Ii Samuelis 20

1 Accidit quoque ut ibi esset vir Belial, nomine Seba, filius Bochri, vir Iemineus: et cecinit buccina, et ait: Non est nobis pars in David, neque hereditas in filio Isai: revertere in tabernacula tua Israel.

And there happened to be a worthless man, whose name was Sheba', the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew the cornet, and said, We have no part in David, nor have we any inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel!

2 Et separatus est omnis Israel a David, secutusque est Seba filium Bochri: viri autem Iuda adhaeserunt regi suo a Iordane usque Ierusalem.

So every man of Israel went off from David, following Sheba' the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah adhered unto their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.

3 Cumque venisset rex in domum suam in Ierusalem, tulit decem mulieres concubinas, quas dereliquerat ad custodiendam domum, et tradidit eas in custodiam, alimenta eis praebens: et non est ingressus ad eas, sed erant clausae usque in diem mortis suae in viduitate viventes.

And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women, the concubines, whom he had left to guard the house, and put them in a guard-house, and provided for them, but went not in unto them. So they were confined until the day of their death, living in widowhood.

4 Dixit autem rex Amasae: Convoca mihi omnes viros Iuda in diem tertium, et tu adesto praesens.

Then said the king to 'Amassa, Call together for me the men of Judah within three days, and thou present thyself here [then].

5 Abiit ergo Amasa ut convocaret Iudam, et moratus est extra placitum quod ei constituerat rex.

So 'Amassa went to call Judah together; but he remained out longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

6 Ait autem David ad Abisai: Nunc magis afflicturus est nos Seba filius Bochri quam Absalom: tolle igitur servos domini tui, et persequere eum, ne forte inveniat civitates munitas, et effugiat nos.

And David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba' the son of Bichri do us more harm than [did] Abshalom: take thou the servants of thy Lord, and pursue after him, lest he succeed in reaching fortified cities, and withdraw himself from our eyes.

7 Egressi sunt ergo cum eo viri Ioab, Cerethi quoque et Phelethi: et omnes robusti exierunt de Ierusalem ad persequendum Seba filium Bochri.

And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Kerethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went forth out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba' the son of Bichri.

8 Cumque illi essent iuxta lapidem grandem, qui est in Gabaon, Amasa veniens occurrit eis. Porro Ioab vestitus erat tunica stricta ad mensuram habitus sui, et desuper accinctus gladio dependente usque ad ilia, in vagina, qui fabricatus levi motu egredi poterat, et percutere.

They were close by the great stone which is at Gib'on, as 'Amassa came before them. And Joab was girded with his coat, his [usual] garment, and upon it the girdle of the sword which was fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and as he went forth it fell out.

9 Dixit itaque Ioab ad Amasam: Salve mi frater. Et tenuit manu dextera mentum Amasae, quasi osculans eum.

And Joab said to 'Amassa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab's right hand took hold of 'Amassa's beard to kiss him.

10 Porro Amasa non observavit gladium, quem habebat Ioab, qui percussit eum in latere, et effudit intestina eius in terram, nec secundum vulnus apposuit. Ioab autem, et Abisai frater eius persecuti sunt Seba filium Bochri.

And 'Amassa did not guard himself against the sword that was in Joab's hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. But Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba' the son of Bichri.

11 Interea quidam viri, cum stetissent iuxta cadaver Amasae, de sociis Ioab, dixerunt: Ecce qui esse voluit pro Ioab comes David.

And one man of Joab's people remained standing by him, and said, He that favoreth Joab, and he that is for David, follow Joab.

12 Amasa autem conspersus sanguine, iacebat in media via. Vidit hoc quidam vir quod subsisteret omnis populus ad videndum eum, et amovit Amasam de via in agrum, operuitque eum vestimento, ne subsisterent transeuntes propter eum.

And 'Amassa was wallowing in his blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he put 'Amassa aside out of the highway into the field, and threw a garment over him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.

13 Amoto ergo illo de via, transibat omnis vir sequens Ioab ad persequendum Seba filium Bochri.

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

14 Porro ille transierat per omnes tribus Israel usque in Abelam, et Bethmaacha: omnesque viri electi congregati fuerant ad eum.

And this one passed through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, which is of Beth-ma'achah, and all the Berim: and they assembled themselves together, and went also after him.

15 Venerunt itaque et oppugnabant eum in Abela, et in Bethmaacha, et circumdederunt munitionibus civitatem, et obsessa est urbs: omnis autem turba, quae erat cum Ioab, moliebatur destruere muros.

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-ma'achah, and they cast up a trench against the city, and it stood enclosed by the troops: and all the people that were with Joab were battering to throw down the wall.

16 Et exclamavit mulier sapiens de civitate: Audite, audite, dicite Ioab: Appropinqua huc, et loquar tecum.

Then called a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear: say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near as far as hither, that I may speak with thee.

17 Qui cum accessisset ad eam, ait illi: Tu es Ioab? Et ille respondit: Ego. Ad quem sic locuta est: Audi sermones ancillae tuae. Qui respondit: Audio.

And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he said, I am. Then said she unto him, Hear the words of thy hand-maid. And he said, I do hear.

18 Rursumque illa, Sermo, inquit, dicebatur in veteri proverbio: Qui interrogant, interrogent in Abela: et sic proficiebant.

Then said she, thus, They ought surely first to have spoken, saying, “Let them ask at least in Abel:” and so would they have come to an end.

19 Nonne ego sum quae respondeo veritatem in Israel, et tu quaeris subvertere civitatem, et evertere matrem in Israel? Quare praecipitas hereditatem Domini?

I am one of the peaceful and faithful [cities] in Israel; thou seekest to overthrow a city and a metropolis in Israel: why wilt thou destroy the inheritance of the Lord?

20 Respondensque Ioab, ait: Absit, absit hoc a me: non praecipito, neque demolior.

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

21 Non sic se habet res, sed homo de monte Ephraim Seba, filius Bochri cognomine, levavit manum suam contra regem David: tradite illum solum, et recedemus a civitate. Et ait mulier ad Ioab: Ecce caput eius mittetur ad te per murum.

The matter is not so; but a man from the mountains of Ephraim, Sheba' the son of Bichri is his name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, against David: give him up alone, and I will withdraw from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be cast down to thee over the wall.

22 Ingressa est ergo ad omnem populum, et locuta est eis sapienter: qui abscissum caput Sebae filii Bochri proiecerunt ad Ioab. et ille cecinit tuba, et recesserunt ab urbe, unusquisque in tabernacula sua: Ioab autem reversus est Ierusalem ad regem.

And the woman came unto all the people with her wisdom; and they cut off the head of Sheba' the son of Bichri, and cast it down to Joab: and he blew the cornet, and they scattered themselves from the city, every man to his tents. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

23 Fuit ergo Ioab super omnem exercitum Israel: Banaias autem filius Ioiadae super Cerethaeos et Phelethaeos.

Now Joab was over all the army of Israel; and Benayah the son of Yehoyada' was over the Kerethites and over the Pelethites;

24 Aduram vero super tributa: porro Iosaphat filius Ahilud, a commentariis.

And Adoram was over the tribute; and Jehoshaphat the son of Achilud was recorder;

25 Siva autem, scriba: Sadoc vero et Abiathar, sacerdotes.

And Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Ebyathar were priests;

26 Ira autem Iairites erat sacerdos David.

And 'Ira also the Yairite was an officer of state unto David.