2 Samuel 20
1 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!”
Accidit quoque ut ibi esset vir Belial, nomine Seba, filius Bochri, vir Iemineus: et cecinit buccina, et ait: Non est nobis pars in David, neque hereditas in filio Isai: revertere in tabernacula tua Israel.
2 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.
Et separatus est omnis Israel a David, secutusque est Seba filium Bochri: viri autem Iuda adhæserunt regi suo a Iordane usque Ierusalem.
3 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 did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.
Cumque venisset rex in domum suam in Ierusalem, 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.
4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be here present.”
Dixit autem rex Amasæ: Convoca mihi omnes viros Iuda in diem tertium, et tu adesto præsens.
5 So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together, but he stayed longer than the set time which had been appointed to him.
Abiit ergo Amasa ut convocaret Iudam, et moratus est extra placitum quod ei constituerat rex.
6 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.”
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.
7 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.
Egressi sunt ergo cum eo viri Ioab, Cerethi quoque et Phelethi: et omnes robusti exierunt de Ierusalem ad persequendum Seba filium Bochri.
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 along it fell out.
Cumque illi essent iuxta lapidem grandem, qui est in Gabaon, Amasa veniens occurrit eis. Porro Ioab 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.
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.
Dixit itaque Ioab ad Amasam: Salve mi frater. Et tenuit manu dextera mentum Amasæ, quasi osculans eum.
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 Sheba the son of Bichri.
Porro Amasa non observavit gladium, quem habebat Ioab, qui percussit eum in latere, et effudit intestina eius in terram, nec secundum vulnus apposuit, et mortuus est. Ioab autem, et Abisai frater eius persecuti sunt Seba filium Bochri.
11 One of Joab’s young men stood by him, and said, “He who favors Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab!”
Interea quidam viri, cum stetissent iuxta cadaver Amasæ, de sociis Ioab, dixerunt: Ecce qui esse voluit pro Ioab comes David.
12 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.
Amasa autem conspersus sanguine, iacebat 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.
13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
Amoto ergo illo de via, transibat omnis vir sequens Ioab ad persequendum Seba filium Bochri.
14 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.
Porro ille transierat per omnes tribus Israel in Abelam, et Bethmaacha: omnesque viri electi congregati fuerant ad eum.
15 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.
Venerunt itaque et oppugnabant eum in Abela, et in Bethmaacha, et circumdederunt munitionibus civitatem, et obsessa est urbs: omnis autem turba, quæ erat cum Ioab, moliebatur destruere muros.
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.’”
Et exclamavit mulier sapiens de civitate: Audite, audite, dicite Ioab: Appropinqua huc, et loquar tecum.
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 servant.” He answered, “I am listening.”
Qui cum accessisset ad eam, ait illi: Tu es Ioab? Et ille respondit: Ego. Ad quem sic locuta est: Audi sermones ancillæ tuæ. Qui respondit: Audio.
18 Then she spoke, saying, “They used to say in old times, ‘They shall surely ask counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a matter.
Rursumque illa, Sermo, inquit, dicebatur in veteri proverbio: Qui interrogant, interrogent in Abela: et sic perficiebant.
19 I am among 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?”
Nonne ego sum quæ respondeo veritatem in Israel, et tu quæris subvertere civitatem, et evertere matrem in Israel? Quare præcipitas hereditatem Domini?
20 Joab answered, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
Respondensque Ioab, ait: Absit, absit hoc a me: non præcipito, neque demolior.
21 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.”
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 Ioab: Ecce caput eius mittetur ad te per murum.
22 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.
Ingressa est ergo ad omnem populum, et locuta est eis sapienter: qui abscissum caput Seba filii Bochri proiecerunt ad Ioab. et ille cecinit tuba, et recesserunt ab urbe, unusquisque in tabernacula sua: Ioab autem reversus est Ierusalem ad regem.
23 Now Joab was over all the army of Israel, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites,
Fuit ergo Ioab super omnem exercitum Israel: Banaias autem filius Ioiadæ super Cerethæos et Phelethæos.
24 Adoram was over the men subject to forced labor, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder,
Aduram vero super tributa: porro Iosaphat filius Ahilud, a commentariis.
25 Sheva was scribe, Zadok and Abiathar were priests,
Siva autem, scriba: Sadoc vero et Abiathar, sacerdotes.
26 and Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.
Ira autem Iairites erat sacerdos David.
