Catholic Public Domain Version
"Then too, if I had acted with such audacity, against my own life, this would never have been able to be hidden from the king. And would you then have stood by my side?” "
— 2 Samuel 18:13, Catholic Public Domain Version
“Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.”
“Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hid from the king), then thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me. ”
“Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hidden from the king), then you yourself would have set yourself against me."”
“If I had acted at risk of my own life– and nothing is hidden from the king!– you would have abandoned me.””
“Yea and if I should have acted boldly against my own life, this could not have been hid from the king, and wouldst thou have stood by me?”
“And if I had falsely put him to death (and nothing may be kept secret from the king), you would have had nothing to do with me.”
“Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life: for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me.”
Then a certain one saw this and reported it to Joab, saying, “I saw Absalom hanging from an oak.”
And Joab said to the man who had reported it to him, “If you saw him, why did you not stab him to the ground, and I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a belt?”
And he said to Joab: “Even if you weighed out to my hands one thousand silver coins, I would never lay my hands on the son of the king. For in our hearing the king ordered you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Keep for me the boy Absalom.’
Then too, if I had acted with such audacity, against my own life, this would never have been able to be hidden from the king. And would you then have stood by my side?”
And Joab said, “It will not be as you wish. Instead, I will be assailing him in your sight.” Then he took three lances in his hand, and he fixed them in the heart of Absalom. And while he was still clinging to life upon the oak,
ten young men, armor bearers of Joab, ran up, and striking him, they killed him.
Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and he held back the people, lest they pursue Israel in their flight, for he was willing to spare the multitude.