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But when her brother Absalom heard, he afterward invited the king to a feast; and when he did not come, he asked that at least his brothers come. And when they came, he commanded his servants, and they killed Amnon during the meal itself. When David heard, he mourned greatly, and was angry with Absalom. But he fled; and after three years, when the king's anger subsided, Joab contrived through a Tekoite woman, and persuaded him to bring back Absalom. But when he had returned, his father did not wish to see him immediately, but he was in Jerusalem for two years out of the king's sight. Then he called Joab; but he did not obey. Then he set his field on fire, and so being compelled, he came to Absalom, and being sent by him to the king, he reconciled him, and brought in Absalom. Absalom then made for himself chariots and horses, and receiving with much honor those who came to be judged, he praised them as having just things to say, and pitied them as having no one who could defend them, and he would say: Who will make me a judge in the land? and thus he won over the people. Then Absalom rose up against David; and he, upon hearing, fled from Jerusalem, leaving his concubines in the city. When Ittai wanted to go with him, at first he prevented him, but when he saw him insisting, he permitted it. And when they had crossed the brook, he ordered the priests to return the ark to the city. But he said he would wait for them by the olive tree, if they had any of the king's secrets to report. Hushai met David. And he sent him to oppose Ahithophel, who was counselor to Absalom. And when he himself departed, Ziba came, and after accusing his master Mephibosheth of wanting to be king, he receives 56.347 everything from David. Then Shimei cursed David; but David prevented Abishai, who wanted to kill him. Hushai comes to Absalom, and persuades him to pay him heed, as one who is well-disposed toward him. And when counsel was proposed as to what must be done, Ahithophel advised Absalom to go in to his father's concubines. And he did this on the roof, so that all could see. And he added another opinion, that he should take a thousand with him, and attack David, and kill him. And when Hushai was also called to propose counsel, he overturns Ahithophel's opinion, advising to postpone for a time, and then to attack David with preparation. And this opinion was more pleasing; for it was God's plan. Then Hushai sends word through the sons of the priests, and reports these things to David. But Ahithophel, his counsel having been rejected, hanged himself. Many gifts are brought to David. And having arranged the army, he sent them out, saying: Spare for me the young man Absalom. For they did not allow him to go out. A battle takes place, and with many falling, Absalom is also killed, being caught in a certain tree by his hair. And when he was killed, the war ceased. Joab sends Hushai to announce the victory to David. But he, upon hearing, wept for his son; until Joab entered and