< 2 Samuel 20 >
1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name [was] Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, 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 every man of Israel, withdrawing from David, followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah adhered to their king, from Jordan even to 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 [his] concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in custody, and fed them, but went not in to them. So they were shut up to 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 Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble to me the men of Judah within three days, 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] Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he 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 Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than [did] Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue him, lest he get for himself fortified 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 And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after 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 went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded to him, and upon it a girdle [with] a sword fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and as he went forth it fell out.
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, [Art] thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the 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 took no heed to the sword that [was] in Joab's hand: so he smote him in the fifth [rib], and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued 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 men stood by him, and said, He that favoreth Joab, and he that [is] 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 wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.
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 was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after 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 he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-maachah, and all the Berites: and they were assembled, and went also 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 they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that [were] with Joab battered the wall, to throw it 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 cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, to Joab, Come near hither, that I may 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, the woman said, [Art] thou Joab? And he answered, I [am he]. Then she said to him, Hear the words of thy handmaid. And 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 Then she spoke, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They will surely ask [counsel] at Abel: and so they ended [the matter].
她說:「從前有句話說:你去問問阿貝耳,事便可解決。
19 I [am one of them that are] peaceable [and] faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up 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 answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or 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, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, [even] against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over 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 Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast [it] out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. 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 Now Joab [was] over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the Cherethites and over 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] over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat 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 Sheva [was] scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar [were] the priests:
史沙作書記;匝多克和厄貝雅塔爾作司祭;
26 And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.
此外,雅提爾人依辣也也作達味的司祭。