2 Samuel 20

1 Also it bifelde, that a man of Belial was there, Siba bi name, the sone of Bothri, a man of the generacioun of Gemyny; and he sownede with a clarioun, and seide, No part is to vs in Dauid, nether eritage in the sone of Ysai; thou, Israel, turne ayen in to thi tabernaclis.

And there was a transgressor [so] called there, and his name was Sabee, a Benjamite, the son of Bochori: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we [any] inheritance in the son of Jessae: to thy tents, O Israel, every one.

2 And al Israel was departid fro Dauid, and suede Siba, the sone of Bothri; forsothe the men of Juda cleuyden to her kyng, fro Jordan `til to Jerusalem.

And all the men of Israel went up from following David after Sabee the son of Bochori: but the men of Juda adhered to their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

3 And whanne the kyng hadde come in to his hows in Jerusalem, he took ten wymmen, hise secundarie wyues, whiche he hadde left to kepe the hous, and he bitook hem in to keping, and yaf mete to hem; and he entride not to hem; but thei weren closid `til to the dai of her deeth, and lyueden in widewehed.

And David went into his house at Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and he put them in a place of custody, and maintained them, and went not in to them; and they were kept living as widows, till the day of their death.

4 Forsothe Dauid seide to Amasa, Clepe thou to gidere to me alle the men of Juda in to the thridde dai, and be thou present.

And the king said to Amessai, Call to me the men of Juda for three days, and do thou be present here.

5 Therfor Amasa yede, that he clepe to gidere the puple of Juda; and he dwellide ouer the couenaunt, which the kyng hadde set to hym.

And Amessai went to call Juda, and delayed beyond the time which David appointed him.

6 Sotheli Dauid seide to Abisai, Now Siba, the sone of Botri, schal turmente vs more than Absolon dide; therfor take the seruauntis of thi lord, and pursue hym, lest in hap he fynde strengthid citees, and ascape vs.

And David said to Amessai, Now shall Sabee the son of Bochori do us more harm than Abessalom: now then take thou with thee the servants of thy lord, and follow after him, lest he find for himself strong cities, so will he blind our eyes.

7 Therfor the men of Joab yeden out with Abisai, and Cerethi and Ferethi, and alle stronge men yeden out of Jerusalem to pursue Siba, the sone of Bochry.

And there went out after him Amessai and the men of Joab, and the Cherethites, and the Phelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sabee the son of Bochori.

8 And whanne thei weren bisidis the greet stoon, which is in Gabaon, Amasa cam, and ran to hem; forsothe Joab was clothid with a streit coote at the mesure of his abit, and was gird aboue with a swerd, `ether dagger, hangynge doun `til to the entrayls in a schethe, `which swerd maad `craftily myyte go out bi liyt touchyng, and smyte. Therfor Joab seide to Amasa,

And they [were] by the great stone that is in Gabaon: and Amessai went in before them: and Joab had upon him a military cloak over his apparel, and over it he was girded with a dagger fastened upon his loins in its scabbard: and the dagger came out, it even came out and fell.

9 Heil, my brother! And he helde with the riyt hond the chyn of Amasa, as kissinge him.

And Joab said to Amessai, Art thou in health, [my] brother? and the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amessai to kiss him.

10 Forsothe Amasa took not kepe of the swerd, `which swerd Joab hadde, and Joab smoot Amasa in the side, and schedde out his entrailis in to the erthe, and Amasa was deed; and Joab addide not `the secounde wounde. Forsothe Joab and Abisai, his brother, pursueden Siba, the sone of Bochri.

And Amessai observed not the dagger that was in the hand of Joab: and Joab smote him with it on the loins, and his bowels were shed out upon the ground, and he did not repeat the blow, and he died: and Joab and Abessai his brother pursued after Sabee the son of Bochori.

11 In the meene tyme whanne `sum men of the children of Dauid, of the felowis of Joab, hadden stonde bisidis the deed bodi of Amasa, thei seiden, Lo! he that wolde be the felowe of Dauid for Joab.

And there stood over him one of the servants of Joab, and said, Who [is] he that is for Joab, and who [is] on the side of David following Joab?

12 Forsothe Amasa was bispreynt with blood, and lay in the myddil of the weie. Sum man siy this, that al the puple abood to se Amasa, and he remouyde Amasa fro the weie in to the feeld, and he hilide Amasa with a cloth, lest men passynge schulden abide for hym.

