撒母耳記下 20
1 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！」
Now by chance there was present a good-for-nothing person named Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he, sounding the horn, said, We have no part in David, or any interest in the son of Jesse: let every man go to his tent, O Israel.
2 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。
So all the men of Israel, turning away from David, went after Sheba, the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah were true to their king, going with him from Jordan as far as Jerusalem.
3 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。
And David came to his house at Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women to whom he had given the care of the house, and had them shut up, and gave them the necessaries of life, but did not go near them. So they were shut up till the day of their death, living as widows.
4 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。」
Then the king said to Amasa, Get all the men of Judah together, and in three days be here yourself.
5 亞瑪撒就去招聚猶大人，卻耽延過了王所限的日期。
So Amasa went to get all the men of Judah together, but he took longer than the time David had given him.
6 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。」
And David said to Abishai, Sheba, the son of Bichri, will do us more damage than Absalom did; so take some of your lord's servants and go after him, before he makes himself safe in the walled towns, and gets away before our eyes.
7 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。
So there went after Abishai, Joab and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the fighting-men; they went out of Jerusalem to overtake Sheba, the son of Bichri.
8 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。
When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came face to face with them. Now Joab had on his war-dress, and round him a band from which his sword was hanging in its cover; and while he was walking, it came out, falling to the earth.
9 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。
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well, my brother? And with his right hand he took him by the hair of his chin to give him a kiss.
10 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。
But Amasa did not see danger from the sword which was now in Joab's left hand, and Joab put it through his stomach so that his inside came out on to the earth, and he did not give him another blow. So Joab and his brother Abishai went on after Sheba, the son of Bichri.
11 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。」
And one of Joab's young men, taking his place at Amasa's side, said, Whoever is for Joab and for David, let him go after Joab!
12 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。
And Amasa was stretched out in a pool of blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people were stopping, he took Amasa out of the highway and put him in a field, with a cloth over him, when he saw that everyone who went by came to a stop.
13 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。
When he had been taken off the road, all the people went on after Joab in search of Sheba, the son of Bichri.
14 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。
And Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel, to Abel of Beth-maacah; and all the Bichrites came together and went in after him.
15 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。
And Joab and his men got him shut up in Abel of Beth-maacah, and put up an earthwork against the town: and all Joab's men did their best to get the wall broken down.
16 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。」
Then a wise woman got up on the wall, and crying out from the town, said, Give ear, give ear; say now to Joab, Come near, so that I may have talk with you.
17 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。」
And he came near, and the woman said, Are you Joab? And he said in answer, I am. Then she said, Give ear to your servant's words. And he said, I am giving ear.
18 婦人說：「古時有話說，當先在亞比拉求問，然後事就定妥。
Then she said, In the old days, there was a saying, Let them put the question in Abel and in Dan, saying, Has what was ordered by men of good faith in Israel ever come to an end?
19 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？」
Your purpose is the destruction of a mother-town in Israel: why would you put an end to the heritage of the Lord?
20 約押回答說：「我決不吞滅毀壞，
And Joab, answering her, said, Far, far be it from me to be a cause of death or destruction;
21 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。」
Not so: but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba, son of Bichri, by name, has taken up arms against the king, against David: give up this man only, and I will go away from the town. And the woman said to Joab, His head will be dropped over the wall to you.
22 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。
Then the woman in her wisdom had talk with all the town. And they had Sheba's head cut off and sent out to Joab. And he had the horn sounded, and sent them all away from the town, every man to his tent. And Joab went back to Jerusalem to the king.
23 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；
Now Joab was over all the army; and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was at the head of the Cherethites and the Pelethites;
24 亞多蘭掌管服苦的人；亞希律的兒子約沙法作史官；
And Adoram was overseer of the forced work; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the recorder;
25 示法作書記；撒督和亞比亞他作祭司長；
And Sheva was the scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
26 睚珥人以拉作大衛的宰相。
And in addition, Ira the Jairite was a priest to David.
