1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel. 2 So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3 ¶ And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4 ¶ Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present. 5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him. 6 And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us. 7 And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri. 8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab’s garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out. 9 And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. 10 But Amasa took no heed to 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. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. 11 And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab. 12 And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still. 13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
14 ¶ And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Beth-maachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him. 15 And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
16 ¶ Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee. 17 And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he . Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear. 18 Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter . 19 I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD? 20 And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. 21 The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. 22 Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.
23 ¶ Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites: 24 And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder: 25 And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests: 26 And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.
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.
