141. When this was done, Joab sent messengers to the king, and ordered them to tell him that he did what he could to take the city soon; but that, as they made an assault on the wall, they had been forced to retire with great loss; and bade them, if they saw the king was angry at it, to add this, that Uriah was slain also. When the king had heard this of the messengers, he took it heinously, and said that they did wrong when they assaulted the wall, whereas they ought, by undermining and other stratagems of war, to endeavor the taking of rite city, especially when they had before their eyes the example of Abimelech, the son of Gideon, who would needs take the tower in Thebes by force, and was killed by a large stone thrown at him by an old woman; and although he was a man of great prowess, he died ignominiously by the dangerous manner of his assault: that they should remember this accident, and not come near the enemy’s wall, for that the best method of making war with success was to call to mind the accidents of former wars, and what good or bad success had attended them in the like dangerous cases, that so they might imitate the one, and avoid the other. But when the king was in this disposition, the messenger told him that Uriah was slain also; whereupon he was pacified. So he bade the messenger go back to Joab and tell him that this misfortune is no other than what is common among mankind, and that such is the nature, and such the accidents of war, insomuch that sometimes the enemy will have success therein, and sometimes others; but that he ordered him to go on still in his care about the siege, that no ill accident might befall him in it hereafter; that they should raise bulwarks and use machines in besieging the city; and when they have gotten it, to overturn its very foundations, and to destroy all those that are in it. Accordingly the messenger carried the king’s message with which he was charged, and made haste to Joab. But Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, when she was informed of the death of her husband, mourned for his death many days; and when her mourning was over, and the tears which she shed for Uriah were dried up, the king took her to wife presently; and a son was born to him by her.
141. Τούτων οὕτως γενομένων ἔπεμψεν ἀγγέλους Ἰώαβος πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα λέγειν ἐντειλάμενος αὐτοῖς, ὡς σπουδάσειε μὲν ταχέως ἑλεῖν τὴν πόλιν, προσβαλὼν δὲ τῷ τείχει καὶ πολλοὺς ἀπολέσας ἀναχωρῆσαι βιασθείη· προστιθέναι δὲ τούτοις ἂν ὀργιζόμενον ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς βλέπωσι καὶ τὸν Οὐρία θάνατον. τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως ἀκούσαντος παρὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ταῦτα καὶ δυσφοροῦντος φάσκοντος ἁμαρτεῖν αὐτοὺς τῷ τείχει προσβαλόντας, δέον ὑπονόμοις καὶ μηχανήμασιν ἑλεῖν πειρᾶσθαι τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ταῦτʼ ἔχοντας παράδειγμα τὸν Γεδεῶνος υἱὸν Ἀβιμέλεχον, ὃς ἐπεὶ τὸν ἐν Θήβαις πύργον ἑλεῖν ἐβούλετο βίᾳ, βληθεὶς ὑπὸ πρεσβύτιδος πέτρῳ κατέπεσε καὶ ἀνδρειότατος ὢν διὰ τὸ δυσχερὲς τῆς ἐπιβολῆς αἰσχρῶς ἀπέθανεν· οὗ μνημονεύοντας ἔδει μὴ προσιέναι τῷ τείχει τῶν πολεμίων· ἄριστον γὰρ ἁπάντων τῶν ἐν πολέμῳ πραχθέντων καὶ καλῶς καὶ ὡς ἑτέρως ἐνίοις αὐτοῖς κινδύνοις μνήμην ἔχειν, ὡς τὰ μὲν μιμεῖσθαι τὰ δὲ φυλάττεσθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ οὕτως ἔχοντι καὶ τὸν Οὐρία θάνατον ἐδήλωσεν ὁ ἄγγελος, παύεται μὲν τῆς ὀργῆς, Ἰωάβῳ δʼ ἐκέλευσεν ἀπελθόντα λέγειν ἀνθρώπινον εἶναι τὸ συμβεβηκὸς καὶ τὰ τοῦ πολέμου φύσιν ἔχειν τοιαύτην, ὥστε ποτὲ μὲν τοῖς ἐναντίοις εὖ πράττειν συμβαίνειν κατʼ αὐτόν, ποτὲ δὲ τοῖς ἑτέροις· τοῦ λοιποῦ μέντοι γε προνοεῖν τῆς πολιορκίας, ὅπως μηδὲν ἔτι πταίσωσι κατʼ αὐτήν, ἀλλὰ χώμασι καὶ μηχαναῖς ἐκπολιορκήσαντας καὶ παραστησαμένους τὴν μὲν πόλιν κατασκάψαι, ἅπαντας δʼ ἀπολέσαι τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἄγγελος τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐντεταλμένα κομίζων πρὸς Ἰώαβον ἠπείγετο. ἡ δὲ τοῦ Οὐρία γυνὴ Βεεθσαβὴ τὸν θάνατον τἀνδρὸς πυθομένη ἐπὶ συχνὰς αὐτὸν ἡμέρας ἐπένθησεν, παυσαμένην δὲ τῆς λύπης καὶ τῶν ἐπʼ Οὐρίᾳ δακρύων ὁ βασιλεὺς εὐθὺς ἄγεται γυναῖκα, καὶ παῖς ἄρρην ἐξ αὐτῆς γίνεται αὐτῷ.
147. With this marriage God was not well pleased, but was thereupon angry at David; and he appeared to Nathan the prophet in his sleep, and complained of the king. Now Nathan was a fair and prudent man; and considering that kings, when they fall into a passion, are guided more by that passion than they are by justice, he resolved to conceal the threatenings that proceeded from God, and made a good-natured discourse to him, and this after the. manner following: - He desired that the king would give him his opinion in the following case: - “There were,” said he, “two men inhabiting the same city, the one of them was rich, and [the other poor]. The rich man had a great many flocks of cattle, of sheep, and of kine; but the poor man had but one ewe lamb. This he brought up with his children, and let her eat her food with them; and he had the same natural affection for her which any one might have for a daughter. Now upon the coming of a stranger to the rich man, he would not vouchsafe to kill any of his own flocks, and thence feast his friend; but he sent for the poor man’s lamb, and took her away from him, and made her ready for food, and thence feasted the stranger.” This discourse troubled the king exceedingly; and he denounced to Nathan, that “this man was a wicked man who could dare to do such a thing; and that it was but just that he should restore the lamb fourfold, and be punished with death for it also.” Upon this Nathan immediately said that he was himself the man who ought to suffer those punishments, and that by his own sentence; and that it was he who had perpetrated this ’great and horrid crime. He also revealed to him, and laid before him, the anger of God against him, who had made him king over the army of the Hebrews, and lord of all the nations, and those many and great nations round about him; who had formerly delivered him out of the hands of Saul, and had given him such wives as he had justly and legally married; and now this God was despised by him, and affronted by his impiety, when he had married, and now had, another man’s wife; and by exposing her husband to the enemy, had really slain him; ‘that God would inflict punishments upon him on account of those instances of wickedness; that his own wives should be forced by one of his sons; and that he should be treacherously supplanted by the same son; and that although he had perpetrated his wickedness secretly, yet should that punishment which he was to undergo be inflicted publicly upon him; “that, moreover,” said he, “the child which was born to thee of her shall soon die.” When the king was troubled at these messages, and sufficiently confounded, and said with tears and sorrow that he had sinned, (for he was without controversy a pious man, and guilty of no sin at all in his whole life, excepting those in the matter of Uriah,) God had compassion on him, and was reconciled to him, and promised that he would preserve to him both his life and his kingdom; for he said that, seeing he repented of the things he had done, he was no longer displeased with him. So Nathan, when he had delivered this prophecy to the king, returned home.
