Sheba Rebels against David
1 A troublemaker from the tribe of Benjamin was there. His name was Sheba the son of Bichri, and he blew a trumpet to get everyone's attention. Then he said, “People of Israel, David the son of Jesse doesn't belong to us! Let's go home.”
2 So they stopped following David and went off with Sheba. But the people of Judah stayed close to David all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
David's Ten Wives
3 David had left ten of his wives in Jerusalem to take care of his palace. But when he came back, he had them taken to another house, and he placed soldiers there to guard them. He gave them whatever they needed, but he never slept with any of them again. They had to live there for the rest of their lives as if they were widows.
The Army Goes after Sheba
4 David said to Amasa, “Three days from now I want you and all of Judah's army to be here!”
5 Amasa started bringing the army together, but it was taking him more than three days. 6 So David said to Abishai, “Sheba will hurt us more than Absalom ever did. Take my best soldiers and go after him. We don't want him to take over any walled cities and get away from us.”
Joab Kills Amasa
7 Abishai left Jerusalem to try and capture Sheba. He took along Joab and his soldiers, as well as David's bodyguard and best troops. 8 They had gone as far as the big rock at Gibeon when Amasa caught up with them. Joab had a dagger strapped around his waist over his military uniform, but it fell out as he started toward Amasa.
9 Joab said, “Amasa, my cousin, how are you?” Then Joab took hold of Amasa's beard with his right hand, so that he could greet him with a kiss. 10 Amasa did not see the dagger in Joab's other hand. Joab stuck it in Amasa's stomach, and his insides spilled out on the ground. Joab only struck him once, but Amasa was dying.
Joab and his brother Abishai went off to chase Sheba. 11 One of Joab's soldiers stood by Amasa and shouted, “If any of you are for Joab and David, then follow Joab!”
12 Amasa was still rolling in his own blood in the middle of the road. The soldier who had shouted noticed that everyone who passed by would stop, so he dragged Amasa off the road and covered him with a blanket. 13 After this, no one else stopped. They all walked straight past him on their way to help Joab capture Sheba.
Sheba Hides Out in the Town of Abel
14 Sheba had gone through all of the tribes of Israel when he came to the town of Abel Beth-Maacah. All of his best soldiers met him there and followed him into the town.
15 Joab and his troops came and surrounded Abel, so that no one could go in or come out. They made a dirt ramp up to the town wall and then started to use a battering ram to knock the wall down.
A Wise Woman Saves the Town
16 A wise woman shouted from the top of the wall, “Listen to me! Listen to me! I have to talk to Joab! Tell him to come here!” 17 When he came, the woman said, “Are you Joab?”
“Yes, I am,” he answered.
She said, “Please, listen to what I have to say.”
“All right,” he said. “I'll listen.”
18 She said, “Long ago people used to say, ‘If you want good advice, go to the town of Abel to get it.’ The answers they got here were all that was needed to settle any problem. 19 We are Israelites, and we want peace! You can trust us. Why are you trying to destroy a town that's like a mother in Israel? Why do you want to wipe out the Lord's people?”
20 Joab answered, “No, no! I'm not trying to wipe you out or destroy your town! 21 That's not it at all. There's a man in your town from the hill country of Ephraim. His name is Sheba, and he is the leader of a rebellion against King David. Turn him over to me, and we will leave your town alone.”
The woman told Joab, “We will throw his head over the wall.”
22 She went to the people of the town and talked them into doing it. They cut off Sheba's head and threw it to Joab.
Joab blew a signal on his trumpet, and the soldiers returned to their homes. Joab went back to David in Jerusalem.
Another List of David's Officials
23 Joab was the commander of Israel's entire army.
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of David's bodyguard.
24 Adoram was in charge of the slave-labor force.
Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud kept government records.
25 Sheva was the secretary.
Zadok and Abiathar were the priests.
26 Ira from Jair was David's priest.
Ekulukuto laSeba
1 Ndele omukolokoshi umwe a holokela ko, edina laye Sheba yaBikri, Omukwabenjamin. Ye okwa shika enghuma loluvinga lodi yomhedi ndele ta ti:
“Fye katu noshitukulwa muDavid,
ndele katu noshitukulwafyuululwa momona waIsai;
akutu Israel, keshe umwe na ye ketwali laye!”
2 Opo nee ovalumenhu aveshe vaIsrael va dja po puDavid, va shikula Sheba yaBikri. Ndelenee ovalumenhu vaJuda va kanyatela kohamba yavo okudja kuJordan fiyo okuJerusalem.
3 David eshi e uya mouhamba waye muJerusalem, ohamba oya kufa ovalikadi venya omulongo vopomunghulo ovo ye va fiile po va kelele eumbo, ndele yo ye va tula mongulu tai nangelwa ndele ye va palula, ndele inai ya mo kuvo. Ndele vo ova idililwa mo fiyo okefiku lefyo lavo ngaashi ovafiyekadi tave likalele fiyo okokufya.