changed his mind, and persuaded him to receive the army with a cheerful countenance. The king summoned Israel who had fled, and Abishai persuaded them, who were already so disposed, to submit to David. As he was crossing the Jordan, Shimei came, confessing his sin. But Abishai wished to put him to death, and David prevented him. And Mephibosheth also came, unkempt, dressed in filthy garments, with his mustache untrimmed, showing long fingernails, all of which were signs of the grief that had come upon him because of the war against David. Then he asked why he had not gone with him. And he said that he had asked Ziba his servant to set him on a donkey (for Mephibosheth was lame), but he did not consent. Then he orders him and Ziba to divide the field. And Barzillai, who had supplied him with many things while the war was going on, whom he wished to take with him. But he declined because of

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Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτῆς Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, καλεῖ μετὰ ταῦτα τὸν βασιλέα εἰς ἑστίασιν· ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἦλθεν ἐκεῖνος, ἠξίου τοὺς γοῦν ἀδελφοὺς ἐλθεῖν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἦλθον, παρήγγειλε τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ παισὶν, καὶ ἀνεῖλον ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ἀρίστῳ τὸν Ἀμνῶν. Ὡς δὲ ἤκουσεν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ἐπένθησεν ἱκανῶς, καὶ ὠργίζετο τῷ Ἀβεσσαλώμ. Ὁ δὲ ἀπέδρα· καὶ μετὰ ἔτη τρία, ὅτε καθυφῆκε τῆς ὀργῆς ὁ βασιλεὺς, σοφίζεται Ἰωὰβ διὰ γυναικὸς Θεκωΐτιδος, καὶ πείθει ἐπαναγαγεῖν τὸν Ἀβεσσαλώμ. Ἐπανελθόντα δὲ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν εὐθέως ἰδεῖν ὁ πατὴρ, ἀλλ' ἦν δύο ἔτη ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐξ ὄψεως τοῦ βασιλέως. Τότε καλεῖ τὸν Ἰωάβ· ὁ δὲ οὐχ ὑπήκουσεν. Εἶτα ἐνέπρησεν αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀγρὸν, καὶ οὕτως ἀναγκασθεὶς ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, καὶ ἀποσταλεὶς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, κατήλλαξεν αὐτὸν, καὶ εἰσήγαγε τὸν Ἀβεσσαλώμ. Ἐποίησε δὲ αὐτῷ ἅρματα καὶ ἵππους Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, καὶ τοὺς ἐρχομένους κρίνεσθαι μετὰ πολλῆς ἀποδεχόμενος τιμῆς, ἐπῄνει μὲν ὡς δίκαια λέγειν ἔχοντας, ἐλέει δὲ ὡς οὐδενὸς ὄντος τοῦ ἀμῦναι δυναμένου, καὶ ἔλεγε· Τίς καταστήσει με κριτὴν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; καὶ οὕτως ᾠκειοῦτο τὸν λαόν. Ἐπανίσταται δὲ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ τῷ ∆αυΐδ· ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας ἔφυγεν ἐκ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἀφεὶς τὰς παλλακὰς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ πόλει. Βουλομένου τοῦ Ἔθι συμπορεύεσθαι αὐτῷ, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐκώλυεν, ἐπεὶ δὲ εἶδεν ἐπικείμενον, εἴασεν. Ὡς δὲ διέβησαν τὸν χειμάῤῥουν, προσέταξε τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἀποστρέψαι τὴν κιβωτὸν