Old/New Testament
19 Forsooth it was told to Joab, that the king wept, and bewailed his son;
2 and the victory in that day was turned into mourning to all the people; for the people heard, that it was said in that day, The king maketh sorrow on his son. (and so the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people; for the people heard, that it was said that day, The king sorroweth for his son.)
3 And the people eschewed to enter into the city in that day, as the people turned and fleeing from [the] battle is wont to bow away. (And the people entered into the city on that day in shameful quiet, like the people who turned, and fled away from a battle, be wont to go.)
4 And the king covered his head, and cried with great voice (and cried with a loud voice), My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son!
5 Therefore Joab entered to the king into the house, and said, Thou hast shamed today the cheers of all thy servants, that have made safe thy life, and the life of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the life of thy wives, and the life of thy secondary wives. (And so Joab entered into the palace, and said to the king, Today thou hast brought shame upon all of thy servants who have made thy life safe, and also upon the lives of thy sons and thy daughters, and thy wives, and thy secondary wives, or thy concubines.)
6 Thou lovest them that hate thee, and thou hatest them that love thee; and thou hast showed today that thou reckest not of thy dukes and of thy servants; and verily I have known now, that if Absalom lived, and all we had been dead, then it should please thee. (Thou lovest them who hate thee, and thou hatest them who love thee; and thou hast shown today that thou carest not for thy leaders or for thy men; and now I truly know, that if Absalom had lived, and all of us had died, it would have pleased thee.)
7 Now therefore rise up, and go thou forth, and speak thou, and make satisfaction to thy servants; for I swear to thee by the Lord, that if thou shalt not go forth, soothly not one man shall dwell with thee in this night; and this shall be worse to thee, than all the evils that came [up]on thee from thy young waxing age till into this present time. (And so now rise up, and go thou out, and speak thou, and give satisfaction to thy men; for I swear by the Lord to thee, that if thou shalt not go out to them, truly not one man shall stay with thee through this night; and this shall be worse for thee, than all the evil that hath come upon thee from thy youngest age unto this present time.)
8 Therefore the king rose up, and sat in the gate; and it was told to all the people, that the king sat in the gate, and all the multitude came before the king. Forsooth Israel fled into their tabernacles (Meanwhile all the Israelites had fled to their homes).
9 And all the people strived in all the lineages of Israel, and said, The king delivered us from the hand of all our enemies, and he saved us from the hand of Philistines; and now he hath fled from the land for Absalom (and now he hath fled from the land because of Absalom).
10 Certainly Absalom, whom we anointed upon us, is dead in battle; how long be ye still, and bring not again the king? (how long shall ye be silent, and not bring back the king?) And the counsel of all Israel came to the king.
11 And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar, the priests, and said, Speak ye to the greater men in birth of Judah, and say ye, Why came ye the last to bring again the king into his house? Soothly the word of all Israel came to the king, that they would bring him again into his house. For the king said, Ye shall say these things to the people, (And King David sent word to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, and said, Speak ye to the men of great age, that is, to the elders, of Judah, and say ye, Why be ye the last to help bring back the king to his palace? Truly the word of all Israel had come to the king, that they would bring him back to his palace. And so the king said, Ye shall say these things to the elders,)
12 Ye be my brethren, ye be my bone and my flesh; why the last bring ye again the king? (Ye be my kinsmen, ye be my flesh and blood; so why be ye the last to bring back the king?)
13 And say ye to Amasa, Whether thou art not my bone and my flesh? God do these things to me, and add these things too, if thou shalt not be master of chivalry (if thou shalt not be the leader of the cavalry, or of the army), before me in all time after Joab.
14 And David bowed to him the heart of all [the] men of Judah as of one man; and they sent to the king, and said, Turn thou again, and all thy servants. (And so David turned to himself the hearts of all the men of Judah as if one man; and they sent word to the king, and said, Come thou back again with all thy men.)
15 And the king turned again, and came till to Jordan (And so the king returned, and came to the Jordan River); and all Judah came till into Gilgal to meet the king, and to lead him over (the) Jordan.
