2 Samuel 20 – NIRV & CCL

New International Reader’s Version

2 Samuel 20:1-26

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.

Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero

2 Samueli 20:1-26

Seba Awukira Davide

1Ndipo munthu wina wokonda kuyambitsa chisokonezo, dzina lake Seba, mwana wa Bikiri wa fuko la Benjamini, anali komweko. Iye analiza lipenga ndipo anafuwula kuti,

“Ife tilibe chathu mu mfumu wa Davide,

tilibe gawo mwa mwana wa Yese!

Inu Aisraeli aliyense apite ku nyumba kwake!”

2Kotero Aisraeli onse anamuthawa Davide ndipo anatsatira Seba mwana wa Bikiri. Koma anthu a ku Yuda anakhala ndi mfumu yawo njira yonse kuchokera ku Yorodani mpaka ku Yerusalemu.

3Davide atabwerera ku nyumba yake yaufumu ku Yerusalemu, iye anatenga azikazi khumi aja amene anawasiya kuti aziyangʼanira nyumba yaufumu, ndipo anawayika mʼnyumba imene anayikapo mlonda. Iye ankawadyetsa koma sanagone nawonso. Anasungidwa kwa okha mpaka tsiku la kufa kwawo ndipo anakhala ngati akazi amasiye.

4Kenaka mfumu inati kwa Amasa, “Itanitsa ankhondo a Yuda kuti abwere kwa ine pasanathe masiku atatu, ndipo iwe udzakhale nawo.” 5Motero Amasa anakayitana Ayuda, koma anachedwa, napitirira pa nthawi imene mfumu inamuyikira.

6Davide anati kwa Abisai, “Tsono Seba mwana wa Bikiri adzatipweteka kuposa momwe Abisalomu anatichitira. Tenga asilikali a mbuye wako ndipo umuthamangitse, mwina adzapeza mizinda yotetezedwa ndi kutithawa ife.” 7Kotero anthu a Yowabu, Akereti ndi Apeleti ndiponso asilikali onse amphamvu anapita motsogozedwa ndi Abisai. Iwo anayenda kuchokera ku Yerusalemu kuthamangitsa Seba mwana wa Bikiri.

8Ali pa mwala waukulu wa ku Gibiyoni, Amasa anabwera kudzakumana nawo. Yowabu anali atavala chovala chausilikali ndipo pamwamba pa malayawo, mʼchiwuno mwake anavala lamba womangirirapo lupanga lili moyikamo mwakemo. Akuyenda linasololoka kuchoka moyikamo mwake.

9Yowabu anati kwa Amasa, “Kodi uli bwanji mʼbale wanga?” Kenaka Yowabu anamugwira ndevu Amasa uja ndi dzanja lake lamanja ndi kupsompsona. 10Amasa sanayangʼanitsitse lupanga limene linali mʼdzanja la Yowabu, ndipo Yowabu anamubaya nalo mʼmimba ndipo matumbo ake anatuluka ndi kugwera pansi. Popanda kubayanso kachiwiri, Amasa anafa. Ndipo Yowabu ndi mʼbale wake Abisai anathamangitsa Seba mwana wa Bikiri.

11Mmodzi mwa ankhondo a Yowabu anakayimirira pafupi ndi mtembo wa Amasa ndipo anati, “Aliyense amene amakonda Yowabu ndi aliyense amene ali wa Davide, atsatire Yowabu!” 12Amasa anagona pakati pa msewu atasamba magazi ake, ndipo munthuyo anaona kuti asilikali onse amayima pamenepo. Atazindikira kuti aliyense amene ankafika pamene panali Amasa amayima, iye anamuchotsa mu msewu ndi kumukokera mʼmunda ndipo anamuphimba ndi nsalu. 13Amasa atachotsedwa pa msewu anthu onse anapita ndi Yowabu kuthamangitsa Seba mwana wa Bikiri.

14Seba anadutsa mafuko onse a Israeli mpaka ku Abeli ndi Beti-Maaka ndiponso chigawo chonse cha Abeli, amene anasonkhana pamodzi ndi kumutsata iye. 15Ankhondo onse pamodzi ndi Yowabu anafika ndi kumuzungulira Seba mu Abeli-Beti-Maaka. Iwo anapanga mzere wa nkhondo mpaka ku mzinda, ndipo unayangʼanana ndi malo otetezera a kunja. Pamene amalimbana ndi khoma kuti aligwetse, 16mayi wina wanzeru anafuwula kuchokera mu mzindawo, “Tamverani! Tamverani! Muwuzeni Yowabu abwere pano kuti ndiyankhule naye.” 17Yowabu anayandikira kumene kunali mayiyo, ndipo iye anafunsa kuti, “Kodi ndinu Yowabu?”

Iye anayankha kuti, “Ndine.”

Mayiyo anati, “Tamverani zimene mtumiki wanu akuti anene.”

Yowabu anayankha kuti, “Ndikumvetsera.”

18Iye anapitiriza kunena kuti, “Kalekale ankanena kuti, ‘Kapeze yankho lako ku Abeli,’ ndipo nkhani imathera pamenepo. 19Ife ndife anthu a mtendere ndi okhulupirika mu Israeli. Inu mukufuna kuwononga mzinda umene ndi mayi mu Israeli. Nʼchifukwa chiyani mukufuna kufafaniza cholowa cha Yehova?”

20Yowabu anayankha kuti, “Ayi ndisatero. Ine sindikufuna kuwufafaniza kapena kuwuwononga. 21Nkhani simeneyo ayi. Koma munthu wina wa ku dziko lamapiri la Efereimu, dzina lake Seba mwana wa Bikiri, wawukira mfumu Davide. Muperekeni munthuyo ndipo ine ndidzachoka pa mzinda uno.”

Mayiyo anati kwa Yowabu, “Mutu wake tikuponyerani pa khoma pano.”

22Ndipo mayiyo anapita kwa anthu onse ndi malangizo ake anzeru, ndipo anadula mutu wa Seba mwana wa Bikiri ndipo anawuponya kwa Yowabu. Kotero iye analiza lipenga ndipo anthu ake anachoka pa mzindawo, aliyense nʼkubwerera kwawo. Ndipo Yowabu anabwerera kwa mfumu ku Yerusalemu.

23Yowabu ndiye amalamulira gulu lonse la ankhondo. Benaya mwana wa Yehoyada amalamulira Akereti ndi Apeleti. 24Adoramu amayangʼanira anthu ogwira ntchito ya thangata, Yehosafati mwana wa Ahiludi anali mlembi wa zochitika, 25Seva anali mlembi wa mfumu. Zadoki ndi Abiatara anali ansembe 26ndipo Ira wa ku Yairi anali wansembe wa Davide.