The Daily Audio Bible

18 Therefore David, when he had beheld his people, ordained chieftains of thousands, and (chieftains) of hundreds upon them.

² And he gave the third part of the people under the hand of Joab; and the third part under the hand of Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab; and the third part under the hand of Ittai, that was of Gath. And the king said to the people, Also I shall go out with you. (And he sent out a third part of the people under Joab’s command; and a third part under Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother; and a third part under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the people, And I shall go out with all of you.)

³ And the people answered, Thou shalt not go out; for whether we flee, it shall not pertain to them by great work of us; whether half the part fall down of us, they shall not reckon (it) enough, for thou art reckoned for ten thousand; therefore it is better, that thou be to us in the city in strong succour. (And the people answered, Thou shalt not go out with us; for if we flee, it shall not pertain to them to make any great effort against us; and even if half of us shall fall down, or shall die, they shall not reckon it enough/they shall not reckon it much, for thou art reckoned for ten thousand; and so it is better for us, if thou be in the city, and support us from here.)

⁴ And the king said to them, I shall do that, that seemeth rightful to you. Therefore the king stood beside the gate, and the people went out by their companies, by hundreds, and by thousands.

⁵ And the king commanded to Joab, and to Abishai, and to Ittai, and said, Keep ye to me the child Absalom. And all the people heard the king commanding to all the princes for Absalom. (And the king commanded to Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, and said, For my sake, do not ye harm the young man Absalom. And all the people heard the king commanding to all his officers about Absalom.)

⁶ Therefore the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was made in the forest of Ephraim.

⁷ And the people of Israel was slain there of the host of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand was made in that day. (And many Israelites were killed there by David’s army, yea, there was a great slaughter of twenty thousand that day.)

⁸ And the battle was scattered there upon the face of all the land, and many more were of the people which the forest wasted, than they which the sword devoured in that day. (And the battle there was scattered over all the countryside, and the forest killed many more people that day, than they whom the sword devoured.)

⁹ Soothly it befelled, that Absalom, sitting on a mule, came against the servants of David; and when the mule had entered under a thick oak, and great, the head of Absalom cleaved to the oak; and when he was hanged betwixt heaven and earth, the mule, on which he sat, passed (forth). (And it befell, that Absalom, sitting on a mule, came toward David’s men; and when the mule had entered under a great thick oak, Absalom’s head got caught in the branches; and while he hung in the air above the ground, the mule, on which he sat, went forth.)

¹⁰ And some man saw this, and told it to Joab, and said, I saw Absalom hanged on an oak (and said, I saw Absalom hung up in an oak).

¹¹ And Joab said to the man that told to him, If thou saw him, why piercedest thou not him through to the earth, and I should have given to thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle? (And Joab said to the man who told him this, If thou saw him thus, why didest thou not pierce him through to the ground, and then I would have gladly given thee ten silver shekels, and a girdle.)

¹² And he said to Joab, Though thou paidest in mine hands a thousand pieces of silver, I would not send mine hand into the son of the king; for while we heard, the king commanded to thee, and to Abishai, and to Ittai, and said, Keep ye to me the child Absalom. (And he said to Joab, Though thou paidest me a thousand pieces of silver, I would not raise my hand against the king’s son; for while we heard, the king commanded to thee, and to Abishai, and to Ittai, and said, For my sake, do not ye harm the young man Absalom.)

¹³ But and though I had done fool hardily against my life (But if I had acted so foolishly against my own life), this might not be hid from the king, and thou wouldest stand on the contrary side.

¹⁴ And Joab said, Not as thou wilt, but I shall assail him before thee. Therefore Joab took three spears in his hand, and fixed those in(to) the heart of Absalom. And when he sprawled, yet cleaving in the oak (And yet while he sprawled, still caught up in the oak),

¹⁵ ten young squires of Joab ran, and smote, and killed him. (ten young squires of Joab ran over to him, and struck, or stabbed, and killed him.)

¹⁶ And Joab trumped with a clarion, and held with him the people, lest it pursued Israel fleeing, and he would spare the multitude. (And then Joab sounded with a trumpet, to hold back the army with him, lest they pursued the men of Israel fleeing away, for he would spare the multitude.)