16 But Shimei, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, of Bahurim, hasted, and came down with the men of Judah into the meeting of king David, (And Shimei, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, hastened from Bahurim, and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David,)
17 with a thousand men of Benjamin; and Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, and (the) fifteen sons of him, and (his) twenty servants were with him; and they brake into (the) Jordan, before the king (and they went over the Jordan River before the king),
18 and they passed the fords, that they should lead over the house of the king, and do by the behest of the king. Soothly Shimei, the son of Gera, kneeled before the king, when he had passed now Jordan, (and they passed over the crossing, in order to bring over the king’s household, and to do whatever the king commanded. And Shimei, the son of Gera, kneeled before the king, when he had crossed over the Jordan River,)
19 and said to the king, My lord the king, areckon thou not wickedness to me, neither have thou mind of the wrongs of thy servant in the day (nor remember the wrongs of thy servant on the day), in which thou, my lord the king, wentest out of Jerusalem, neither set thou, king, those wrongs in thine heart;
20 for I thy servant acknowledge my sin; and therefore today I came the first of all the house of Joseph, and I came down into the meeting of my lord the king (and I came down to meet my lord the king).
21 And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, answered and said, Whether Shimei, that cursed the christ of the Lord, shall not be slain for these words? (And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, answered to him and said, Should not Shimei, who cursed the Lord’s anointed, be killed for those words?)
22 And David said, What is (it) to me and to you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Why be ye made to me today into Satan, that is, (an) adversary? Therefore whether a man shall be slain today in Israel? Whether I know not (that) me (am) made king today on Israel? (And David said, What is it to me or to you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Why be ye made into my adversaries today? Should any man be put to death on this day in Israel? The day that I am made king upon Israel? Nay!)
23 And the king said to Shimei, Thou shalt not die; and the king swore to him.
24 Also Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, came down with unwashed feet, and with his beard unclipped, into the coming of the king. And Mephibosheth had not washed his clothes, from the day in which the king went out of Jerusalem till to the day of his coming again in peace. (And Mephibosheth, Saul’s son, came down with unwashed feet, and with his beard unclipped, to meet the king. And Mephibosheth had not washed his clothes from the day in which the king went out of Jerusalem until the day that he returned in victory/until the day that he safely returned home.)
25 And when at Jerusalem he had come to the king (And when he had come from Jerusalem to meet the king), the king said to him, Mephibosheth, why camest thou not with me?
26 And he answered and said, My lord the king, my servant despised me; and I thy servant said to him, that he should saddle the ass to me, and I should ascend, and I should go with the king; for I thy servant am crooked. (And he answered, My lord the king, my servant deceived me; for I thy servant had said to him, that he should saddle up the donkey for me, and then I would get on it, and I would go with the king; for I thy servant am crippled.)
27 Moreover and he accused me, thy servant, to thee, my lord the king; but thou, my lord the king, art as the angel of God; do thou that, that is pleasant to thee. (And moreover he hath accused me, thy servant, to thee, my lord the king; but thou, my lord the king, art like the angel of God to me; so do thou what is pleasing to thee.)
28 For the house of my father was not no but guilty of death to my lord the king; soothly thou hast set me thy servant among the guests of thy board; what therefore have I of just complaint, either (of) what may I more cry to the king? (For my father’s family was guilty of death before my lord the king; but thou hast put me thy servant among the guests at thy table; so what right have I of any complaint, or what more may I ask for from the king?)
29 And the king said to him, What speakest thou more? that that I have spoken is steadfast; thou and Ziba part the possessions. (And the king said to him, Why sayest thou anything more? my decision is final; thou and Ziba will share the possessions.)
30 And Mephibosheth answered to the king, Yea, take he all things, after that my lord the king turned again peaceably into his house (now that my lord the king hath returned home in victory/now that my lord the king hath safely returned home).
31 Also Barzillai of Gilead, a full eld man, came down from Rogelim, and led the king over Jordan, ready also to follow him over the flood. (And Barzillai of Gilead, a very old man, came down from Rogelim, and joined in escorting the king over the Jordan River.)
32 And Barzillai of Gilead was full eld, that is, of fourscore years; and he gave meats to the king, when the king dwelled in castles; for Barzillai was a full rich man. (And Barzillai of Gilead was very old, that is, eighty years old; and he gave food to the king, when the king lived at Mahanaim; for Barzillai was a very rich man.)
