2 समूएल 20

1And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Seba, the son of Bochri, a man of Jemini: and he sounded the trumpet, and said: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai: return to thy dwellings, O Israel.

2And all Israel departed from David, and followed Seba the son of Bochri: but the men of Juda stuck to their king from the Jordan unto Jerusalem.

3And when the king was come into his house at Jerusalem, he took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, allowing them provisions: and he went not in unto them, but they were shut up unto the day of their death living in widowhood.

4And the king said to Amasa: Assemble to me all the men of Juda against the third day, and be thou here present.

5So Amasa went to assemble the men of Juda, but he tarried beyond the set time which the king had appointed him.

6And David said to Abisai: Now will Seba the son of Bochri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou therefore the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he find fenced cities, and escape us.

7So Joab’s men went out with him, and the Cerethi and the Phelethi: and all the valiant men went out of Jerusalem to pursue after Seba the son of Bochri.

8And when they were at the great stone which is in Gabaon, Amasa coming met them. And Joab had on a close coat of equal length with his habit, and over it was girded with a sword hanging down to his flank, in a scabbard, made in such manner as to come out with the least motion and strike.

9And Joab said to Amasa: God save thee, my brother. And he took Amasa by the chin with his right hand to kiss him.

10But Amasa did not take notice of the sword, which Joab had, and he struck him in the side, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and gave him not a second wound, and he died. And Joab, and Abisai his brother pursued after Seba the son of Bochri.

11In the mean time some men of Joab’s company stopping at the dead body of Amasa, said: Behold he that would have been in Joab’s stead the companion of David.

12And Amasa imbrued with blood, lay in the midst of the way. A certain man saw this that all the people stood still to look upon him, so he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and covered him with a garment, that they who passed might not stop on his account.

13And when he was removed out of the way, all the people went on following Joab to pursue after Seba the son of Bochri.

14Now he had passed through all the tribes of Israel unto Abela and Bethmaacha: and all the chosen men were gathered together unto him.

15And they came, and besieged him in Abela, and in Bethmaacha, and they cast up works round the city, and the city was besieged: and all the people that were with Joab, laboured to throw down the walls.

16And a wise woman cried out from the city: Hear, hear, and say to Joab: Come near hither, and I will speak with thee.

17And when he was come near to her, she said to him: Art thou Joab? And he answered: I am. And she spoke thus to him: Hear the words of thy handmaid. He answered: I do hear.

18And she again said: A saying was used in the old proverb: They that inquire, let them inquire in Abela: and so they made an end.

19Am not I she that answer truth in Israel, and thou seekest to destroy the city, and to overthrow a mother in Israel? Why wilt thou throw down the inheritance of the Lord?

20And Joab answering said: God forbid, God forbid that I should, I do not throw down, nor destroy.

21The matter is not so, but a man of mount Ephraim, Seba the son of Bochri by name, hath lifted up his hand against king David: deliver him only, and we will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab: Behold his head shall be thrown to thee from the wall.

22So she went to all the people, and spoke to them wisely: and they cut off the head of Seba the son of Bochri, and cast it out to Joab. And he sounded the trumpet, and they departed from the city, every one to their home: and Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

23So Joab was over all the army of Israel: and Banaias the son of Joiada was over the Cerethites and Phelethites,

24But Aduram over the tributes: and Josaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.

25And Siva was scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar, priests.

26And Ira the Jairite was the priest of David.

1Accidit quoque ut ibi esset vir Belial, nomine Seba, filius Bochri, vir Jemineus: et cecinit buccina, et ait: Non est nobis pars in David, neque hæreditas in filio Isai: revertere in tabernacula tua, Israël.

2Et separatus est omnis Israël a David, secutusque est Seba filium Bochri: viri autem Juda adhæserunt regi suo a Jordane usque Jerusalem.

