1 واتفق هناك رجل لئيم اسمه شبع بن بكري رجل بنياميني فضرب بالبوق وقال ليس لنا قسم في داود ولا لنا نصيب في ابن يسّى. كل رجل الى خيمته يا اسرائيل.2 فصعد كل رجال اسرائيل من وراء داود الى وراء شبع بن بكري. واما رجال يهوذا فلازموا ملكهم من الاردن الى اورشليم.3 وجاء داود الى بيته في اورشليم. واخذ الملك النساء السراري العشر اللواتي تركهنّ لحفظ البيت وجعلهنّ تحت حجز وكان يعولهنّ ولكن لم يدخل اليهنّ بل كنّ محبوسات الى يوم موتهنّ في عيشة العزوبة.4 وقال الملك لعماسا اجمع لي رجال يهوذا في ثلاثة ايام واحضر انت هنا.5 فذهب عماسا ليجمع يهوذا ولكنه تأخر عن الميقات الذي عينه.6 فقال داود لابيشاي الآن يسيء الينا شبع بن بكري اكثر من ابشالوم. فخذ انت عبيد سيدك واتبعه لئلا يجد لنفسه مدنا حصينة وينفلت من امام اعيننا.7 فخرج وراءه رجال يوآب الجلادون والسعاة وجميع الابطال وخرجوا من اورشليم ليتبعوا شبع بن بكري.8 ولما كانوا عند الصخرة العظيمة التي في جبعون جاء عماسا قدامهم. وكان يوآب متنطقا على ثوبه الذي كان لابسه وفوقه منطقة سيف في غمده مشدودة على حقويه فلما خرج اندلق السيف.9 فقال يوآب لعماسا أسالم انت يا اخي. وامسكت يد يوآب اليمنى بلحية عماسا ليقبّله.10 واما عماسا فلم يحترز من السيف الذي بيد يوآب فضربه به في بطنه فدلق امعاءه الى الارض ولم يثن عليه فمات. واما يوآب وابيشاي اخوه فتبعا شبع بن بكري.11 ووقف عنده واحد من غلمان يوآب فقال من سرّ بيوآب ومن هو لداود فوراء يوآب.12 وكان عماسا يتمرغ في الدم في وسط السكة. ولما رأى الرجل ان كل الشعب يقفون نقل عماسا من السكة الى الحقل وطرح عليه ثوبا لما رأى ان كل من يصل اليه يقف.13 فلما نقل عن السكة عبر كل انسان وراء يوآب لاتباع شبع بن بكري.14 وعبر في جميع اسباط اسرائيل الى آبل وبيت معكة وجميع البيريين فاجتمعوا وخرجوا ايضا وراءه.15 وجاءوا وحاصروه في آبل بيت معكة واقاموا مترسة حول المدينة فاقامت في الحصار وجميع الشعب الذين مع يوآب كانوا يخربون لاجل اسقاط السور16 فنادت امرأة حكيمة من المدينة. اسمعوا. اسمعوا. قولوا ليوآب تقدم الى ههنا فاكلمك.17 فتقدم اليها فقالت المرأة أأنت يوآب. فقال انا هو. فقالت له اسمع كلام امتك. فقال انا سامع.18 فتكلمت قائلة كانوا يتكلمون اولا قائلين سؤالا يسألون في آبل وهكذا كانوا انتهوا.19 انا مسالمة امينة في اسرائيل. انت طالب ان تميت مدينة وامّا في اسرائيل. لماذا تبلع نصيب الرب.20 فاجاب يوآب وقال. حاشاي حاشاي ان ابلع وان اهلك.21 الأمر ليس كذلك. لان رجلا من جبل افرايم اسمه شبع بن بكري رفع يده على الملك داود. سلموه وحده فأنصرف عن المدينة. فقالت المرأة ليوآب هوذا راسه يلقى اليك عن السور.22 فأتت المرأة الى جميع الشعب بحكمتها فقطعوا راس شبع بن بكري والقوه الى يوآب فضرب بالبوق فانصرفوا عن المدينة كل واحد الى خيمته. واما يوآب فرجع الى اورشليم الى الملك23 وكان يوآب على جميع جيش اسرائيل وبنايا بن يهوياداع على الجلادين والسعاة24 وادورام على الجزية ويهوشافاط بن اخيلود مسجلا25 وشيوا كاتبا وصادوق وابياثار كاهنين26 وعيرا اليائيري ايضا كان كاهنا لداود

1 And 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.2 So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah joined to their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.3 And 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 to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.4 Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be you here present.5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.6 And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take you your lord' servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.7 And there went out after him Joab' 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.8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab' garment that he had put on was girded to him, and on it a girdle with a sword fastened on his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.9 And Joab said to Amasa, Are you in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab' 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.11 And one of Joab' men stood by him, and said, He that favors Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.12 And Amasa wallowed in blood in the middle 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 on him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.14 And he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Bethmaachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.15 And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, 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.16 Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, to Joab, Come near here, that I may speak with you.17 And when he was come near to her, the woman said, Are you Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said to him, Hear the words of your handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.18 Then she spoke, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.19 I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: you seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why will you swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?20 And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.21 The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.22 Then the woman went to 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 to the king.23 Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:24 And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:25 And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:26 And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.