浪费时间。”趁着押沙龙还吊在橡树上，他拿起三杆矛枪剌入了他的心脏。

15 And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.

15 十个为约押拿兵器的年轻人围上去将押沙龙杀死。

16 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab had restrained them.

16 随后，约押吹起收兵的号角，军兵便停止追赶以色列人。

17 They took Absalom, cast him into a large pit in the forest, and piled a huge mound of stones over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled, each to his home.

17 他们把押沙龙的尸体扔在林中的一个坑里，在上面堆了一大堆石头。以色列人都各自逃回家去了。

18 During his lifetime, Absalom had set up for himself a pillar in the King’s Valley, for he had said, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he gave the pillar his name, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument.

18 押沙龙生前没有儿子为他留名，所以他曾在王谷立了一根石柱，以自己的名字命名，称为“押沙龙柱”，沿用至今。

19 Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.”

19 撒督的儿子亚希玛斯对约押说：“请让我跑回去向王禀告，让王知道耶和华已从仇敌手中救了他。”

20 But Joab replied, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”

20 但约押对他说：“你今天不要去报信，改天再报吧。你今天不要去，因为王的儿子死了。”

21 So Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running.

21 约押吩咐一个古实人：“你去把所看见的禀报给王。”那人就拜别了约押，马上跑回去报信。

22 Ahimaaz son of Zadok, however, persisted and said to Joab, “No matter what, please let me also run behind the Cushite!” “My son,” Joab replied, “why do you want to run, since you will not receive a reward?”

22 撒督的儿子亚希玛斯再次对约押说：“无论怎样，求你让我与古实人一同去吧！”约押说：“我的孩子，你何必要去呢？你报这个消息是不会得到赏赐的。”

23 “No matter what, I want to run!” he replied. “Then run!” Joab told him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.

23 他说：“无论怎样，我想跑去报信。”约押答应了。亚希玛斯沿平原的路跑，跑到了古实人的前面。

24 Now David was sitting between the two gates when the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall, looked out, and saw a man running alone.

24 那时，大卫正坐在内城门和外城门中间。有一个守望者爬上城门楼顶观望，看见一个人独自跑来。

25 So he called out and told the king. “If he is alone,” the king replied, “he bears good news.” As the first runner drew near,

25 守望者就大声向王禀告。王说：“他若是独自一人，带来的一定是好消息。”那人越来越近了。

26 the watchman saw another man running, and he called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!” “This one also brings good news,” said the king.

26 这时候，守望者又看见另一个人跑来，就大声对守城门的说：“又有一个人独自跑来了！”王说：“他也一定是传好消息的。”

27 The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news.”

27 守望者又说：“从跑的姿势看，那跑在前面的人好像撒督的儿子亚希玛斯。”王说：“他是个好人，他一定带来了好消息。”

28 Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” And he bowed facedown before the king. He continued, “Blessed be the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my lord the king.”

28 亚希玛斯高声对王说：“一切平安！”他在王面前俯伏叩拜，说：“你的上帝耶和华当受称颂，祂已经消灭了那些攻击我主我王的敌人。”

29 The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.”

29 王问道：“年轻的押沙龙平安吗？”亚希玛斯答道：“约押派仆人来的时候，仆人看见一阵大骚动，但不知道是什么事。”

30 “Move aside,” said the king, “and stand here.” So he stepped aside.

30 王说：“你先退到一边去。”亚希玛斯就退下，站在一边。

31 Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: Today the LORD has avenged you of all who rose up against you!”

31 这时，古实人也到了，他说：“我有好消息向我主我王禀告，今日耶和华已经从一切反叛之人手中救了我主我王。”

32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And the Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you to harm you be like that young man.”

32 王问古实人：“年轻的押沙龙平安吗？”古实人答道：“愿我主我王的仇敌和一切要加害我王的人，下场都与那青年一样。”

33 The king was shaken and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

33 王听了十分难过，就走上城门楼去痛哭，边走边说：“我儿押沙龙啊！我儿，我儿押沙龙啊！我恨不得可以替你死！押沙龙，我儿啊！我儿！”