εἰς τὴν πόλιν. Αὐτὸς δὲ περιμένειν αὐτοὺς ἔφη πρὸς τῇ ἐλαίᾳ, εἴ τι ἔχοιεν τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως ἀποῤῥήτων ἐξειπεῖν. Ἀπαντᾷ τῷ ∆αυῒδ ὁ Χουσί. Ὁ δὲ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν τῷ Ἀχιτόφελ ἐναντιωθησόμενον, ὃς ἦν σύμβουλος τῷ Ἀβεσσαλώμ. Ὡς δὲ ἀπῆλθεν αὐτὸς, ἔρχεται ὁ Σιβᾶ, καὶ κατηγορήσας τοῦ δεσπότου αὐτοῦ Μεμφιβαὰλ, ὡς βουλομένου αὐτοῦ βασιλεῦσαι, λαμβάνει 56.347 πᾶν παρὰ τοῦ ∆αυΐδ. Τότε Σεμεεὶ κατηράσατο τὸν ∆αυΐδ· ὁ δὲ ∆αυῒδ βουλόμενον αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν τὸν Ἀβεσσᾶ διεκώλυσεν. Ἔρχεται ὁ Χουσὶ πρὸς τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, καὶ πείθει αὐτὸν ὡς εὐνοϊκῶς διακείμενος αὐτῷ προσέχειν. Καὶ προκειμένης βουλῆς τίνα δέοι πράττειν, συγγενέσθαι ταῖς παλλακαῖς τοῦ πατρὸς παραινεῖ τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ Ἀχιτόφελ. Καὶ ἐποίησε τοῦτο ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος, ὥστε πάντας ὁρᾷν. Καὶ προστίθησιν ἑτέραν γνώμην, ὥστε λαβεῖν χιλίους μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ἐπιθέσθαι τῷ ∆αυῒδ, καὶ ἀνελεῖν αὐτόν. Ὡς δὲ ἐκλήθη καὶ ὁ Χουσὶ πρὸς τὸ εἰσηγήσασθαι συμβουλὴν, ἀνατρέπει τὴν τοῦ Ἀχιτόφελ γνώμην, τέως μὲν ὑπερθέσθαι παραινῶν, ὕστερον δὲ μετὰ παρασκευῆς ἐπιθέσθαι τῷ ∆αυΐδ. Καὶ ἤρεσε μᾶλλον αὕτη ἡ γνώμη· Θεοῦ γὰρ ἦν ἡ οἰκονομία. Τότε πέμπει διὰ τῶν υἱῶν τῶν ἱερέων, καὶ ἀπαγγέλλει ταῦτα τῷ ∆αυῒδ ὁ Χουσί. Ὁ δὲ Ἀχιτόφελ διαμαρτὼν τῆς γνώμης, ἀπήγξατο. Φέρεται πολλὰ δῶρα τῷ ∆αυΐδ. ∆ιατάξας δὲ τὸ στρατόπεδον, ἐξέπεμψε λέγων· Φείσασθέ μου τοῦ παιδαρίου Ἀβεσσαλώμ. Αὐτὸν γὰρ οὐ συνεχώρησαν ἐξελθεῖν. Γίνεται πόλεμος, καὶ πολλῶν πεσόντων ἀναιρεῖται καὶ ὁ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, προσδεθείς τινι δένδρῳ ἀπὸ τῆς κόμης. Ἀναιρεθέντος δὲ, ἐπαύσατο ὁ πόλεμος. Πέμπει τὸν Χουσὶ ὁ Ἰωὰβ ἀπαγγέλλειν τῷ ∆αυῒδ τὴν νίκην. Ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας ἐθρήνει διὰ τὸν υἱόν· ἕως οὗ εἰσελθὼν ὁ Ἰωὰβ μετέβαλέ τε αὐτὸν, καὶ ἔπεισε δέξασθαι τὸ στρατόπεδον φαιδρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ. Φυγόντα τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ὅ τε βασιλεὺς προσεκαλεῖτο, ὅ τε Ἀβεσσᾶ προῃρημένους αὐτοὺς ἤδη ἔπεισεν ὑποταγῆναι τῷ ∆αυΐδ. Ὡς διέβαινε τὸν Ἰορδάνην ἦλθεν ὁ Σεμεεὶ, ὁμολογῶν αὑτοῦ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Ἐβούλετο δὲ αὐτὸν θανατῶσαι ὁ Ἀβεσσᾶ, καὶ διεκώλυσεν ὁ ∆αυΐδ. Ἦλθε δὲ καὶ ὁ Μεμφιβαὰλ αὐχμῶν, ῥυπαρὰ ἐνδεδυμένος ἱμάτια, κομῶν τὸν μύστακα, ὄνυχας μεγάλους ἐπιδεικνὺς, πάντα ἅπερ ἦν λύπης σημεῖα τῆς γενομένης αὐτῷ διὰ τὸν πόλεμον τὸν κατὰ τοῦ ∆αυΐδ. Εἶτα ὁ μὲν ἠρώτα, διὰ τί μὴ ἐπορεύθη μετ' αὐτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ ἔφη ἠξιωκέναι τὸν Σιβὰ τὸν οἰκέτην αὐτοῦ ὥστε ἐπιβιβάσαι αὐτὸν ὑποζυγίῳ (καὶ γὰρ ἦν χωλὸς ὁ Μεμφιβαὰλ), μὴ ἀνασχέσθαι δὲ ἐκεῖνον. Τότε κελεύει αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν Σιβὰ διελέσθαι τὸν ἀγρόν. Καὶ τὸν Βερζελλὶ, ὃς ἐχορήγησεν αὐτῷ πολλὰ τοῦ πολέμου συνεστῶτος, ὃν ἐβούλετο μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ λαβεῖν. Ὁ δὲ παρῃτήσατο διὰ τὸ