Sheba Rebels Against David
1Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted,
“We have no share in David,
no part in Jesse’s son!
Every man to his tent, Israel!”
2So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but had no sexual relations with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.
4Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.” 5But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.
6David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”20:6 Or and do us serious injury 7So Joab’s men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.
8While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.
9Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri.
11One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!” 12Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him. 13After Amasa had been removed from the road, everyone went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.
14Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maakah and through the entire region of the Bikrites,20:14 See Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew Berites. who gathered together and followed him. 15All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maakah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down, 16a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.” 17He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”
“I am,” he answered.
She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.”
“I’m listening,” he said.
18She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it. 19We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”
20“Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy! 21That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from the city.”
The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown to you from the wall.”
22Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
David’s Officials
23Joab was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; 24Adoniram20:24 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Kings 4:6 and 5:14); Hebrew Adoram was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 25Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26and Ira the Jairite20:26 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 23:38) Ithrite was David’s priest.
Seba Adɔnyɛ
1Ntɔkwapɛni bi a wɔfrɛ no Seba na ɔyɛ Bikri a ɔfiri Benyamin babarima, hyɛnee totorobɛnto teaam sɛ,
“Yɛne Dawid nni hwee yɛ.
Yɛnni agyapadeɛ biara wɔ Yisai babarima no nkyɛn.
Israel mmarima, mommra na yɛn nyinaa nkɔ yɛn kurom!”
2Enti, Israel mmarima gyaa Dawid hɔ, kɔdii Seba akyi. Nanso, Yuda mmarima no deɛ, wɔtenaa wɔn ɔhene nkyɛn, na wɔwowaa no firi Asubɔnten Yordan ho, kɔsii Yerusalem.
3Ɛberɛ a ɔduruu nʼahemfie hɔ wɔ Yerusalem no, ɔhyɛɛ sɛ ne mpenafoɔ edu a ɔgyaa wɔn no, wɔmfa wɔn nkɔhyɛ kɔkoam baabi. Na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔma wɔn wɔn ahiadeɛ nyinaa, nanso ɔne wɔn nna bio. Enti, wɔn mu biara tenaa ase sɛ okunafoɔ, kɔsii ne wuda.
4Ɔhene no hyɛɛ Amasa sɛ ɔmfa nnansa mmoaboa Yuda akodɔm ano, na ɔmmɛka biribi nkyerɛ no saa ɛberɛ no mu. 5Enti, Amasa kɔbɔɔ akodɔm no amaneɛ, nanso nʼahoboa no boroo nnansa no.
6Na Dawid ka kyerɛɛ Abisai sɛ, “Saa ntɔkwapɛni Seba no rebɛha yɛn asene sɛ deɛ Absalom haa yɛn no. Ntɛm, fa mʼakodɔm no, na taa ne so ansa na wabɔ ne ho adwaa wɔ abanbɔeɛ nkuro no mu baabi a yɛn nsa renka no.” 7Enti, Abisai ne Yoab yiyii awɛmfoɔ a wɔdi mu firii Yoab akodɔm ne ɔhene no ankasa deɛ mu de tii Seba.
8Na wɔduruu Gibeon ɔbo kɛseɛ no ho no, Amasa hyiaa wɔn. Na Yoab hyɛ nʼakotadeɛ a ɔde akofena abɔ nʼataaso. Ɔtuu nten kɔɔ nʼanim sɛ, ɔrekɔkyea Amasa pɛ, ɔyɛɛ nwaa twee akofena no firii bɔha mu. 9Yoab bisaa no sɛ, “Me nua, wo ho te sɛn?” Ɛhɔ ara na Yoab de ne nsa nifa sɔɔ nʼabɔgyesɛ mu, sɛ deɛ ɔrefe nʼano. 10Amasa anhunu sɛ akofena no hyɛ ne nsa benkum mu. Na Yoab de akofena no wɔɔ ne yam, maa ne nsono tu guu fam. Ɛho anhia sɛ Yoab bɛtia ne so koraa, na Amasa wuiɛ. Yoab ne ne nuabarima Abisai gyaa no hɔ, toaa so tii Bikri babarima Seba.