147. Τοῦτον οὐχ ἡδέως ἐπεῖδεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν γάμον, ἀλλὰ διʼ ὀργῆς ἔχων τὸν Δαυίδην τῷ προφήτῃ Νάθᾳ φανεὶς κατὰ τοὺς ὕπνους ἐμέμφετο τὸν βασιλέα. ὁ δὲ Νάθας ἀστεῖος καὶ συνετὸς ὢν ἀνήρ, λογισάμενος ὡς οἱ βασιλεῖς ὅταν εἰς ὀργὴν ἐμπέσωσι ταύτῃ πλέον ἢ τῷ δικαίῳ νέμουσι, τὰς μὲν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγενημένας ἀπειλὰς ἡσυχάζειν ἔκρινεν, ἄλλους δὲ λόγους χρηστοὺς πρὸς αὐτὸν διεξῆλθε, καὶ δὴ τοιοῦτόν τινα τρόπον περὶ οὗ καὶ τί φρονεῖ ποιῆσαι σαφὲς αὐτῷ παρεκάλει· δύο γάρ, ἔφησεν, ἄνδρες τὴν αὐτὴν κατῴκουν πόλιν, ὧν ὁ μὲν πλούσιος ἦν καὶ πολλὰς εἶχεν ἀγέλας ὑποζυγίων τε καὶ θρεμμάτων καὶ βοῶν, τῷ πένητι δʼ ἀμνὰς ὑπῆρχε μία. ταύτην μετὰ τῶν τέκνων αὐτοῦ ἀνέτρεφε συνδιαιρούμενος αὐτῇ τὰ σιτία καὶ φιλοστοργίᾳ πρὸς αὐτὴν χρώμενος ᾗ τις ἂν χρήσαιτο καὶ πρὸς θυγατέρα. ξένου δʼ ἐπελθόντος τῷ πλουσίῳ τῶν μὲν ἰδίων οὐδὲν ἠξίωσεν ἐκεῖνος βοσκημάτων καταθύσας εὐωχῆσαι τὸν φίλον, πέμψας δὲ τὴν ἀμνάδα τοῦ πένητος ἀπέσπασε, καὶ ταύτην παρασκευάσας εἱστίασε τὸν ξένον. σφόδρα ἐλύπησεν ὁ λόγος οὗτος τὸν βασιλέα καὶ πονηρὸν πρὸς τὸν Νάθαν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐκεῖνον, ὃς δὴ τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον ἐτόλμησεν, ἀπεφήνατο καὶ τετραπλὴν ἀποτῖσαι τὴν ἀμνάδα δίκαιον εἶναι καὶ πρὸς τούτῳ θανάτῳ κολασθῆναι. Νάθας δʼ ὑποτυχὼν αὐτὸν ἔλεγεν ἐκεῖνον εἶναι τὸν ἄξιον ταῦτα παθεῖν ὑφʼ ἑαυτοῦ κεκριμένον τολμήσαντα μέγα καὶ δεινὸν ἔργον. ἀνεκάλυπτε δʼ αὐτῷ καὶ παρεγύμνου τὴν ὀργὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ποιήσαντος μὲν αὐτὸν βασιλέα πάσης τῆς Ἑβραίων δυνάμεως καὶ τῶν ἐν κύκλῳ πάντων ἐθνῶν πολλῶν καὶ μεγάλων κύριον, ῥυσαμένου δʼ ἔτι πρὸ τούτων ἐκ τῶν Σαούλου χειρῶν, δόντος δʼ αὐτῷ καὶ γυναῖκας ἃς δικαίως καὶ νομίμως ἠγάγετο, καταφρονηθέντος δʼ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀσεβηθέντος, ὃς ἀλλοτρίαν τε γήμας ἔχει γυναῖκα καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς ἀποκτείνειεν ἐκδοὺς τοῖς πολεμίοις· δώσειν οὖν αὐτὸν ἀντὶ τούτων δίκας τῷ θεῷ καὶ βιασθήσεσθαι μὲν αὐτοῦ τὰς γυναῖκας ὑφʼ ἑνὸς τῶν παίδων, ἐπιβουλευθήσεσθαι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν ὑπʼ ἐκείνου, καὶ τὸ ἁμάρτημα τοῦτο κρύφα δράσαντα φανερὰν τὴν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ δίκην ὑφέξειν· τεθνήξεσθαι δὲ καὶ τὸν παῖδά σοι παραχρῆμα τὸν ἐξ αὐτῆς γεγενημένον. ταραχθέντος δʼ ἐπὶ τούτοις τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ συσχεθέντος ἱκανῶς καὶ μετὰ δακρύων καὶ λύπης ἀσεβῆσαι λέγοντος, ἦν γὰρ ὁμολογουμένως θεοσεβὴς καὶ μηδὲν ἁμαρτὼν ὅλως περὶ τὸν βίον ἢ τὰ περὶ τὴν Οὐρία γυναῖκα, ᾤκτειρεν ὁ θεὸς καὶ διαλλάττεται φυλάξειν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ζωὴν καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐπαγγειλάμενος· μετανοοῦντι γὰρ περὶ τῶν γεγενημένων οὐκέτι χαλεπῶς ἔχειν ἔφασκε. καὶ Νάθας μὲν ταῦτα τῷ βασιλεῖ προφητεύσας οἴκαδε ἐπανῆλθε.
154. However, God sent a dangerous distemper upon the child that was born to David of the wife of Uriah, at which the king was troubled, and did not take any food for seven days, although his servants almost forced him to take it; but he clothed himself in a black garment, and fell down, and lay upon the ground in sackcloth, entrusting God for the recovery of the child, for he vehemently loved the child’s mother; but when, on the seventh day, the child was dead, the king’s servants durst not tell him of it, as supposing that when he knew it, he would still less admit of food, and other care of himself, by reason of his grief at the death of his son, since when the child was only sick, he so greatly afflicted himself, and grieved for him: but when the king perceived that his servants were in disorder, and seemed to be affected, as those who are very desirous to conceal something, he understood that the child was dead; and when he had called one of his servants to him, and discovered that so it was, he arose up and washed himself, and took a white garment, and came into the tabernacle of God. He also commanded them to set supper before him, and thereby greatly surprised his kindred and servants, while he did nothing of this when the child was sick, but did it all when he was dead. Whereupon having first begged leave to ask him a question, they besought him to tell them the reason of this his conduct; he then called them unskillful people, and instructed them how he had hopes of the recovery of the child while it was alive, and accordingly did all that was proper for him to do, as thinking by such means to render God propitious to him; but that when the child was dead, there was no longer any occasion for grief, which was then to no purpose. When he had said this, they commended the king’s wisdom and understanding. He then went in unto Bathsheba his wife, and she conceived and bare a son; and by the command of Nathan the prophet called his name Solomon.
