1 And it was told Joab, that the king wept and mourned for his son: 2 And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day: The king grieveth for his son. 3 And the people shunned the going into the city that day as a people would do that hath turned their backs, and fled away from the battle. 4 And the king covered his head, and cried with a loud voice: O my son Absalom, O Absalom my son, O my son. 5 Then Joab going into the house to the king, said: Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, that have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons, and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines. 6 Thou lovest them that hate thee, and thou hatest them that love thee: and thou hast shown this day that thou carest not for thy nobles, nor for thy servants: and I now plainly perceive that if Absalom had lived, and all we had been slain, then it would have pleased thee. 7 Now therefore arise, and go out, and speak to the satisfaction of thy servants: for I swear to thee by the Lord, that if thou wilt not go forth, there will not tarry with thee so much as one this night: and that will be worse to thee, than all the evils that have befallen thee from thy youth until now.
8 Then the king arose and sat in the gate: and it was told to all the people that the king sat in the gate: and all the people came before the king, but Israel fled to their own dwellings. 9 And all the people were at strife in all the tribes of Israel, saying: The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines: and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom. 10 But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in the battle: how long are you silent, and bring not back the king? 11 And king David sent to Sadoc, and Abiathar the priests, saying: Speak to the ancients of Juda, saying: Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? (For the talk of all Israel was come to the king in his house.) 12 You are my brethren, you are my bone, and my flesh, why are you the last to bring back the king? 13 And say ye to Amasa: Art not thou my bone, and my flesh? So do God to me and add more, if thou be not the chief captain of the army before me always in the place of Joab.
14 And he inclined the heart of all the men of Juda, as it were of one man: and they sent to the king, saying: Return thou, and all thy servants. 15 And the king returned and came as far as the Jordan, and all Juda came as far as Galgal to meet the king, and to bring him over the Jordan. 16 And Semei the son of Gera the son of Jemini of Bahurim, made haste and went down with the men of Juda to meet king David, 17 With a thousand men of Benjamin, and Siba the servant of the house of Saul: and his fifteen sons, and twenty servants were with him: and going over the Jordan, 18 They passed the fords before the king, that they might help over the king's household, and do according to his commandment. And Semei the son of Gera falling down before the king, when he was come over the Jordan, 19 Said to him: Impute not to me, my lord, the iniquity, nor remember the injuries of thy servant on the day that thou, my lord, the king, wentest out of Jerusalem, nor lay it up in thy heart, O king. 20 For I thy servant acknowledge my sin: and therefore I am come this day the first of all the house of Joseph, and am come down to meet my lord the king. 21 But Abisai the son of Sarvia answering, said: Shall Semei for these words not be put to death, because he cursed the Lord's anointed? 22 And David said: What have I to do with you, ye sons of Sarvia? why are you a satan this day to me? shall there any man be killed this day in Israel? do not I know that this day I am made king over Israel? 23 And the king said to Semei: Thou shalt not die. And he swore unto him.
24 And Miphiboseth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and he had neither washed his feet, nor trimmed his beard: nor washed his garments from the day that the king went out, until the day of his return in peace. 25 And when he met the king at Jerusalem, the king said to him: Why camest thou not with me, Miphiboseth? 26 And he answering, said: My lord, O king, my servant despised me: for I thy servant spoke to him to saddle me an ass, that I might get on and go with the king: for I thy servant am lame. 27 Moreover he hath also accused me thy servant to thee, my lord the king: but thou my lord the king art as an angel of God, do what pleaseth thee. 28 For all of my father's house were no better than worthy of death before my lord the king; and thou hast set me thy servant among the guests of thy table: what just complaint therefore have I? or what right to cry any more to the king? 29 Then the king said to him: Why speakest thou any more? what I have said is determined: thou and Siba divide the possessions. 30 And Miphiboseth answered the king: Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is returned peaceably into his house.
