2 Samuel 20
1 Nu traff det sig så at det på det sted var en illesinnet mann som hette Seba, sønn av Bikri, en benjaminitt. Han støtte i basunen og sa: Vi har ingen del i David og ingen lodd i Isais sønn; hver mann til sine telt, Israel!
There was a man there [at Gilgal] named Sheba. He was a man who always caused trouble. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was the son of Bichri. He blew a trumpet and called out, “We have nothing to do with [DOU] David, that son of Jesse! So, men of Israel, let’s go to our homes!”
2 Da forlot hver mann av Israel David og fulgte Seba, Bikris sønn, men Judas menn hang ved sin konge og fulgte ham fra Jordan like til Jerusalem.
So all the men from the other Israeli tribes deserted David and went with Sheba, but the men of Judah stayed with David. They wanted him to be their king, and went with him from near the Jordan [River] up to Jerusalem.
3 Så kom David hjem til Jerusalem. Og kongen tok de ti medhustruer som han hadde latt bli tilbake for å ta vare på huset, og lot dem bo i et hus for sig selv under varetekt; han forsørget dem med det nødvendige, men gikk ikke inn til dem. Der satt de nu innestengt til sin dødsdag og levde hele resten av sitt liv som enker.
When David arrived at the palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten slave wives whom he had left there to take care of the palace and put them in another house. He put a guard at that house, and he provided for them what they needed, but he never had sexual relations [EUP] with them again. So they remained shut up in their house until they died. It was as though they were widows.
4 Så sa kongen til Amasa: Kall Judas menn sammen for mig innen tre dager og møt så selv frem her!
[One day] the king said to Amasa, “Summon the soldiers of Judah to come here within three days, and you be here also.”
5 Amasa tok da avsted for å kalle Juda sammen; men han drygde lenger enn den tid som var fastsatt.
So Amasa went to summon them, but he did not return within the time that David told him to.
6 Da sa David til Abisai: Nu kommer Seba, Bikris sønn, til å gjøre oss mere ondt enn Absalom; ta du din herres menn og sett efter ham! Bare han ikke alt har funnet faste byer og har undsloppet oss!
So David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba will harm us more than Absalom did. So you take my soldiers and pursue him. If you do not do that, he and his soldiers may occupy/capture some of the (fortified towns/towns that have walls around them), and escape from us. [IDM]”
7 Så drog da Joabs menn og livvakten og alle de djerveste stridsmenn ut efter ham; de drog ut fra Jerusalem for å sette efter Seba, Bikris sønn.
So Abishai [and Joab] and the king’s bodyguards and the other soldiers left Jerusalem, to pursue Sheba.
8 De var nettop kommet til den store sten ved Gibeon, da kom Amasa imot dem. Joab hadde på sig kappen som var hans vanlige drakt, og utenpå den et belte med et sverd i skjeden, fastbundet over hans lender, og da han gikk frem, falt det ut.
When they arrived at the huge rock in [the] Gibeah [region], Amasa met them. Joab was wearing a soldier’s uniform. He had a dagger/long knife fastened to his belt. When he came close [to Amasa, he allowed] the dagger [to] fall on the ground.
9 Og Joab sa til Amasa: Går det dig vel, bror? og grep med sin høire hånd fatt i Amasas skjegg for å kysse ham.
Joab said to Amasa, “Are things going well with you, my friend?” Then Joab grabbed Amasa’s beard with his right hand, in order to kiss him.
10 Men Amasa tok sig ikke i vare for sverdet som Joab hadde i hånden, og Joab stakk ham med det i underlivet, så hans innvoller rant ut på jorden. Han stakk ham ikke mere enn denne ene gang, så var han død. Derefter satte Joab og hans bror Abisai efter Seba, Bikris sønn.
But Amasa did not see that Joab was holding [another] dagger in his [other] hand. And Joab stabbed it into Amasa’s belly, and his insides spilled out onto the ground. Amasa died [immediately]; Joab did not need to stab him again. Then Joab and his brother Abishai continued to pursue Sheba.
11 Men en av Joabs unge menn blev stående hos Amasa og ropte: Hvem som holder med Joab, og som står på Davids side, følge Joab!
One of Joab’s soldiers stood alongside Amasa’s body and called out, “Everyone who wants Joab [to be our commander] and who wants David [to be our king], go with Joab!”
12 Men Amasa lå veltet i sitt blod midt på landeveien, og da mannen så at alt folket blev stående. flyttet han Amasa fra landeveien bort på marken og kastet et klæde over ham, fordi han så at enhver som kom bort til ham, blev stående.
