Sheba Urges Israel Not to Follow David
1An evil man who always stirred up trouble happened to be in Gilgal. His name was Sheba, the son of Bikri. Sheba was from the tribe of Benjamin. He blew his trumpet. Then he shouted,
“We don’t have any share in David’s kingdom!
Jesse’s son is not our king!
Men of Israel, every one of you go back home!”
2So all the men of Israel deserted David. They followed Sheba, the son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king. They remained with him from the Jordan River all the way to Jerusalem.
3David returned to his palace in Jerusalem. He had left ten concubines there to take care of the palace. He put them in a house and kept them under guard. He gave them what they needed. But he didn’t sleep with them. They were kept under guard until the day they died. They lived as if they were widows.
4The king said to Amasa, “Send for the men of Judah. Tell them to come to me within three days. And be here yourself.” 5So Amasa went to get the men of Judah. But he took longer than the time the king had set for him.
6David said to Abishai, “Sheba, the son of Bikri, will do more harm to us than Absalom ever did. Take my men and go after him. If you don’t, he’ll find cities that have high walls around them. He’ll go into one of them and escape from us.” 7So Joab’s men marched out with the Kerethites and Pelethites. They went out with all the mighty soldiers. All of them were under Abishai’s command. They marched out from Jerusalem and went after Sheba, the son of Bikri.
8They arrived at the great rock in Gibeon. Amasa went there to welcome them. Joab was wearing his military clothes. Over them at his waist he had strapped on a belt that held a dagger. As he stepped forward, he secretly took the dagger out.
9Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my friend?” Then Joab reached out his right hand. He took hold of Amasa’s beard to kiss him. 10Amasa didn’t notice the dagger in Joab’s left hand. Joab stuck it into his stomach. His insides spilled out on the ground. Joab didn’t have to stab him again. Amasa was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai went after Sheba, the son of Bikri.
11One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa’s body. He said to the other men, “Are you pleased with Joab? Are you on David’s side? Then follow Joab!” 12Amasa’s body lay covered with his blood in the middle of the road. The man saw that all the troops stopped there. He realized that everyone was stopping to look at Amasa’s body. So he dragged it from the road into a field. Then he threw some clothes on top of it. 13After that happened, everyone continued on with Joab. They went after Sheba, the son of Bikri.
14Sheba passed through all the territory of the tribes of Israel. He arrived at the city of Abel Beth Maakah. He had gone through the entire area of the Bikrites. They had gathered together and followed him. 15Joab and all his troops came to Abel Beth Maakah. They surrounded it because Sheba was there. They built a ramp up to the city. It stood against the outer wall. They pounded the wall with huge logs to bring it down. 16While that was going on, a wise woman called out from the city. She shouted, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here. I want to speak to him.” 17So Joab went toward her. She asked, “Are you Joab?”
“I am,” he answered.
She said, “Listen to what I have to say.”
“I’m listening,” he said.
18She continued, “Long ago people used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel.’ And that would settle the matter. 19We are the most peaceful and faithful people in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is like a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up what belongs to the Lord?”
20“I would never do anything like that!” Joab said. “I would never swallow up or destroy what belongs to the Lord! 21That isn’t what I have in mind at all. There’s a man named Sheba, the son of Bikri, in your city. He’s from the hill country of Ephraim. He’s trying to kill King David. Hand that man over to me. Then I’ll pull my men back from your city.”
The woman said to Joab, “We’ll throw his head down to you from the wall.”
22Then the woman gave her wise advice to all the people in the city. They cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bikri. They threw it down to Joab. So he blew his trumpet. Then his men pulled back from the city. Each of them returned to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
David’s Officials
23Joab was commander over Israel’s entire army.
Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was commander over the Kerethites and Pelethites.
24Adoniram was in charge of those who were forced to work hard.
Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, kept the records.
25Sheva was the secretary.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
26Ira, the Jairite, was David’s priest.
示巴反叛大衛
1有一個無賴名叫示巴，是便雅憫人比基利的兒子，當時剛好在吉甲。他吹響號角，大喊：「我們與大衛毫無關係，耶西兒子的產業沒有我們的份。以色列人啊，各自回家去吧！」 2於是，以色列人都離開了大衛，跟隨了比基利的兒子示巴。但猶大人仍然緊緊跟隨他們的王，從約旦河一直來到耶路撒冷。 3大衛回到耶路撒冷的宮裡，把從前留下來看守王宮的十個妃嬪關進冷宮，供養她們，卻不再和她們同房。她們像寡婦一樣在軟禁中度過餘生。
4王對亞瑪撒說：「你要在三天內招聚猶大人，跟他們一起來見我。」 5亞瑪撒就去招聚猶大人，但他超過了王所定的期限。 6大衛對亞比篩說：「現在比基利的兒子示巴對我們帶來的危害恐怕比押沙龍還要大。你帶領我的部下去捉拿他，免得他佔據了堅固的城池，得以逃脫。」
7於是，約押的部下和基利提人、比利提人以及所有的勇士都跟隨亞比篩離開耶路撒冷，去追趕比基利的兒子示巴。 8他們來到基遍的巨石旁，見亞瑪撒迎面而來。約押當時身穿戰袍，腰間佩刀，他迎上去的時候，刀從鞘中滑落出來。 9約押對亞瑪撒說：「兄弟，你好嗎？」他用右手抓住亞瑪撒的鬍子，親吻他。 10亞瑪撒毫無防備，被約押一刀刺入肚子，肚破腸流而死。然後，約押和他兄弟亞比篩繼續追趕比基利的兒子示巴。
11約押的一個部下站在亞瑪撒的屍體旁邊說：「擁護約押和大衛的人來跟隨約押吧！」 12亞瑪撒的屍體倒在路中間的血泊中。那人見眾人駐足圍觀，便把屍體從路上拖到田裡，扔了一件衣服蓋上。 13屍體搬走以後，大家都跟隨約押去追比基利的兒子示巴。
14示巴走遍以色列各支派，一直到伯·瑪迦的亞比拉城。他的本族比利人都聚集起來跟隨他。 15約押率大軍來到伯·瑪迦，把示巴圍困在亞比拉城內，他們修築攻城的高臺，撞擊城牆。 16有一個聰明的婦人從城上喊：「請聽我說！請聽我說！請約押到這邊來，我有話要對他說。」 17約押就走上前去，那婦人問道：「你是約押嗎？」約押答道：「我就是。」婦人說：「請聽婢女說幾句。」約押說：「你說吧！」 18婦人說：「古時候人們常說，『有事到亞比拉去請教，問題都會解決。』 19我們這座城的人在以色列素來熱愛和平、忠心耿耿，你卻要毀滅這座大城。你為什麼要吞掉耶和華的產業？」 20約押答道：「我根本不想吞掉或毀滅這城。 21以法蓮山區比基利的兒子示巴背叛大衛王，你們只要把他交出來，我就撤退。」那婦人說：「我們一定把他的首級從城上拋下來給你。」 22婦人把自己的良策告訴眾人，他們便把比基利的兒子示巴的頭割下來，拋給約押。約押就吹響號角令軍隊各自回家，自己回耶路撒冷見王。
23約押負責統率以色列全軍；耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅統轄基利提人和比利提人； 24亞多蘭管理服勞役的；亞希律的兒子約沙法擔任史官； 25示法做書記；撒督和亞比亞他任祭司； 26雅珥人以拉做大衛的祭司。
