2 Samuel 18

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

1 大卫数点跟随他的人，立千夫长、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 大卫打发军兵出战，分为三队：一队在约押手下，一队在洗鲁雅的儿子、约押兄弟亚比筛手下，一队在迦特人以太手下。大卫对军兵说：「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 军兵却说：「你不可出战。若是我们逃跑，敌人必不介意；我们阵亡一半，敌人也不介意。因为你一人强似我们万人，你不如在城里预备帮助我们。」

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 王向他们说：「你们以为怎样好，我就怎样行。」于是王站在城门旁，军兵或百或千地挨次出去了。

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 王嘱咐约押、亚比筛、以太说：「你们要为我的缘故宽待那少年人押沙龙。」王为押沙龙嘱咐众将的话，兵都听见了。

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

6 兵就出到田野迎着以色列人，在以法莲树林里交战。

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

7 以色列人败在大卫的仆人面前；那日阵亡的甚多，共有二万人。

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

8 因为在那里四面打仗，死于树林的比死于刀剑的更多。

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 押沙龙偶然遇见大卫的仆人。押沙龙骑着骡子，从大橡树密枝底下经过，他的头发被树枝绕住，就悬挂起来，所骑的骡子便离他去了。

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

10 有个人看见，就告诉约押说：「我看见押沙龙挂在橡树上了。」

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 约押对报信的人说：「你既看见他，为什么不将他打死落在地上呢？你若打死他，我就赏你十舍客勒银子，一条带子。」

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 那人对约押说：「我就是得你一千舍客勒银子，我也不敢伸手害王的儿子；因为我们听见王嘱咐你和亚比筛并以太说：『你们要谨慎，不可害那少年人押沙龙。』

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

13 我若妄为害了他的性命，就是你自己也必与我为敌（原来，无论何事都瞒不过王。）」

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：「我不能与你留连。」约押手拿三杆短枪，趁押沙龙在橡树上还活着，就刺透他的心。

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

15 给约押拿兵器的十个少年人围绕押沙龙，将他杀死。

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

16 约押吹角，拦阻众人，他们就回来，不再追赶以色列人。

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 他们将押沙龙丢在林中一个大坑里，上头堆起一大堆石头。以色列众人都逃跑，各回各家去了。

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 押沙龙活着的时候，在王谷立了一根石柱，因他说：「我没有儿子为我留名。」他就以自己的名称那石柱叫押沙龙柱，直到今日。

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说：「容我跑去，将耶和华向仇敌给王报仇的信息报与王知。」

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 约押对他说：「你今日不可去报信，改日可以报信；因为今日王的儿子死了，所以你不可去报信。」

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 约押对古示人说：「你去将你所看见的告诉王。」古示人在约押面前下拜，就跑去了。

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又对约押说：「无论怎样，求你容我随着古示人跑去。」约押说：「我儿，你报这信息，既不得赏赐，何必要跑去呢？」

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 他又说：「无论怎样，我要跑去。」约押说：「你跑去吧！」亚希玛斯就从平原往前跑，跑过古示人去了。

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 大卫正坐在城瓮里。守望的人上城门楼的顶上，举目观看，见有一个人独自跑来。

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 守望的人就大声告诉王。王说：「他若独自来，必是报口信的。」那人跑得渐渐近了。

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 守望的人又见一人跑来，就对守城门的人说：「又有一人独自跑来。」王说：「这也必是报信的。」

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 守望的人说：「我看前头人的跑法，好像撒督的儿子亚希玛斯的跑法一样。」王说：「他是个好人，必是报好信息。」

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 亚希玛斯向王呼叫说：「平安了！」就在王面前脸伏于地叩拜，说：「耶和华—你的 神是应当称颂的，因他已将那举手攻击我主我王的人交给王了。」

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 王问说：「少年人押沙龙平安不平安？」亚希玛斯回答说：「约押打发王的仆人，那时仆人听见众民大声喧哗，却不知道是什么事。」

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

30 王说：「你退去，站在旁边。」他就退去，站在旁边。

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 古示人也来到，说：「有信息报给我主我王！耶和华今日向一切兴起攻击你的人给你报仇了。」

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 王问古示人说：「少年人押沙龙平安不平安？」古示人回答说：「愿我主我王的仇敌，和一切兴起要杀害你的人，都与那少年人一样。」

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 王就心里伤恸，上城门楼去哀哭，一面走一面说：「我儿押沙龙啊！我儿，我儿押沙龙啊！我恨不得替你死，押沙龙啊，我儿！我儿！」