2 Samuel 20
Young's Literal Translation
1And there hath been called there a man of worthlessness, and his name [is] Sheba, son of Bichri, a Benjamite, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and saith, 'We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; each to his tents, O Israel.'
2And every man of Israel goeth up from after David, after Sheba son of Bichri, and the men of Judah have cleaved to their king, from the Jordan even unto Jerusalem.
3And David cometh in unto his house at Jerusalem, and the king taketh the ten women-concubines — whom he had left to keep the house, and putteth them in a house of ward, and sustaineth them, and unto them he hath not gone in, and they are shut up unto the day of their death, in widowhood living.
4And the king saith unto Amasa, 'Call for me the men of Judah [in] three days, and thou, stand here,'
5and Amasa goeth to call Judah, and tarrieth beyond the appointed time that he had appointed him;
6and David saith unto Abishai, 'Now doth Sheba son of Bichri do evil to us more than Absalom; thou, take the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he have found for himself fenced cities, and delivered himself [from] our eye.'
7And the men of Joab go out after him, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and all the mighty men, and they go out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri;
8they [are] near the great stone that [is] in Gibeon, and Amasa hath gone before them, and Joab [is] girded; his long robe he hath put on him, and upon it a girdle — a sword [is] fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and he hath gone out, and it falleth.
9And Joab saith to Amasa, 'Art thou [in] peace, my brother?' and the right hand of Joab layeth hold on the beard of Amasa to give a kiss to him;
10and Amasa hath not been watchful of the sword that [is] in the hand of Joab, and he smiteth him with it unto the fifth [rib], and sheddeth out his bowels to the earth, and he hath not repeated [it] to him, and he dieth; and Joab and Abishai his brother have pursued after Sheba son of Bichri.
11And a man hath stood by him, of the young men of Joab, and saith, 'He who hath delight in Joab, and he who [is] for David — after Joab!'
12And Amasa is rolling himself in blood, in the midst of the highway, and the man seeth that all the people have stood still, and he bringeth round Amasa out of the highway to the field, and casteth over him a garment, when he hath seen that every one who hath come by him — hath stood still.
13When he hath been removed out of the highway, every man hath passed on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri.
14And he passeth over through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-Maachah, and to all the Berites, and they are assembled, and go in also after him,
15and they go in and lay siege against him, in Abel of Beth-Maachah, and cast up a mount against the city, and it standeth in a trench, and all the people who are [are] with Joab are destroying, to cause the wall to fall.
16And a wise woman calleth out of the city, 'Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, and I speak unto thee.'
17And he cometh near unto her, and the woman saith, 'Art thou Joab?' and he saith, 'I [am].' And she saith to him, 'Hear the words of thy handmaid;' and he saith, 'I am hearing.'
18and she speaketh, saying, 'They spake often in former times, saying, Let them diligently ask at Abel, and so they finished.
19I [am] of the peaceable — faithful ones of Israel; thou art seeking to destroy a city, and a mother in Israel; why dost thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?
20And Joab answereth and saith, 'Far be it — far be it from me; I do not swallow up nor destroy.
21The matter [is] not so; for a man of the hill-country of Ephraim — Sheba son of Bichri his name — hath lifted up his hand against the king, against David; give ye up him by himself, and I go away from the city.' And the woman saith unto Joab, 'Lo, his head is cast unto thee over the wall.'
22And the woman cometh unto all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast [it] unto Joab, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and they are scattered from the city, each to his tents, and Joab hath turned back to Jerusalem unto the king.
23And Joab [is] over all the host of Israel, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada [is] over the Cherethite, and over the Pelethite,
24and Adoram [is] over the tribute, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud [is] the remembrancer,
25and Sheva [is] scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar [are] priests,
26and also, Ira the Jairite hath been minister to David.
Reina-Valera 1909
1Y ACAECIÓ estar allí un hombre perverso que se llamaba Seba, hijo de Bichri, hombre de Benjamín, el cual tocó la corneta, y dijo: No tenemos nosotros parte en David, ni heredad en el hijo de Isaí: Israel, ¡cada uno á sus estancias!
2Así se fueron de en pos de David todos los hombres de Israel, y seguían á Seba hijo de Bichri: mas los de Judá fueron adheridos á su rey, desde el Jordán hasta Jerusalem.
3Y luego que llegó David á su casa en Jerusalem, tomó el rey las diez mujeres concubinas que había dejado para guardar la casa, y púsolas en una casa en guarda, y dióles de comer: pero nunca más entró á ellas, sino que quedaron encerradas hasta que murieron en viudez de por vida.
4Después dijo el rey á Amasa: Júntame los varones de Judá para dentro de tres días, y hállate tú aquí presente.
5Fué pues Amasa á juntar á Judá; pero detúvose más del tiempo que le había sido señalado.
6Y dijo David á Abisai: Seba hijo de Bichri nos hará ahora más mal que Absalom: toma pues tú los siervos de tu señor, y ve tras él, no sea que halle las ciudades fortificadas, y se nos vaya de delante.
7Entonces salieron en pos de él los hombres de Joab, y los Ceretheos y Peletheos, y todos los valientes: salieron de Jerusalem para ir tras Seba hijo de Bichri.
