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.
Sheba Kũremera Daudi
120:1 Kĩam 31:14; 1Ath 12:16Na rĩrĩ, kwarĩ mũndũ wa ngũĩ wetagwo Sheba mũrũ wa Bikiri, Mũbenjamini, nake agĩkorwo aarĩ hau. Akĩhuha karumbeta, akĩanĩrĩra, akiuga atĩrĩ,
“Ithuĩ tũtirĩ na igai harĩ Daudi,
tũtirĩ na handũ harĩ mũrũ wa Jesii!
O mũndũ nĩacooke hema-inĩ yake, inyuĩ andũ a Isiraeli!”
2Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ othe a Isiraeli magĩtiganĩria Daudi, makĩrũmĩrĩra Sheba mũrũ wa Bikiri. No andũ a Juda makĩrũmĩrĩra mũthamaki wao kuuma Jorodani nginya Jerusalemu.
320:3 2Sam 15:16Rĩrĩa Daudi aacookire gĩikaro kĩa nyũmba yake ya ũthamaki kũu Jerusalemu-rĩ, akĩoya thuriya iria ikũmi aatigĩte imenyagĩrĩre nyũmba ya ũthamaki, makĩigwo nyũmba marangagĩrwo. Nĩamaheaga irio, no ndaakomire nao. Maatũũraga marĩ ahingĩre na matariĩ ta atumia a ndigwa nginya mũthenya wa gũkua.
420:4 2Sam 17:25Nake mũthamaki akĩĩra Amasa atĩrĩ, “Tũmanĩra andũ a Juda moke kũrĩ niĩ mũira wa matukũ matatũ mataanathira, nawe mwene ũgaakorwo ho.” 5No rĩrĩa Amasa aathiire gwĩta andũ a Juda, agĩikara ihinda iraaya kũrĩ rĩrĩa mũthamaki aamwĩrĩte.
6Daudi akĩĩra Abishai atĩrĩ, “Rĩu Sheba mũrũ wa Bikiri nĩegũtũgera ngero nene kũrĩ ĩrĩa twagerirwo nĩ Abisalomu. Oya andũ a mwathi waku mũmũtengʼerie, kwaga ũguo aahota kuona matũũra mairigĩre oorĩre kuo, na ithuĩ twage kũmuona.” 720:7 2Sam 15:18Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ a Joabu, na Akerethi, na Apelethi, na njamba ciothe iria ciarĩ hinya makiumagara matongoretio nĩ Abishai. Nao magĩthiĩ moimĩte Jerusalemu, matengʼeretie Sheba mũrũ wa Bikiri.
820:8 Josh 9:3Rĩrĩa maarĩ ihiga-inĩ rĩrĩa inene kũu Gibeoni, Amasa agĩũka kũmatũnga. Joabu eehumbĩte nguo ciake cia mbaara, na akehotora mũcibi na rũhiũ rũrĩ njora thĩinĩ. Rĩrĩa aathiire mbere, rũhiũ rũu rũkiuma njora-inĩ.
9Joabu akĩĩra Amasa atĩrĩ, “Ũrĩ mwega, mũrũ wa baba?” Hĩndĩ ĩyo Joabu akĩnyiita Amasa nderu na guoko gwake kwa ũrĩo nĩguo amũmumunye. 1020:10 Atiir 3:21; 1Ath 2:5Amasa ndaatindanĩrĩire na rũhiũ rũrĩa Joabu aanyiitĩte na guoko, nake Joabu akĩmũtheeca nda naruo, namo mara make makiuma makĩgũa thĩ, na ndaigana kũmũtheeca rĩngĩ, nake Amasa agĩkua. Ningĩ Joabu na mũrũ wa nyina Abishai magĩtengʼeria Sheba mũrũ wa Bikiri.
11Ũmwe wa andũ a Joabu akĩrũgama mwena-inĩ wa Amasa, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ ũrĩa wothe ũrĩ mwena wa Joabu na mwena wa Daudi, nĩarũmĩrĩre Joabu!” 12Nake Amasa eegaragaragia thakame-inĩ yake arĩ njĩra gatagatĩ, nake mũndũ ũcio akĩona atĩ mbũtũ ciothe cia ita nĩciarũgamaga hau. Rĩrĩa aamenyire atĩ o mũndũ aakinyaga harĩ Amasa akarũgama-rĩ, akĩmũkururia kuuma njĩra-inĩ, akĩmũiga gĩthaka-inĩ, na akĩmũhumbĩra na nguo. 13Amasa aarĩkia kweherio njĩra-inĩ, andũ othe makĩrũmĩrĩra Joabu, magĩtengʼeria Sheba mũrũ wa Bikiri.