154. Τῷ δʼ ἐκ τῆς Οὐρία γυναικὸς γενομένῳ παιδὶ Δαυίδῃ νόσον ἐνσκήπτει χαλεπὴν τὸ θεῖον, ἐφʼ ᾗ δυσφορῶν ὁ βασιλεὺς τροφὴν μὲν ἐφʼ ἡμέρας ἑπτὰ καίτοι γε ἀναγκαζόντων τῶν οἰκείων οὐ προσηνέγκατο, μέλαιναν δὲ περιθέμενος ἐσθῆτα πεσὼν ἐπὶ σάκκου κατὰ γῆς ἔκειτο τὸν θεὸν ἱκετεύων ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ παιδὸς σωτηρίας· σφόδρα γὰρ ἔστεργεν αὐτοῦ τὴν μητέρα. τῇ δʼ ἑβδόμῃ τῶν ἡμερῶν τελευτήσαντος τοῦ παιδὸς οὐκ ἐτόλμων τῷ βασιλεῖ τοῦτο μηνύειν οἱ θεράποντες λογιζόμενοι, μὴ γνοὺς ἔτι μᾶλλον ἀπόσχηται καὶ τροφῆς καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἐπιμελείας ὡς ἂν ἐπὶ ποθεινοῦ τέκνου τετελευτηκότος, ὅτε καὶ νοσοῦντος οὕτως ὑπὸ τῆς λύπης ἑαυτὸν ἐκάκου. ταραττομένων δʼ αἰσθόμενος τῶν οἰκετῶν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ταῦτα πασχόντων, ἃ μάλιστα συγκρύψαι τι θέλουσι συμβαίνει, συνεὶς ὅτι τέθνηκεν ὁ παῖς προσφωνήσας ἕνα τῶν οἰκετῶν καὶ μαθὼν τἀληθὲς ἀνίσταται καὶ λουσάμενος καὶ λαβὼν ἐσθῆτα λευκὴν εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ θεοῦ παραγίνεται, καὶ κελεύσας δεῖπνον αὑτῷ παραθεῖναι πολλὴν ἐπὶ τῷ παραλόγῳ τοῖς τε συγγενέσι καὶ τοῖς οἰκέταις ἔκπληξιν παρεῖχεν, ὅτι μηδὲν τούτων ἐπὶ νοσοῦντι τῷ παιδὶ ποιήσας πάνθʼ ὁμοῦ τετελευτηκότος ἔπραττε. τήν τε αἰτίαν, δεηθέντες ἐπιτρέψαι πρῶτον αὐτοῖς πυθέσθαι, παρεκάλουν [εἰπεῖν] τῶν γεγενημένων. ὁ δὲ ἀμαθεῖς εἰπὼν αὐτοὺς ἐδίδασκεν, ὡς ἔτι μὲν ζῶντος τοῦ παιδὸς ἔχων ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας αὐτοῦ δεόντως πάντʼ ἐποίει τὸν θεὸν ἡγούμενος τούτοις εὐμενῆ καταστήσειν, ἀποθανόντος δʼ οὐκέτι χρείαν εἶναι λύπης ματαίας. ταῦτʼ εἰπόντος ἐπῄνεσαν τὴν σοφίαν καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν τοῦ βασιλέως. συνελθὼν δὲ τῇ γυναικὶ Βεεθσαβῇ ἔγκυον αὐτὴν ἐποίησε, καὶ γεννησαμένης ἄρρεν παιδίον Σολόμωνα τοῦτον προσηγόρευσεν, οὕτως Νάθα τοῦ προφήτου κελεύσαντος.
159. But Joab sorely distressed the Ammonites in the siege, by cutting off their waters, and depriving them of other means of subsistence, till they were in the greatest want of meat and drink, for they depended only on one small well of water, and this they durst not drink of too freely, lest the fountain should entirely fail them. So he wrote to the king, and informed him thereof; and persuaded him to come himself to take the city, that he might have the honor of the victory. Upon this letter of Joab’s, the king accepted of his good-will and fidelity, and took with him his army, and came to the destruction of Rabbah; and when he had taken it by force, he gave it to his soldiers to plunder it; but he himself took the king of the Ammonites’ crown, whose weight was a talent of gold; and it had in its middle a precious stone called a sardonyx; which crown David ever after wore on his own head. He also found many other vessels in the city, and those both splendid and of great price; but as for the men, he tormented them, and then destroyed them; and when he had taken the other cities of the Ammonites by force, he treated them after the same manner.
159. Ἰώαβος δὲ τῇ πολιορκίᾳ τοὺς Ἀμμανίτας ἰσχυρῶς ἐκάκου τῶν τε ὑδάτων αὐτοὺς ἀποτεμνόμενος καὶ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων εὐπορίας, ὡς πάνυ ταλαιπωρεῖν ἐνδείᾳ ποτοῦ καὶ τροφῆς. ἐξ ὀλίγου γὰρ φρέατος ἤρτηντο καὶ ταμείας ὡς μὴ τελέως αὐτοὺς ἐπιλιπεῖν τὴν πηγὴν δαψιλέστερον χρωμένους. γράφει δὴ τῷ βασιλεῖ ταῦτα δηλῶν καὶ παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν αἵρεσιν τῆς πόλεως ἐλθεῖν, ἵνα τὴν νίκην αὐτὸς ἐπιγραφῇ. ταῦτα Ἰωάβου γράψαντος ἀποδεξάμενος αὐτὸν τῆς εὐνοίας καὶ τῆς πίστεως ὁ βασιλεὺς παραλαβὼν τὴν σὺν αὐτῷ δύναμιν ἧκεν ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς Ῥαβαθᾶς πόρθησιν, καὶ κατὰ κράτος ἑλὼν διαρπάσαι τοῖς στρατιώταις ἐφῆκεν. αὐτὸς δὲ τὸν τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Ἀμμανιτῶν λαμβάνει στέφανον ἕλκοντα χρυσοῦ τάλαντον καὶ πολυτελῆ λίθον ἔχοντα ἐν μέσῳ σαρδόνυχος· ἐφόρει δʼ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς διαπαντὸς Δαυίδης. πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἄλλα σκῦλα λαμπρὰ καὶ πολύτιμα εὗρεν ἐν τῇ πόλει· τοὺς δʼ ἄνδρας αἰκισάμενος διέφθειρε. ταὐτὰ δὲ καὶ τὰς ἄλλας τῶν Ἀμμανιτῶν πόλεις διέθηκεν ἑλὼν αὐτὰς κατὰ κράτος.
162. WHEN the king was returned to Jerusalem, a sad misfortune befell his house, on the occasion following: He had a daughter, who was yet a virgin, and very handsome, insomuch that she surpassed all the most beautiful women; her name was Tamar; she had the same mother with Absalom. Now Amnon, David’s eldest son, fell in love with her, and being not able to obtain his desires, on account of her virginity, and the custody she was under, was so much out of order, nay, his grief so eat up his body, that he grew lean, and his color was changed. Now there was one Jenadab, a kinsman and friend of his, who discovered this his passion, for he was an extraordinary wise man, and of great sagacity of mind. When, therefore, he saw that every morning Amnon was not in body as he ought to be, he came to him, and desired him to tell him what was the cause of it: however, he said that he guessed that it arose from the passion of love. Amnon confessed his passion, that he was in love with a sister of his, who had the same father with himself. So Jenadab suggested to him by what method and contrivance he might obtain his desires; for he persuaded him to pretend sickness, and bade him, when his father should come to him, to beg of him that his sister might come and minister to him; for if that were done, he should be better, and should quickly recover from his distemper. So Amnon lay down on his bed, and pretended to be sick, as Jonadab had suggested. When his father came, and inquired how he did, he begged of him to send his sister to him. Accordingly, he presently ordered her to be brought to him; and when she was come, Amnon bade her make cakes for him, and fry them in a pan, and do it all with her own hands, because he should take them better from her hand [than from any one’s else]. So she kneaded the flour in the sight of her brother, and made him cakes, and baked them in a pan, and brought them to him; but at that time he would not taste them, but gave order to his servants to send all that were there out of his chamber, because he had a mind to repose himself, free from tumult and disturbance. As soon as what he had commanded was done, he desired his sister to bring his supper to him into the inner parlor; which, when the damsel had done, he took hold of her, and endeavored to persuade her to lie with him. Whereupon the damsel cried out, and said, “Nay, brother, do not force me, nor be so wicked as to transgress the laws, and bring upon thyself the utmost confusion. Curb this thy unrighteous and impure lust, from which our house will get nothing but reproach and disgrace.” She also advised him to speak to his father about this affair; for he would permit him [to marry her]. This she said, as desirous to avoid her brother’s violent passion at present. But he would not yield to her; but, inflamed with love and blinded with the vehemency of his passion, he forced his sister: but as soon as Amnon had satisfied his lust, he hated her immediately, and giving her reproachful words, bade her rise up and be gone. And when she said that this was a more injurious treatment than the former, if, now he had forced her, he would not let her stay with him till the evening, but bid her go away in the day-time, and while it was light, that she might meet with people that would be witnesses of her shame, - he commanded his servant to turn her out of his house. Whereupon she was sorely grieved at the injury and violence that had been offered to her, and rent her loose coat, (for the virgins of old time wore such loose coats tied at the hands, and let down to the ankles, that the inner coats might not be seen,) and sprinkled ashes on her head; and went up the middle of the city, crying out and lamenting for the violence that had been offered her. Now Absalom, her brother, happened to meet her, and asked her what sad thing had befallen her, that she was in that plight; and when she had told him what injury had been offered her, he comforted her, and desired her to be quiet, and take all patiently, and not to esteem her being corrupted by her brother as an injury. So she yielded to his advice, and left off her crying out, and discovering the force offered her to the multitude; and she continued as a widow with her brother Absalom a long time.
