Ii Samuelis 20

1 Accidit 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.

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."

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

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.

3 Cumque 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

6 Ait 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.

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."

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

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.

8 Cumque 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.

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.

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

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

10 Porro 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.

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.

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

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."

12 Amasa 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

15 Venerunt 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.

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.

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

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

17 Qui 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.

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."

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

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

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

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 Jehovah?"

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

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

21 Non 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.

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."

22 Ingressa 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

26 Ira autem Jairites erat sacerdos David.

and also Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.