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.
Oshipotha shaSheba
1 Pethimbo ndiyaka muGilgal omwa li omulumentu omupwidhi, Sheba yaBikri gwomezimo lyaBenjamin. Okwa hiki ombenda e ti igidha ta ti: “Tse katu na sha naDavid, katu na uuthiga nomuna gwaIsai! Aaisraeli, indeni kaandjeni!” 2 Nena Aaisraeli ya thigi po David e taa landula Sheba, ihe Aajuda oya ningi aayinekelwa naalanduli yaDavid okuza kuJordan sigo oJerusalem.
3 David sho a thiki muuwa we muJerusalem, okwa kutha oohonda omulongo ndhoka a thigile po, dhi keelele uuwa, e te dhi tula metonatelo. Okwe dhi sile oshimpwiyu moompumbwe dhadho, ihe ina lala we nadho. Odha kala dhe edhililwa sigo okusa kwadho, dha kala dha fa aaselekadhi.
4 Omukwaniilwa okwa ti kuAmasa: “Ithana Aajuda ya gongale, mu ye nayo huka esiku lyahela.” 5 Amasa okwa yi, e ke ya hiye, ihe ina galuka pethimbo ndyoka omukwaniilwa e li utha. 6 Onkee omukwaniilwa okwa ti kuAbisai: “Sheba ote ke tu piyaganeka unene e vule Absalom. Kutha aantu yandje, mu mu landule, opo kaa lale iilandohote yimwe ye a fadhuke po.” 7 Onkee aantu yaJoab, aalangeli aayinekelwa naakwiita ayehe yalwe ya zi muJerusalem ye li naAbisai taa landula Sheba. 8 Sho ya thiki pemanya enene puGibeon, Amasa okwe ya tsakaneke. Joab okwa li a homata oshikwiita, a zala egongamwele li li molumpangwa lwalyo mepaya lye. Sho a li u uka ko, egongamwele olya gu mo. 9 Joab okwa ti kuAmasa: “Ou li ngiini, kuume kandje?” Ye ta kwata oombenzi dhe nolulyo lwe a fa te mu thipi komilungu. 10 Amasa ka li nando a kotokela egongamwele ndyoka Joab a li a kwata noshikaha oshikwawo, Joab nokwe mu mbwangula nalyo mela nomandjandja oga tika mo ga gwile pevi. Okwa si mbala nokuli, naJoab ine mu tsuulula we.
Nena Joab nomumwayina Abisai oya landula Sheba. 11 Gumwe gwomaantu yaJoab okwa thikama pomudhimba gwaAmasa e ti igidha ta ti: “Shaa ngoka a gama kuJoab naDavid, na landule Joab!” 12 Omudhimba gwaAmasa ogwa li gwa kangawala metente lyombinzi mokati kondjila. Omupiya gwaJoab okwa mono kutya aantu otaa kankama, onkee okwa pwedha po omudhimba e te gu siikile elwaakani. 13 Omudhimba sho gwa kuthwa mo mondjila, shaa ngoka okwa landula Joab melandulo lyaSheba.
14 Sheba okwa tokola iilongo yomazimo agehe gaIsrael e te ya koshilando Abel Bet Maaka, naakwazimo ayehe yoludhi lwaBikri oya gongala e taye mu landulile moshilando. 15 Aantu yaJoab oyu uvu kutya Sheba omo e li, onkee ya yi e taa kondeke oshilando. Oya ningi omituni pedhingililokuma noya tameke okufula kohi yekuma, ye li gwithe po. 16 Moshilando omwa li omukulukadhi omunandunge i igidha handiyaka yekuma a ti: “Pulakeneni! Pulakeneni! Lombweleni Joab, e ye huka; onda hala ndi kundathane naye.” 17 Joab okwa yi kuye, nomukiintu okwe mu pula a ti: “Ongoye ngaa Joab?”
Joab okwa yamukula a ti: “Ee, ongame.” Omukulukadhi okwa ti kuye: “Pulakena ndje, tatekulu.”
Joab okwa yamukula: “Onda pulakena.”
18 Omukulukadhi okwa ti: “Muuyuni wonale okwa li haku tiwa: ‘Inda, u ka tsuwe omayele moshilando Abel,’ nosho naanaa ya ningi. 19 Oshilando shetu oshinene, osho shimwe shomiilando yombilielela noshi inekelwa muIsrael. Omolwashike to shi hanagulile po? Owa hala okukumuna po oshilando shOmuwa?”
20 Joab okwa yamukula a ti: “Shivalelwe! Itandi shi kumuna po nenge ndi shi hanagule po. 21 Ndyoka kali shi ando edhiladhilo lyetu. Omulumentu gumwe, edhina lye Sheba yaBikri koshilongo shokoondundu dhaEfraim, okwa tameke okutukulila omukwaniilwa David oshipotha. Tu peni owala omuntu nguka, notandi ka etha oshilando, ndi shune.”
Omukulukadhi okwa ti: “Omutse gwe otatu ke gu umbila pondje.” 22 Nena okwa yi kaantu yomoshilando nedhiladhilo lye ndyoka, oyo noya tete ko omutse gwaSheba e taye gu umbile handiyaka yekuma kuJoab. Joab okwa hiki ombenda endhindhiliko lyokutya aantu naa ethe oshilando, noya shuna kaandjawo. NaJoab okwa shuna kuJerusalem komukwaniilwa.
Omalenga omakuluntu gaDavid
23 Joab okwa li ondjayi yomatangakwiita gaIsrael; Benaia yaJehoiada okwa li omukuluntu gwaalangeli yaDavid; 24 Adoniram okwa li omukuluntu gwiilonga yethiminiko; Jehosafat yaAhilud okwa li amushangandjayi; 25 Sheva okwa li amushangampangu; Sadok naAbiatar oya li aayambi. 26 NaIra gwomuJair okwa li wo gumwe gwomaayambi yaDavid.