162. Ἀναστρέψαντος δὲ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα τοῦ βασιλέως πταῖσμα αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐξ αἰτίας τοιαύτης καταλαμβάνει· θυγάτηρ γὰρ ἦν αὐτῷ παρθένος μὲν ἔτι τὸ δὲ κάλλος εὐπρεπής, ὡς ἁπάσας ὑπερβάλλειν τὰς εὐμορφοτάτας γυναῖκας, Θήμαρ ὄνομα, τῆς δʼ αὐτῆς Ἀψαλώμῳ μητρὸς κεκοινωνηκυῖα. ταύτης ὁ πρεσβύτατος τῶν Δαυίδου παίδων Ἀμνὼν ἐρασθείς, ὡς οὔτε διὰ τὴν παρθενίαν αὐτῆς οὔτε διὰ τὴν φυλακὴν τυχεῖν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐδύνατο χαλεπῶς διέκειτο, καὶ τό τε σῶμα τῆς ὀδύνης αὐτὸν κατεσθιούσης κατισχναίνετο καὶ τὴν χρόαν μετέβαλλε. δῆλος δὲ γίνεται ταῦτα πάσχων Ἰωνάθῃ τινὶ συγγενεῖ καὶ φίλῳ· συνετὸς δʼ ἦν οὗτος ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν ὀξύς. ὁρῶν οὖν καθʼ ἑκάστην πρωίαν τὸν Ἀμνῶνα μὴ κατὰ φύσιν ἔχοντα τῷ σώματι προσελθὼν ἠρώτα φράσαι τὴν αἰτίαν αὐτῷ, εἰκάζειν μέντοι γε οὕτως ἔλεγεν ἐξ ἐρωτικῆς αὐτὸν ἔχειν ἐπιθυμίας. τοῦ δὲ Ἀμνῶνος ὁμολογήσαντος τὸ πάθος ὅτι τῆς ἀδελφῆς ἐρᾷ τυγχανούσης ὁμοπατρίας, ὁδὸν αὐτῷ καὶ μηχανὴν εἰς τὸ περιγενέσθαι τῶν εὐκταίων ὑπέθετο· νόσον γὰρ ὑποκρίνασθαι παρῄνεσεν, ἐλθόντα δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν πατέρα πέμψαι τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῷ διακονησομένην ἐκέλευσε παρακαλέσαι· ῥᾴω γὰρ ἔσεσθαι καὶ ταχέως ἀπαλλαγήσεσθαι τῆς νόσου τούτου γενομένου. πεσὼν οὖν ὁ Ἀμνὼν ἐπὶ τὴν κλίνην νοσεῖν προσεποιήσατο κατὰ τὰς Ἰωνάθου ὑποθήκας. παραγενομένου δὲ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ σκεπτομένου πῶς ἔχοι, τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἐδεῖτο πέμψαι πρὸς αὐτόν· ὁ δʼ εὐθὺς ἐκέλευσεν ἀχθῆναι. ἡκούσῃ δὲ προσέταξεν ἄρτους αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι τηγανιστοὺς αὐτουργῷ γενομένῃ· προσοίσεσθαι γὰρ ἥδιον ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνης χειρῶν. ἡ δʼ ἐμβλέποντος τἀδελφοῦ φυράσασα τὸ ἄλευρον καὶ πλάσασα κολλυρίδας καὶ τηγανίσασα προσήνεγκεν αὐτῷ· ὁ δὲ τότε μὲν οὐκ ἐγεύσατο, προσέταξε δὲ τοῖς οἰκέταις παραιτήσασθαι πάντας πρὸ τοῦ δωματίου· βούλεσθαι γὰρ ἀναπαύσασθαι θορύβου καὶ ταραχῆς ἀπηλλαγμένος. ὡς δὲ τὸ κελευσθὲν ἐγένετο, τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἠξίωσεν εἰς τὸν ἐνδοτέρω τὸ δεῖπνον οἶκον αὐτῷ παρενεγκεῖν· ποιησάσης δὲ τοῦτο τῆς κόρης λαβόμενος αὐτῆς συνελθεῖν αὐτῷ πείθειν ἐπειρᾶτο. ἀνακραγοῦσα δʼ ἡ παῖς ἀλλὰ μὴ σύ γε τοῦτο βιάσῃ με μηδὲ ἀσεβήσῃς, εἶπεν, ἀδελφέ, τοὺς νόμους παραβὰς καὶ δεινῇ περιβαλὼν σαυτὸν αἰσχύνῃ· παῦσαι δʼ οὕτως ἀδίκου καὶ μιαρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας, ἐξ ἧς ὀνείδη καὶ κακοδοξίαν ὁ οἶκος ἡμῶν κερδανεῖ. συνεβούλευέ τε περὶ τούτου διαλεχθῆναι τῷ πατρί· συγχωρήσειν γὰρ ἐκεῖνον. ταῦτα δʼ ἔλεγε βουλομένη τὴν ὁρμὴν αὐτοῦ τῆς ὀρέξεως πρὸς τὸ παρὸν διαφυγεῖν. ὁ δʼ οὐ πείθεται, τῷ δὲ ἔρωτι καιόμενος καὶ τοῖς τοῦ πάθους κέντροις μυωπιζόμενος βιάζεται τὴν ἀδελφήν. μῖσος δʼ εὐθέως μετὰ τὴν κορείαν εἰσέρχεται τὸν Ἀμνῶνα καὶ προσλοιδορησάμενος ἐκέλευσεν ἀναστᾶσαν ἀπιέναι. τῆς δὲ χείρω τὴν ὕβριν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀποκαλούσης, εἰ βιασάμενος αὐτὸς μηδʼ ἄχρι νυκτὸς ἐπιτρέπει μεῖναι παραχρῆμα δʼ ἀπαλλάττεσθαι κελεύει ἐν ἡμέρᾳ καὶ φωτί, ἵνα καὶ μάρτυσι τῆς αἰσχύνης περιπέσοι, προσέταξεν αὐτὴν ἐκβαλεῖν τῷ οἰκέτῃ. ἡ δὲ περιαλγὴς ἐπὶ τῇ ὕβρει καὶ τῇ βίᾳ γενομένη περιρρήξασα τὸν χιτωνίσκον, ἐφόρουν γὰρ αἱ τῶν ἀρχαίων παρθένοι χειριδωτοὺς ἄχρι τῶν σφυρῶν πρὸς τὸ μὴ βλέπεσθαι χιτῶνας, καὶ σποδὸν καταχεαμένη τῆς κεφαλῆς ἀπῄει διὰ τῆς πόλεως μέσης βοῶσα καὶ ὀδυρομένη τὴν βίαν. περιτυχὼν δʼ αὐτῇ ὁ ἀδελφὸς Ἀψάλωμος ἀνέκρινε, τίνος αὐτῇ δεινοῦ συμβάντος οὕτως ἔχει, κατειπούσης δʼ αὐτῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν τὴν ὕβριν ἡσυχάζειν καὶ μετρίως φέρειν παρηγόρει καὶ μὴ νομίζειν ὑβρίσθαι φθαρεῖσαν ὑπʼ ἀδελφοῦ. πεισθεῖσα οὖν παύεται τῆς βοῆς καὶ τοῦ πρὸς πολλοὺς τὴν βίαν ἐκφέρειν, καὶ πολὺν χρόνον χηρεύουσα παρὰ Ἀψαλώμῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ διεκαρτέρησε.
