2 Samuel 20

1 And there hath been called there a man of worthlessness, and his name [is] Sheba, son of Bichri, a Benjamite, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and saith, 'We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; each to his tents, O Israel.'

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.

2 And every man of Israel goeth up from after David, after Sheba son of Bichri, and the men of Judah have cleaved to their king, from the Jordan even unto Jerusalem.

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.

3 And David cometh in unto his house at Jerusalem, and the king taketh the ten women-concubines — whom he had left to keep the house, and putteth them in a house of ward, and sustaineth them, and unto them he hath not gone in, and they are shut up unto the day of their death, in widowhood living.

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.

4 And the king saith unto Amasa, 'Call for me the men of Judah [in] three days, and thou, stand here,'

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.

5 and Amasa goeth to call Judah, and tarrieth beyond the appointed time that he had appointed him;

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.

6 and David saith unto Abishai, 'Now doth Sheba son of Bichri do evil to us more than Absalom; thou, take the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he have found for himself fenced cities, and delivered himself [from] our eye.'

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.

7 And the men of Joab go out after him, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and all the mighty men, and they go out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri;

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.

8 they [are] near the great stone that [is] in Gibeon, and Amasa hath gone before them, and Joab [is] girded; his long robe he hath put on him, and upon it a girdle — a sword [is] fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and he hath gone out, and it falleth.

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,

9 And Joab saith to Amasa, 'Art thou [in] peace, my brother?' and the right hand of Joab layeth hold on the beard of Amasa to give a kiss to him;

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

10 and Amasa hath not been watchful of the sword that [is] in the hand of Joab, and he smiteth him with it unto the fifth [rib], and sheddeth out his bowels to the earth, and he hath not repeated [it] to him, and he dieth; and Joab and Abishai his brother have pursued after Sheba son of Bichri.

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.

11 And a man hath stood by him, of the young men of Joab, and saith, 'He who hath delight in Joab, and he who [is] for David — after Joab!'

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.

12 And Amasa is rolling himself in blood, in the midst of the highway, and the man seeth that all the people have stood still, and he bringeth round Amasa out of the highway to the field, and casteth over him a garment, when he hath seen that every one who hath come by him — hath stood still.

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.

13 When he hath been removed out of the highway, every man hath passed on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri.

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

14 And he passeth over through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-Maachah, and to all the Berites, and they are assembled, and go in also after him,

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.

15 and they go in and lay siege against him, in Abel of Beth-Maachah, and cast up a mount against the city, and it standeth in a trench, and all the people who are [are] with Joab are destroying, to cause the wall to fall.

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.

16 And a wise woman calleth out of the city, 'Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, and I speak unto thee.'

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.

17 And he cometh near unto her, and the woman saith, 'Art thou Joab?' and he saith, 'I [am].' And she saith to him, 'Hear the words of thy handmaid;' and he saith, 'I am hearing.'

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.

18 and she speaketh, saying, 'They spake often in former times, saying, Let them diligently ask at Abel, and so they finished.

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

19 I [am] of the peaceable — faithful ones of Israel; thou art seeking to destroy a city, and a mother in Israel; why dost thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?

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?

20 And Joab answereth and saith, 'Far be it — far be it from me; I do not swallow up nor destroy.

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

21 The matter [is] not so; for a man of the hill-country of Ephraim — Sheba son of Bichri his name — hath lifted up his hand against the king, against David; give ye up him by himself, and I go away from the city.' And the woman saith unto Joab, 'Lo, his head is cast unto thee over the wall.'

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.

22 And the woman cometh unto all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast [it] unto Joab, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and they are scattered from the city, each to his tents, and Joab hath turned back to Jerusalem unto the king.

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.

23 And Joab [is] over all the host of Israel, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada [is] over the Cherethite, and over the Pelethite,

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

24 and Adoram [is] over the tribute, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud [is] the remembrancer,

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

25 and Sheva [is] scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar [are] priests,

forsothe Sadoch and Abiathar weren preestis;

26 and also, Ira the Jairite hath been minister to David.

forsothe Hira of Hiarith was preest of Dauid.