¹⁷ And they took Absalom, and casted forth him into a great ditch in the forest, and bare together a full great heap of stones on him; and all Israel fled into their tabernacles. (And they took Absalom’s body, and threw it forth into a great ditch in the forest, and put a great heap of stones on it; and all Israel fled back to their homes.)

¹⁸ Forsooth Absalom, while he lived yet, had raised to him a memorial, which is in the valley of the king; for he said, I have no son, and this shall be the mind of my name; and he called the memorial by his name, and it is called The Hand, that is, (the) Work, of Absalom, till to this day. (And Absalom, while yet he lived, had raised up a memorial to himself, in the King’s Valley; for he said, I have no son, and this shall be in remembrance of my name; and he called the memorial after his own name, and unto this day it is still called The Work of Absalom.)

¹⁹ And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, I shall run, and I shall tell to the king, that the Lord hath made doom to him of the hand of his enemies. (And Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said, I shall run, and I shall tell the king, that the Lord hath made judgement for him, that is, hath avenged him, upon his enemies.)

²⁰ To whom Joab said, Thou shalt not be a messenger in this day, but thou shalt tell in another day; I will not that thou tell this today, for the son of the king is dead (I do not desire that thou tell this news today, for the king’s son is dead).

²¹ And Joab said to Cushi, Go thou, and tell to the king those things that thou hast seen. Cushi worshipped Joab, and ran forth (Cushi bowed to Joab, and ran off).

²² And again Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, said to Joab, What hindereth, if also I run after Cushi? And Joab said to him, What wilt thou run, my son? Come thou hither, thou shalt not be a bearer of good message (And Joab said to him, Why would thou run, my son? It is better to stay here, for thou shalt not be a bearer of good news).

²³ The which answered, But what if I shall run? And Joab said to him, (Then) Run thou. Therefore Ahimaaz ran by the way of shortness, and speed, and passed Cushi.

²⁴ And David sat betwixt (the) two gates; soothly the espyer, that was in the highness of the gate on the wall, raised up his eyes, and he saw a man alone running; (And David sat between the two gates of the city; and the watchman, who was on the roof of the gate by the wall, raised up his eyes, and he saw a man running alone;)

²⁵ and the espyer cried, and showed to the king. And the king said to him, If he is alone, good message is in his mouth. But while he hasted, and nighed near, (and the watchman cried aloud, and told the king. And the king said to himself, If he is alone, then he hath good news. But while he hastened, and drew near,)

²⁶ the espyer saw another man running; and the espyer cried on high, and said, Another man running alone appeareth to me. And the king said to him, And this man is a good messenger. (the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman cried out on high, and said, Another man also running alone appeareth to me. And the king said to himself, This man must also have good news.)

²⁷ Soothly the espyer said (And the watchman said), I behold the running of the former, as the running of Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok. And the king said, He is a good man, and he cometh bringing a good message.

²⁸ And Ahimaaz cried, and said to the king, Hail king! And he worshipped the king lowly before him to the earth, and said, Blessed be thy Lord God, that hath closed together the men, that raised their hands against my lord the king. (And Ahimaaz cried out, and said to the king, Hail king! And honouring the king, he bowed low to the ground before him, and said, Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath given thee victory over the men who raised up their hands, that is, who rebelled, against my lord the king.)

²⁹ And the king said, Whether peace is to the child Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw, that is, I heard, a great noise, when Joab, thy servant, thou king, sent me, thy servant; I know none other thing. (And the king said, Is all well with the young man Absalom? And Ahimaaz said, I saw a great tumult/I heard a great noise, when thy servant Joab, O king, sent me, thy servant; I know nothing else.)

³⁰ To whom the king said, Pass thou, and stand here. And when he had passed, and stood, (To whom the king said, Stand thou over there. And when he had stepped aside, and stood in silence,)

³¹ Cushi appeared; and he came and said, My lord the king, I bring good message; for the Lord hath deemed today for thee of the hand of all men that rised against thee. (Cushi appeared; and he came and said, My lord the king, I bring good news; for the Lord hath given thee victory today over all the men who rebelled against thee.)

³² And the king said to Cushi, Whether peace is to the child Absalom? To whom Cushi answered, and said, The enemies of my lord the king, and all men that rise against him into evil, be made as the child. (And the king said to Cushi, Is all well with the young man Absalom? To whom Cushi answered, May all the enemies of my lord the king, and all the men who rebel against him, be made like that young man!)

