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 Ajeemera Dawudi
120:1 a Lub 31:14 b Lub 29:14; 1Bk 12:16 c 1Sa 22:7-8; 2By 10:16Waaliwo omusajja omujeemu erinnya lye Seba, mutabani wa Bikuli, Omubenyamini. Yafuuwa ekkondeere n’ayogerera n’eddoboozi ery’omwanguka nti,
“Tetulina mugabo mu Dawudi,
so tetulina busika mu mutabani wa Yese!
Buli muntu adde mu weema ye, ggwe Isirayiri!”
2Awo abantu ba Isirayiri bonna ne balekulira Dawudi ne bagoberera Seba mutabani wa Bikuli. Naye abantu ba Yuda bo ne basigala ne kabaka waabwe, okuva ku Yoludaani okutuuka e Yerusaalemi. 320:3 2Sa 15:16; 16:21-22Dawudi bwe yadda mu lubiri lwe e Yerusaalemi, n’addira abakyala be ekkumi be yali alese okulabirira olubiri n’abasibira mu kkomera. N’abagabirira mu byokulya kwabwe, naye n’atebaka nabo. Ne baggalirwa eyo okutuusa lwe baafa, nga bali nga bannamwandu.
420:4 2Sa 17:25; 19:13Awo kabaka n’agamba Amasa nti, “Nkuŋŋaanyiza abasajja ba Yuda mu nnaku ssatu, naawe obeerewo.” 5Naye Amasa bwe yagenda okukola ky’alagiddwa, n’atwala ekiseera kiwanvu okusinga kabaka kye yali amuwadde. 620:6 2Sa 21:17Dawudi n’agamba Abisaayi nti, “Seba mutabani wa Bikuli alitukola akabi okusinga Abusaalomu bwe yakola. Noolwekyo twala abasajja ba mukama wo omugoberere aleme okuddukira mu bibuga ebiriko bbugwe, n’atusimatuka.” 720:7 1Sa 30:14; 2Sa 8:18; 15:18; 1Bk 1:38Awo abasajja ba Yowaabu, n’Abakeresi, n’Abaperesi, n’abaserikale abazira bonna, ne bava mu Yerusaalemi ne bagenda okunoonya Seba mutabani wa Bikuli nga baduumirwa Abisaayi.
820:8 a Yos 9:3 b 2Sa 2:18Bwe baatuuka ku lwazi olunene mu Gibyoni, Amasa n’ajja okubasisinkana. Yowaabu yali yeesibye ebyambalo bye eby’olutalo, ne mu kiwato nga yeesibye olukoba olwaliko ekitala ekyali mu kiraato kyakyo. Bwe yasituka, ne kisowoka mu kiraato kyakyo ne kigwa wansi.
9Yowaabu n’alamusa Amasa ng’ayogera nti, “Mirembe, muganda wange?” Yowaabu n’akwata Amasa ekirevu n’omukono gwe ogwa ddyo, n’aba nga agenda okumunywegera. 1020:10 a Bal 3:21; 2Sa 2:23; 3:27 b 1Bk 2:5Naye Amasa n’atassaayo mwoyo okwekuuma ekitala ekyali mu mukono gwa Yowaabu; Yowaabu n’akimufumita mu lubuto, n’ayiwa ebyenda bye wansi. N’atamufumita lwakubiri, Amasa bw’atyo n’afa. Awo Yowaabu ne muganda we Abisaayi ne beeyongera okugoberera Seba mutabani wa Bikuli.
11Omu ku basajja ba Yowaabu n’ayimirira okumpi n’omulambo gwa Amasa n’ayogera nti, “Buli ayagala Yowaabu, era buli ali ku luuyi lwa Dawudi, agoberere Yowaabu.” 1220:12 2Sa 2:23Omulambo gwa Amasa ne gubeera mu musaayi gwe nga gukulukunyirizibwa omwo wakati mu luguudo. Ne wabaawo omusajja eyalaba nga buli eyatuukanga awali omulambo gwa Amasa ng’ayimirira; omusajja oyo n’agusitula n’aguggya mu luguudo n’agutwala ebbali mu nsiko, n’agusuulako olugoye. 13Awo omulambo gwa Amasa bwe gwaggyibwa mu kkubo abantu bonna ne beeyongerayo ne Yowaabu okugoberera Seba mutabani wa Bikuli.