31 Berzellai also the Galaadite coming down from Rogelim, brought the king over the Jordan, being ready also to wait on him beyond the river. 32 Now Berzellai the Galaadite was of a great age, that is to say, fourscore years old, and he provided the king with sustenance when he abode in the camp: for he was a man exceeding rich. 33 And the king said to Berzellai: Come with me that thou mayest rest secure with me in Jerusalem. 34 And Berzellai said to the king: How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35 I am this day fourscore years old, are my senses quick to discern sweet and bitter? or can meat or drink delight thy servant? or can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? why should thy servant be a burden to my lord, the king? 36 I thy servant will go on a little way from the Jordan with thee: I need not this recompense. 37 But I beseech thee let thy servant return, and die in my own city, and be buried by the sepulchre of my father, and of my mother. But there is thy servant Chamaam, let him go with thee, my lord, the king, and do to him whatsoever seemeth good to thee. 38 Then the king said to him: Let Chamaam go over with me, and I will do for him whatsoever shall please thee, and all that thou shalt ask of me, thou shalt obtain. 39 And when all the people and the king had passed over the Jordan, the king kissed Berzellai, and blessed him: and he returned to his own place. 40 So the king went on to Galgal, and Chamaam with him. Now all the people of Juda had brought the king over, and only half of the people of Israel were there. 41 Therefore all the men of Israel running together to the king, said to him: Why have our brethren the men of Juda stolen thee away, and have brought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all the men of David with him? 42 And all the men of Juda answered the men of Israel: Because the king is nearer to me: why art thou angry for this matter? have we eaten any thing of the king's, or have any gifts been given us? 43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Juda, and said: I have ten parts in the king more than thou, and David belongeth to me more than to thee: why hast thou done me a wrong, and why was it not told me first, that I might bring back my king? And the men of Juda answered more harshly than the men of Israel.
Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899
1 Nuntiatum est autem Joab quod rex fleret et lugeret filium suum, 2 et versa est victoria in luctum in die illa omni populo: audivit enim populus in die illa dici: Dolet rex super filio suo. 3 Et declinavit populus in die illa ingredi civitatem, quomodo declinare solet populus versus et fugiens de prælio. 4 Porro rex operuit caput suum, et clamabat voce magna: Fili mi Absalom, Absalom fili mi, fili mi. 5 Ingressus ergo Joab ad regem in domum, dixit: Confudisti hodie vultus omnium servorum tuorum, qui salvam fecerunt animam tuam, et animam filiorum tuorum et filiarum tuarum, et animam uxorum tuarum, et animam concubinarum tuarum. 6 Diligis odientes te, et odio habes diligentes te: et ostendisti hodie quia non curas de ducibus tuis et de servis tuis: et vere cognovi modo, quia si Absalom viveret, et omnes nos occubuissemus, tunc placeret tibi. 7 Nunc igitur surge, et procede, et alloquens satisfac servis tuis: juro enim tibi per Dominum quod si non exieris, ne unus quidem remansurus sit tecum nocte hac: et pejus erit hoc tibi quam omnia mala quæ venerunt super te ab adolescentia tua usque in præsens.
8 Surrexit ergo rex et sedit in porta: et omni populo nuntiatum est quod rex sederet in porta. Venitque universa multitudo coram rege: Israël autem fugit in tabernacula sua. 9 Omnis quoque populus certabat in cunctis tribubus Israël, dicens: Rex liberavit nos de manu inimicorum nostrorum; ipse salvavit nos de manu Philisthinorum: et nunc fugit de terra propter Absalom. 10 Absalom autem, quem unximus super nos, mortuus est in bello: usquequo siletis, et non reducitis regem? 11 Rex vero David misit ad Sadoc et Abiathar sacerdotes, dicens: Loquimini ad majores natu Juda, dicentes: Cur venitis novissimi ad reducendum regem in domum suam? (Sermo autem omnis Israël pervenerat ad regem in domo ejus.) 12 Fratres mei vos, os meum, et caro mea vos, quare novissimi reducitis regem? 13 Et Amasæ dicite: Nonne os meum, et caro mea es? hæc faciat mihi Deus, et hæc addat, si non magister militiæ fueris coram me omni tempore pro Joab.
