Chapter 18

¹Then David numbered the people who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

¹大衛數點跟隨他的人，立千夫長、百夫長率領他們。

²David sent the people out, one third under the command of Joab, one third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and one third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, 'I myself will surely go out with you also.'

²大衛打發軍兵出戰，分為三隊：一隊在約押手下，一隊在洗魯雅的兒子、約押兄弟亞比篩手下，一隊在迦特人以太手下。大衛對軍兵說：我必與你們一同出戰。

³But the people said, 'You should not go out; for if we indeed flee, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that you [be ready] to help us from the city.'

³軍兵卻說：你不可出戰。若是我們逃跑，敵人必不介意；我們陣亡一半，敵人也不介意。因為你一人強似我們萬人，你不如在城裡預備幫助我們。

⁴Then the king said to them, 'Whatever seems best to you I will do.' So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and thousands.

⁴王向他們說：你們以為怎樣好，我就怎樣行。於是王站在城門旁，軍兵或百或千地挨次出去了。

⁵The king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, '[Deal] gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.' And all the people heard when the king charged all the commanders concerning Absalom.

⁵王囑咐約押、亞比篩、以太說：你們要為我的緣故寬待那少年人押沙龍。王為押沙龍囑咐眾將的話，兵都聽見了。

⁶Then the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.

⁶兵就出到田野迎著以色列人，在以法蓮樹林裡交戰。

⁷The people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men.

⁷以色列人敗在大衛的僕人面前；那日陣亡的甚多，共有二萬人。

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

⁸因為在那裡四面打仗，死於樹林的比死於刀劍的更多。

⁹Now Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. For Absalom was riding on [his] mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. And his head caught fast in the oak, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going.

⁹押沙龍偶然遇見大衛的僕人。押沙龍騎著騾子，從大橡樹密枝底下經過，他的頭髮被樹枝繞住，就懸掛起來，所騎的騾子便離他去了。

¹⁰When a certain man saw [it], he told Joab and said, 'Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.'

¹⁰有個人看見，就告訴約押說：我看見押沙龍掛在橡樹上了。

¹¹Then Joab said to the man who had told him, 'Now behold, you saw [him]! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? And I would have given you ten [pieces] of silver and a belt.'

¹¹約押對報信的人說：你既看見他，為甚麼不將他打死落在地上呢？你若打死他，我就賞你十舍客勒銀子，一條帶子。

¹²The man said to Joab, 'Even if I should receive a thousand [pieces of] silver in my hand, I would not put out my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Protect for me the young man Absalom!'

¹²那人對約押說：我就是得你一千舍客勒銀子，我也不敢伸手害王的兒子；因為我們聽見王囑咐你和亞比篩並以太說：你們要謹慎，不可害那少年人押沙龍。

¹³'Otherwise, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof.'

¹³我若妄為害了他的性命，就是你自己也必與我為敵（原來，無論何事都瞞不過王。）

¹⁴Then Joab said, 'I will not waste time here with you.' So he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

¹⁴約押說：我不能與你留連。約押手拿三杆短槍，趁押沙龍在橡樹上還活著，就刺透他的心。

¹⁵And ten young men who carried Joab's armor gathered around and struck Absalom and killed him.

¹⁵給約押拿兵器的十個少年人圍繞押沙龍，將他殺死。

¹⁶Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained the people.

¹⁶約押吹角，攔阻眾人，他們就回來，不再追趕以色列人。

¹⁷They took Absalom and cast him into a deep pit in the forest and erected over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled, each to his tent.

¹⁷他們將押沙龍丟在林中一個大坑裡，上頭堆起一大堆石頭。以色列眾人都逃跑，各回各家去了。

¹⁸Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself a pillar which is in the King's Valley, for he said, 'I have no son to preserve my name.' So he named the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day.

