2 Samuel 20
1 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.
當時，在那裏有個敗類，始叫舍尸巴，是本雅明人彼革黎的兒子。吹著號，喊說：「我們和達味沒有關係，對葉瑟兒子的產業沒有分子。以色列人! 各自回本家吧!
2 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.
因此，眾以色列人離開達味，跟隨了彼革黎的兒子舍巴；但猶大人仍然緊隨他們的君王，由約旦河直到了耶路撒冷。
3 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.
達味王進了耶路撒冷的宮殿，就將他留下看守宮殿的十個個嬪妃，留在禁官裏，養活她們，卻不再親近她們。她們被禁在冷官內，一直到死，終身守寡。
4 Then the king said to Amasa, Get all the men of Judah together, and in three days be here yourself.
王對阿瑪撒說：「三天之內，你應給我召集猶大人，你也親自也該來到這裏」。
5 So Amasa went to get all the men of Judah together, but he took longer than the time David had given him.
阿彼撒去召集猶大人，但他遲延耽擱，過了君王他所定的期限。
6 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.
達味就對阿彼撒說：「現今彼革黎的兒子舍巴危害我們，恐怕甚於阿貝沙隆。你快去領你主人的軍隊去追趕他，免得他佔了設防的城，由我們眼前逃脫」。
7 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.
約阿布的部下，革肋提人和培肋提人，以及所有的勇士，都跟阿彼撒去了。他們由耶路撒冷出發，趕走彼革黎的兒子舍巴。
8 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.
當他們來到基貝紅的大石旁，阿瑪撒也迎面而來。約阿布身穿戰袍，束著腰帶，腰間掛著一把帶鞘的刀。約阿布的刀出鞘落地。
9 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.
約阿布對阿瑪撒說：「吾兄，你好﹖」約阿布遂用石手抓住阿瑪撒的鬍鬚，與他親吻。
10 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.
阿瑪撒沒有提防約阿布手中的刀；約阿布就用刀刺穿了他的肚腹，五臟傾流在地上，沒有再刺第二下，他就死了。約阿布與自己的兄弟阿彼瑟，便往前追趕彼革黎的兒子舍巴。
11 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!
看守阿瑪撒屍首的約阿布的一個兵士喊說：「誰喜愛約阿布，誰屬達味，就跟約阿布去! 」
12 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.
阿瑪撒此時臥在路中血泊中，那人見眾人停留不前，就將阿瑪撒的屍首，由路上搬到田裏，上面蓄上一件衣服，因為他見軍人到了那裏，就停在屍首前。
13 When he had been taken off the road, all the people went on after Joab in search of Sheba, the son of Bichri.
屍首由路上搬走後，軍人就都過去，跟隨約阿布追趕彼革黎的兒子舍巴。
14 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.
舍巴走遍了以色列各支派，人都不理他。隨後到了貝特瑪阿加的阿貝耳，眾彼革黎人卻聚集起來，跟隨了他。
15 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.
約阿布大軍前來，把他包圍在貝特瑪阿加的阿貝內，興築攻城的壁壘。跟隨約阿布的大軍遂下手挖城牆，使牆倒塌。
16 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.
當時城中有個聰明的婦人，站在城牆上喊說：「請聽! 請聽! 你們對約阿布說：來這裏，我有話對你說」。
17 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.
約阿布來到她那裏，婦人便問說：「你是約阿布嗎﹖」他答說：「我是」。她便對他說：「請你聽你婢女一言! 」他答說：「我聽」。
18 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?
她說：「從前有句話說：你去問問阿貝耳，事便可解決。
19 Your purpose is the destruction of a mother-town in Israel: why would you put an end to the heritage of the Lord?
我在以色列算是一座和平忠厚的城，你卻圖謀消滅一座以色列的母城。為什麼你要吞滅上主的產業﹖」
20 And Joab, answering her, said, Far, far be it from me to be a cause of death or destruction;
約阿布答說：「決無此事，我決無意消滅或破壞。
21 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.
完全不是這麼一回事；只因厄弗辣因山地的一人，即彼革黎的兒子名叫舍巴的，造反抗拒達味王；只要你們將他交來，我即撤離此城」。婦人對約阿布說：「請看，他的頭由城上拋給你」。
22 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.
婦人就去憑自己的智慧勸說眾百姓。他們便砍了彼革黎的兒子舍巴的頭，拋給約阿布。約阿布遂吹起號角，撤兵離城，各自了本家。約阿布也回了耶路撒冷君王那裏。
23 Now Joab was over all the army; and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was at the head of the Cherethites and the Pelethites;
約阿布統率以色列的眾軍隊；約雅達的兒子貝納雅管理革勒提人和培肋提人；
24 And Adoram was overseer of the forced work; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the recorder;
阿多蘭管理奴役；阿希路得的兒子約沙法特作御史；
25 And Sheva was the scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
史沙作書記；匝多克和厄貝雅塔爾作司祭；
26 And in addition, Ira the Jairite was a priest to David.
此外，雅提爾人依辣也也作達味的司祭。