33 And so the king said to Barzillai, Come thou with me, that thou rest securely with me in Jerusalem. (And so the king said to Barzillai, Come thou with me, so that thou can have a peaceful life there in Jerusalem with me.)
34 And Barzillai said to the king, How many (more) be the days of [the] years of my life, that I (should) go up with the king into Jerusalem?
35 I am of fourscore years today; whether my wits be quick to deem sweet thing either bitter, either meat and drink may delight thy servant, either may I hear more the voice of singers either of singsters? Why is thy servant to (be a) charge to my lord the king? (I am eighty years old now; can my wits still judge a thing bitter or sweet? or can food and drink still delight thy servant? or can I still hear the voice of singers and singsters? No! So why should thy servant be a burden to my lord the king?)
36 I thy servant shall go forth a little from (the) Jordan with thee, I have no need to this yielding; (I thy servant shall go forth a little from the Jordan River with thee, but I have no need for this reward;)
37 but I beseech thee, that I thy servant turn again, and die in my city, and be buried beside the sepulchre of my father and of my mother; forsooth (my son) Chimham is thy servant, my lord the king, (so) go he with thee, and do thou to him that that seemeth good to thee.
38 Therefore the king said to Barzillai, Chimham (shall) go forth with me; and I shall do to him whatever thing pleaseth thee (and I shall do for him whatever pleaseth thee), and thou shalt get all thing, that thou askest of me.
39 And when all the people and the king had passed [over] Jordan, the king abode; and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he turned again into his place. (And when the king and all the people had crossed over the Jordan River, the king stopped there; and he kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and then Barzillai returned to his home.)
40 Then the king passed forth into Gilgal, and Chimham (was) with him. And all the people of Judah had led the king over, and the half part only of the people of Israel was present (and also half the people of Israel).
41 Therefore all the men of Israel came together to the king, and said to him, Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen thee, and have led the king and his house over Jordan, and all the men of David with him? (And so all the men of Israel who were there came together to the king, and said to him, Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen thee away, and have led the king, and his household, and all the men of David with him, over the Jordan River?)
42 And each man of Judah answered to the men of Israel, (and said,) For the king is near (of kin) to me (For the king is our next of kin); why art thou wroth upon this thing? Whether we have eaten anything of the king(’s), either gifts be given to us?
43 And a man of Israel answered to the men of Judah, and said, I am greater by ten parts to the king, and David pertaineth more to me than to thee; why hast thou done wrong to me, and it was not told to me the former, that I should bring again my king? Forsooth the men of Judah answered harder to the men of Israel. (And the men of Israel answered to the men of Judah, and said, We have a greater stake in the king by ten parts, and David pertaineth more to us than to thee; why hast thou done us this wrong? were we not the first to say that we should bring back our king? But the men of Judah answered back even harder to the men of Israel.)
20 Also it befelled, that a man of Belial was there, Sheba by name, the son of Bichri, a man of the generation of Benjamin; and he sounded with a trump, and said, No part is to us in David, neither heritage in the son of Jesse; thou Israel, turn again into thy tabernacles. (And it befell, that a man of Belial was there, named Sheba, the son of Bichri, a man of the tribe of Benjamin; and he sounded with a trumpet, and said, There is no part for us with David, nor inheritance with the son of Jesse; O Israel, return to thy homes!)
2 And all Israel was parted from David, and followed Sheba, the son of Bichri; and the men of Judah cleaved to their king, from Jordan till to Jerusalem. (And so all Israel deserted David, and followed Sheba, the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah cleaved to their king, from the Jordan River unto Jerusalem.)
3 And when the king had come into his house in Jerusalem, he took [the] ten women, his secondary wives, which he had left to keep the house, and he betook them into keeping, and gave meat to them; and he entered not [in] to them; but they were closed (up) till to the day of their death, and lived in widowhood. (And when the king had come to his palace in Jerusalem, he took his secondary wives, the ten women whom he had left in charge of the palace, and he put them under guard, and gave them food; but he did not sleep with them any more; and they were enclosed until the day of their death, and lived in widowhood.)
4 And David said to Amasa, Call thou together to me all the men of Judah into the third day, and be thou present. (And David said to Amasa, Call thou together for me all the men of Judah in three days’ time, and be thou present with them.)