4 Opo nee ohamba tai ti kuAmasa: “Ifanene nge ovalumenhu Ovajuda va ongale omafiku atatu fimbo inaa pita. Naave mwene yo u kale po apa.” 5 Ndele Amasa okwa ya a ka ifane Ovajuda va ongale, ndelenee ye okwa li a kala ko a pitifa po efimbo la udafanwa. 6 Opo nee David a lombwela Abisai: “Paife Sheba yaBikri te tu ningile owii uhapu u dule waAbsalom. Kufa ovapiya vomwene woye, u mu shikule, opo ye aha kwate oilando i neehotekuma, ndele ta kolola mo omesho etu.” 7 Novalumenhu vaJoab nOvakereti nOvapleti novakwanyati aveshe va shikula Abisai. Vo ova dja muJerusalem va ka shikule Sheba yaBikri. 8 Fimbo vo va li pemanya lakula olo li li puGibeon, Amasa e va shakeneka. Ndele Joab okwa li a djala oshikutu shoita ndele kombada yasho ekwamo leongamukonda la mangwa moshiya shaye. Eongamukonda la li moshilaleko shalo, ndele ye eshi a fikama lo ola wa mo. 9 Ndele Joab ta ti kuAmasa: “Omukwetu, ou li tuu nawa?” Ndele okwa kwata neke lokolulyo eendjedi daAmasa e mu fipe komilungu, 10 ndele Amasa okwa li ina yavala eongamukonda la li meke laJoab. Opo nee ye te mu tu medimo, nomandjadja taa lopotokele poshi ye ine mu tuulula vali. Nokwa fya. Opo nee Joab nomumwaina waAbisai a shikula Sheba yaBikri. 11 Ndelenee omulumenhu umwe womovapiya vaJoab a fyaala po a kala ofika poshimhu shaAmasa ndele ta ti: “Ou a hokwa Joab ndele a ama kuDavid na shikule Joab!” 12 Ndele Amasa okwa nangala mohonde yaye mondjila. Ndelenee omulumenhu ou eshi a mona, nokutya ovakwaita aveshe va kanghama puye, ye okwa kufa Amasa mondjila, e mu kokololela moixwa nokwe mu uvika noshikutu, osheshi a mona keshe umwe ta ende po a kanghama puye. 13 Ye eshi e mu kufa mondjila, ovakwaita aveshe va pita po va shikula Joab, va ka taatae Sheba yaBikri.
14 Ndele Sheba okwa tauluka moitukulwalongo aishe yomapata aIsrael kuAbel naBet-Maaka; nOvaberim aveshe ova ongala ndele navo ve mu shikula. 15 Ndele ove uya ndele ve mu fitikinina muAbel-Bet-Maaka ndele mokulwifa oshilando va ndubila onduba ya hanga fiyo ohotekuma yotete. Fimbo ovakwaita aveshe vaJoab va li ve noupyakadi okuhanauna nokungumauna po ohotekuma, 16 omukainhu omunaendunge womoshilando ta ingida: “Pwilikineni, pwilikineni! Lombweleni Joab: ‘Ila oku, ndi dule okupopya naave.’ ” 17 Ndele ye eshi a ehena ko kuye, omukainhu ta ti: “Oove tuu Joab?” Ndele ye okwa nyamukula: “Heeno.” Ndele winya ta ti kuye: “Pwilikina eendjovo domupiya woye omukainhu.” Ndele ye ta nyamukula: “Ame ohandi pwilikine.” 18 Opo nee ye ta ti: “Shito va ika okutya: ‘Kongeni eendunge muAbel.’ Ndele osho va xulifa eendjovo. 19 Aame umwe womwaava ve hole ombili noudiinini muIsrael. Ndele wa hala okuhanauna po oshilando osho shi li ngaashi ina yomuIsrael: Omolwashike wa hala okunyonauna po oshitukulwafyuululwa shOmwene?” 20 Ndele Joab okwa nyamukula ta ti: “Nashi kale kokule naame, ame ndi hanaune po nokungumauna po! 21 Oshinima kashi li ngaha. Ndelenee omulumenhu umwe wokeemhunda daEfraim, edina laye Sheba yaBikri, okwa yelulila ohamba David eke laye. Mu yandjeni ashike, opo nee nda hala okudja po poshilando.” Nomukainhu ta ti kuJoab: “Tala, omutwe waye tau ke ku ekelwa kombada yekuma.” 22 Nomukainhu meendunge daye okwa popifa oonakukalamo aveshe ndele ova teta ko omutwe waSheba yaBikri ndele ve u ekela kuJoab. Opo nee ye a shika enghuma loluvinga lodi yomhedi ndele ve lihana po va dja po poshilando, keshe umwe a ya ketwali laye. Ndele Joab okwa shuna kohamba muJerusalem.
Omalenga aDavid
23 Ndele Joab okwa li ondjai yovakwaita aveshe vaIsrael. Ndele Benaja yaJehoiada okwa li omukulunhu wOvakereti nowOvapleti. 24 Ndele Adoram okwa li omupashukili wefendelo, naJosafat yaAhilud okwa li elenga ekulunhu. 25 Ndele Sheva okwa li omushangi naSadok naAbjatar va li ovapristeli. 26 Nosho yo Ira, Omujair, okwa li omupristeli puDavid.