撒母耳记下 20
1 在那里恰巧有一个匪徒，名叫示巴，是便雅悯人比基利的儿子。他吹角，说：“我们与大卫无分，与耶西的儿子无涉。以色列人哪，你们各回各家去吧！”
There happened to be there a wicked fellow, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, 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 于是以色列人都离开大卫，跟随比基利的儿子示巴。但犹大人从约旦河直到耶路撒冷，都紧紧跟随他们的王。
So all the men of Israel went up from following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah joined with their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3 大卫王来到耶路撒冷，进了宫殿，就把从前留下看守宫殿的十个妃嫔禁闭在冷宫，养活她们，不与她们亲近。她们如同寡妇被禁，直到死的日子。
David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in custody and provided them with sustenance, but didn’t go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4 王对亚玛撒说：“你要在三日之内将犹大人招聚了来，你也回到这里来。”
Then the king said to Amasa, “Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be here present.”
5 亚玛撒就去招聚犹大人，却耽延过了王所限的日期。
So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together, but he stayed longer than the set time which had been appointed to him.
6 大卫对亚比筛说：“现在恐怕比基利的儿子示巴加害于我们比押沙龙更甚。你要带领你主的仆人追赶他，免得他得了坚固城，躲避我们。”
David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue after him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.”
7 约押的人和基利提人、比利提人，并所有的勇士，都跟着亚比筛，从耶路撒冷出去追赶比基利的儿子示巴。
Joab’s men went out after him with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
8 他们到了基遍的大磐石那里，亚玛撒来迎接他们。那时约押穿着战衣，腰束佩刀的带子，刀在鞘内；约押前行，刀从鞘内掉出来。
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 along it fell out.
9 约押左手拾起刀来，对亚玛撒说：“我兄弟，你好啊！”就用右手抓住亚玛撒的胡子，要与他亲嘴。
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 亚玛撒没有防备约押手里所拿的刀；约押用刀刺入他的肚腹，他的肠子流在地上，没有再刺他，就死了。 约押和他兄弟亚比筛往前追赶比基利的儿子示巴。
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 didn’t strike him again; and he died. Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
11 有约押的一个少年人站在亚玛撒尸身旁边，对众人说：“谁喜悦约押，谁归顺大卫，就当跟随约押去。”
One of Joab’s young men stood by him, and said, “He who favours Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab!”
12 亚玛撒在道路上滚在自己的血里。那人见众民经过都站住，就把亚玛撒的尸身从路上挪到田间，用衣服遮盖。
Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle 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 尸身从路上挪移之后，众民就都跟随约押去追赶比基利的儿子示巴。
When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
14 他走遍以色列各支派，直到伯·玛迦的亚比拉，并比利人的全地；那些地方的人也都聚集跟随他。
He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, to Beth Maacah, and all the Berites. They were gathered together, and went also after him.
15 约押和跟随的人到了伯·玛迦的亚比拉，围困示巴，就对着城筑垒；跟随约押的众民用锤撞城，要使城塌陷。
They came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.
16 有一个聪明妇人从城上呼叫说：“听啊，听啊，请约押近前来，我好与他说话。”
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 约押就近前来，妇人问他说：“你是约押不是？”他说：“我是。”妇人说：“求你听婢女的话。”约押说：“我听。”
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 servant.” He answered, “I’m listening.”
18 妇人说：“古时有话说，当先在亚比拉求问，然后事就定妥。
Then she spoke, saying, “They used to say in old times, ‘They shall surely ask counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a matter.
19 我们这城的人在以色列人中是和平、忠厚的。你为何要毁坏以色列中的大城，吞灭耶和华的产业呢？”
I am amongst those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the LORD’s inheritance?”
20 约押回答说：“我决不吞灭毁坏，
Joab answered, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
21 乃因以法莲山地的一个人—比基利的儿子示巴—举手攻击大卫王，你们若将他一人交出来，我便离城而去。”妇人对约押说：“那人的首级必从城墙上丢给你。”
The matter is not so. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David. Just deliver him, and I will depart from the city.” The woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
22 妇人就凭她的智慧去劝众人。他们便割下比基利的儿子示巴的首级，丢给约押。约押吹角，众人就离城而散，各归各家去了。约押回耶路撒冷，到王那里。
Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. They cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. He blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23 约押作以色列全军的元帅；耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅统辖基利提人和比利提人；
Now Joab was over all the army of Israel, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites,
24 亚多兰掌管服苦的人；亚希律的儿子约沙法作史官；
Adoram was over the men subject to forced labour, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder,
25 示法作书记；撒督和亚比亚他作祭司长；
Sheva was scribe, Zadok and Abiathar were priests,
26 睚珥人以拉作大卫的宰相。
and Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.