5 Therefore Amasa went forth, that he call together the people of Judah; and he dwelled over the covenanted time, which the king had set to him. (And so Amasa went out to call together the people of Judah; but he took more time to arrange matters than what the king had set for him.)
6 And (so) David said to Abishai, Now Sheba, the son of Bichri, shall torment us (even) more than Absalom did; therefore take the servants of thy lord (and so take my bodyguards), and pursue him, lest in hap he find strengthened, (or fortified,) cities, and escape us.
7 Therefore the men of Joab went out with Abishai, and (the) Cherethites and Pelethites, and all the strong men, (and they) went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba, the son of Bichri.
8 And when they were beside the great stone, which is in Gibeon, Amasa came, and ran to them; and Joab was clothed with a strait coat at the measure of his shape, and he was girded above with a sword hanging down unto his entrails in a sheath; and it went out, and felled down. (And when they were beside the great stone, which is in Gibeon, Amasa came over to them; and Joab was clothed with a narrow coat tight to his body, and he was girded with a sword in a sheath hanging down to his entrails; and as Amasa came over, it fell out/he secretly took it out.)
9 And so Joab said to Amasa, Hail, my brother! And Joab held with his right hand the chin of Amasa, as kissing him (And Joab held Amasa’s chin with his right hand, as if to kiss him).
10 Forsooth Amasa took not keep of the sword, which sword Joab had, and Joab smote Amasa in the side, and shedded out his entrails into the earth, and Amasa was dead; and Joab added not the second wound. And (then) Joab, and Abishai, his brother, pursued Sheba, the son of Bichri. (But Amasa was not on guard for the sword which Joab had, and suddenly Joab struck, or stabbed, Amasa in the side with it, and poured out his entrails onto the ground, and so Amasa died; and Joab did not need to add a second wound. And then Joab, and his brother Abishai, pursued Sheba, the son of Bichri.)
11 In the meantime, when some of the children of David, of the fellows of Joab, had stood beside the dead body of Amasa, they said, Lo! he that would be the fellow of David, (be) for Joab. (In the meantime, one of Joab’s young men stood beside Amasa’s dead body, and he said, Lo! he who would be the fellow of Joab and of David, follow he Joab!)
12 And Amasa was besprinkled with blood, and lay in the middle of the way. Some man saw this/A man saw this, that all the people abode to see Amasa, and he removed Amasa from the way into the field, and he covered Amasa with a cloth, lest men passing should abide [still] for him. (And Amasa was covered with blood, and lay in the middle of the road. And some man saw that all the people stood about looking at Amasa, and so he moved Amasa’s body from the road to a nearby field, and he covered it with a cloak, lest men passing by should stand there, and gawk at him.)
13 Therefore when he was removed from the way, each man passed forth, following Joab to pursue Sheba, the son of Bichri.
14 Forsooth Sheba had passed by all the lineages of Israel till into Abel, and into Bethmaachah; and all the chosen men were gathered to him. (And Sheba passed through the territories of all the tribes of Israel unto Abel of Bethmaachah; and all the men of Bichri/and all the Berites were gathered to him, and followed him.)
15 Therefore they came, and fought against him in Abel, and in Bethmaachah, and (en)compassed the city with strongholds; and the city was besieged. And all the company, that was with Joab, enforced to destroy the walls. (And then Joab and his men came, and fought against him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and surrounded the city with strongholds; and the city was besieged. And all the men who were with Joab endeavoured to destroy the walls.)
16 And a wise woman of the city cried (out from) on high, Hear ye! hear ye! say ye to Joab, Nigh thou hither (Come thou here), and I shall speak with thee.
17 And when he had nighed to her, she said to him, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am. To whom she spake thus, Hear thou the words of thine handmaid. Joab answered, I hear (And Joab answered, I am listening).
18 And again she said, A word was said in (an) eld proverb, They that ask, ask in Abel; and so they profited.
19 Whether I am not, that answer truth to Israel? and seekest thou to destroy a city, and to do away a mother city in Israel?[a] why castedest thou down/why throwest thou down the heritage of the Lord? (My city is one of the most peaceful, and faithful, in all of Israel; so why seekest thou to destroy such a city, and to do away such a mother in Israel? why throwest thou down the Lord’s inheritance?)