11Yoab akodɔm no mu aberanteɛ a ɔyɛ panin wɔ akodɔm no so no mu baako teaam kyerɛɛ Amasa akodɔm no sɛ, “Obiara a ɔtaa Yoab akyi ne obiara a ɔwɔ Dawid afa no, ɔmmɛdi Yoab akyi.” 12Amasa daa ne mogyabura mu, wɔ ɛkwan no mfimfini. Na ɔbarima no hunuu sɛ akodɔm no aduru hɔ a wɔagyina rehwɛ Amasa no, ɔtwee no firii ɛkwan no mu, de no too wiram, de atadeɛ kataa ne so. 13Wɔyii Amasa firii ɛkwan no mu akyi no, mmarima no nyinaa dii Yoab akyi sɛ wɔrekɔkyere Bikri babarima Seba.
14Saa ɛberɛ no, Seba kyinii Israel nyinaa boaboaa ne fiefoɔ Bikrifoɔ ano wɔ Abel-Bet-Maaka. 15Yoab akodɔm no duruu hɔ no, wɔto hyɛɛ Abel-Bet-Maaka so. Wɔsisii epie wɔ kuro no akyi, de bɔɔ wɔn ho ban firii atamfoɔ ho na wɔpempem afasuo no, pɛɛ sɛ wɔdwiri guo. 16Na ɔbaa nyansafoɔ bi teaam firi kuro no mu sɛ, “Montie! Montie! Monka nkyerɛ Yoab sɛ, ɔmmra ha, na menka asɛm bi nkyerɛ no.” 17Yoab kɔɔ ne nkyɛn, na ɔbisaa no sɛ, “Wo na wɔfrɛ wo Yoab no?”
Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Aane.”
Ɔkaa sɛ, “Tie asɛm a wʼafenaa pɛ sɛ ɔka no.”
Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Meretie.”
18Ɔkaa sɛ, “Tete no, na yɛka sɛ ‘Yɛrekɔpɛ afotuo wɔ Abel.’ 19Yɛpɛ asomdwoeɛ ne nokorɛ wɔ Israel. Wopɛ sɛ wosɛe kuro a adi nokorɛ wɔ Israel. Adɛn enti na wopɛ sɛ wosɛe ade a ɛyɛ Awurade dea?”
20Yoab buaa sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ sɛ mepɛ sɛ mesɛe wo kuropɔn. 21Deɛ merehwehwɛ no ara ne ɔbarima bi a ne din de Seba a ɔyɛ Bikri babarima a ɔfiri Efraim bepɔ so, na wama ne ho so atia ɔhene, ɔhene Dawid. Fa saa ɔbarima no bra, na mɛfiri kuro no mu.”
Ɔbaa no ka kyerɛɛ Yoab sɛ, “Wɔbɛto ne ti afiri ɔfasuo no so ama wo.”
22Afei, ɔbaa no kɔkaa nʼafotu pa no kyerɛɛ nnipa no nyinaa. Na wɔtwaa Bikri babarima Seba ti, to maa Yoab. Enti, ɔhyɛnee totorobɛnto, maa ne mmarima no bɔ hweteeɛ, maa obiara kɔɔ ne fie. Na Yoab sane kɔɔ ɔhene nkyɛn wɔ Yerusalem.
23Yoab bɛyɛɛ Dawid akodɔm so sahene bio.
Na Yehoiada babarima Benaia nso yɛ ɔhene banbɔfoɔ so panin.
24Adorinam na na ɔhwɛ adwumayɛfoɔ so,
na Yehosafat a ɔyɛ Ahilud babarima twerɛ ahemfo ho abakɔsɛm.
25Na Sewa yɛ asɛnniiɛ twerɛfoɔ.
Na Sadok ne Abiatar nso yɛ asɔfoɔ.
26Ɛnna Yairini Ira nso yɛ Dawid ɔsɔfoɔ.