Amasa’s body was lying on the road. It was covered with blood. The soldier of Joab [who had called out] saw that many others of Joab’s soldiers were stopping [to see it], so he dragged Amasa’s body off the road into a field, and threw a cloth/blanket over the body.
13 Da han var ført bort fra landeveien, gikk hver mann forbi og fulgte Joab for å sette efter Seba, Bikris sønn.
After the body had been taken off the road, all the soldiers went with Joab to pursue Sheba.
14 Han drog frem gjennem alle Israels stammer til Abel og Bet-Ma'aka og hele Berim; og de samlet sig og fulgte også efter ham.
Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel, and arrived at Abel-Beth-Maacah [town in the northern part of Israel]. There, all the members of [his father] Bichri’s clan gathered, and went with Sheba into the town.
15 Og de kom og kringsatte ham i Abel-Bet-Ma'aka og opkastet en voll mot byen; den støtte op mot yttermuren; og alt folket som var med Joab, var i ferd med å ødelegge muren for å få den til å falle.
The soldiers who were with Joab [found out that Sheba had gone there, so they] went there and surrounded the town. They built a dirt ramp up against the town wall. They also pounded against the wall [with heavy poles], to cause it to collapse.
16 Da ropte en klok kvinne fra byen: Hør, hør! Si til Joab: Kom nærmere, så jeg kan få tale med dig!
Then a wise woman who was in that town [stood on the top of the wall and] shouted down, “Listen to me! Tell Joab to come here, because I want to talk to him!”
17 Da gikk han bort til henne, og kvinnen spurte: Er du Joab? Han svarte: Ja. Hun sa til ham: Hør din tjenerinnes ord! Han svarte: Jeg hører.
So [after they told Joab], he came there, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He replied, “Yes, I am.” She said to him, “Listen to what I say.” He replied, “I am listening.”
18 Da sa hun: Før pleide folk å si så: En skal spørre sig for i Abel, og så utførte de det.
She said, “Long ago people used to say, ‘Go to Abel [town] to get good advice about your problems.’ And that is what people did.
19 Jeg er en av de fredsommelige og trofaste i Israel; du søker å ødelegge en by, en mor i Israel, hvorfor vil du tilintetgjøre Herrens arv?
We are peaceful and loyal Israelis. Our people here are important and respected [IDM]. So (why are you trying to destroy a town that belongs to Yahweh?/you should not be trying to destroy a town that belongs to Yahweh.)” [RHQ]
20 Da svarte Joab og sa: Langt, langt være det fra mig at jeg skulde tilintetgjøre eller ødelegge.
Job replied, “I would certainly never want to ruin or destroy your town!
21 Det har sig ikke så. Men en mann fra Efra'im-fjellet som heter Seba, sønn av Bikri, har løftet sin hånd mot kongen, mot David; la mig bare få ham, så skal jeg dra bort fra byen. Da sa kvinnen til Joab: Hans hode skal bli kastet ut til dig over muren.
That is not what we want to do. But Bichri’s son Sheba, a man from the hilly area in the tribe of Ephraim, is rebelling against King David. Put this man into our hands, and then we will (go away from/not attack) this town.” The woman replied to Joab, “Okay, what we will do is, we will [cut off] his head [and] throw it over the wall to you.”
22 Så gikk kvinnen med sitt kloke råd til alt folket, og de hugg hodet av Seba, Bikris sønn, og kastet det ut til Joab. Da støtte han i basunen, og de drog bort fra byen og spredte sig hver mann til sitt hjem; og Joab vendte tilbake til Jerusalem, til kongen.
Then this wise woman went to the elders of the town and told them what she had said to Joab. So they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it over the wall to Joab. Then Joab blew his trumpet [to signal that the battle was ended], and all his soldiers left the town and returned to their homes. And Joab returned to Jerusalem and told the king [what had happened].
23 Joab var høvding over hele Israels hær, og Benaja, sønn av Jojada, var høvding over livvakten;
Joab was the commander of the entire Israeli army. Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was the commander of David’s bodyguards;
24 Adoram hadde opsyn med dem som gjorde pliktarbeid, og Josafat, sønn av Akilud, var historieskriver;
Adoram supervised the men who were forced to work [for the king]; Ahilud’s son Jehoshaphat was the man who reported [to the people everything that David decided];
25 Seja var statsskriver, og Sadok og Abjatar var prester.
Sheva was the official secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were the priests;
26 Ja'iritten Ira var også prest hos David.
and Ira from Jair [town] was also one of David’s priests.