8Y estando ellos cerca de la grande peña que está en Gabaón, salióles Amasa al encuentro. Ahora bien, la vestidura que Joab tenía sobrepuesta estábale ceñida, y sobre ella el cinto de una daga pegada á sus lomos en su vaina, de la que así como él avanzó, cayóse aquélla.
9Entonces Joab dijo á Amasa: ¿Tienes paz, hermano mío? Y tomó Joab con la diestra la barba de Amasa, para besarlo.
10Y como Amasa no se cuidó de la daga que Joab en la mano tenía, hirióle éste con ella en la quinta costilla, y derramó sus entrañas por tierra, y cayó muerto sin darle segundo golpe. Después Joab y su hermano Abisai fueron en seguimiento de Seba hijo de Bichri.
11Y uno de los criados de Joab se paró junto á él, diciendo: Cualquiera que amare á Joab y á David vaya en pos de Joab.
12Y Amasa se había revolcado en la sangre en mitad del camino: y viendo aquel hombre que todo el pueblo se paraba, apartó á Amasa del camino al campo, y echó sobre él una vestidura, porque veía que todos los que venían se paraban junto á él.
13Luego, pues, que fué apartado del camino, pasaron todos los que seguían á Joab, para ir tras Seba hijo de Bichri.
14Y él pasó por todas las tribus de Israel hasta Abel y Beth-maachâ y todo Barim: y juntáronse, y siguiéronlo también.
15Y vinieron y cercáronlo en Abel de Beth-maachâ, y pusieron baluarte contra la ciudad; y puesto que fué al muro, todo el pueblo que estaba con Joab trabajaba por derribar la muralla.
16Entonces una mujer sabia dió voces en la ciudad, diciendo: Oid, oid; ruégoos que digáis á Joab se llegue á acá, para que yo hable con él.
17Y como él se acercó á ella, dijo la mujer: ¿Eres tú Joab? Y él respondió: Yo soy. Y ella le dijo: Oye las palabras de tu sierva. Y él respondió: Oigo.
18Entonces tornó ella á hablar, diciendo: Antiguamente solían hablar, diciendo: Quien preguntare, pregunte en Abel: y así concluían.
19Yo soy de las pacíficas y fieles de Israel: y tú procuras destruir una ciudad que es madre de Israel: ¿por qué destruyes la heredad de Jehová?
20Y Joab respondió, diciendo: Nunca tal, nunca tal me acontezca, que yo destruya ni deshaga.
21La cosa no es así: mas un hombre del monte de Ephraim, que se llama Seba hijo de Bichri, ha levantado su mano contra el rey David: entregad á ése solamente, y me iré de la ciudad. Y la mujer dijo á Joab: He aquí su cabeza te será echada desde el muro.
22La mujer fué luego á todo el pueblo con su sabiduría; y ellos cortaron la cabeza á Seba hijo de Bichri, y echáronla á Joab. Y él tocó la corneta, y esparciéronse de la ciudad, cada uno á su estancia. Y Joab se volvió al rey á Jerusalem.
23Así quedó Joab sobre todo el ejército de Israel; y Benaía hijo de Joiada sobre los Ceretheos y Peletheos;
24Y Adoram sobre los tributos; y Josaphat hijo de Ahillud, el canciller;
25Y Seba, escriba; y Sadoc y Abiathar, sacerdotes; é Ira Jaireo fué un jefe principal cerca de David.
26—
King James Version
1And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
2So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.
5So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
6And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.
7And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
8When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab’s garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.
9And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
10But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
11And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.
12And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.
13When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
14And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Beth-maachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.
15And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
16Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
17And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.
18Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.
19I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?
20And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
21The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
22Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.
23Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:
24And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:
25And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:
26And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.
World English Bible
1There happened to be there a wicked fellow, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew the trumpet, and said, “We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, Israel!”
2So all the men of Israel went up from following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah joined with their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in custody and provided them with sustenance, but didn’t go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4Then the king said to Amasa, “Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be here present.”
5So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together, but he stayed longer than the set time which had been appointed to him.
6David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue after him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.”
7Joab’s men went out after him with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
8When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was clothed in his apparel of war that he had put on, and on it was a sash with a sword fastened on his waist in its sheath; and as he went along it fell out.
9Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
10But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand. So he struck him with it in the body and shed out his bowels to the ground, and didn’t strike him again; and he died. Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
11One of Joab’s young men stood by him, and said, “He who favors Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab!”
12Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. When the man saw that all the people stood still, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still.
13When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
14He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, to Beth Maacah, and all the Berites. They were gathered together, and went also after him.
15They came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.
16Then a wise woman cried out of the city, “Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come near here, that I may speak with you.’”
17He came near to her; and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your servant.” He answered, “I’m listening.”
18Then she spoke, saying, “They used to say in old times, ‘They shall surely ask counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a matter.
19I am among those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the LORD’s inheritance?”
20Joab answered, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
21The matter is not so. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David. Just deliver him, and I will depart from the city.” The woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
22Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. They cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. He blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23Now Joab was over all the army of Israel, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites,
24Adoram was over the men subject to forced labor, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder,
25Sheva was scribe, Zadok and Abiathar were priests,
26and Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.