II Samuel 14

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.

وَعَلِمَ يُوآبُ ابْنُ صَرُويَةَ أَنَّ قَلْبَ الْمَلِكِ عَلَى أَبْشَالُومَ،

And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:

فَأَرْسَلَ يُوآبُ إِلَى تَقُوعَ وَأَخَذَ مِنْ هُنَاكَ امْرَأَةً حَكِيمَةً وَقَالَ لَهَا: «تَظَاهَرِي بِالْحُزْنِ، وَالْبَسِي ثِيَابَ الْحُزْنِ، وَلاَ تَدَّهِنِي بِزَيْتٍ، بَلْ كُونِي كَامْرَأَةٍ لَهَا أَيَّامٌ كَثِيرَةٌ وَهِيَ تَنُوحُ عَلَى مَيْتٍ.

And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

وَادْخُلِي إِلَى الْمَلِكِ وَكَلِّمِيهِ بِهذَا الْكَلاَمِ». وَجَعَلَ يُوآبُ الْكَلاَمَ فِي فَمِهَا.

And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.

وَكَلَّمَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ التَّقُوعِيَّةُ الْمَلِكَ، وَخَرَّتْ عَلَى وَجْهِهَا إِلَى الأَرْضِ وَسَجَدَتْ وَقَالَتْ: «أَعِنْ أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ».

And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

فَقَالَ لَهَا الْمَلِكُ: «مَا بَالُكِ؟» فَقَالَتْ: «إِنِّي امْرَأَةٌ أَرْمَلَةٌ. قَدْ مَاتَ رَجُلِي.

And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.

وَلِجَارِيَتِكَ ابْنَانِ، فَتَخَاصَمَا فِي الْحَقْلِ وَلَيْسَ مَنْ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمَا، فَضَرَبَ أَحَدُهُمَا الآخَرَ وَقَتَلَهُ.

And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.

وَهُوَذَا الْعَشِيرَةُ كُلُّهَا قَدْ قَامَتْ عَلَى جَارِيَتِكَ وَقَالُوا: سَلِّمِي ضَارِبَ أَخِيهِ لِنَقْتُلَهُ بِنَفْسِ أَخِيهِ الَّذِي قَتَلَهُ، فَنُهْلِكَ الْوَارِثَ أَيْضًا. فَيُطْفِئُونَ جَمْرَتِي الَّتِي بَقِيَتْ، وَلاَ يَتْرُكُونَ لِرَجُلِي اسْمًا وَلاَ بَقِيَّةً عَلَى وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ».

And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.

فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ لِلْمَرْأَةِ: «اذْهَبِي إِلَى بَيْتِكِ وَأَنَا أُوصِي فِيكِ».

And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.

فَقَالَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ التَّقُوعِيَّةُ لِلْمَلِكِ: «عَلَيَّ الإِثْمُ يَا سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكَ وَعَلَى بَيْتِ أَبِي، وَالْمَلِكُ وَكُرْسِيُّهُ نَقِيَّانِ».

And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ: «إِذَا كَلَّمَكِ أَحَدٌ فَأْتِي بِهِ إِلَيَّ فَلاَ يَعُودَ يَمَسُّكِ بَعْدُ».

Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

فَقَالَتِ: «اذْكُرْ أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ الرَّبَّ إِلهَكَ حَتَّى لاَ يُكَثِّرَ وَلِيُّ الدَّمِ الْقَتْلَ، لِئَلاَّ يُهْلِكُوا ابْنِي». فَقَالَ: «حَيٌّ هُوَ الرَّبُّ، إِنَّهُ لاَ تَسْقُطُ شَعْرَةٌ مِنْ شَعْرِ ابْنِكِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ».

Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

فَقَالَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ: «لِتَتَكَلَّمْ جَارِيَتُكَ كَلِمَةً إِلَى سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكِ». فَقَالَ: «تَكَلَّمِي»

And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.

فَقَالَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ: «وَلِمَاذَا افْتَكَرْتَ بِمِثْلِ هذَا الأَمْرِ عَلَى شَعْبِ اللهِ؟ وَيَتَكَلَّمُ الْمَلِكُ بِهذَا الْكَلاَمِ كَمُذْنِبٍ بِمَا أَنَّ الْمَلِكَ لاَ يَرُدُّ مَنْفِيَّهُ.

For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

لأَنَّهُ لاَ بُدَّ أَنْ نَمُوتَ وَنَكُونَ كَالْمَاءِ الْمَُهْرَاقِ عَلَى الأَرْضِ الَّذِي لاَ يُجْمَعُ أَيْضًا. وَلاَ يَنْزِعُ اللهُ نَفْسًا بَلْ يُفَكِّرُ أَفْكَارًا حَتَّى لاَ يُطْرَدَ عَنْهُ مَنْفِيُّهُ.

Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.

وَالآنَ حَيْثُ إِنِّي جِئْتُ لأُكَلِّمَ الْمَلِكَ سَيِّدِي بِهذَا الأَمْرِ، لأَنَّ الشَّعْبَ أَخَافَنِي، فَقَالَتْ جَارِيَتُكَ: أُكَلِّمُ الْمَلِكَ لَعَلَّ الْمَلِكَ يَفْعَلُ كَقَوْلِ أَمَتِهِ.

For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

لأَنَّ الْمَلِكَ يَسْمَعُ لِيُنْقِذَ أَمَتَهُ مِنْ يَدِ الرَّجُلِ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُهْلِكَنِي أَنَا وَابْنِي مَعًا مِنْ نَصِيبِ اللهِ.

Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.

فَقَالَتْ جَارِيَتُكَ: لِيَكُنْ كَلاَمُ سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكِ عَزَاءً، لأَنَّهُ سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكُ إِنَّمَا هُوَ كَمَلاَكِ اللهِ لِفَهْمِ الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ، وَالرَّبُّ إِلهُكَ يَكُونُ مَعَكَ».

Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.

فَأَجَابَ الْمَلِكُ وَقَالَ لِلْمَرْأَةِ: «لاَ تَكْتُمِي عَنِّي أَمْرًا أَسْأَلُكِ عَنْهُ». فَقَالَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ: «لِيَتَكَلَّمْ سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكُ».

And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:

فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ: «هَلْ يَدُ يُوآبَ مَعَكِ فِي هذَا كُلِّهِ؟» فَأَجَابَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ وَقَالَتْ: «حَيَّةٌ هِيَ نَفْسُكَ يَا سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكَ، لاَ يُحَادُ يَمِينًا أَوْ يَسَارًا عَنْ كُلِّ مَا تَكَلَّمَ بِهِ سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكُ، لأَنَّ عَبْدَكَ يُوآبَ هُوَ أَوْصَانِي، وَهُوَ وَضَعَ فِي فَمِ جَارِيَتِكَ كُلَّ هذَا الْكَلاَمِ.

To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

لأَجْلِ تَحْوِيلِ وَجْهِ الْكَلاَمِ فَعَلَ عَبْدُكَ يُوآبُ هذَا الأَمْرَ، وَسَيِّدِي حَكِيمٌ كَحِكْمَةِ مَلاَكِ اللهِ لِيَعْلَمَ كُلَّ مَا فِي الأَرْضِ».

And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.

فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ لِيُوآبَ: «هأَنَذَا قَدْ فَعَلْتُ هذَا الأَمْرَ، فَاذْهَبْ رُدَّ الْفَتَى أَبْشَالُومَ».

And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.

فَسَقَطَ يُوآبُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ وَسَجَدَ وَبَارَكَ الْمَلِكَ، وَقَالَ يُوآبُ: «الْيَوْمَ عَلِمَ عَبْدُكَ أَنِّي قَدْ وَجَدْتُ نِعْمَةً فِي عَيْنَيْكَ يَا سَيِّدِي الْمَلِكَ، إِذْ فَعَلَ الْمَلِكُ قَوْلَ عَبْدِهِ».

