1 Também estava lá um desordeiro chamado Seba, filho de Bicri, de Benjamim. Ele tocou a trombeta e gritou: "Não temos parte alguma com Davi, nenhuma herança com o filho de Jessé! Para casa todos, ó Israel! "2 Então todos os de Israel abandonaram Davi para seguir Seba, filho de Bicri. Mas os de Judá permaneceram com seu rei e o acompanharam desde o Jordão até Jerusalém.3 Quando Davi voltou ao palácio, em Jerusalém, mandou confinar numa casa, sob guarda, as dez concubinas que tinha deixado tomando conta do palácio. Ele as sustentou, mas nunca mais as possuiu. Ficaram confinadas, vivendo como viúvas até à morte.4 E o rei disse a Amasa: "Convoque os homens de Judá, e dentro de três dias apresente-se aqui com eles".5 Mas Amasa levou mais tempo para convocar Judá do que o prazo estabelecido pelo rei.6 Disse então Davi a Abisai: "Agora Seba, filho de Bicri, será pior para nós do que Absalão. Chame os meus soldados e persiga-o, antes que ele encontre alguma cidade fortificada e, depois, nos arranque os olhos".7 Assim, os soldados de Joabe, os queretitas, os peletitas e todos os guerreiros saíram de Jerusalém para perseguir Seba, filho de Bicri.8 Quando estavam junto à grande rocha de Gibeom, Amasa encontrou-se com eles. Joabe vestia seu traje militar e tinha um cinto com um punhal na bainha. Ao aproximar-se de Amasa, deixou cair a adaga.9 "Como vai, meu irmão? ", disse Joabe, pegando Amasa pela barba com a mão direita, para beijá-lo.10 E Amasa, não percebendo o punhal na mão esquerda de Joabe, foi por ele golpeado no estômago. Suas entranhas se derramaram no chão, e ele morreu, sem necessidade de um segundo golpe. Então Joabe e, Abisai, seu irmão, perseguiram Seba, filho de Bicri.11 Um dos soldados de Joabe ficou ao lado do corpo de Amasa e disse: "Quem estiver do lado de Joabe e de Davi, que siga a Joabe! "12 Amasa jazia numa poça de sangue no meio da estrada. Quando o homem viu que todos os que se aproximavam do corpo de Amasa paravam, arrastou-o para fora da estrada e o cobriu com uma coberta.13 Depois que o corpo de Amasa foi retirado da estrada, todos os homens seguiram com Joabe em perseguição a Seba, filho de Bicri.14 Seba atravessou todas as tribos de Israel e chegou até Abel-Bete-Maaca, e todos os bicritas se reuniram para segui-lo.15 O exército de Joabe veio e cercou Seba em Abel-Bete-Maaca. Eles construíram contra a cidade uma rampa que chegou até à muralha externa. Quando o exército de Joabe estava para derrubar a muralha,16 uma mulher sábia gritou da cidade: "Ouçam! Ouçam! Digam a Joabe que venha aqui para que eu fale com ele".17 Quando ele se aproximou a mulher perguntou: "Tu és Joabe? " Ele respondeu: "Sim". Ela disse: "Ouve o que a tua serva tem para dizer-te". "Estou ouvindo", disse ele.18 E ela prosseguiu: "Antigamente se dizia: ‘Peça conselho na cidade de Abel’, e isso resolvia a questão.19 Nós somos pacíficos e fiéis em Israel. Tu procuras destruir uma cidade que é mãe em Israel. Por que queres arruinar a herança do Senhor? "20 Respondeu Joabe: "Longe de mim uma coisa dessas! Longe de mim arruinar e destruir esta cidade!21 Não é esse o problema. Mas um homem chamado Seba, filho de Bicri, dos montes de Efraim, rebelou-se contra o rei Davi. Entreguem-me esse homem, e iremos embora". A mulher disse a Joabe: "A cabeça dele te será jogada do alto da muralha".22 Então a mulher foi falar com todo o povo, dando o seu sábio conselho, e eles cortaram a cabeça de Seba, filho de Bicri, e a jogaram para Joabe. Ele tocou a trombeta, e seus homens se dispersaram, abandonaram o cerco da cidade e cada um voltou para sua casa. E Joabe voltou ao rei, em Jerusalém.23 Joabe comandava todo o exército de Israel; Benaia, filho de Joiada, comandava os queretitas e os peletitas;24 Adonirão era responsável pelos trabalhos forçados; Josafá, filho de Ailude, era arquivista real;25 Seva era secretário; Zadoque e Abiatar eram sacerdotes;26 e Ira, de Jair, era sacerdote de Davi.

1 And there happened to be there a base 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 do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.2 So all the men of Israel went up from following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah stuck to their king, from the 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 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.4 Then the king said to Amasa, Call together for me the men of Judah three days, and be present here.5 So Amasa went to call [the men of] Judah together; but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.6 And David said to Abishai, Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than did Absalom: you take your lord's slaves, and pursue after him, in case he found himself fortified cities, and tears out our eye.7 And 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.8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab was girded with his apparel of war that he had put on, and on it was a belt with a sword fastened on his loins in its sheath; and as he went forth it fell out.9 And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with you, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.10 But 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 insides to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.11 And there stood by him one of Joab's young men, and said, He who favors Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab.12 And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the midst of the highway. And 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.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 Beth-maacah. And all those who joined him were gathered together, and also went after him.15 And they 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.16 Then a wise woman cried out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you{+}, to Joab, Come near here, that I may speak with you.17 And he came near to her; and the woman said, Are you Joab? And he answered, I am. Then she said to him, Hear the words of your slave. And he answered, I am listening.18 Then she spoke, saying, They used to speak in old time, saying, They will surely ask [counsel] at Abel: and so they ended [the matter].19 I am of 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 inheritance of Yahweh?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 the hill-country of 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, Look, his head will 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 threw it out to Joab. And he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed 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 men subject to slave labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder;25 and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;26 and also Ira the Jairite was chief ruler to David.