³³ Therefore the king was sorry, and went up into the solar of the gate, and he wept, and spake thus going (And so the king was deeply grieved, and went up to the roof of the gate, and as he went, he wept, and spoke thus), My son, Absalom! Absalom, my son! who giveth to me, that I die for thee? Absalom, my son! my son, Absalom!

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.

20 And in one day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the grave, when it was yet dark^[a]. And she saw the stone moved away from the grave.

² Therefore she ran, and came to Simon Peter, and to another disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith to them, They have taken the Lord from the grave, and we know not, where they have laid him.

³ Therefore Peter went out, and that other disciple, and they came to the grave.

⁴ And they twain ran together [Forsooth they two ran together], and that other disciple ran before Peter, and came first to the grave.

⁵ And when he stooped, he saw the sheets lying, nevertheless he entered not [in].

⁶ Therefore Simon Peter came following him, and he entered into the grave, and he saw the sheets laid,

⁷ and the sudarium that was on his head, not laid with the sheets, but by itself wrapped into a place.

⁸ Therefore then [and] that disciple that came first to the grave, entered, and saw, and believed.

⁹ For they knew not yet the scripture, that it behooved him to rise again from death.^[b]

¹⁰ Therefore the disciples went again to themselves.

¹¹ But Mary stood at the grave withoutforth weeping. And while she wept, she bowed her(self), and beheld forth into the grave.

¹² And she saw two angels sitting in white, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus was laid.

¹³ And they say to her, Woman, what weepest thou? She said to them, For they have taken away my Lord, and I know not, where they have laid him.

¹⁴ When she had said these things, she turned backward [she turned aback], and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

¹⁵ Jesus saith to her, Woman, what weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She guessing that he was the gardener, saith to him, Sire, if thou hast taken him up, say to me, where thou hast laid him, and I shall take him away.

¹⁶ Jesus saith to her, Mary. She turned, and saith to him, Rabboni, that is to say, Master.

¹⁷ Jesus saith to her, Do not thou touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God [and say to them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God].

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene came, telling to the disciples, That I saw the Lord, and these things he said to me.

¹⁹ Therefore when it was even in that day [Therefore when eventide was in that day], [in] one of the sabbaths, and the gates were shut, where the disciples were gathered, for dread of the Jews, Jesus came, and stood in the middle of the disciples, and he saith to them, Peace to you [and said to them, Peace be to you].

²⁰ And when he had said this, he showed to them [his] hands and side; therefore the disciples joyed, for the Lord was seen.

²¹ And he saith to them again, Peace to you; as the Father sent me, I send you. [Therefore he said to them again, Peace to you; as the Father hath sent me, and I send you.]

²² When he had said this, he blew on them, and said, Take ye the Holy Ghost;

²³ whose sins ye forgive, those be forgiven to them [they be forgiven]; and whose sins ye withhold, those be withheld [they be withholden].

²⁴ But Thomas, one of the twelve, that is said Didymus, was not with them, when Jesus came.

²⁵ Therefore the other disciples said, We have seen the Lord. And he said to them, But I see in his hands the printing of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put mine hand into his side, I shall not believe. [Forsooth he said to them, No but I shall see in his hands the fixing of nails, and shall send my finger into the places of the nails, and shall send mine hand into his side, I shall not believe.]

²⁶ And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, while the gates were shut [Jesus came, the gates shut], and stood in the middle, and said, Peace to you.

²⁷ Afterward he saith to Thomas, Put in here thy finger, and see mine hands, and put hither thine hand, and put [it] into my side [Bring in hither thy finger, and see mine hands, and bring to thine hand, and send, or put, it into my side], and do not thou be unbelieveful, but faithful.

²⁸ Thomas answered, and said to him, My Lord and my God.

²⁹ Jesus saith to him, Thomas, for thou hast seen me, thou believedest; blessed be they, that saw not, and have believed.

³⁰ And Jesus did many other signs in the sight of his disciples, which be not written in this book. [Forsooth and many other signs Jesus did in the sight of his disciples, the which be not written in this book.]

³¹ But these be written, that ye believe, that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, and that ye believing have life in his name.

¹⁵³ [Resh]. See thou my meekness, and deliver thou me; for I forgat not thy law. (See thou my troubles, and save thou me; for I have not forgotten thy Law.)

