2 Samuel 20
1 Te vaengah hlang muen pakhat om, a ming tah Benjamin hlang, Bikhri capa Sheba ni. Tuki te a ueng tih, “Mamih kah hamsum he David ham moenih, mamih kah rho he Jesse capa taengah a om ham moenih. Israel rhoek te amah kah dap la boeih cet saeh,” a ti.
There was a man there [at Gilgal] named Sheba. He was a man who always caused trouble. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was the son of Bichri. He blew a trumpet and called out, “We have nothing to do with [DOU] David, that son of Jesse! So, men of Israel, let’s go to our homes!”
2 Te dongah Israel hlang boeih tah David hnuk lamloh Bikhri capa Sheba hnuk la cet uh. Tedae Judah hlang tah Jordan lamloh Jerusalem duela a manghai nen ni a kaibaeng uh.
So all the men from the other Israeli tribes deserted David and went with Sheba, but the men of Judah stayed with David. They wanted him to be their king, and went with him from near the Jordan [River] up to Jerusalem.
3 David te Jerusalem kah amah im la a pawk vaengah im tawt la a paih a yula huta parha te manghai loh a loh tih im hloeh ah a khueh. Amih te a cangbam van ngawn dae amih taengla moe pah voel pawh. Amih te a duek hnin duela a daengdaeh dongah a khosaknah he nuhmai la om uh.
When David arrived at the palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten slave wives whom he had left there to take care of the palace and put them in another house. He put a guard at that house, and he provided for them what they needed, but he never had sexual relations [EUP] with them again. So they remained shut up in their house until they died. It was as though they were widows.
4 Manghai loh Amasa taengah, “Hnin thum khuiah Judah hlang te kamah taengla hueh lamtah namah khaw pahoi om,” a ti nah.
[One day] the king said to Amasa, “Summon the soldiers of Judah to come here within three days, and you be here also.”
5 Amasa loh Judah rhoek te hueh hamla cet ngawn dae uelh, uelh tih tingtunnah te a khueh.
So Amasa went to summon them, but he did not return within the time that David told him to.
6 Te dongah David loh Abishai taengah, “Absalom lakah Bikhri capa Sheba loh mamih taengah thae a huet pawn ni. Namah loh na boeipa kah sal rhoek ke khuen lamtah a hnukah hloem laeh. Khopuei vong cak te anih loh hmuh vetih mamih mikhmuh ah huul uh ve,” a ti nah.
So David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba will harm us more than Absalom did. So you take my soldiers and pursue him. If you do not do that, he and his soldiers may occupy/capture some of the (fortified towns/towns that have walls around them), and escape from us. [IDM]”
7 Te dongah Joab kah hlang rhoek, Kerethi, Phelethi neh hlangrhalh boeih tah anih hnukah cet uh tih, Bikhri capa Sheba hnuk hloem hamla Jerusalem lamloh khoong uh.
So Abishai [and Joab] and the king’s bodyguards and the other soldiers left Jerusalem, to pursue Sheba.
8 Amih te Gibeon lungnu ah a om uh vaengah Amasa te amih mikhmuh ah a pawk pah. Te dongah Joab loh a himbai neh a pueinak te a muk. Capang dongkah cunghang te cihin neh a cinghen ah a sol dae a khuen vaengah vik a colh pah.
When they arrived at the huge rock in [the] Gibeah [region], Amasa met them. Joab was wearing a soldier’s uniform. He had a dagger/long knife fastened to his belt. When he came close [to Amasa, he allowed] the dagger [to] fall on the ground.
9 Joab loh Amasa te, “Ka manuca na sading a? a ti nah. Te phoeiah anih te mok hamla Amasa hnapae te Joab kah bantang kut neh a tuuk.
Joab said to Amasa, “Are things going well with you, my friend?” Then Joab grabbed Amasa’s beard with his right hand, in order to kiss him.
10 Te vaengah Joab kut dongkah cunghang te Amasa loh hmuethmat pawh. Te dongah Amasa te tumca neh a bung ah a laih tih a bung te diklai la pawk a sop pah. Anih te a talh mueh la duek. Te phoeiah Joab neh a mana Abishai loh Bikhri capa Sheba te a hloem.
But Amasa did not see that Joab was holding [another] dagger in his [other] hand. And Joab stabbed it into Amasa’s belly, and his insides spilled out onto the ground. Amasa died [immediately]; Joab did not need to stab him again. Then Joab and his brother Abishai continued to pursue Sheba.
11 Te vaengah Joab kah tueihyoeih khui lamkah hlang pakhat te a taengah pai tih, “U khaw Joab taengla aka naep tih u khaw David ham aka ti te tah Joab hnukah bat saeh,” a ti.
One of Joab’s soldiers stood alongside Amasa’s body and called out, “Everyone who wants Joab [to be our commander] and who wants David [to be our king], go with Joab!”
12 Amasa tah long lung ah a thii neh a bol vaengah hlang pakhat loh a hmuh. Te dongah pilnam te boeih a hloh tih Amasa te longpuei lamloh lohma la a thoeih uh. Anih taengla aka thoeng boeih loh a hmuh vaengah a pai thil tih anih te himbai a khuk thil.