173. When David his father knew this, he was grieved at the actions of Amnon; but because he had an extraordinary affection for him, for he was his eldest son, he was compelled not to afflict him; but Absalom watched for a fit opportunity of revenging this crime upon him, for he thoroughly hated him. Now the second year after this wicked affair about his sister was over, and Absalom was about to go to shear his own sheep at Baalhazor, which is a city in the portion of Ephraim, he besought his father, as well as his brethren, to come and feast with him: but when David excused himself, as not being willing to be burdensome to him, Absalom desired he would however send his brethren; whom he did send accordingly. Then Absalom charged his own servants, that when they should see Amnon disordered and drowsy with wine, and he should give them a signal, they should fear nobody, but kill him.
173. Γνοὺς δὲ τοῦθʼ ὁ πατὴρ Δαυίδης τοῖς μὲν πεπραγμένοις ἤχθετο, φιλῶν δὲ τὸν Ἀμνῶνα σφόδρα, πρεσβύτατος γὰρ ἦν αὐτῷ υἱός, μὴ λυπεῖν αὐτὸν ἠναγκάζετο. ὁ δὲ Ἀψάλωμος ἐμίσει χαλεπῶς αὐτὸν καὶ λανθάνων καιρὸν εἰς ἄμυναν αὐτοῦ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπιτήδειον παρεφύλαττεν. ἔτος δʼ ἤδη τοῖς περὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτοῦ πταίσμασιν διεληλύθει δεύτερον, καὶ μέλλων ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἰδίων κουρὰν ἐξιέναι θρεμμάτων εἰς Βελσεφών, πόλις δʼ ἐστὶν αὕτη τῆς Ἐφράμου κληρουχίας, παρακαλεῖ τὸν πατέρα σὺν καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐφʼ ἑστίασιν. παραιτησαμένου δʼ ὡς μὴ βαρὺς αὐτῷ γένοιτο, τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἀποστεῖλαι παρεκάλεσε. πέμψαντος δὲ τοῖς ἰδίοις ἐκέλευσεν ὁπηνίκʼ ἂν ἴδωσι τὸν Ἀμνῶνα μέθῃ παρειμένον καὶ κάρῳ, νεύσαντος αὐτοῦ φονεύσωσι μηδένα φοβηθέντες.
176. When they had done as they were commanded, the rest of his brethren were astonished and disturbed, and were afraid for themselves, so they immediately got on horseback, and rode away to their father; but somebody there was who prevented them, and told their father they were all slain by Absalom; whereupon he was overcome with sorrow, as for so many of his sons that were destroyed at once, and that by their brother also; and by this consideration, that it was their brother that appeared to have slain them, he aggravated his sorrow for them. So he neither inquired what was the cause of this slaughter, nor staid to hear any thing else, which yet it was but reasonable to have done, when so very great, and by that greatness so incredible, a misfortune was related to him: he rent his clothes and threw himself upon the ground, and there lay lamenting the loss of all his sons, both those who, as he was informed, were slain, and of him who slew them. But Jonadab, the son of his brother Shemeah, entreated him not to indulge his sorrow so far, for as to the rest of his sons he did not believe that they were slain, for he found no cause for such a suspicion; but he said it might deserve inquiry as to Amnon, for it was not unlikely that Absalom might venture to kill him on account of the injury he had offered to Tamar. In the mean time, a great noise of horses, and a tumult of some people that were coming, turned their attention to them; they were the king’s sons, who were fled away from the feast. So their father met them as they were in their grief, and he himself grieved with them; but it was more than he expected to see those his sons again, whom he had a little before heard to have perished. However, their were tears on both sides; they lamenting their brother who was killed, and the king lamenting his son, who was killed also; but Absalom fled to Geshur, to his grandfather by his mother’s side, who was king of that country, and he remained with him three whole years.
176. Ὡς δʼ ἐποίησαν τὸ προσταχθὲν ἔκπληξις καὶ ταραχὴ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς λαμβάνει, καὶ δείσαντες τοῖς αὑτῶν ἐμπηδήσαντες ἵπποις ἐφέροντο πρὸς τὸν πατέρα. φθάσας δέ τις αὐτοὺς ἅπαντας ὑπὸ Ἀψαλώμου πεφονεῦσθαι τῷ πατρὶ προσήγγειλεν. ὁ δʼ ὡς ἐπὶ παισὶν ὁμοῦ τοσούτοις ἀπολωλόσι καὶ τοῦθʼ ὑπʼ ἀδελφοῦ τῆς λύπης κἀπὶ τῷ κτεῖναι [δυναμένης] δοκοῦντι γινομένης πικρότερον, συναρπαγεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους οὔτε τὴν αἰτίαν ἀνέκρινεν οὔτʼ ἄλλο τι μαθεῖν οἷον εἰκὸς τηλικούτου προσηγγελμένου κακοῦ καὶ διʼ ὑπερβολὴν ἀπιστίαν ἔχοντος περιέμεινεν, ἀλλὰ καταρρηξάμενος τὴν ἐσθῆτα καὶ ῥίψας ἑαυτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἔκειτο πενθῶν τοὺς υἱοὺς ἅπαντας καὶ τοὺς ἀποθανεῖν δεδηλωμένους καὶ τὸν ἀνῃρηκότα. ὁ δὲ Σαμᾶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ παῖς Ἰωνάθης ἀνεῖναί τι τῆς λύπης παρεκάλει καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων μὴ πιστεύειν ὡς τεθνᾶσιν, οὐδὲ γὰρ αἰτίαν εὑρίσκειν ὑπολαμβάνειν, περὶ δʼ Ἀμνῶνος ἐξετάζειν ἔφη δεῖν· εἰκὸς γὰρ διὰ τὴν Θημάρης ὕβριν ἀποτολμῆσαι τὸν Ἀψάλωμον τὴν ἀναίρεσιν τὴν ἐκείνου. μεταξὺ δὲ κτύπος ἵππων καὶ θόρυβος προσιόντων τινῶν αὐτοὺς ἐπέστρεψεν· ἦσαν δʼ οἱ τοῦ βασιλέως παῖδες οἱ διαδράντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἑστιάσεως. ὑπαντᾷ δʼ αὐτοῖς ὁ πατὴρ θρηνοῦσι λυπούμενος καὶ παρʼ ἐλπίδας ὁρῶν οὓς ἀκηκόει μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν ἀπολωλότας. ἦν δὲ παρὰ πάντων δάκρυα καὶ στόνος, τῶν μὲν ὡς ἐπʼ ἀδελφῷ τετελευτηκότι, τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως ὡς ἐπὶ παιδὶ κατεσφαγμένῳ. φεύγει δʼ Ἀψάλωμος εἰς Γεσσούραν πρὸς τὸν πάππον τὸν πρὸς μητρὸς δυναστεύοντα τῆς ἐκεῖ χώρας, καὶ τρισὶν ὅλοις ἔτεσι παρʼ αὐτῷ καταμένει.