20 And Joab answered, and said, Far be (this), far be this from me; I cast not down, neither I destroy (I do not want to destroy this city).
21 The thing hath not so itself; but a man of the hill of Ephraim, Sheba, the son of Bichri, by surname, raised his hand against king David; betake ye him alone to us, and we shall go away from the city (That is not my goal; but a man named Sheba, the son of Bichri, of the hill country of Ephraim, raised a rebellion against King David; deliver ye him to us, and him alone, and we shall go away from your city). And the woman said to Joab, Lo! his head shall be sent to thee by the wall.
22 Then the woman went in to all the people, and she spake to them wisely; and they threw (out) to Joab the head of Sheba, the son of Bichri, girded off. And Joab sounded with a trump, and they departed from the city, each man into his tabernacles; and Joab turned again to Jerusalem to the king. (Then the woman went to all the people, and she spoke wisely to them; and so they cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. And then Joab sounded with a trumpet, and they left the city, and each man went back to his home; and Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.)
23 Therefore Joab was on all the host of Israel; forsooth Benaiah, [the] son of Jehoiada, was on Cherethites and Pelethites; (And so Joab was over all of Israel’s army; and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;)
24 and Adoram was upon the tributes (and Adoram was over the forced labour/was over the taxation); and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was (the) chancellor;
25 and Sheva was scribe; but Zadok and Abiathar were priests; (and Sheva was the writer; and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests;)
26 and Ira of Jairites was the priest of David.
18 And he said to them also a parable, that it behooveth to pray evermore, and not [to] fail; [Forsooth he said also a parable to them, for it behooveth to pray ever, and not to fail;]
2 and said, There was a judge in a city, that dreaded not God, neither shamed of men.[a]
3 And a widow was in that city, and she came to him, and said [saying], Venge me of mine adversary;
4 and he would not long time [and he would not by much time]. But after these things he said within himself, Though I dread not God, and shame not of man,
5 nevertheless for this widow is heavy to me, I shall venge her; lest at the last she coming condemn me [lest at the last she coming strangle me].
6 And the Lord said, Hear ye, what the doomsman of wickedness saith;
7 and whether God shall not do [the] vengeance of his chosen, crying to him day and night, and shall have patience in them?
8 Soothly I say to you, for soon he shall do [the] vengeance of them. Nevertheless guessest thou, that man's Son coming shall find faith in earth?
9 And he said also to some men, that trusted in themselves, as they were rightful, and despised others, this parable, saying,
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 And the Pharisee stood, and prayed by himself these things, and said [Forsooth the Pharisee standing, prayed with himself these things, saying], God, I do thankings to thee, for I am not as other men, raveners, unjust, adulterers, as also this publican;
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all things that I have in possession.
13 And the publican stood afar, and would not raise his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, and said [And the publican standing afar would not neither lift up the eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, saying], God be merciful to me, sinner.
14 Truly I say to you, this went down into his house, and was justified from the other. For each that enhanceth himself, shall be made low, and he that meeketh himself, shall be enhanced.
15 And they brought to him young children, that he should touch them; and when the disciples saw this thing, they blamed them.
16 But Jesus called together them, and said, Suffer ye children to come to me, and do not ye forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heavens.
17 Truly I say to you, whoever shall not take the kingdom of God as a child, he shall not enter into it.
18 And a prince asked him, and said, Good master, in what thing doing shall I wield everlasting life? [And some prince asked him, saying, Good master, what thing doing shall I wield everlasting life?]
19 And Jesus said to him, What sayest thou me good? No man is good, but God alone.
20 Thou knowest the commandments, Thou shalt not slay, Thou shalt not do lechery, Thou shalt not do theft, Thou shalt not say false witnessing, Honour thy father and thy mother [Worship thy father and thy mother].
21 Which said, I have kept all these things from my youth.
22 And when this thing was heard, Jesus said to him, Yet one thing faileth to thee; sell thou all things that thou hast, and give to poor men, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, and follow thou me [and come, and follow me].
23 And when these things were heard, he was sorrowful, for he was full rich.
2001 by Terence P. Noble