1420:14 Ndar 21:16Sheba akĩhĩtũkĩra mĩhĩrĩga-inĩ yothe ya Isiraeli, agĩkinya Abeli-Bethi-Maaka, akĩhĩtũkĩra bũrũri-inĩ wothe wa Aberi, arĩa moonganire hamwe na makĩmũrũmĩrĩra. 1520:15 1Ath 15:20; Jer 6:6Nacio mbũtũ ciothe cia ita hamwe na Joabu igĩũka na ikĩrigiicĩria Sheba kũu Abeli-Bethi-Maaka. Magĩthondeka kĩhumbu gĩa tĩĩri kũrigania na itũũra, nakĩo gĩkĩambatio nginya rũthingo rwa na nja rwa ũgitĩri wa itũũra. Na rĩrĩa maahũũraga rũthingo nĩguo marũmomore-rĩ, 1620:16 2Sam 14:2mũndũ-wa-nja ũmwe mũũgĩ agĩĩtana arĩ thĩinĩ wa itũũra rĩu, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ta thikĩrĩriai! Ta thikĩrĩriai! Ĩrai Joabu oke haha nĩguo njarie nake.” 17Nake agĩthiĩ erekeire harĩ we; nake mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Wee nĩwe Joabu?”
Nake agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ nĩ niĩ.”
Nake akiuga atĩrĩ, “Gĩthikĩrĩrie ũrĩa ndungata yaku ĩkuuga.”
Nake akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩ thikĩrĩirie.”
18Mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio agĩthiĩ na mbere kwaria, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Tene-rĩ, ciugo ici nĩciaragio, gũkeerwo atĩrĩ ‘Andũ makaahooyaga kĩrĩra kũu Abeli.’ Naguo ũhoro ũgaathirĩra kuo. 1920:19 Gũcook 2:26; 1Sam 26:19Ithuĩ-rĩ, tũrĩ andũ a thayũ na ehokeku thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli. Wee ũrageria kwananga itũũra rĩĩrĩ, na nĩrĩo nyina wa Isiraeli. Nĩ kĩĩ gĩgũtũma wende kũniina igai rĩa Jehova?”
20Joabu agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ũhoro ũcio ũrondaihĩrĩria! Ũhoro wa kũniina na kwananga ũrondaihĩrĩria! 21Ũguo tiguo ũhoro ũtariĩ. Mũndũ wĩtagwo Sheba mũrũ wa Bikiri, kuuma bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Efiraimu, nĩarĩkĩtie kwambararia guoko ookĩrĩre mũthamaki, ookĩrĩre Daudi. Tũnengerei mũndũ ũcio ũmwe tu, na nĩngũtigana na itũũra rĩĩrĩ.”
Mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio akĩĩra Joabu atĩrĩ, “Nĩũgũikĩrio mũtwe wake kuuma rũthingo-inĩ.”
2220:22 Koh 9:13Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũtumia ũcio agĩthiĩ kũrĩ andũ othe arĩ na mataaro macio make ma ũũgĩ, nao magĩtinia mũtwe wa Sheba mũrũ wa Bikiri, makĩũikĩria Joabu. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Joabu akĩhuha karumbeta, nao andũ ake makĩharagana kuuma itũũra-inĩ, o mũndũ agĩcooka gwake mũciĩ. Nake Joabu agĩcooka kũrĩ mũthamaki kũu Jerusalemu.
2320:23 2Sam 8:16-18Joabu nĩwe warĩ mũnene wa mbũtũ ciothe cia ita cia Isiraeli; nake Benaia mũrũ wa Jehoiada aarĩ mũnene wa Akerethi, o na Apelethi; 2420:24 1Ath 4:6; 2Maũ 10:18Adoniramu aarĩ mũtongoria wa kũrutithia wĩra wa hinya; nake Jehoshafatu mũrũ wa Ahiludu nĩwe warĩ mwandĩki wa maũndũ ma ihinda rĩu; 2520:25 1Sam 2:35; 8:17nake Sheva nĩwe warĩ mwandĩki-marũa; Zadoku na Abiatharu maarĩ athĩnjĩri-Ngai; 26nake Ira, ũrĩa Mũnjairi, aarĩ mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai wa Daudi.
