Liber II Samuelis, 20

1. Accidit quoque, ut ibi esset vir Belial nomine Seba filius Bochri Beniaminita; et cecinit bucina et ait: “Non est nobis pars in David, neque hereditas in filio Isai! Vir Israel, in tabernacula tua!”.

1. Now there happened to be there a worthless fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite; and he blew the trumpet, and said, "We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel!"

2. Et separatus est omnis vir Israel a David secutusque est Seba filium Bochri; viri autem Iudae adhaeserunt regi suo a Iordane usque Ierusalem.

2. So all the men of Israel withdrew from David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

3. Cumque venisset rex in domum suam Ierusalem, tulit decem mulieres concubinas, quas dereliquerat ad custodiendam domum, et tradidit eas in custodiam alimenta eis praebens. Et non est ingressus ad eas, sed erant clausae usque ad diem mortis suae in viduitate viventes.

3. And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house, and put them in a house under guard, and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.

4. Dixit autem rex Amasae: “Convoca mihi omnes viros Iudae in diem tertium et tu adesto praesens”.

4. Then the king said to Ama'sa, "Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself."

5. Abiit ergo Amasa, ut convocaret Iudam; et moratus est ultra tempus, quod ei constituerat.

5. So Ama'sa went to summon Judah; but he delayed beyond the set time which had been appointed him.

6. Ait autem David ad Abisai: “Nunc magis afflicturus est nos Seba filius Bochri quam Absalom; tolle igitur servos domini tui et persequere eum, ne inveniat civitates munitas et effugiat nos”.

6. And David said to Abi'shai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Ab'salom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and cause us trouble."

7. Egressi sunt ergo cum eo viri Ioab, Cherethi quoque et Phelethi et omnes fortissimi; exierunt de Ierusalem ad persequendum Seba filium Bochri.

7. And there went out after Abi'shai, Jo'ab and the Cher'ethites and the Pel'ethites, and all the mighty men; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

8. Cumque illi essent iuxta lapidem grandem, qui est in Gabaon, Amasa venerat ante eos. Porro Ioab accinctus erat habitu suo, et in cingulo super lumbos gladius absconditus erat, qui levi motu ex vagina in manum suam cecidit.

8. When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Ama'sa came to meet them. Now Jo'ab was wearing a soldier's garment, and over it was a girdle with a sword in its sheath fastened upon his loins, and as he went forward it fell out.

9. Dixitque Ioab ad Amasam: “Estne pax tibi, mi frater?”. Et tenuit manu dextera mentum Amasae, ut oscularetur eum.

9. And Jo'ab said to Ama'sa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Jo'ab took Ama'sa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

10. Porro Amasa non observavit gladium in manu Ioab, qui percussit eum in inguine et effudit intestina eius in terram, nec secundum vulnus apposuit; et mortuus est. Ioab autem et Abisai frater eius persecuti sunt Seba filium Bochri.

10. But Ama'sa did not observe the sword which was in Jo'ab's hand; so Jo'ab struck him with it in the body, and shed his bowels to the ground, without striking a second blow; and he died. Then Jo'ab and Abi'shai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.

11. Interea quidam de pueris Ioab stetit iuxta cadaver Amasae et dixit: “Qui esse vult cum Ioab et pro David, sequatur Ioab!”.

11. And one of Jo'ab's men took his stand by Ama'sa, and said, "Whoever favors Jo'ab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Jo'ab."

12. Amasa autem conspersus sanguine iacebat in media via. Vidit hoc vir quod subsisteret omnis populus ad videndum eum; et amovit Amasam de via in agrum operuitque eum vestimento, cum videret quod omnes transeuntes propter eum subsisterent.

12. And Ama'sa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. And any one who came by, seeing him, stopped; and when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Ama'sa out of the highway into the field, and threw a garment over him.

13. Amoto igitur illo de via, transibat omnis vir sequens Ioab ad persequendum Seba filium Bochri.

13. When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Jo'ab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

14. Porro ille transierat per omnes tribus Israel usque in Abelbethmaacha; omnesque Bochritae congregati sunt et ingressi sunt etiam post eum.

14. And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-ma'acah; and all the Bichrites assembled, and followed him in.

15. Venerunt itaque et oppugnabant eum in Abelbethmaacha et fuderunt contra civitatem aggerem, qui stetit contra antemurale; et omnis populus, qui erat cum Ioab, moliebatur destruere muros.

15. And all the men who were with Jo'ab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-ma'acah; they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and they were battering the wall, to throw it down.

16. Et exclamavit mulier sapiens de civitate: “Audite, audite! Dicite Ioab: “Appropinqua huc, et loquar tecum””.

16. Then a wise woman called from the city, "Hear! Hear! Tell Jo'ab, `Come here, that I may speak to you.'"

17. Qui cum accessisset ad eam, ait illi: “Tu es Ioab?”. Et ille respondit: “Ego”. Ad quem sic locuta est: “Audi sermones ancillae tuae”. Qui respondit: “Audio”.

17. And he came near her; and the woman said, "Are you Jo'ab?" He answered, "I am." Then she said to him, "Listen to the words of your maidservant." And he answered, "I am listening."

18. Rursumque illa: “Sermo, inquit, dicebatur in vetere proverbio: “Interrogent in Abel, et sic perficient rem”.

18. Then she said, "They were wont to say in old time, `Let them but ask counsel at Abel'; and so they settled a matter.

19. Ego pacifica fidelium Israel, et tu quaeris subruere civitatem et evertere matrem in Israel. Quare praecipitas hereditatem Domini?”.

19. I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel; you seek to destroy a city which is a mother in Israel; why will you swallow up the heritage of the LORD?"

20. Respondensque Ioab ait: “Absit, absit hoc a me; non praecipito neque demolior.

20. Jo'ab answered, "Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy!

21. Non se sic habet res, sed homo de monte Ephraim, Seba filius Bochri cognomine, levavit manum suam contra regem David; tradite illum solum, et recedam a civitate”. Et ait mulier ad Ioab: “Ecce, caput eius mittetur ad te per murum”.

21. That is not true. But a man of the hill country of E'phraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David; give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city." And the woman said to Jo'ab, "Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall."

22. Ingressa est ergo ad omnem populum et locuta est eis sapienter. Qui abscissum caput Seba filii Bochri proiecerunt ad Ioab. Et ille cecinit tuba, et recesserunt ab urbe unusquisque in tabernacula sua. Ioab autem reversus est Ierusalem ad regem.

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 Jo'ab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Jo'ab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

23. Erat ergo Ioab super omnem exercitum Israel; Banaias autem filius Ioiadae super Cherethaeos et Phelethaeos;

23. Now Jo'ab was in command of all the army of Israel; and Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada was in command of the Cher'ethites and the Pel'ethites;

24. Adoniram vero super onera; porro Iosaphat filius Ahilud a commentariis.

24. and Ador'am was in charge of the forced labor; and Jehosh'aphat the son of Ahi'lud was the recorder;

25. Siva autem scriba, Sadoc vero et Abiathar sacerdotes;

25. and Sheva was secretary; and Zadok and Abi'athar were priests;

26. Hira quoque Iairites erat sacerdos David.

26. and Ira the Ja'irite was also David's priest.