14 Et inclinavit cor omnium virorum Juda quasi viri unius: miseruntque ad regem, dicentes: Revertere tu, et omnes servi tui. 15 Et reversus est rex, et venit usque ad Jordanem: et omnis Juda venit usque in Galgalam ut occurreret regi, et traduceret eum Jordanem. 16 Festinavit autem Semei filius Gera filii Jemini de Bahurim, et descendit cum viris Juda in occursum regis David, 17 cum mille viris de Benjamin, et Siba puer de domo Saul: et quindecim filii ejus, ac viginti servi erant cum eo: et irrumpentes Jordanem, ante regem 18 transierunt vada, ut traducerent domum regis, et facerent juxta jussionem ejus: Semei autem filius Gera prostratus coram rege, cum jam transisset Jordanem, 19 dixit ad eum: Ne reputes mihi, domine mi, iniquitatem, neque memineris injuriarum servi tui in die qua egressus es, domine mi rex, de Jerusalem, neque ponas, rex, in corde tuo. 20 Agnosco enim servus tuus peccatum meum: et idcirco hodie primus veni de omni domo Joseph, descendique in occursum domini mei regis. 21 Respondens vero Abisai filius Sarviæ, dixit: Numquid pro his verbis non occidetur Semei, quia maledixit christo Domini? 22 Et ait David: Quid mihi et vobis, filii Sarviæ? cur efficimini mihi hodie in satan? ergone hodie interficietur vir in Israël? an ignoro hodie me factum regem super Israël? 23 Et ait rex Semei: Non morieris. Juravitque ei.
24 Miphiboseth quoque filius Saul descendit in occursum regis, illotis pedibus et intonsa barba: vestesque suas non laverat a die qua egressus fuerat rex, usque ad diem reversionis ejus in pace. 25 Cumque Jerusalem occurrisset regi, dixit ei rex: Quare non venisti mecum, Miphiboseth? 26 Et respondens ait: Domine mi rex, servus meus contempsit me: dixique ei ego famulus tuus ut sterneret mihi asinum, et ascendens abirem cum rege: claudus enim sum servus tuus. 27 Insuper et accusavit me servum tuum ad te dominum meum regem: tu autem, domine mi rex, sicut angelus Dei es: fac quod placitum est tibi. 28 Neque enim fuit domus patris mei, nisi morti obnoxia domino meo regi: tu autem posuisti me servum tuum inter convivas mensæ tuæ: quid ergo habeo justæ querelæ? aut quid possum ultra vociferari ad regem? 29 Ait ergo ei rex: Quid ultra loqueris? fixum est quod locutus sum: tu et Siba dividite possessiones. 30 Responditque Miphiboseth regi: Etiam cuncta accipiat, postquam reversus est dominus meus rex pacifice in domum suam.
31 Berzellai quoque Galaadites, descendens de Rogelim, traduxit regem Jordanem, paratus etiam ultra fluvium prosequi eum. 32 Erat autem Berzellai Galaadites senex valde, id est, octogenarius, et ipse præbuit alimenta regi cum moraretur in castris: fuit quippe vir dives nimis. 33 Dixit itaque rex ad Berzellai: Veni mecum, ut requiescas securus mecum in Jerusalem. 34 Et ait Berzellai ad regem: Quot sunt dies annorum vitæ meæ, ut ascendam cum rege in Jerusalem? 35 Octogenarius sum hodie: numquid vigent sensus mei ad discernendum suave aut amarum? aut delectare potest servum tuum cibus et potus? vel audire possum ultra vocem cantorum atque cantatricum? quare servus tuus sit oneri domino meo regi? 36 Paululum procedam famulus tuus ab Jordane tecum: non indigeo hac vicissitudine, 37 sed obsecro ut revertar servus tuus, et moriar in civitate mea, et sepeliar juxta sepulchrum patris mei et matris meæ. Est autem servus tuus Chamaam: ipse vadat tecum, domine mi rex, et fac ei quidquid tibi bonum videtur. 38 Dixit itaque ei rex: Mecum transeat Chamaam, et ego faciam ei quidquid tibi placuerit: et omne quod petieris a me, impetrabis. 39 Cumque transisset universus populus et rex Jordanem, osculatus est rex Berzellai, et benedixit ei: et ille reversus est in locum suum. 40 Transivit ergo rex in Galgalam, et Chamaam cum eo.
Omnis autem populus Juda traduxerat regem, et media tantum pars adfuerat de populo Israël. 41 Itaque omnes viri Israël concurrentes ad regem dixerunt ei: Quare te furati sunt fratres nostri viri Juda, et traduxerunt regem et domum ejus Jordanem, omnesque viros David cum eo? 42 Et respondit omnis vir Juda ad viros Israël: Quia mihi propior est rex: cur irasceris super hac re? numquid comedimus aliquid ex rege, aut munera nobis data sunt? 43 Et respondit vir Israël ad viros Juda, et ait: Decem partibus major ego sum apud regem, magisque ad me pertinet David quam ad te: cur fecisti mihi injuriam, et non mihi nuntiatum est priori, ut reducerem regem meum? Durius autem responderunt viri Juda viris Israël.
Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
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