2 Samuel

约押设法让押沙龙回来

1洗鲁雅的儿子约押，知道王心里想念押沙龙，

2就打发人往提哥亚去，从那里叫了一个聪明的妇人来，对她说：「请你假装居丧的，穿上孝衣，不要用膏抹身，要装作为死者许久悲哀的妇人；

3进去见王，对王如此如此说。」于是约押将当说的话教导了妇人。

4提哥亚妇人到王面前，伏地叩拜，说：「王啊，求你拯救！」

5王问她说：「你有什么事呢？」回答说：「婢女实在是寡妇，我丈夫死了。

6我有两个儿子，一日在田间争斗，没有人解劝，这个就打死那个。

7现在全家的人都起来攻击婢女，说：『你将那打死兄弟的交出来，我们好治死他，偿他打死兄弟的命，灭绝那承受家业的。』这样，他们要将我剩下的炭火灭尽，不与我丈夫留名留后在世上。」

8王对妇人说：「你回家去吧！我必为你下令。」

9提哥亚妇人又对王说：「我主我王，愿这罪归我和我父家，与王和王的位无干。」

10王说：「凡难为你的，你就带他到我这里来，他必不再搅扰你。」

11妇人说：「愿王记念耶和华—你的 神，不许报血仇的人施行灭绝，恐怕他们灭绝我的儿子。」王说：「我指着永生的耶和华起誓：你的儿子连一根头发也不致落在地上。」

12妇人说：「求我主我王容婢女再说一句话。」王说：「你说吧！」

13妇人说：「王为何也起意要害 神的民呢？王不使那逃亡的人回来，王的这话就是自证己错了！

14我们都是必死的，如同水泼在地上，不能收回。 神并不夺取人的性命，乃设法使逃亡的人不致成为赶出、回不来的。

15我来将这话告诉我主我王，是因百姓使我惧怕。婢女想，不如将这话告诉王，或者王成就婢女所求的。

16人要将我和我儿子从 神的地业上一同除灭，王必应允救我脱离他的手。

17婢女又想，我主我王的话必安慰我；因为我主我王能辨别是非，如同 神的使者一样。惟愿耶和华—你的 神与你同在！」

18王对妇人说：「我要问你一句话，你一点不要瞒我。」妇人说：「愿我主我王说。」

19王说：「你这些话莫非是约押的主意吗？」妇人说：「我敢在我主我王面前起誓：王的话正对，不偏左右，是王的仆人约押吩咐我的，这些话是他教导我的。

20王的仆人约押如此行，为要挽回这事。我主的智慧却如 神使者的智慧，能知世上一切事。」

21王对约押说：「我应允你这事。你可以去，把那少年人押沙龙带回来。」

22约押就面伏于地叩拜，祝谢于王，又说：「王既应允仆人所求的，仆人今日知道在我主我王眼前蒙恩了。」

23于是约押起身往基述去，将押沙龙带回耶路撒冷。

24王说：「使他回自己家里去，不要见我的面。」押沙龙就回自己家里去，没有见王的面。

大卫饶恕押沙龙

25以色列全地之中，无人像押沙龙那样俊美，得人的称赞，从脚底到头顶毫无瑕疵。

26他的头发甚重，每到年底剪发一次；所剪下来的，按王的平称一称，重二百舍客勒。

27押沙龙生了三个儿子，一个女儿。女儿名叫她玛，是个容貌俊美的女子。

28押沙龙住在耶路撒冷足有二年，没有见王的面。

29押沙龙打发人去叫约押来，要托他去见王，约押却不肯来。第二次打发人去叫他，他仍不肯来。

30所以押沙龙对仆人说：「你们看，约押有一块田，与我的田相近，其中有大麦，你们去放火烧了。」押沙龙的仆人就去放火烧了那田。

31于是约押起来，到了押沙龙家里，问他说：「你的仆人为何放火烧了我的田呢？」

32押沙龙回答约押说：「我打发人去请你来，好托你去见王，替我说：『我为何从基述回来呢？不如仍在那里。』现在要许我见王的面；我若有罪，任凭王杀我就是了。」

33于是约押去见王，将这话奏告王，王便叫押沙龙来。押沙龙来见王，在王面前俯伏于地，王就与押沙龙亲嘴。

1And Joab the son of Sarvia, understanding that the king’s heart was turned to Absalom,

2Sent 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.

3And thou shalt go in to the king, and shalt speak to him in this manner. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

4And 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.

5And the king said to her: What is the matter with thee? She answered: Alas, I am a widow woman: for my husband is dead.

6And 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.

7And 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.

8And the king said to the woman: Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.

9And 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.

10And the king said: If any one shall say ought against thee, bring him to me, and be shall not touch thee any more.

11And 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.

12Then the woman said: Let thy handmaid speak one word to my lord the king. And he said: Speak.

13And 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?

14We 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.

15Now 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 maybe the king will perform the request of his handmaid.

16And 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.

17Then 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.

18And 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.

19And 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.

20That 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 ail angel of God, to understand all things upon earth.

21And the king said to Joab: Behold I am appeased and have granted thy request: Go therefore and fetch back the boy Absalom.

22And 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.

23Then Joab arose and went to Gessur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24But 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.

25But 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.

26And 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.

27And there were born to Absalom three sons: and one daughter, whose, name was Thamar, and she was very beautiful.

28And Absalom dwelt two years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king’s face.

29He 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,

30He 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.

31Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said: Why have thy servants set my corn on fire?

32And 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.

33So 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.