Amasa’s body was lying on the road. It was covered with blood. The soldier of Joab [who had called out] saw that many others of Joab’s soldiers were stopping [to see it], so he dragged Amasa’s body off the road into a field, and threw a cloth/blanket over the body.
13 Long lamloh a khoe van nen tah hlang boeih loh Bikhri capa Sheba hnuk hloem hamla Joab te a paan.
After the body had been taken off the road, all the soldiers went with Joab to pursue Sheba.
14 Te vaengah Israel koca boeih te Abel lungnu neh Bethmaakha due, Beree boeih te khaw a hil. Te dongah coi tih, tingtun uh tih a hnukah bang uh.
Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel, and arrived at Abel-Beth-Maacah [town in the northern part of Israel]. There, all the members of [his father] Bichri’s clan gathered, and went with Sheba into the town.
15 Abelbethmaakah a pha uh vaengah anih te koep a dum uh. Khopuei te tanglung malh a lun thil uh tih rhalmahvong te a pai thil. Joab neh a pilnam pum loh vongtung te cungku sak ham a thuk.
The soldiers who were with Joab [found out that Sheba had gone there, so they] went there and surrounded the town. They built a dirt ramp up against the town wall. They also pounded against the wall [with heavy poles], to cause it to collapse.
16 Te vaengah khopuei lamkah huta aka cueih te pang tih, “Hnatun, hnatun uh mai lah, Joab te, 'Hela ha mop lamtah namah taengah ka thui eh?,’ ti nah dae,” a ti.
Then a wise woman who was in that town [stood on the top of the wall and] shouted down, “Listen to me! Tell Joab to come here, because I want to talk to him!”
17 A taengla a thoeng pah vaengah huta loh, “Joab nang a,” a ti nah. Te dongah, “Kai ni ue,” a ti nah. Te phoeiah, 'Na salnu kah ol he hnatun lah,” a ti nah hatah, “Ka hnatun ngawn,” a ti nah.
So [after they told Joab], he came there, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He replied, “Yes, I am.” She said to him, “Listen to what I say.” He replied, “I am listening.”
18 Te phoeiah a thui lam khaw thui pah. Hlamat ah a thui uh tih Abel ah toem la toem uh tih cing uh,’ a ti lah ko.
She said, “Long ago people used to say, ‘Go to Abel [town] to get good advice about your problems.’ And that is what people did.
19 Kai long tah Israel he oltak la ka thuung vaengah nang long tah khopuei neh Israel khuikah a manu te ngawn ham na mae. Balae tih BOEIPA kah rho na yoop eh?,” a ti nah.
We are peaceful and loyal Israelis. Our people here are important and respected [IDM]. So (why are you trying to destroy a town that belongs to Yahweh?/you should not be trying to destroy a town that belongs to Yahweh.)” [RHQ]
20 Joab loh a doo tih, “Savisava la savisava, kai lamloh aka yoop mai tih aka phae mai te.
Job replied, “I would certainly never want to ruin or destroy your town!
21 He tah ol voel moenih. Tedae Ephraim tlang kah hlang pakhat, Bikhri capa, a ming ah Sheba loh manghai David te a kut a luklek thil. Anih bueng mah han tloeng lamtah khopuei lamloh ka nong bitni,” a ti nah. Te vaengah huta loh Joab taengah, “A lu te vongtung lamloh namah taengla ham voeih coeng te,” a ti nah.
That is not what we want to do. But Bichri’s son Sheba, a man from the hilly area in the tribe of Ephraim, is rebelling against King David. Put this man into our hands, and then we will (go away from/not attack) this town.” The woman replied to Joab, “Okay, what we will do is, we will [cut off] his head [and] throw it over the wall to you.”
22 Huta loh pilnam boeih te a cueihnah neh a paan dongah Bikhri capa Sheba kah a lu te a rhaih pa uh tih Joab taengla a voeih uh. Te daengah tuki te a ueng tih, hlang khopuei lamloh amah kah dap duela taekyak uh. Te phoeiah Joab te Jerusalem kah manghai taengla koep mael.
Then this wise woman went to the elders of the town and told them what she had said to Joab. So they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it over the wall to Joab. Then Joab blew his trumpet [to signal that the battle was ended], and all his soldiers left the town and returned to their homes. And Joab returned to Jerusalem and told the king [what had happened].
23 Te dongah Israel caempuei boeih te Joab loh, Kerethi neh Phelethi te Jehoiada capa Benaiah loh,
Joab was the commander of the entire Israeli army. Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was the commander of David’s bodyguards;
24 Adoram loh saldong boei, Ahilud capa Jehoshaphat loh khokhuen cabu,
Adoram supervised the men who were forced to work [for the king]; Ahilud’s son Jehoshaphat was the man who reported [to the people everything that David decided];
25 Sheva te cadaek, Zadok neh Abiathar loh khosoih te a ngol thil.
Sheva was the official secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were the priests;
26 Jairi Ira khaw David taengah khosoih la om van.
and Ira from Jair [town] was also one of David’s priests.