¹⁵⁴ Deem thou my doom, and again-buy thou me; quicken me for thy speech. (Judge thou my case, and buy thou me back, that is, rescue me; yea, grant thou me life according to thy word, or thy promise.)

¹⁵⁵ Health is far from sinners; for they sought not thy justifyings. (Salvation is far from sinners; for they did not search out thy statutes/for they do not obey thy laws.)

¹⁵⁶ Lord, thy mercies be many; quicken thou me by thy doom. (Lord, thy constant love is great; grant thou me life according to thy judgement./Lord, thy mercy is great; grant thou me life by thy decree.)

¹⁵⁷ They be many that pursue me, and do tribulation to me; I bowed not away from thy witnessings. (There be many who persecute me, and give me trouble; but I have not turned away from thy teachings.)

¹⁵⁸ I saw breakers of the law, and I was melted, either languished; for they kept not thy speeches. (I saw the law-breakers, and I was greatly distressed; for they did not obey thy words, or thy commands.)

¹⁵⁹ Lord, see thou, for I loved thy commandments; quicken thou me in thy mercy. (Lord, see thou, how I love thy precepts; grant thou me life according to thy love.)

¹⁶⁰ The beginning of thy word is truth; all the dooms of thy rightwiseness be [into] without end. (The beginning of thy word is truth; and all thy righteous judgements be forever.)

¹⁶¹ [Schin]. Princes pursued me without cause; and my heart dreaded of thy words. (The rulers persecuted me for no reason; but my heart is in awe of thy words.)

¹⁶² I shall be glad on thy speeches; as he that findeth many spoils. (I shall be glad, or rejoice, in thy words; yea, like he who findeth much prey.)

¹⁶³ I hated and loathed wickedness; forsooth I loved thy law. (I hate and loathe all lies; but I love thy Law.)

¹⁶⁴ I said praisings to thee seven times in the day; on the dooms of thy rightfulness. (Seven times a day I praise thee; for thy righteous judgements/for thy rightful decrees.)

¹⁶⁵ Much peace is to them that love thy law; and no cause of stumbling is to them. (There is much peace for those who love thy Law; and they have no reason to slip, or to stumble.)

¹⁶⁶ Lord, I abode thine health; and I loved thy behests. (Lord, I wait for thy salvation, or thy deliverance; and I follow thy commandments.)

¹⁶⁷ My soul kept thy witnessings; and loved those greatly. (I obey thy teachings; and I love them so very much.)

¹⁶⁸ I kept thy commandments, and thy witnessings; for all my ways be in thy sight. (I obey thy precepts, and thy teachings; and all my ways be before thee.)

¹⁶⁹ [Tau]. Lord, my beseeching come nigh in thy sight; by thy speech give thou understanding to me. (Lord, let my plea come before thee; give thou me understanding of thy word/give thou me understanding according to thy word.)

¹⁷⁰ Mine asking enter into thy sight; by thy speech deliver thou me. (Let my asking come before thee; save thou me according to thy word.)

¹⁷¹ My lips shall tell out an hymn; when thou hast taught me thy justifyings. (My lips shall tell out thy praises/My lips shall praise thee; because thou hast taught me thy statutes.)

¹⁷² My tongue shall pronounce thy speech; for why all thy commandments be equity. (My tongue shall tell out thy word; for all thy commandments be just, or fair.)

¹⁷³ Thine hand be made, that it save me; for I have chosen thy behests. (Let thy hand swiftly save me; for I have chosen thy precepts.)

¹⁷⁴ Lord, I coveted thine health; and thy law is my thinking. (Lord, I desire thy salvation, or thy deliverance; and thy Law is my delight.)

¹⁷⁵ My soul shall live, and it shall praise thee; and thy dooms shall help me. (Let me live, and I shall praise thee; and let thy judgements help me/and let thy decrees guide me.)

¹⁷⁶ I erred as a sheep that perished; Lord, seek thy servant, for I forgat not thy commandments. (I have wandered about like a lost sheep; Lord, search for thy servant, for I have not forgotten thy commandments.)

¹⁴ [The] Indignation of the king is (like) messengers of death; and a wise man shall please him (but a wise person shall please him).

¹⁵ Life is in gladness of the king’s cheer; and his mercy is as rain coming late. (Life is in the gladness of the king’s face; and his mercy is like the rain that cometh late.)