181. Now David had a design to send to Absalom, not that he should come to be punished, but that he might be with him, for the effects of his anger were abated by length of time. It was Joab, the captain of his host, that chiefly persuaded him so to do; for he suborned an ordinary woman, that was stricken in age, to go to the king in mourning apparel, who said thus to him: - That two of her sons, in a coarse way, had some difference between them, and that in the progress of that difference they came to an open quarrel, and that one was smitten by the other, and was dead; and she desired him to interpose in this case, and to do her the favor to save this her son from her kindred, who were very zealous to have him that had slain his brother put to death, that so she might not be further deprived of the hopes she had of being taken care of in her old age by him; and that if he would hinder this slaughter of her son by those that wished for it, he would do her a great favor, because the kindred would not be restrained from their purpose by any thing else than by the fear of him. And when the king had given his consent to what the woman had begged of him, she made this reply to him: - “I owe thee thanks for thy benignity to me in pitying my old age, and preventing the loss of my only remaining child; but in order to assure me of this thy kindness, be first reconciled to thine own son, and cease to be angry with him; for how shall I persuade myself that thou hast really bestowed this favor upon me, while thou thyself continuest after the like manner in thy wrath to thine own son? for it is a foolish thing to add willfully another to thy dead son, while the death of the other was brought about without thy consent.” And now the king perceived that this pretended story was a subornation derived from Joab, and was of his contrivance; and when, upon inquiry of the old woman, he understood it to be so in reality, he called for Joab, and told him he had obtained what he requested according to his own mind; and he bid him bring Absalom back, for he was not now displeased, but had already ceased to be angry with him. So Joab bowed himself down to the king, and took his words kindly, and went immediately to Geshur, and took Absalom with him, and came to Jerusalem.
181. Τοῦ δὲ Δαυίδου προαίρεσιν ἔχοντος ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν Ἀψάλωμον πέμπειν, οὐκ ἐπὶ τιμωρίᾳ κατελευσόμενον, ἀλλʼ ὅπως εἴη σὺν αὐτῷ, καὶ γὰρ τὰ τῆς ὀργῆς ὑπὸ τοῦ χρόνου λελωφήκει, πρὸς τοῦτο μᾶλλον αὐτὸν Ἰώαβος ὁ ἀρχιστράτηγος παρώρμησε· γύναιον γάρ τι τὴν ἡλικίαν ἤδη προβεβηκὸς ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ προσελθεῖν ἐν σχήματι πενθίμῳ, ὡς παίδων ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγροικίας αὐτῇ διενεχθέντων καὶ πρὸς φιλονεικίαν τραπέντων οὐδενὸς τοῦ καταπαῦσαι δυναμένου παραφανέντος ἔλεγεν ὑπὸ θατέρου τὸν ἕτερον πληγέντα ἀποθανεῖν· ἠξίου τε τῶν συγγενῶν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀνῃρηκότα ὡρμηκότων καὶ ζητούντων αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν, χαρίσασθαι τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτῇ τοῦ παιδὸς καὶ μὴ τὰς ἐπιλοίπους τῆς γηρωκομίας ἐλπίδας προσαφαιρεθῆναι· τοῦτο δʼ αὐτῇ κωλύσαντα τοὺς βουλομένους ἀποκτεῖναι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς παρέξειν· οὐ γὰρ ἐφέξειν ἐκείνους ἄλλῳ τινὶ τῆς σπουδῆς ἢ τῷ παρʼ αὐτοῦ φόβῳ. τοῦ δὲ συγκαταινέσαντος οἷς τὸ γύναιον ἱκέτευσεν, ὑπολαβὸν πάλιν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα χάρις μέν, εἶπεν, ἤδη σου τῇ χρηστότητι κατοικτείραντός μου τὸ γῆρας καὶ τὴν παρὰ μικρὸν ἀπαιδίαν, ἀλλʼ ἵνα βέβαια τὰ παρὰ τῆς σῆς μοι ᾖ φιλανθρωπίας, τῷ σαυτοῦ παιδὶ πρῶτον καταλλάγηθι καὶ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὀργὴν ἄφες· πῶς γὰρ ἂν πεισθείην ἐμοί σε ταύτην [ἀληθῶς] δεδωκέναι τὴν χάριν αὐτοῦ σοῦ μέχρι νῦν ἐφʼ ὁμοίοις ἀπεχθανομένου τῷ παιδί; τελέως δʼ ἀνόητον εἶναι προσθεῖναι τῷ παρὰ γνώμην ἀποθανόντι υἱῷ ἄλλον ἑκουσίως. συνίησι δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὑπόβλητον οὖσαν τὴν σκῆψιν ἐξ Ἰωάβου καὶ τῆς τούτου σπουδῆς· καὶ ἐπειδὴ παρὰ τῆς πρεσβύτιδος πυθόμενος οὕτως ἔχον τἀληθὲς ἔμαθε, προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν Ἰώαβον ἐπιτυχεῖν τε τοῦ προκειμένου κατὰ νοῦν ἔφασκε καὶ τὸν Ἀψάλωμον ἄγειν ἐκέλευεν· οὐ γὰρ ἔτι χαλεπῶς ἔχειν πρὸς αὐτόν, ἀλλʼ ἤδη τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ τὸν θυμὸν ἀφεικέναι. ὁ δὲ προσκυνήσας τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς λόγους ἀσπασάμενος ἐξώρμησεν εἰς τὴν Γεσσούραν παραυτίκα καὶ τὸν Ἀψάλωμον παραλαβὼν ἧκεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα.
188. However, the king sent a message to his son beforehand, as he was coming, and commanded him to retire to his own house, for he was not yet in such a disposition as to think fit at present to see him. Accordingly, upon the father’s command, he avoided coming into his presence, and contented himself with the respects paid him by his own family only. Now his beauty was not impaired, either by the grief he had been under, or by the want of such care as was proper to be taken of a king’s son, for he still surpassed and excelled all men in the tallness of his body, and was more eminent [in a fine appearance] than those that dieted the most luxuriously; and indeed such was the thickness of the hair of his head, that it was with difficulty that he was polled every eighth day; and his hair weighed two hundred shekels which are five pounds. However, he dwelt in Jerusalem two years, and became the father of three sons, and one daughter; which daughter was of very great beauty, and which Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, took to wife afterward, and had by her a son named Abijah. But Absalom sent to Joab, and desired him to pacify his father entirely towards him; and to beseech him to give him leave to come to him to see him, and speak with him. But when Joab neglected so to do, he sent some of his own servants, and set fire to the field adjoining to him; which, when Joab understood, he came to Absalom, and accused him of what he had done; and asked him the reason why he did so. To which Absalom replied, that “I have found out this stratagem that might bring thee to us, while thou hast taken no care to perform the injunction I laid upon thee, which was this, to reconcile my father to me; and I really beg it of thee, now thou art here, to pacify my father as to me, since I esteem my coming hither to be more grievous than my banishment, while my father’s wrath against me continues.” Hereby Joab was persuaded, and pitied the distress that Absalom was in, and became an intercessor with the king for him. And when he had discoursed with his father, he soon brought him to that amicable disposition towards Absalom, that he presently sent for him to come to him; and when he had cast himself down upon the ground, and had begged for the forgiveness of his offenses, the king raised him up, and promised him to forget what he had formerly done.