3Cumque venisset rex in domum suam in Jerusalem, tulit decem mulieres concubinas quas dereliquerat ad custodiendam domum, et tradidit eas in custodiam, alimenta eis præbens: et non est ingressus ad eas, sed erant clausæ usque in diem mortis suæ in viduitate viventes.

4Dixit autem rex Amasæ: Convoca mihi omnes viros Juda in diem tertium, et tu adesto præsens.

5Abiit ergo Amasa ut convocaret Judam, et moratus est extra placitum quod ei constituerat rex.

6Ait autem David ad Abisai: Nunc magis afflicturus est nos Seba filius Bochri quam Absalom: tolle igitur servos domini tui, et persequere eum, ne forte inveniat civitates munitas, et effugiat nos.

7Egressi sunt ergo cum eo viri Joab, Cerethi quoque et Phelethi: et omnes robusti exierunt de Jerusalem ad persequendum Seba filium Bochri.

8Cumque illi essent juxta lapidem grandem qui est in Gabaon, Amasa veniens occurrit eis. Porro Joab vestitus erat tunica stricta ad mensuram habitus sui, et desuper accinctus gladio dependente usque ad ilia, in vagina, qui fabricatus levi motu egredi poterat, et percutere.

9Dixit itaque Joab ad Amasam: Salve mi frater. Et tenuit manu dextera mentum Amasæ, quasi osculans eum.

10Porro Amasa non observavit gladium quem habebat Joab: qui percussit eum in latere, et effudit intestina ejus in terram, nec secundum vulnus apposuit: et mortuus est. Joab autem, et Abisai frater ejus, persecuti sunt Seba filium Bochri.

11Interea quidam viri, cum stetissent juxta cadaver Amasæ, de sociis Joab, dixerunt: Ecce qui esse voluit pro Joab comes David.

12Amasa autem conspersus sanguine jacebat in media via. Vidit hoc quidam vir, quod subsisteret omnis populus ad videndum eum, et amovit Amasam de via in agrum, operuitque eum vestimento, ne subsisterent transeuntes propter eum.

13Amoto ergo illo de via, transibat omnis vir sequens Joab ad persequendum Seba filium Bochri.

14Porro ille transierat per omnes tribus Israël in Abelam et Bethmaacha: omnesque viri electi congregati fuerant ad eum.

15Venerunt itaque, et oppugnabant eum in Abela et in Bethmaacha, et circumdederunt munitionibus civitatem, et obsessa est urbs: omnis autem turba quæ erat cum Joab, moliebatur destruere muros.

16Et exclamavit mulier sapiens de civitate: Audite, audite: dicite Joab: Appropinqua huc, et loquar tecum.

17Qui cum accessisset ad eam, ait illi: Tu es Joab? Et ille respondit: Ego. Ad quem sic locuta est: Audi sermones ancillæ tuæ. Qui respondit: Audio.

18Rursumque illa: Sermo, inquit, dicebatur in veteri proverbio: Qui interrogant, interrogent in Abela: et sic perficiebant.

19Nonne ego sum quæ respondeo veritatem in Israël, et tu quæris subvertere civitatem et evertere matrem in Israël? quare præcipitas hæreditatem Domini?

20Respondensque Joab, ait: Absit, absit hoc a me: non præcipito, neque demolior.

21Non sic se habet res, sed homo de monte Ephraim, Seba filius Bochri cognomine, levavit manum suam contra regem David: tradite illum solum, et recedemus a civitate. Et ait mulier ad Joab: Ecce caput ejus mittetur ad te per murum.

22Ingressa est ergo ad omnem populum, et locuta est eis sapienter: qui abscissum caput Seba filii Bochri projecerunt ad Joab. Et ille cecinit tuba, et recesserunt ab urbe, unusquisque in tabernacula sua: Joab autem reversus est Jerusalem ad regem.

23Fuit ergo Joab super omnem exercitum Israël: Banaias autem filius Jojadæ super Cerethæos et Phelethæos:

24Aduram vero super tributa: porro Josaphat filius Ahilud, a commentariis:

25Siva autem, scriba: Sadoc vero et Abiathar, sacerdotes.

