And Joab the son of Sarvia, under standing that the king’s heart was turned to Absalom,

Intelligens autem Joab filius Sarviæ quod cor regis versum esset ad Absalom,

Then Joab, son of Sarvia, aware that the king’s heart had relented towards Absalom,

Sent to Thecua, and fetched from thence a wise woman: and said to her: Feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, and be not anointed with oil, that thou mayest be as a woman that had a long time been mourning for one dead.

misit Thecuam, et tulit inde mulierem sapientem: dixitque ad eam: Lugere te simula, et induere veste lugubri, et ne ungaris oleo, ut sis quasi mulier jam plurimo tempore lugens mortuum:

sent for a wise woman who lived at Thecua, and spoke to her thus: Make as if thou wert in mourning, put on funeral garments, and never a drop of oil to anoint thee, like a woman who has long been mourning for the dead.

And thou shalt go in to the king, and shalt speak to him in this manner. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

et ingredieris ad regem, et loqueris ad eum sermones hujuscemodi. Posuit autem Joab verba in ore ejus.

Then go into the king’s presence, and speak as I bid thee speak. And with that, he told her all she should say.

And when the woman of Thecua was come in to the king, she fell before him upon the ground, and worshipped, and said: Save me, O king.

Itaque cum ingressa fuisset mulier Thecuitis ad regem, cecidit coram eo super terram, et adoravit, et dixit: Serva me, rex.

So the woman from Thecua came into David’s presence and there bowed to the ground to do him reverence; Lord king, she said, give me redress!

And the king said to her: What is the matter with thee? She answered: Alas, I am a widow woman: for my husband is dead.

Et ait ad eam rex: Quid causæ habes? Quæ respondit: Heu, mulier vidua ego sum: mortuus est enim vir meus.

What wrong, asked he, is being done thee? And she said, I am a widow, with no husband to protect me.

And thy handmaid had two sons: and they quarrelled with each other in the field, and there was none to part them: and the one struck the other, and slew him.

Et ancillæ tuæ erant duo filii: qui rixati sunt adversum se in agro, nullusque erat qui eos prohibere posset: et percussit alter alterum, et interfecit eum.

And, my lord, I had two sons; but they came to blows out in the open fields, where there was none to interfere, and one gave the other a blow which killed him.

And behold the whole kindred rising against thy handmaid, saith: Deliver him that hath slain his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother, whom he slew, and that we may destroy the heir: and they seek to quench my spark which is left, and will leave my husband no name, nor remainder upon the earth.

Et ecce consurgens universa cognatio adversum ancillam tuam, dicit: Trade eum qui percussit fratrem suum, ut occidamus eum pro anima fratris sui quem interfecit, et deleamus hæredem: et quærunt extinguere scintillam meam quæ relicta est, ut non supersit viro meo nomen, et reliquiæ super terram.

And now the whole clan is at my heels; give up the murderer I must, so that they may kill him in vengeance for his brother’s death, and make an end of the race. The one hope that is left me they would extinguish, so that my husband will have none left on earth to bear his name.

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

Et ait rex ad mulierem: Vade in domum tuam, et ego jubebo pro te.

Go home, said the king; I will see that justice is done thee.

And the woman of Thecua said to the king: Upon me, my lord, be the iniquity, and upon the house of my father: but may the king and his throne be guiltless.

Dixitque mulier Thecuitis ad regem: In me, domine mi rex, sit iniquitas, et in domum patris mei: rex autem et thronus ejus sit innocens.

And the guilt, said the woman of Thecua, let that rest with me and with my own kindred; the king and his heirs shall be quit of it.

And the king said: If any one shall say ought against thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

Et ait rex: Qui contradixerit tibi, adduc eum ad me, et ultra non addet ut tangat te.

If anyone crosses thy will, the king said, bring him before me, and I will not let him do thee any more hurt.

And she said: Let the king remember the Lord his God, that the next of kin be not multiplied to take revenge, and that they may not kill my son. And he said: As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

Quæ ait: Recordetur rex Domini Dei sui, ut non multiplicentur proximi sanguinis ad ulciscendum, et nequaquam interficiant filium meum. Qui ait: Vivit Dominus, quia non cadet de capillis filii tui super terram.

Ah, said she, if the king would only take an oath in the name of the Lord his God that the kinsfolk shall not be allowed to carry on the feud, that my son’s life shall indeed be spared! Not a hair shall fall from his head, the king answered.

Then the woman said: Let thy hand- maid speak one word to my lord the king. And he said: Speak.

Dixit ergo mulier: Loquatur ancilla tua ad dominum meum regem verbum. Et ait: Loquere.

And now the woman asked leave to speak one word besides, and the king granted it.