188. Προέπεμψε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς πρόσθεν πρὸς τὸν υἱόν, ἤκουσε γὰρ παραγενόμενον, καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐκέλευσε χωρεῖν· οὔπω γὰρ οὕτως ἔχειν ὥστʼ εὐθὺς ἰδεῖν κατελθόντα. καὶ ὁ μὲν τοῦτο τοῦ πατρὸς κελεύσαντος ἐξέκλινε τὴν ὄψιν αὐτοῦ καὶ διετέλει τῆς παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων θεραπείας τυγχάνων. οὐκ ἐπιβέβλαπτο δʼ εἰς τὸ κάλλος ὑπό τε τῆς λύπης καὶ τοῦ μὴ τυγχάνειν τῆς προσηκούσης ἐπιμελείας υἱῷ βασιλέως, ἀλλʼ ἔτι γὰρ ἐξεῖχε καὶ διέπρεπε πᾶν τῷ τε εἴδει καὶ τῷ μεγέθει τοῦ σώματος καὶ τοὺς ἐν πολλῇ τρυφῇ διαιτωμένους ὑπερέβαλλε. τοσοῦτον μέντοι γε ἦν τὸ βάθος τῆς κόμης, ὡς μόλις αὐτὴν ἡμέραις ἀποκείρειν ὀκτὼ σταθμὸν ἕλκουσαν σίκλους διακοσίους· οὗτοι δʼ εἰσὶ πέντε μναῖ. διέτριψε μέντοι γε ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἔτη δύο τριῶν μὲν ἀρρένων πατὴρ γενόμενος μιᾶς δὲ θυγατρὸς τὴν μορφὴν ἀρίστης, ἣν ὁ Σολόμωνος υἱὸς Ῥοβόαμος ὕστερον λαμβάνει, καὶ γίνεται παιδίον ἐξ αὐτῆς Ἀβίας ὄνομα. πέμψας δʼ αὐτὸς Ἀψάλωμος πρὸς Ἰώαβον ἐδεῖτʼ αὐτοῦ τελέως καταπραῧναι τὸν πατέρα καὶ δεηθῆναι, ὅπως αὐτῷ συγχωρήσῃ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλθόντι θεάσασθαί τε καὶ προσειπεῖν. καταμελήσαντος δὲ Ἰωάβου τῶν ἰδίων τινὰς ἀποστείλας τὴν ὁμοροῦσαν αὐτῷ χώραν ἐπυρπόλησεν. ὁ δὲ τὸ πραχθὲν μαθὼν ἧκε πρὸς τὸν Ἀψάλωμον ἐγκαλῶν τε αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν πυνθανόμενος. ὁ δέ στρατήγημα τοῦτʼ, εἶπεν, εὗρον ἀγαγεῖν σε πρὸς ἡμᾶς δυνάμενον ἀμελοῦντα τῶν ἐντολῶν, ἃς ἵνα μοι τὸν πατέρα διαλλάξῃς ἐποιούμην. καὶ δὴ δέομαί σου παρόντος ἡμερῶσαί μοι τὸν γεγεννηκότα· ὡς ἔγωγε δεινοτέραν τῆς φυγῆς κρίνω τὴν κάθοδον ἔτι τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν ὀργῇ μένοντος. πεισθεὶς δʼ ὁ Ἰώαβος καὶ τὴν ἀνάγκην αὐτοῦ κατοικτείρας ἐμεσίτευσε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ διαλεχθεὶς περὶ τοῦ παιδὸς οὕτως αὐτὸν ἡδέως διατίθησιν, ὡς εὐθέως καλέσαι πρὸς αὑτόν. τοῦ δὲ ῥίψαντος αὑτὸν ἐπὶ τοὔδαφος καὶ συγγνώμην αἰτουμένου τῶν ἡμαρτημένων ἀνίστησί τε καὶ τῶν γεγονότων ἀμνηστίαν ἐπαγγέλλεται.
194. NOW Absalom, upon this his success with the king, procured to himself a great many horses, and many chariots, and that in a little time also. He had moreover fifty armor-bearers that were about him; and he came early every day to the king’s palace, and spake what was agreeable to such as came for justice and lost their causes, as if that happened for want of good counselors about the king, or perhaps because the judges mistook in that unjust sentence they gave; whereby he gained the good-will of them all. He told them, that had he but such authority committed to him, he would distribute justice to them in a most equitable manner. When he had made himself so popular among the multitude, he thought he had already the good-will of the people secured to him; but when four years had passed since his father’s reconciliation to him, he came to him, and besought him to give him leave to go to Hebron, and pay a sacrifice to God, because he vowed it to him when he fled out of the country. So when David had granted his request, he went thither, and great multitudes came running together to him, for he had sent to a great number so to do.
194. Ὁ δὲ Ἀψάλωμος τοιούτων αὐτῷ τῶν παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀποβάντων πολλοὺς μὲν ἵππους ἐν ὀλίγῳ πάνυ χρόνῳ πολλὰ δʼ ἅρματα ἐκέκτητο, καὶ ὁπλοφόροι περὶ αὐτὸν ἦσαν πεντήκοντα· καθʼ ἑκάστην δʼ ἡμέραν ὄρθριος πρὸς τὰ βασίλεια παρεγίνετο καὶ τοῖς ἐπὶ τὰς κρίσεις ἥκουσι καὶ ἐλαττουμένοις πρὸς ἡδονὴν ὁμιλῶν, ὡς παρὰ τὸ μὴ συμβούλους ἀγαθοὺς εἶναι τῷ πατρὶ τάχʼ αὐτῷ καὶ ἀδίκως ἐπταικότων τῶν περὶ τὴν κρίσιν, εὔνοιαν αὑτῷ παρὰ πάντων κατεσκεύαζε λέγων, ὡς αὐτὸς ἂν εἰ ταύτην εἶχε τὴν ἐξουσίαν πολλὴν αὐτοῖς ἐβράβευσεν εὐνομίαν. τούτοις δημαγωγῶν τὸ πλῆθος ὡς βεβαίαν ἤδη τὴν παρὰ τῶν ὄχλων εὔνοιαν ἐνόμιζε, μετὰ δὲ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καταλλαγὴν τεσσάρων ἐτῶν ἤδη διεληλυθότων, ἐδεῖτο προσελθὼν εἰς Γιβρῶνα συγχωρῆσαι πορευθέντι θυσίαν ἀποδοῦναι τῷ θεῷ· φεύγοντα γὰρ αὐτὸν εὔξασθαι. τοῦ δὲ Δαυίδου τὴν ἀξίωσιν ἐφέντος πορεύεται, καὶ πολὺς ἐπισυνέρρευσεν ὄχλος ἐπὶ πολλοὺς αὐτοῦ διαπέμψαντος.
