Kings II 20

1 And there was a transgressor [so] called there, and his name was Sabee, a Benjamite, the son of Bochori: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we [any] inheritance in the son of Jessae: to thy tents, O Israel, every one.

And there hath been called there a man of worthlessness, and his name [is] Sheba, son of Bichri, a Benjamite, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and saith, 'We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; each to his tents, O Israel.'

2 And all the men of Israel went up from following David after Sabee the son of Bochori: but the men of Juda adhered to their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

And every man of Israel goeth up from after David, after Sheba son of Bichri, and the men of Judah have cleaved to their king, from the Jordan even unto Jerusalem.

3 And David went into his house at Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and he put them in a place of custody, and maintained them, and went not in to them; and they were kept living as widows, till the day of their death.

And David cometh in unto his house at Jerusalem, and the king taketh the ten women-concubines — whom he had left to keep the house, and putteth them in a house of ward, and sustaineth them, and unto them he hath not gone in, and they are shut up unto the day of their death, in widowhood living.

4 And the king said to Amessai, Call to me the men of Juda for three days, and do thou be present here.

And the king saith unto Amasa, 'Call for me the men of Judah [in] three days, and thou, stand here,'

5 And Amessai went to call Juda, and delayed beyond the time which David appointed him.

and Amasa goeth to call Judah, and tarrieth beyond the appointed time that he had appointed him;

6 And David said to Amessai, Now shall Sabee the son of Bochori do us more harm than Abessalom: now then take thou with thee the servants of thy lord, and follow after him, lest he find for himself strong cities, so will he blind our eyes.

and David saith unto Abishai, 'Now doth Sheba son of Bichri do evil to us more than Absalom; thou, take the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he have found for himself fenced cities, and delivered himself [from] our eye.'

7 And there went out after him Amessai and the men of Joab, and the Cherethites, and the Phelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sabee the son of Bochori.

And the men of Joab go out after him, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and all the mighty men, and they go out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri;

8 And they [were] by the great stone that is in Gabaon: and Amessai went in before them: and Joab had upon him a military cloak over his apparel, and over it he was girded with a dagger fastened upon his loins in its scabbard: and the dagger came out, it even came out and fell.

they [are] near the great stone that [is] in Gibeon, and Amasa hath gone before them, and Joab [is] girded; his long robe he hath put on him, and upon it a girdle — a sword [is] fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and he hath gone out, and it falleth.

9 And Joab said to Amessai, Art thou in health, [my] brother? and the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amessai to kiss him.

And Joab saith to Amasa, 'Art thou [in] peace, my brother?' and the right hand of Joab layeth hold on the beard of Amasa to give a kiss to him;

10 And Amessai observed not the dagger that was in the hand of Joab: and Joab smote him with it on the loins, and his bowels were shed out upon the ground, and he did not repeat the blow, and he died: and Joab and Abessai his brother pursued after Sabee the son of Bochori.

and Amasa hath not been watchful of the sword that [is] in the hand of Joab, and he smiteth him with it unto the fifth [rib], and sheddeth out his bowels to the earth, and he hath not repeated [it] to him, and he dieth; and Joab and Abishai his brother have pursued after Sheba son of Bichri.

11 And there stood over him one of the servants of Joab, and said, Who [is] he that is for Joab, and who [is] on the side of David following Joab?

And a man hath stood by him, of the young men of Joab, and saith, 'He who hath delight in Joab, and he who [is] for David — after Joab!'

12 And Amessai [was] weltering in blood in the midst of the way. And a man saw that all the people stood still; and he removed Amessai out of the path into a field, and he cast a garment upon him, because he saw every one that came to him standing still.

And Amasa is rolling himself in blood, in the midst of the highway, and the man seeth that all the people have stood still, and he bringeth round Amasa out of the highway to the field, and casteth over him a garment, when he hath seen that every one who hath come by him — hath stood still.

13 And when he was quickly removed from the road, every man of Israel passed after Joab to pursue after Sabee the son of Bochori.

When he hath been removed out of the highway, every man hath passed on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri.

14 And he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Bethmacha; and all in Charri too were assembled, and followed after him.

And he passeth over through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-Maachah, and to all the Berites, and they are assembled, and go in also after him,

15 And they came and besieged him in Abel and Phermacha: and they raised a mound against the city and it stood close to the wall; and all the people with Joab proposed to throw down the wall.

and they go in and lay siege against him, in Abel of Beth-Maachah, and cast up a mount against the city, and it standeth in a trench, and all the people who are [are] with Joab are destroying, to cause the wall to fall.

16 And a wise woman cried from the wall, and said, Hear, hear; say, I pray ye, to Joab, Draw near hither, and I will speak to him.

And a wise woman calleth out of the city, 'Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, and I speak unto thee.'

17 And he drew nigh to her, and the woman said to him, Art thou Joab? and he said, I [am]. And she said to him, Hear the words of thy handmaid; and Joab said, I do hear.

And he cometh near unto her, and the woman saith, 'Art thou Joab?' and he saith, 'I [am].' And she saith to him, 'Hear the words of thy handmaid;' and he saith, 'I am hearing.'

18 And she spoke, saying, Of old time they said thus, Surely one was asked in Abel, and Dan, whether the faithful in Israel failed in what they purposed; they will surely ask in Abel, even in like manner, whether they have failed.

and she speaketh, saying, 'They spake often in former times, saying, Let them diligently ask at Abel, and so they finished.

19 I am a peaceable one of the strong ones in Israel; but thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother city in Israel: why dost thou seek to ruin the inheritance of the Lord?

I [am] of the peaceable — faithful ones of Israel; thou art seeking to destroy a city, and a mother in Israel; why dost thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?

20 And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should ruin or destroy.

And Joab answereth and saith, 'Far be it — far be it from me; I do not swallow up nor destroy.

21 Is not the case thus, that a man of mount Ephraim, Sabee, son of Bochori by name, has even lifted up his hand against king David? Give him only to me, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

The matter [is] not so; for a man of the hill-country of Ephraim — Sheba son of Bichri his name — hath lifted up his hand against the king, against David; give ye up him by himself, and I go away from the city.' And the woman saith unto Joab, 'Lo, his head is cast unto thee over the wall.'

22 And the woman went in to all the people, and she spoke to all the city in her wisdom; and they took off the head of Sabee the son of Bochori; and took it away and threw it to Joab: and he blew the trumpet, and the people separated from the city away from him, every man to his tent: and Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

And the woman cometh unto all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast [it] unto Joab, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and they are scattered from the city, each to his tents, and Joab hath turned back to Jerusalem unto the king.

23 And Joab [was] over all the forces of Israel: and Banaias the son of Jodae [was] over the Cherethites and over the Phelethites.

And Joab [is] over all the host of Israel, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada [is] over the Cherethite, and over the Pelethite,

24 And Adoniram [was] over the tribute: and Josaphath the son of Achiluth [was] recorder.

and Adoram [is] over the tribute, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud [is] the remembrancer,

25 And Susa [was] scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar [were] priests.

and Sheva [is] scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar [are] priests,

26 Moreover Iras the [son of] Iarin was priest to David.

and also, Ira the Jairite hath been minister to David.