And the woman said: Why hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God, and why hath the king spoken this word, to sin, and not bring home again his own exile?

Dixitque mulier: Quare cogitasti hujuscemodi rem contra populum Dei, et locutus est rex verbum istud, ut peccet, et non reducat ejectum suum?

Then she said, Why does the king’s grace treat the people of God so differently? Why does he persist in doing them wrong, by refusing to restore the man he has exiled?

We all die, and like waters that return no more, we fall down into the earth: neither will God have a soul to perish, but recalleth, meaning that he that is cast off should not altogether perish.

Omnes morimur, et quasi aquæ dilabimur in terram, quæ non revertuntur: nec vult Deus perire animam, sed retractat cogitans ne penitus pereat qui abjectus est.

We must all die, water spilt on the ground; there is no bringing back the dead. Never a soul will God suffer to be lost in the reckoning; still he busies himself with remedies to save the life of him who is banished.

Now therefore I am come, to speak this word to my lord the king before the people. And thy handmaid said: I will speak to the king, it may be the king will perform the request of his handmaid.

Nunc igitur veni, ut loquar ad dominum meum regem verbum hoc, præsente populo. Et dixit ancilla tua: Loquar ad regem, si quomodo faciat rex verbum ancillæ suæ.

I came to make my suit before my lord the king, with his subjects standing by, thinking to myself, Come, I will plead with the king, and perhaps he will grant his handmaid’s request;

And the king hath hearkened to me to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of all that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

Et audivit rex, ut liberaret ancillam suam de manu omnium qui volebant de hæreditate Dei delere me, et filium meum simul.

and the king’s grace has listened to me, and given me redress against those who would have blotted out my name and my son’s name from the record of the Lord’s people.

Then let thy handmaid say, that the word of the Lord the king be made as a sacrifice. For even as an angel of God, so is my lord the king, that he is neither moved with blessing nor cursing: wherefore the Lord thy God is also with thee.

Dicat ergo ancilla tua, ut fiat verbum domini mei regis sicut sacrificium. Sicut enim angelus Dei, sic est dominus meus rex, ut nec benedictione, nec maledictione moveatur: unde et Dominus Deus tuus est tecum.

And now let this plea of thy handmaid’s move thee, my lord king, to speak a generous word. Though indeed my lord the king is wise as an angel of God; thou art not moved from thy purpose by fair word or foul; the Lord thy God is with thee.

And the king answering, said to the woman: Hide not from me the thing that I ask thee. And the woman said to him: Speak, my lord the king.

Et respondens rex, dixit ad mulierem: Ne abscondas a me verbum quod te interrogo. Dixitque ei mulier: Loquere, domine mi rex.

Then the king said to her, I have a question to ask thee; answer it openly. My Lord king, she said, thou hast only to speak.

And the king said: Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? The woman answered, and said: By the health of thy soul, my lord, O king, it is neither on the left hand, nor on the right, in all these things which my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he commanded me, and he put all these words into the mouth of thy handmaid.

Et ait rex: Numquid manus Joab tecum est in omnibus istis? Respondit mulier, et ait: Per salutem animæ tuæ, domine mi rex, nec ad sinistram, nec ad dexteram est ex omnibus his quæ locutus est dominus meus rex: servus enim tuus Joab, ipse præcepit mihi, et ipse posuit in os ancillæ tuæ omnia verba hæc.

Tell me then, said the king, was not Joab concerned in all this? As thou art a living man, she answered, that guess the king’s grace has made has not missed the truth by a hair’s breadth. It was thy servant Joab who sent me on my errand, and told me all I was to say;

That I should come about with this form of speech, thy servant Joab commanded this: but thou, my lord, O king, art wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to understand all things upon earth.

Ut verterem figuram sermonis hujus, servus tuus Joab præcepit istud: tu autem, domine mi rex, sapiens es, sicut habet sapientiam angelus Dei, ut intelligas omnia super terram.

it was thy servant Joab who bade me use this parable. My lord king, thou art wise as an angel of God; nothing on earth is hidden from thee.

And the king said to Joab: Behold I am appeased and have granted thy request: Go therefore and fetch back the boy Absalom.

Et ait rex ad Joab: Ecce placatus feci verbum tuum: vade ergo, et revoca puerum Absalom.

And the king turned to Joab, and said, I relent, and grant thy request; go and bring my son Absalom home.

And Joab falling down to the ground upon his face, adored, and blessed the king: and Joab said: This day thy servant hath understood, that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king: for thou hast fulfilled the request of thy servant.

Cadensque Joab super faciem suam in terram, adoravit, et benedixit regi: et dixit Joab: Hodie intellexit servus tuus quia inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, domine mi rex: fecisti enim sermonem servi tui.

