Sheba's Rebellion
1 There happened to be in Gilgal a worthless character named Sheba son of Bikri, of the tribe of Benjamin. He blew the trumpet and called out, “Down with David! We won't follow him! Men of Israel, let's go home!” 2 So the Israelites deserted David and went with Sheba, but the men of Judah remained loyal and followed David from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 When David arrived at his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace, and put them under guard. He provided for their needs, but did not have intercourse with them. They were kept confined for the rest of their lives, living like widows.
4 The king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together and be back here with them by the day after tomorrow.” 5 Amasa went to call them, but he did not get back by the time the king had told him to. 6 So the king said to Abishai, “Sheba will give us more trouble than Absalom. Take my men and go after him, or else he may occupy some fortified towns and escape from us.” 7 So Joab's men, the royal bodyguards, and all the other soldiers left Jerusalem with Abishai to go after Sheba. 8 When they reached the large rock at Gibeon, Amasa met them. Joab was dressed for battle, with a sword in its sheath fastened to his belt. As he came forward, the sword fell out. 9 Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my friend?” and took hold of his beard with his right hand in order to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on guard against the sword that Joab was holding in his other hand, and Joab stabbed him in the belly, and his insides spilled out on the ground. He died immediately, and Joab did not have to strike again.
Then Joab and his brother Abishai went on after Sheba. 11 One of Joab's men stood by Amasa's body and called out, “Everyone who is for Joab and David follow Joab!” 12 Amasa's body, covered with blood, was lying in the middle of the road. Joab's man saw that everybody was stopping, so he dragged the body from the road out into the field and threw a blanket over it. 13 After the body had been removed from the road, everyone followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba.
14 Sheba passed through the territory of all the tribes of Israel and came to the city of Abel Beth Maacah, and all the members of the clan of Bikri assembled and followed him into the city. 15 Joab's men heard that Sheba was there, and so they went and besieged the city. They built ramps of earth against the outer wall and also began to dig under the wall to make it fall down. 16 There was a wise woman in the city who shouted from the wall, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here; I want to speak with him.” 17 Joab went, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”
“Yes, I am,” he answered.
“Listen to me, sir,” she said.
“I'm listening,” he answered.
18 She said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Go and get your answer in the city of Abel’—and that's just what they did. 19 Ours is a great city, one of the most peaceful and loyal in Israel. Why are you trying to destroy it? Do you want to ruin what belongs to the Lord?”
20 “Never!” Joab answered. “I will never ruin or destroy your city! 21 That is not our plan. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, who is from the hill country of Ephraim, started a rebellion against King David. Hand over this one man, and I will withdraw from the city.”
“We will throw his head over the wall to you,” she said. 22 Then she went to the people of the city with her plan, and they cut off Sheba's head and threw it over the wall to Joab. He blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to leave the city, and they went back home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
David's Officials
23 Joab was in command of the army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of David's bodyguards; 24 Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of the records; 25 Sheva was the court secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were the priests, 26 and Ira from the town of Jair was also one of David's priests.
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.
