2 Samuel 20

1 Nu var der tilfældigvis en slet Person ved Navn Sjeba, Bikris Søn, en Benjaminit. Han stødte i Hornet og sagde: »Vi har ingen Del i David, ingen Lod i Isajs Søn! Hver Mand til sine Telte, Israel!«

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 Da faldt alle Israels Mænd fra David og gik over til Sjeba, Bikris Søn, medens Judas Mænd trofast fulgte deres Konge fra Jordan til Jerusalem.

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 Da David kom til sit Hus i Jerusalem, tog Kongen sine ti Medhustruer, som han havde ladet tilbage for at se efter Huset, og lod dem bringe til et bevogtet Hus, hvor han sørgede for deres Underhold; men han gik ikke mere ind til dem, og saaledes levede de indespærret til deres Dødedag som Kvinder, der er Enker, skønt deres Mænd endnu lever.

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 Derpaa sagde Kongen til Amasa: »Stævn Judas Mænd sammen i Løbet af tre Dage og indfind dig da her!«

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

5 Amasa gik saa bort for at stævne Judas Mænd sammen. Men da han tøvede ud over den fastsatte Frist,

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 sagde David til Abisjaj: »Nu bliver Sjeba, Bikris Søn, os farligere end Absalom! Tag derfor din Herres Folk og sæt efter ham, for at han ikke skal kaste sig ind i befæstede Byer og slippe fra os!«

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 Med Abisjaj drog Joab, Kreterne og Pleterne og alle Kærnetropperne ud fra Jerusalem for at sætte efter Sjeba, Bikris Søn.

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 Men da de var ved den store Sten i Gibeon, kom Amasa dem i Møde. Joab var iført sin Vaabenkjortel, og over den havde han spændt et Sværd, hvis Skede var bundet til hans Lænd; og det gled ud og faldt til Jorden.

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 Joab sagde da til Amasa: »Gaar det dig vel, Broder?« Og Joab greb med højre Haand om Amasas Skæg for at kysse ham.

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 Men Amasa tog sig ikke i Vare for det Sværd, Joab havde i sin venstre Haand; Joab stødte det i Underlivet paa ham, saa hans Indvolde væltede ud paa Jorden, og han døde ved det ene Stød. Derpaa satte Joab og hans Broder Abisjaj efter Sjeba, Bikris Søn,

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 medens en af Joabs Folk blev staaende ved Amasa og raabte: »Enhver, der bryder sig om Joab og holder med David, følge efter Joab!«

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 Men Amasa laa midt paa Vejen, svømmende i sit Blod, og da Manden saa, at alt Folket stod stille der, væltede han Amasa fra Vejen ind paa Marken og kastede en Kappe over ham; thi han saa, at alle, der kom forbi, stod stille.

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 Saa snart han var fjernet fra Vejen, fulgte alle efter Joab for at sætte efter Sjeba, Bikris Søn.

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

14 Denne drog imidlertid gennem alle Israels Stammer indtil Abel-Bet-Ma'aka, og alle Bikriterne samlede sig og fulgte ham.

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 Da kom de og belejrede ham i Abel-Bet-Ma'aka, idet de opkastede en Vold om Byen. Men medens alt Krigsfolket, der var med Joab, arbejdede paa at bringe Muren til Fald,

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 traadte en klog Kvinde fra Byen hen paa Formuren og raabte: »Hør, hør! Sig til Joab, at han skal komme herhen; jeg vil tale med ham!«

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 Da han kom hen til hende, spurgte Kvinden: »Er du Joab?« Og da han svarede ja, sagde hun: »Hør din Trælkvindes Ord!« Han svarede: »Jeg hører!«

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 Saa sagde hun: »I gamle Dage sagde man: Man spørge dog i Abel og Dan, om det er gaaet af Brug, hvad gode Folk i Israel vedtog!

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 Og nu søger du at bringe Død over en By, som er en Moder i Israel! Hvorfor vil du ødelægge HERRENS Arvelod?«

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 Joab svarede: »Det være langt fra mig, det være langt fra mig at ødelægge eller volde Fordærv!

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

21 Saaledes er det ingenlunde ment! Men en Mand fra Efraims Bjerge ved Navn Sjeba, Bikris Søn, har løftet sin Haand mod Kong David; hvis I blot vil udlevere ham, bryder jeg op fra Byen!« Da sagde Kvinden til Joab: »Hans Hoved skal blive kastet ned til dig gennem Muren!«

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 Kvinden fik saa ved sin Klogskab hele Byen overtalt til at hugge Hovedet af Sjeba, Bikris Søn, og de kastede det ned til Joab. Da stødte han i Hornet, og de brød op fra Byen og spredte sig hver til sit, medens Joab selv vendte tilbage til Kongen i Jerusalem.

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 Joab stod over hele Israels Hær; Benaja, Jojadas Søn, over Kreterne og Pleterne;

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

24 Adoniram havde Tilsynet med Hoveriarbejdet; Josjafat, Ahiluds Søn, var Kansler;

Adoram was over the men subject to forced labour, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder,

25 Sjeja var Statsskriver, Zadok og Ebjatar Præster;

Sheva was scribe, Zadok and Abiathar were priests,

26 ogsaa Ja'iriten Ira var Præst hos David.

and Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.