2 Samuel 20

1 There happened to be there a base fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bikri, a Benjamite: and he blew the trumpet, and said, "We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, Israel."

在那裏恰巧有一個匪徒，名叫示巴，是便雅憫人比基利的兒子。他吹角，說：「我們與大衛無分，與耶西的兒子無涉。以色列人哪，你們各回各家去吧！」

2 So all the men of Israel went up from following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bikri; but the men of Judah joined with their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.

於是以色列人都離開大衛，跟隨比基利的兒子示巴。但猶大人從約旦河直到耶路撒冷，都緊緊跟隨他們的王。

3 David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his secondary wives, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in custody, and provided them with sustenance, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.

大衛王來到耶路撒冷，進了宮殿，就把從前留下看守宮殿的十個妃嬪禁閉在冷宮，養活她們，不與她們親近。她們如同寡婦被禁，直到死的日子。

4 Then the king said to Amasa, "Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be here present."

王對亞瑪撒說：「你要在三日之內將猶大人招聚了來，你也回到這裏來。」

5 So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together; but he stayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

亞瑪撒就去招聚猶大人，卻耽延過了王所限的日期。

6 David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Now then, take your lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and escape out of our sight."

大衛對亞比篩說：「現在恐怕比基利的兒子示巴加害於我們比押沙龍更甚。你要帶領你主的僕人追趕他，免得他得了堅固城，躲避我們。」

7 There went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bikri.

約押的人和基利提人、比利提人，並所有的勇士，都跟着亞比篩，從耶路撒冷出去追趕比基利的兒子示巴。

8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was clothed in his apparel of war that he had put on, and on it was a sash with a sword fastened on his waist in its sheath; and as he went forth it fell out.

他們到了基遍的大磐石那裏，亞瑪撒來迎接他們。那時約押穿着戰衣，腰束佩刀的帶子，刀在鞘內；約押前行，刀從鞘內掉出來。

9 Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

約押左手拾起刀來，對亞瑪撒說：「我兄弟，你好啊！」就用右手抓住亞瑪撒的鬍子，要與他親嘴。

10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand. So he struck him with it in the body, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and did not strike him again; and he died. Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bikri.

亞瑪撒沒有防備約押手裏所拿的刀；約押用刀刺入他的肚腹，他的腸子流在地上，沒有再刺他，就死了。 約押和他兄弟亞比篩往前追趕比基利的兒子示巴。

11 There stood by him one of Joab's young men, and said, "He who favors Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab."

有約押的一個少年人站在亞瑪撒屍身旁邊，對眾人說：「誰喜悅約押，誰歸順大衛，就當跟隨約押去。」

12 Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the midst of the highway. When the man saw that all the people stood still, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a garment over him, when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still.

亞瑪撒在道路上滾在自己的血裏。那人見眾民經過都站住，就把亞瑪撒的屍身從路上挪到田間，用衣服遮蓋。

13 When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bikri.

屍身從路上挪移之後，眾民就都跟隨約押去追趕比基利的兒子示巴。

14 He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth Maacah, and all the Bikrites; and they assembled and followed him.

他走遍以色列各支派，直到伯‧瑪迦的亞比拉，並比利人的全地；那些地方的人也都聚集跟隨他。

15 They came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah, and they built a siege ramp against the city, and it stood against the outer wall; and all the people who were with Joab battered the wall, to bring it down.

約押和跟隨的人到了伯‧瑪迦的亞比拉，圍困示巴，就對着城築壘；跟隨約押的眾民用錘撞城，要使城塌陷。

16 Then a wise woman cried out of the city, "Hear, hear. Please say to Joab, 'Come near here, that I may speak with you.'"

有一個聰明婦人從城上呼叫說：「聽啊，聽啊，請約押近前來，我好與他說話。」

17 He came near to her; and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" He answered, "I am." Then she said to him, "Hear the words of your handmaid." He answered, "I do hear."

約押就近前來，婦人問他說：「你是約押不是？」他說：「我是。」婦人說：「求你聽婢女的話。」約押說：「我聽。」

18 Then she spoke, saying, "They used to say a saying, 'Let them inquire in Abel and in Dan whether

婦人說：「古時有話說，當先在亞比拉求問，然後事就定妥。

19 that which the faithful of Israel established has been carried out.' You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the inheritance of YHWH?"

我們這城的人在以色列人中是和平、忠厚的。你為何要毀壞以色列中的大城，吞滅耶和華的產業呢？」

20 Joab answered, "Far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy.

約押回答說：「我決不吞滅毀壞，

21 The matter is not so. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bikri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city." The woman said to Joab, "Look, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall."

乃因以法蓮山地的一個人－比基利的兒子示巴－舉手攻擊大衛王，你們若將他一人交出來，我便離城而去。」婦人對約押說：「那人的首級必從城牆上丟給你。」

22 Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bikri, and threw it out to Joab. He blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

婦人就憑她的智慧去勸眾人。他們便割下比基利的兒子示巴的首級，丟給約押。約押吹角，眾人就離城而散，各歸各家去了。約押回耶路撒冷，到王那裏。

23 Now Joab was over all the army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites;

約押作以色列全軍的元帥；耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅統轄基利提人和比利提人；

24 and Adoniram was over the men subject to forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

亞多蘭掌管服苦的人；亞希律的兒子約沙法作史官；

25 and Shisha was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

示法作書記；撒督和亞比亞他作祭司長；

26 and also Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.

睚珥人以拉作大衛的宰相。