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!"

Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!”

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

So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan 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 således levede de indespærret til deres Dødedag som Kvinder, der er Enker, skønt deres Mænd endnu lever.

When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace, and he placed them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he no longer slept with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows.

4 Derpå sagde Kongen til Amasa: "Stævn Judas Mænd sammen i Løbet af tre Dage og indfind dig da her!"

Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”

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

So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.

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

And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”

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

So Joab’s men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.

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

And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.

9 Joab sagde da til Amasa: "Går det dig vel, Broder?" Og Joab greb med højre Hånd om Amasas Skæg for at kysse ham.

“Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.

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

Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.

11 medens en af Joabs Folk blev stående ved Amasa og råbte: "Enhver, der bryder sig om Joab og holder med David, følge efter Joab!"

One of Joab’s young men stood near Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!”

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

But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the road, and when the man saw that all the troops were stopping there, he dragged the body off the road into a field and threw a garment over it.

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

As soon as Amasa’s body was removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

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

Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel-beth-maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed 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 på at bringe Muren til Fald,

And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,

16 trådte en klog Kvinde fra Byen hen på Formuren og råbte: "Hør, hør! Sig til Joab, at han skal komme herhen; jeg vil tale med ham!"

a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.”

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!"

When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered.

18 Så sagde hun: "I gamle Dage sagde man: Man spørge dog i Abel og Dan, om det er gået af Brug, hvad gode Folk i Israel vedtog!

Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Seek counsel at Abel,’ and that is how disputes were settled.

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 among the peaceable and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would 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!

“Far be it!” Joab declared. “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!

21 Således er det ingenlunde ment! Men en Mand fra Efraims Bjerge ved Navn Sjeba, Bikris Søn, har løftet sin Hånd 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!"

That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city.” “Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”

22 Kvinden fik så 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 with her wise counsel, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the ram’s horn and his men dispersed from the city, each to his own home. And Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.

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

Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;

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

Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

25 Sjeja var Statsskriver, Zadok og Ebjatar Præster;

Sheva was the scribe; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

26 også Ja'iriten Ira var Præst hos David.

and Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.