197. Among them came Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counsellor of David’s, and two hundred men out of Jerusalem itself, who knew not his intentions, but were sent for as to a sacrifice. So he was appointed king by all of them, which he obtained by this stratagem. As soon as this news was brought to David, and he was informed of what he did not expect from his son, he was aftrighted at this his impious and bold undertaking, and wondered that he was so far from remembering how his offense had been so lately forgiven him, that he undertook much worse and more wicked enterprises; first, to deprive him of that kingdom which was given him of God; and secondly, to take away his own father’s life. He therefore resolved to fly to the parts beyond Jordan: so he called his most intimate friends together, and communicated to them all that he had heard of his son’s madness. He committed himself to God, to judge between them about all their actions; and left the care of his royal palace to his ten concubines, and went away from Jerusalem, being willingly accompanied by the rest of the multitude, who went hastily away with him, and particularly by those six hundred armed men, who had been with him from his first flight in the days of Saul. But he persuaded Abiathar and Zadok, the high priests, who had determined to go away with him, as also all the Levites, who were with the ark, to stay behind, as hoping that God would deliver him without its removal; but he charged them to let him know privately how all things went on; and he had their sons, Ahimmaz the son of Zadok, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, for faithful ministers in all things; but Ittai the Gitrite went out with him whether David would let him or not, for he would.have persuaded him to stay, and on that account he appeared the more friendly to him. But as he was ascending the Mount of Olives barefooted, and all his company were in tears, it was told him that Ahithophel was with Absalom, and was of his side. This hearing augmented his grief; and he besought God earnestly to alienate the mind of Absalom from Ahithophel, for he was afraid that he should persuade him to follow his pernicious counsel, for he was a prudent man, and very sharp in seeing what was advantageous. When David was gotten upon the top of the mountain, he took a view of the city; and prayed to God with abundance of tears, as having already lost his kingdom; and here it was that a faithful friend of his, whose name was Hushai, met him. When David saw him with his clothes rent, and having ashes all over his head, and in lamentation for the great change of affairs, he comforted him, and exhorted him to leave off grieving; nay, at length he besought him to go back to Absalom, and appear as one of his party, and to fish out the secretest counsels of his mind, and to contradict the counsels of Ahithophel, for that he could not do him so much good by being with him as he might by being with Absalom. So he was prevailed on by David, and left him, and came to Jerusalem, whither Absalom himself came also a little while afterward.
197. Παρῆν δὲ καὶ ὁ Δαυίδου σύμβουλος ὁ Γελμωναῖος Ἀχιτόφελος καὶ διακόσιοί τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν Ἱεροσολύμων οὐκ εἰδότες μὲν τὴν ἐπιχείρησιν, ὡς δʼ ἐπὶ θυσίαν μετεσταλμένοι· καὶ βασιλεὺς ὑπὸ πάντων ἀποδείκνυται τοῦτο γενέσθαι στρατηγήσας. ὡς δʼ ἀπηγγέλη ταῦτα Δαυίδῃ καὶ παρʼ ἐλπίδας αὐτῷ τὰ παρὰ τοῦ παιδὸς ἠκούσθη, δείσας ἅμα καὶ τῆς ἀσεβείας καὶ τῆς τόλμης αὐτὸν θαυμάσας, ὅτι μηδὲ τῆς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις συγγνώμης ἐμνημόνευσεν, ἀλλʼ ἐκείνων πολὺ χείροσι καὶ παρανομωτέροις ἐπεβάλετο βασιλείᾳ πρῶτον μὲν ὑπὸ θεοῦ οὐ δεδομένῃ, δεύτερον δὲ ἐπʼ ἀφαιρέσει τοῦ γεγεννηκότος, ἔγνω φεύγειν εἰς τὰ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου. καὶ συγκαλέσας τῶν φίλων τοὺς ἐπιτηδειοτάτους καὶ περὶ τῆς τοῦ παιδὸς ἀπονοίας κοινολογησάμενος αὐτοῖς καὶ περὶ πάντων ἐπιτρέψας κριτῇ τῷ θεῷ, καταλιπὼν τὰ βασίλεια φυλάσσειν δέκα παλλακίσιν ἀπῆρεν ἐκ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων, τοῦ τε ἄλλου πλήθους αὐτῷ συνεξορμήσαντος καὶ τῶν ἑξακοσίων ὁπλιτῶν, οἳ καὶ τῆς πρώτης φυγῆς ἐκοινώνουν, ὅτʼ ἔζη Σαοῦλος. τὸν δὲ Ἀβιάθαρον καὶ Σάδωκον τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς συναπαίρειν διεγνωκότας καὶ Λευίτας ἅπαντας μετὰ τῆς κιβωτοῦ μένειν ἔπεισεν, ὡς τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ μὴ μετακομιζομένης αὐτῆς ῥυσομένου. ἐνετείλατο δʼ ἕκαστα τῶν γινομένων λάθρα διαγγέλλειν αὐτῷ· πιστοὺς δʼ ἔσχε πρὸς πάντα διακόνους παῖδας Ἀχίμανον μὲν Σαδώκου Ἰωνάθην δὲ Ἀβιαθάρου. Ἔθις δʼ ὁ Γιτταῖος συνεξώρμησεν αὐτῷ βιασάμενος τὴν Δαυίδου βούλησιν, μένειν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἀνέπειθε, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μᾶλλον εὔνους αὐτῷ κατεφάνη. ἀναβαίνοντος δʼ αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦ Ἐλαιῶνος ὄρους γυμνοῖς τοῖς ποσὶ καὶ πάντων σὺν αὐτῷ δακρυόντων, ἀγγέλλεται καὶ ὁ Ἀχιτόφελος συνὼν τῷ Ἀψαλώμῳ καὶ τὰ τούτου φρονῶν. ἐπέτεινε δʼ αὐτῷ τὸ λυπηρὸν τοῦτʼ ἀκουσθέν, καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἐπεκαλεῖτο δεόμενος ἀπαλλοτριῶσαι τὴν Ἀψαλώμου διάνοιαν πρὸς τὸν Ἀχιτόφελον. ἐδεδίει γάρ, μὴ τἀναντία συμβουλεύων πείσειεν αὐτὸν ἀνὴρ ὢν φρενήρης καὶ συνιδεῖν τὸ λυσιτελὲς ὀξύτατος. γενόμενος δʼ ἐπὶ τῆς κορυφῆς τοῦ ὄρους ἀπεσκόπει τὴν πόλιν καὶ μετὰ πολλῶν δακρύων ὡς ἂν βασιλείας ἐκπεσὼν ηὔχετο τῷ θεῷ· συνήντησε δʼ αὐτῷ φίλος ἀνὴρ καὶ βέβαιος Χουσὶς ὄνομα. τοῦτον ὁρῶν τὴν ἐσθῆτα κατερρηγμένον καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν σποδοῦ πλήρη καὶ θρηνοῦντα τὴν μεταβολὴν παρηγορεῖ καὶ παύσασθαι τῆς λύπης παρακαλεῖ καὶ τέλος ἱκέτευσεν ἀπελθόντα πρὸς Ἀψάλωμον ὡς τὰ ἐκείνου φρονοῦντα τά τε ἀπόρρητα τῆς διανοίας αὐτοῦ κατανοεῖν καὶ ταῖς Ἀχιτοφέλου συμβουλίαις ἀντιπράσσειν· οὐ γὰρ τοσοῦτον ὠφελήσειν αὐτῷ συνερχόμενον, ὅσον παρʼ ἐκείνῳ γενόμενον. καὶ ὁ μὲν πεισθεὶς τῷ Δαυίδῃ, καταλιπὼν αὐτὸν ἧκεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα· ἀφικνεῖται δʼ εἰς αὐτὰ μετʼ οὐ πολὺ καὶ Ἀψάλωμος.