And Amessai [was] weltering in blood in the midst of the way. And a man saw that all the people stood still; and he removed Amessai out of the path into a field, and he cast a garment upon him, because he saw every one that came to him standing still.

13 Therfor whanne he was remouyd fro the weie, ech man passide suynge Joab to pursue Siba, the sone of Bochri.

And when he was quickly removed from the road, every man of Israel passed after Joab to pursue after Sabee the son of Bochori.

14 Forsothe Siba hadde passide bi alle the lynagis of Israel til in to Habela, and in to Bethmacha; and alle chosun men weren gaderid to hym.

And he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Bethmacha; and all in Charri too were assembled, and followed after him.

15 Therfor thei camen, and fouyten ayens hym in Habela, and in Bethmacha, and cumpassiden the citee with strengthingis; and the citee was bisegid. Sotheli al the cumpany, that was with Joab, enforside to distrie the wallis.

And they came and besieged him in Abel and Phermacha: and they raised a mound against the city and it stood close to the wall; and all the people with Joab proposed to throw down the wall.

16 And a wijs womman of the citee criede an hiy, Here ye! here ye! seie ye to Joab, Neiye thou hidur, and Y schal speke with thee.

And a wise woman cried from the wall, and said, Hear, hear; say, I pray ye, to Joab, Draw near hither, and I will speak to him.

17 And whanne he hadde neiyed to hir, sche seide to hym, Art thou Joab? And he answeride, Y am. To whom sche spak thus, Here thou the wordis of thin handmayde. Which Joab answeride, Y here.

And he drew nigh to her, and the woman said to him, Art thou Joab? and he said, I [am]. And she said to him, Hear the words of thy handmaid; and Joab said, I do hear.

18 And eft sche seide, A word was seid in eld prouerbe, Thei that axen, axe in Habela; and so thei profitiden.

And she spoke, saying, Of old time they said thus, Surely one was asked in Abel, and Dan, whether the faithful in Israel failed in what they purposed; they will surely ask in Abel, even in like manner, whether they have failed.

19 Whethir Y am not, that answere treuthe to Israel? and sekist thou to distrie a citee, and to distrie a modir citee in Israel? whi castidist thou doun the eritage of the Lord?

I am a peaceable one of the strong ones in Israel; but thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother city in Israel: why dost thou seek to ruin the inheritance of the Lord?

20 And Joab answeride, and seide, Fer be, fer be this fro me; Y `caste not doun, nether Y distrye.

And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should ruin or destroy.

21 The thing hath not so it silf; but a man of the hil of Effraym, Siba, sone of Bochri, bi surname, reiside his hond ayens kyng Dauid; bitake ye him aloone, and we schulen go awei fro the citee. And the womman seide to Joab, Lo! his heed schal be sent to thee bi the wal.

Is not the case thus, that a man of mount Ephraim, Sabee, son of Bochori by name, has even lifted up his hand against king David? Give him only to me, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

22 Therfor the womman entride to al the puple, and sche spak to hem wiseli; whiche `castiden forth to Joab the heed of Siba, sone of Bochri, gird of. And Joab sownede with a trumpe, and thei departiden fro the citee, ech man in to hise tabernaclis; forsothe Joab turnede ayen to Jerusalem to the kyng.

And the woman went in to all the people, and she spoke to all the city in her wisdom; and they took off the head of Sabee the son of Bochori; and took it away and threw it to Joab: and he blew the trumpet, and the people separated from the city away from him, every man to his tent: and Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

23 Therfor Joab was on al the oost of Israel; forsothe Benanye, sone of Joiada, was on Cerethi and Ferethi;

And Joab [was] over all the forces of Israel: and Banaias the son of Jodae [was] over the Cherethites and over the Phelethites.

24 forsothe Adhuram was on tributis; forsothe Josaphat, sone of Achilud, was chaunceler; forsothe Siba was scryueyn;

And Adoniram [was] over the tribute: and Josaphath the son of Achiluth [was] recorder.

25 forsothe Sadoch and Abiathar weren preestis;

And Susa [was] scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar [were] priests.

26 forsothe Hira of Hiarith was preest of Dauid.

Moreover Iras the [son of] Iarin was priest to David.