¹⁸押沙龍活著的時候，在王谷立了一根石柱，因他說：我沒有兒子為我留名。他就以自己的名稱那石柱叫押沙龍柱，直到今日。

¹⁹Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, 'Please let me run and bring the king news that the LORD has freed him from the hand of his enemies.'

¹⁹撒督的兒子亞希瑪斯說：容我跑去，將耶和華向仇敵給王報仇的信息報與王知。

²⁰But Joab said to him, 'You are not the man to carry news this day, but you shall carry news another day; however, you shall carry no news today because the king's son is dead.'

²⁰約押對他說：你今日不可去報信，改日可以報信；因為今日王的兒子死了，所以你不可去報信。

²¹Then Joab said to the Cushite, 'Go, tell the king what you have seen.' So the Cushite bowed to Joab and ran.

²¹約押對古示人說：你去將你所看見的告訴王。古示人在約押面前下拜，就跑去了。

²²Now Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said once more to Joab, 'But whatever happens, please let me also run after the Cushite.' And Joab said, 'Why would you run, my son, since you will have no reward for going?'

²²撒督的兒子亞希瑪斯又對約押說：無論怎樣，求你容我隨著古示人跑去。約押說：我兒，你報這信息，既不得賞賜，何必要跑去呢？

²³'But whatever happens,' [he said], 'I will run.' So he said to him, 'Run.' Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and passed up the Cushite.

²³他又說：無論怎樣，我要跑去。約押說：你跑去罷！亞希瑪斯就從平原往前跑，跑過古示人去了。

²⁴Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running by himself.

²⁴大衛正坐在城甕裡。守望的人上城門樓的頂上，舉目觀看，見有一個人獨自跑來。

²⁵The watchman called and told the king. And the king said, 'If he is by himself there is good news in his mouth.' And he came nearer and nearer.

²⁵守望的人就大聲告訴王。王說：他若獨自來，必是報口信的。那人跑得漸漸近了。

²⁶Then the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, 'Behold, [another] man running by himself.' And the king said, 'This one also is bringing good news.'

²⁶守望的人又見一人跑來，就對守城門的人說：又有一人獨自跑來。王說：這也必是報信的。

²⁷The watchman said, 'I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.' And the king said, 'This is a good man and comes with good news.'

²⁷守望的人說：我看前頭人的跑法，好像撒督的兒子亞希瑪斯的跑法一樣。王說：他是個好人，必是報好信息。

²⁸Ahimaaz called and said to the king, 'All is well.' And he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. And he said, 'Blessed is the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted their hands against my lord the king.'

²⁸亞希瑪斯向王呼叫說：平安了！就在王面前臉伏於地叩拜，說：耶和華─你的神是應當稱頌的，因他已將那舉手攻擊我主我王的人交給王了。

²⁹The king said, 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And Ahimaaz answered, 'When Joab sent the king's servant, and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I did not know what [it was].'

²⁹王問說：少年人押沙龍平安不平安？亞希瑪斯回答說：約押打發王的僕人，那時僕人聽見眾民大聲喧嘩，卻不知道是甚麼事。

³⁰Then the king said, 'Turn aside and stand here.' So he turned aside and stood still.

³⁰王說：你退去，站在旁邊。他就退去，站在旁邊。

³¹Behold, the Cushite arrived, and the Cushite said, 'Let my lord the king receive good news, for the LORD has freed you this day from the hand of all those who rose up against you.'

³¹古示人也來到，說：有信息報給我主我王！耶和華今日向一切興起攻擊你的人給你報仇了。

³²Then the king said to the Cushite, 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And the Cushite answered, 'Let the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you for evil, be as that young man!'

³²王問古示人說：少年人押沙龍平安不平安？古示人回答說：願我主我王的仇敵，和一切興起要殺害你的人，都與那少年人一樣。

³³The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, 'O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!'

³³王就心裡傷慟，上城門樓去哀哭，一面走一面說：我兒押沙龍啊！我兒，我兒押沙龍啊！我恨不得替你死，押沙龍啊，我兒！我兒！