26Ira autem Jairites erat sacerdos David.

1And it happened that there was, in that place, a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a man of Benjamin. And he sounded the trumpet, and he said: “There is no portion for us in David, nor any inheritance in the son of Jesse. Return to your own tents, O Israel.”

2And all of Israel separated from David, and they were following Sheba, the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah clung to their king, from the Jordan as far as Jerusalem.

3And when the king had entered his house at Jerusalem, he took the ten women concubines, whom he had left behind to care for the house, and he put them into custody, allowing them provisions. But he did not enter to them. Instead, they were enclosed, even until the day of their deaths, living as widows.

4Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon to me all the men of Judah on the third day, and you shall be present also.”

5Therefore, Amasa went away, so that he might summon Judah. But he delayed beyond the agreed time that the king had appointed to him.

6And David said to Abishai: “Now Sheba, the son of Bichri, will afflict us more so than Absalom did. Therefore, take the servants of your lord, and pursue him, otherwise he may find fortified cities, and escape from us.”

7And so, the men of Joab departed with him, along with the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And all the able-bodied men went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba, the son of Bichri.

8And when they were beside the great stone, which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a close-fitting coat of equal length with his garment. And over these, he was girded with a sword hanging down to his thigh, in a scabbard which was made so that the sword could be removed with the least motion, and then strike.

9Then Joab said to Amasa, “Be well, my brother.” And he held Amasa by the chin with his right hand, as if to kiss him.

10But Amasa did not notice the sword that Joab had. And he struck him in the side, and his intestines poured out to the ground. And he did not inflict a second wound, and he died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba, the son of Bichri.

11Meanwhile, certain men, from the company of Joab, when they had stopped beside the dead body of Amasa, said: “Behold, the one who wished to be in the place of Joab, the companion of David.”

12Now Amasa was covered with blood, and was lying in the middle of the road. A certain man saw this, with all the people standing nearby to look at him, and he removed Amasa from the road into a field. And he covered him with a garment, so that those passing by would not stop because of him.

13Then, when he had been removed from the road, all the men continued on, following Joab in the pursuit of Sheba, the son of Bichri.

14Now he had passed through all the tribes of Israel into Abel and Bethmaacah. And all the elect men had gathered together to him.

15And so, they went and besieged him at Abel and Bethmaacah. And they surrounded the city with siege works, and the city was blockaded. Then the entire crowd who were with Joab strove to destroy the walls.

16And a wise woman exclaimed from the city: “Listen, listen, and say to Joab: Draw near, and I will speak with you.”

17And when he had drawn near to her, she said to him, “Are you Joab?” And he responded, “I am.” And she spoke in this way to him, “Listen to the words of your handmaid.” He responded, “I am listening.”

18And again she spoke: “A word was said in the old proverb, ‘Those who would inquire, let them inquire in Abel.’ And so they would reach a conclusion.

19Am I not the one who responds with the truth in Israel? And yet you are seeking to overthrow the city, and to overturn a mother in Israel! Why would you cast down the inheritance of the Lord?”

20And responding, Joab said: “May this be far, may this be far from me! May I not cast down, and may I not demolish.

21The matter is not as you said. Rather, a man from mount Ephraim, Sheba, the son of Bichri, by name, has lifted up his hand against king David. Deliver him alone, and we will withdraw from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head will be thrown down to you from the wall.’

22Therefore, she entered to all the people, and she spoke to them wisely. And they cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bichri, and they threw it down to Joab. And he sounded the trumpet, and they withdrew from the city, each one to his own tent. But Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

23Thus Joab was over the entire army of Israel. And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over the Cerethites and Phelethites.

24Yet truly, Adoram was over the tributes. And Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the keeper of records.

25Now Sheva was the scribe. And truly Zadok and Abiathar were the priests.

26But Ira, the Jairite, was the priest of David.