So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

ثُمَّ قَامَ يُوآبُ وَذَهَبَ إِلَى جَشُورَ وَأَتَى بِأَبْشَالُومَ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ.

And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.

فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ: «لِيَنْصَرِفْ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ وَلاَ يَرَ وَجْهِي». فَانْصَرَفَ أَبْشَالُومُ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ وَلَمْ يَرَ وَجْهَ الْمَلِكِ.

But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِي كُلِّ إِسْرَائِيلَ رَجُلٌ جَمِيلٌ وَمَمْدُوحٌ جِدًّا كَأَبْشَالُومَ، مِنْ بَاطِنِ قَدَمِهِ حَتَّى هَامَتِهِ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ عَيْبٌ.

And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.

وَعِنْدَ حَلْقِهِ رَأْسَهُ، إِذْ كَانَ يَحْلِقُهُ فِي آخِرِ كُلِّ سَنَةٍ، لأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَثْقُلُ عَلَيْهِ فَيَحْلِقُهُ، كَانَ يَزِنُ شَعْرَ رَأْسِهِ مِئَتَيْ شَاقِل بِوَزْنِ الْمَلِكِ.

And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.

وَوُلِدَ لأَبْشَالُومَ ثَلاَثَةُ بَنِينَ وَبِنْتٌ وَاحِدَةٌ اسْمُهَا ثَامَارُ، وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَةً جَمِيلَةَ الْمَنْظَرِ.

So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.

وَأَقَامَ أَبْشَالُومُ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ سَنَتَيْنِ وَلَمْ يَرَ وَجْهَ الْمَلِكِ.

Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.

فَأَرْسَلَ أَبْشَالُومُ إِلَى يُوآبَ لِيُرْسِلَهُ إِلَى الْمَلِكِ، فَلَمْ يَشَأْ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ إِلَيْهِ. ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ أَيْضًا ثَانِيَةً، فَلَمْ يَشَأْ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ.

Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

فَقَالَ لِعَبِيدِهِ: «انْظُرُوا. حَقْلَةَ يُوآبَ بِجَانِبِي، وَلَهُ هُنَاكَ شَعِيرٌ. اذْهَبُوا وَأَحْرِقُوهُ بِالنَّارِ». فَأَحْرَقَ عَبِيدُ أَبْشَالُومَ الْحَقْلَةَ بِالنَّارِ.

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?

فَقَامَ يُوآبُ وَجَاءَ إِلَى أَبْشَالُومَ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ وَقَالَ لَهُ: «لِمَاذَا أَحْرَقَ عَبِيدُكَ حَقْلَتِي بِالنَّارِ؟»

And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.

فَقَالَ أَبْشَالُومُ لِيُوآبَ: «هأَنَذَا قَدْ أَرْسَلْتُ إِلَيْكَ قَائِلاً: تَعَالَ إِلَى هُنَا فَأُرْسِلَكَ إِلَى الْمَلِكِ تَقُولُ: لِمَاذَا جِئْتُ مِنْ جَشُورَ؟ خَيْرٌ لِي لَوْ كُنْتُ بَاقِيًا هُنَاكَ. فَالآنَ إِنِّي أَرَى وَجْهَ الْمَلِكِ، وَإِنْ وُجِدَ فِيَّ إِثْمٌ فَلْيَقْتُلْنِي».

So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.

فَجَاءَ يُوآبُ إِلَى الْمَلِكِ وَأَخْبَرَهُ. وَدَعَا أَبْشَالُومَ، فَأَتَى إِلَى الْمَلِكِ وَسَجَدَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ قُدَّامَ الْمَلِكِ، فَقَبَّلَ الْمَلِكُ أَبْشَالُومَ.