< 2 Samuel 20 >
1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Seba, the son of Bochri, a man of Jemini: and he sounded the trumpet, and said: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai: return to thy dwellings, 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 And all Israel departed from David, and followed Seba the son of Bochri: but the men of Juda stuck to their king from the Jordan unto 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 when the king was come into his house at Jerusalem, he took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, allowing them provisions: and he went not in unto them, but they were shut up unto the day of their death living in widowhood.
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 And the king said to Amasa: Assemble to me all the men of Juda against the third day, and be thou here present.
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 assemble the men of Juda, but he tarried beyond the set time which the king had appointed 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 Abisai: Now will Seba the son of Bochri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou therefore the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he find fenced cities, and escape us.
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 Joab’s men went out with him, and the Cerethi and the Phelethi: and all the valiant men went out of Jerusalem to pursue after Seba the son of Bochri.
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 And when they were at the great stone which is in Gabaon, Amasa coming met them. And Joab had on a close coat of equal length with his habit, and over it was girded with a sword hanging down to his flank, in a scabbard, made in such manner as to come out with the least motion and strike.
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: God save thee, my brother. And he took Amasa by the chin with his right hand to kiss him.
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 take notice of the sword, which Joab had, and he struck him in the side, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and gave him not a second wound, and he died. And Joab, and Abisai his brother pursued after Seba the son of Bochri.
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 In the mean time some men of Joab’s company stopping at the dead body of Amasa, said: Behold he that would have been in Joab’s stead the companion of David.
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 imbrued with blood, lay in the midst of the way. A certain man saw this that all the people stood still to look upon him, so he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and covered him with a garment, that they who passed might not stop on his account.
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 And when he was removed out of the way, all the people went on following Joab to pursue after Seba the son of Bochri.
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 Now he had passed through all the tribes of Israel unto Abela and Bethmaacha: and all the chosen men were gathered together unto 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 they came, and besieged him in Abela, and in Bethmaacha, and they cast up works round the city, and the city was besieged: and all the people that were with Joab, laboured to throw down the walls.
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 And a wise woman cried out from the city: Hear, hear, and say to Joab: Come near hither, and I will speak with thee.
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 when he was come near to her, she said to him: Art thou Joab? And he answered: I am. And she spoke thus to him: Hear the words of thy handmaid. He answered: I do hear.
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 And she again said: A saying was used in the old proverb: They that inquire, let them inquire in Abela: and so they made an end.
她說:「從前有句話說:你去問問阿貝耳,事便可解決。
19 Am not I she that answer truth in Israel, and thou seekest to destroy the city, and to overthrow a mother in Israel? Why wilt thou throw down the inheritance 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 said: God forbid, God forbid that I should, I do not throw down, nor destroy.
約阿布答說:「決無此事,我決無意消滅或破壞。
21 The matter is not so, but a man of mount Ephraim, Seba the son of Bochri by name, hath lifted up his hand against king David: deliver him only, and we will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab: Behold his head shall be thrown to thee from the wall.
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 So she went to all the people, and spoke to them wisely: and they cut off the head of Seba the son of Bochri, and cast it out to Joab. And he sounded the trumpet, and they departed from the city, every one to their home: and Joab returned 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 So Joab was over all the army of Israel: and Banaias the son of Joiada was over the Cerethites and Phelethites,
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 But Aduram over the tributes: and Josaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.
阿多蘭管理奴役;阿希路得的兒子約沙法特作御史;
25 And Siva was scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar, priests.
史沙作書記;匝多克和厄貝雅塔爾作司祭;
26 And Ira the Jairite was the priest of David.
此外,雅提爾人依辣也也作達味的司祭。