1420:14 Kbl 21:16Seba n’ayita mu bika byonna ebya Isirayiri ng’abakunga okutuuka mu Aberi eky’e Besumaaka, n’ayita ne mu kitundu kyonna eky’Ababeri ne bakuŋŋaanira gy’ali ne bamugoberera. 1520:15 a 1Bk 15:20; 2Bk 15:29 b 2Bk 19:32; Is 37:33; Yer 6:6; 32:24Eggye lyonna eryali ne Yowaabu, ne bazingiza Seba mu Aberi eky’e Besumaaka. Ne bakola ebifunvu okutuuka ku kibuga n’okwolekera ekigo. Bwe baali nga bakyamenya bbugwe, 1620:16 2Sa 14:2ne wavaayo omukazi ow’amagezi mu kibuga, n’akoowoola ng’ayogera nti, “Muwulirize. Muwulirize! Mugambe Yowaabu ajje wano, mbeeko kye mmugamba.” 17Yowaabu n’agenda okumpi ne we yali, omukazi n’amubuuza nti, “Ggwe Yowaabu?”
N’addamu nti, “Nze nzuuyo.”
N’amugamba nti, “Wuliriza omuweereza wo by’anaayogera.”
N’addamu nti, “Mpuliriza.”
18N’ayongera n’ayogera nti, “Edda baayogeranga nti, ‘Bw’oba ng’olina ky’obuuza genda mu Aberi,’ era ekyo kye ky’amalanga ensonga. 1920:19 a Ma 2:26 b 1Sa 26:19; 2Sa 21:3Ffe bantu abaagazi b’emirembe era abeesigwa mu Isirayiri. Mwagala okuzikiriza ekibuga, nnyina w’abaana mu Isirayiri. Lwaki oyagala okumira obusika bwa Mukama?”
20Yowaabu n’addamu nti, “Kikafuuwe, nze okumira ekibuga kino newaakubadde okukizikiriza. 2120:21 2Sa 4:8Si bwe kiri. Waliwo omusajja erinnya lye ye Seba, mutabani wa Bikuli, ow’omu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu, agolodde omukono gwe eri kabaka Dawudi. Bwe munaamuwaayo oyo omu yekka, nange nzija kulekayo okubalumba.”
2220:22 Mub 9:13Omukazi n’agamba Yowaabu nti, “Omutwe gwe gunaakasukibwa gy’oli ku bbugwe.” Awo omukazi n’agenda n’ekiteeso kye eri abantu bonna, ne basalako omutwe gwa Seba mutabani wa Bikuli, ne bagusuulira Yowaabu. Yowaabu n’afuuwa ekkondeere, abasajja be ne bava ku kibuga ne basaasaana, bonna ne baddayo ewaabwe. Yowaabu ye n’addayo eri kabaka mu Yerusaalemi.
2320:23 2Sa 2:28; 8:16-18; 24:2Yowaabu yali muduumizi wa ggye lya Isirayiri,
ne Benaya mutabani wa Yekoyaada nga y’akulira Abakeresi, n’Abaperesi.
2420:24 a 1Bk 4:6; 5:14; 12:18; 2By 10:18 b 2Sa 8:16; 1Bk 4:3Adolaamu ye yakuliranga abapakasi,
Yekosafaati mutabani wa Akirudi ye yali omujjukiza.
2520:25 1Sa 2:35; 2Sa 8:17Seva ye yali omuwandiisi,
Zadooki ne Abiyasaali nga be bakabona,
26ne Ira Omuyayiri nga ye kabona wa Dawudi.
