II Samuel, 20

1. Encontrava-se ali um homem perverso chamado Sebá, filho de Bo­cri, da tribo de Benjamim. Ele tocou a trombeta e exclamou: “Nada temos a ver com Davi. Nada temos de comum com o filho de Jessé! Volte cada qual para a sua tenda, Israel!”.

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. Todos os homens de Israel abandonaram Davi e seguiram Sebá, filho de Bocri, enquanto que os filhos de Judá escoltaram o rei desde o Jordão até Jerusalém.

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. Davi, chegando ao seu palácio em Jerusalém, tomou as dez concubi­nas que tinha deixado para guardar o palácio e enclausurou-as, ordenando que fossem alimentadas, mas não se uniu mais a elas; ficaram enclausuradas, vivendo como viúvas até o dia de sua morte.

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. O rei disse a Amasa: “Convoca-me dentro de três dias todos os homens de Judá e apresenta-te tu também com eles”.

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

5. Amasa partiu para convocar Judá, mas demorou-se além do prazo fixado.

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

6. Então Davi disse a Abisaí: “Sebá, filho de Bocri, vai agora tornar-se mais perigoso que Absalão. Toma contigo os servos de teu senhor e persegue-o, não aconteça que ele encontre cidades fortificadas e nos escape”.

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. Partiram com Abisaí os homens de Joab, os cereteus e os feleteus com todos os valentes. Saíram de Jerusalém em perseguição de Sebá, filho de Bocri.

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. Chegando junto à grande pedra que se encontra em Gabaon, veio-lhes Amasa ao encontro. Joab trazia uma cintura por cima de sua túnica, de onde pendia uma espada embainhada, à altura dos rins. Esta desprendeu-se e caiu.*

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. Joab disse a Amasa: “Como vais, meu irmão?”. Tomou-o pela barba com a mão direita para o beijar.*

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. Amasa, porém, não percebeu a espada na mão esquerda de Joab e este o feriu no ventre, derramando as suas entranhas por terra. Não houve necessidade de um segundo golpe, pois Amasa caiu morto. Depois disso, Joab e seu irmão Abisaí puseram-se a perseguir Sebá, filho de Bocri.

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. Um dos servos de Joab se colocara junto de Amasa e disse: “Todos os que amam Joab e estão com Davi sigam a Joab!”.

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. Entretanto, Amasa estava estendido no meio do caminho, coberto de sangue. Vendo o soldado que todos se detinham para vê-lo, arrastou Amasa para fora do caminho para um campo e cobriu-o com um manto.

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. Uma vez removido do caminho, todos os homens de Israel foram atrás de Joab para continuar a perseguição de Sebá, filho de Bocri.

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. Sebá atravessou todas as tribos de Israel, que o desprezaram e foi até Abel-Bet-Maaca, onde todos os bocritas o seguiram.

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. Vieram então sitiá-lo em Abel-Bet-Maaca e levantaram contra a cidade um aterro que atingiu a altura da muralha. Como todos os que estavam com Joab tentassem fazer cair a muralha,

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. uma mulher prudente se pôs a gritar do muro da cidade: “Ouvi, ouvi! Dizei a Joab que se aproxime para que eu possa falar-lhe!”.

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

17. Tendo ele se aproximado, disse-lhe a mulher: “És tu Joab?”. “Sou eu” – respondeu ele. Ela prosseguiu: “Ouve as palavras de tua serva”. “Estou ouvindo.” 18 “Outrora – disse ela –, costumava-se dizer: ‘Peça-se conselho a Abel e a Dã’,*

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.

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. para saber se desapareceram os costumes dos fiéis de Israel. Tu, porém, procuras destruir uma cidade e metrópole em Israel. Por que queres aniquilar a herança do Senhor?”

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. Joab respondeu: “Longe de mim, longe de mim; não quero arruinar nem destruir coisa alguma.

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

21. Não se trata disso; mas um homem da montanha de Efraim, chamado Sebá, filho de Bocri, levantou a mão contra o rei Davi. Entregai-nos só esse e levantarei o cerco”. A mulher disse a Joab: “A cabeça dele te será lançada por cima do muro”.

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. Ela voltou à cidade e falou com discrição a todo o povo. Cortaram a cabeça de Sebá, filho de Bocri, e atiraram-na a Joab. Este tocou a trombeta e todos se retiraram da cidade, indo cada um para a sua tenda. Joab voltou para junto do rei em Jerusalém.

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. Joab comandava todo o exército. Banaías, filho de Joiada, estava à testa dos cereteus e dos feleteus.

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. Adoram presidia os trabalhos. Josafá, filho de Ailud, era o cronista.

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

25. Siva era o escriba. Sadoc e Abiatar, sacerdotes;

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

26. Ira, o jairita, era também sacerdote de Davi.

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