Whereupon Joab bowed his face to the ground in reverence, and blessed the king’s name. To-day, he said, I am assured of thy royal favour, that thou shouldst so grant thy servant his will.

Then Joab arose and went to Gessur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

Surrexit ergo Joab et abiit in Gessur, et adduxit Absalom in Jerusalem.

Then he set out on his journey to Gessur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.

But the king said: Let him return into his house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned into his house, and saw not the king’s face.

Dixit autem rex: Revertatur in domum suam, et faciem meam non videat. Reversus est itaque Absalom in domum suam, et faciem regis non vidit.

But the king said, Let him go back to his own house, and never come into my presence; so Absalom went home, and might not have access to the king.

But in all Israel there was not a man so comely, and so exceedingly beautiful as Absalom: from the sole of the foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

Porro sicut Absalom, vir non erat pulcher in omni Israël, et decorus nimis: a vestigio pedis usque ad verticem non erat in eo ulla macula.

This Absalom was a man of good presence and famed for his beauty, none like him in all Israel; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head was no blemish to be found;

And when he polled his hair (now he was polled once a year, because his hair was burdensome to him) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred sicles, according to the common weight.

Et quando tondebat capillum (semel autem in anno tondebatur, quia gravabat eum cæsaries), ponderabat capillos capitis sui ducentis siclis, pondere publico.

and when he cut his hair, as each year he must for the heavy burden it was, the locks that were cut weighed two hundred sicles by common weight.

And there were born to Absalom three sons: and one daughter, whose name was Thamar, and she was very beautiful.

Nati sunt autem Absalom filii tres, et filia una nomine Thamar, elegantis formæ.

Three sons he had, and one daughter called Tamar, a woman fair to see.

And Absalom dwelt two years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king’s face.

Mansitque Absalom in Jerusalem duobus annis, et faciem regis non vidit.

So for two years Absalom was in Jerusalem without sight of the king;

He sent therefore to Joab, to send him to the king: but he would not come to him. And when he had sent the second time, and he would not come to him,

Misit itaque ad Joab, ut mitteret eum ad regem: qui noluit venire ad eum. Cumque secundo misisset, et ille noluisset venire ad eum,

then he sent for Joab, to win him audience, but Joab would not come. A second time the request was made and refused;

He said to his servants: You know the field of Joab near my field, that hath a crop of barley: go now and set it on fire. So the servants of Absalom set the corn on fire. And Joab’s servants coming with their garments rent, said: The servants of Absalom have set part of the field on fire.

dixit servis suis: Scitis agrum Joab juxta agrum meum, habentem messem hordei: ite igitur, et succendite eum igni. Succenderunt ergo servi Absalom segetem igni. Et venientes servi Joab, scissis vestibus suis, dixerunt: Succenderunt servi Absalom partem agri igni.

then Absalom said to his servants, You know that field of Joab’s next to mine, that is under barley; go and set fire to it. So Absalom’s men set fire to the crop, and now Joab’s men went to find him with their garments torn about them, and told him Absalom had had part of his field burned.

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said: Why have thy servants set my corn on fire?

Surrexitque Joab, et venit ad Absalom in domum ejus, et dixit: Quare succenderunt servi tui segetem meam igni?

Thereupon Joab went to see Absalom at his house, and asked, What means it, that thy men have set fire to my crop?

And Absalom answered Joab: I sent to thee beseeching thee to come to me, that I might send thee to the king, to say to him: Wherefore am I come from Gessur? it had been better for me to be there: I beseech thee therefore that I may see the face of the king: and if he be mindful of my iniquity, let him kill me.

Et respondit Absalom ad Joab: Misi ad te obsecrans ut venires ad me, et mitterem te ad regem, et diceres ei: Quare veni de Gessur? melius mihi erat ibi esse: obsecro ergo ut videam faciem regis: quod si memor est iniquitatis meæ, interficiat me.

Why, answered Absalom, I was fain to see thee; it was my thought to send thee to the king, and ask him why he brought me home from Gessur. Better have stayed there; pray win me admittance to the king’s presence, or let him put me to death if he cannot forgive the wrong.

So Joab going in to the king, told him all: and Absalom was called for, and he went in to the king: and prostrated himself on the ground before him: and the king kissed Absalom.

Ingressus itaque Joab ad regem, nuntiavit ei omnia: vocatusque est Absalom, et intravit ad regem, et adoravit super faciem terræ coram eo: osculatusque est rex Absalom.

So Joab went and repeated this to the king, and Absalom was summoned into the king’s presence. Low he bowed before him, with his face to the ground; but David greeted Absalom with a kiss.