Sheba Rebels against David
1 A troublemaker from the tribe of Benjamin was there. His name was Sheba the son of Bichri, and he blew a trumpet to get everyone's attention. Then he said, “People of Israel, David the son of Jesse doesn't belong to us! Let's go home.”
2 So they stopped following David and went off with Sheba. But the people of Judah stayed close to David all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
David's Ten Wives
3 David had left ten of his wives in Jerusalem to take care of his palace. But when he came back, he had them taken to another house, and he placed soldiers there to guard them. He gave them whatever they needed, but he never slept with any of them again. They had to live there for the rest of their lives as if they were widows.
The Army Goes after Sheba
4 David said to Amasa, “Three days from now I want you and all of Judah's army to be here!”
5 Amasa started bringing the army together, but it was taking him more than three days. 6 So David said to Abishai, “Sheba will hurt us more than Absalom ever did. Take my best soldiers and go after him. We don't want him to take over any walled cities and get away from us.”
Joab Kills Amasa
7 Abishai left Jerusalem to try and capture Sheba. He took along Joab and his soldiers, as well as David's bodyguard and best troops. 8 They had gone as far as the big rock at Gibeon when Amasa caught up with them. Joab had a dagger strapped around his waist over his military uniform, but it fell out as he started toward Amasa.
9 Joab said, “Amasa, my cousin, how are you?” Then Joab took hold of Amasa's beard with his right hand, so that he could greet him with a kiss. 10 Amasa did not see the dagger in Joab's other hand. Joab stuck it in Amasa's stomach, and his insides spilled out on the ground. Joab only struck him once, but Amasa was dying.
Joab and his brother Abishai went off to chase Sheba. 11 One of Joab's soldiers stood by Amasa and shouted, “If any of you are for Joab and David, then follow Joab!”
12 Amasa was still rolling in his own blood in the middle of the road. The soldier who had shouted noticed that everyone who passed by would stop, so he dragged Amasa off the road and covered him with a blanket. 13 After this, no one else stopped. They all walked straight past him on their way to help Joab capture Sheba.
Sheba Hides Out in the Town of Abel
14 Sheba had gone through all of the tribes of Israel when he came to the town of Abel Beth-Maacah. All of his best soldiers met him there and followed him into the town.
15 Joab and his troops came and surrounded Abel, so that no one could go in or come out. They made a dirt ramp up to the town wall and then started to use a battering ram to knock the wall down.
A Wise Woman Saves the Town
16 A wise woman shouted from the top of the wall, “Listen to me! Listen to me! I have to talk to Joab! Tell him to come here!” 17 When he came, the woman said, “Are you Joab?”
“Yes, I am,” he answered.
She said, “Please, listen to what I have to say.”
“All right,” he said. “I'll listen.”
18 She said, “Long ago people used to say, ‘If you want good advice, go to the town of Abel to get it.’ The answers they got here were all that was needed to settle any problem. 19 We are Israelites, and we want peace! You can trust us. Why are you trying to destroy a town that's like a mother in Israel? Why do you want to wipe out the Lord's people?”
20 Joab answered, “No, no! I'm not trying to wipe you out or destroy your town! 21 That's not it at all. There's a man in your town from the hill country of Ephraim. His name is Sheba, and he is the leader of a rebellion against King David. Turn him over to me, and we will leave your town alone.”
The woman told Joab, “We will throw his head over the wall.”
22 She went to the people of the town and talked them into doing it. They cut off Sheba's head and threw it to Joab.
Joab blew a signal on his trumpet, and the soldiers returned to their homes. Joab went back to David in Jerusalem.
Another List of David's Officials
23 Joab was the commander of Israel's entire army.
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of David's bodyguard.
24 Adoram was in charge of the slave-labor force.
Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud kept government records.
25 Sheva was the secretary.
Zadok and Abiathar were the priests.
26 Ira from Jair was David's priest.
Sheba Ogbote Dawidi be
1 Mano kozi aza orivoya lau Gilegala ya, ävuruna Sheba, ŋgwa Bikeri ro, nda Benjamina'ba yi. Nda vo cekuṛe te, ago atate ekye:
“Ama teinye vo ako Dawidi be.
Ama teinye vo ako ŋgwa Yisai robe,
Yisaraele'bai! Migo ri ba 'ba amiro yasi!”
2 Ago lidri cini Yisaraele ro e'be Dawidi te, ago soyite Sheba ŋgwa Bikeri ro vo, oko lidri Yuda ro ni Golo Yaradene yasi le Yerusalema ya soyite 'du 'Bädri'ba Dawidi vo.
3 Ago ondro Dawidi kikyite zo 'desi miri ro ndaro ya Yerusalema ya oko; nda ru 'ditoko ogyeako ndaro se 'butealo se nda ke'bebe vo zo 'desi miri ro ondrene kai te, ago 'ba ànya te vookwa'ba zele. Ago nda ozo ŋga te ànyari, oko u'du kote ànya be. Ago riyite vookwa'bai zele inye madale tu odra ànyaro rosi, uguyi ori te oso ävuzii ronye.
4 'Dooko 'bädri'ba atate Amasa ri ekye: “Mizi manoàgo Yuda ro voaloya ikyine mare u'du nätu ya, ago andivo miro nya'do kpa noŋwa.” 5 Ondro Amasa koyite lidri Yuda ro uzine oko; nda ru tute amba ndrani tuse 'bädri'ba kaka'dabe ndäri drisi. 6 Ago Dawidi atate Abisai ri ekye: “Sheba ŋgwa Bikeri ro ozona rriti ndi ndra ämäri ni Abisolomo drisi. Ka'do inye miru ruindu'bai ma opi miro ro ago miso nda vo, ukyi nda uru 'ba'desi se abebe ṛatara ro 'da andivo ndaro ri, ago opavo 'da ni ämäri.” 7 Ago Yoaba ndi Kerete'ba be ndi vookwa'bai Pelete'ba robe soyi kpate Abisai vo, ndi kyila'bai cini be; ànya foyite tesi ni Yerusalema yasi osone Sheba ŋgwa Bikeri ro vo. 8 Ondro ànya kesayite kuni 'desi se Gibeona ya ana pa oko, Amasa 'be drî te ànya yibe. Ago Yoaba so boŋgo kyila rote, ago so bando te foro ya embete kyini kundu ndaro ya. Ago ondro nda kate efo mileya oko, bando e'dete ni foro yasi. 9 Ago Yoaba atate Amasa ri ekye: “Oko nya'do gwo eŋwonyeya ädrupi maro?” Ago Yoaba ru Amasa te tivu yasi drigwo ndaro si nda njunjune. 10 Oko Amasa ndre bando se drì Yoaba roya ana kote; ago Yoaba 'di Amasa te sina ya ya, ago lakazà yasi ndaro i'durute vuru gyini dri ago nda drate, teinye u'di ṛiri aza u'di ako.
'Dooko Abisai ndi ädrupi ndaro Yoaba be soyite Sheba ŋgwa Bikeri ro vo. 11 Ago mano alo aza Yoaba ro edrete avo Amasa ro dri, ago atate ekye: “Nda se kole Yoaba be, ago nda se orivoya Dawidi ro, mi'ba nda koso Yoaba vo.” 12 Ago Amasa u'dute ruŋgoṛi ŋgoṛi ro kari iro ya liti 'desi dri. Ago 'dise kabe lävu nasi, ndreyi nda te oko, edreyite. Ago ondro nda kondrete lidri cini kate edre oko, nda ŋgyi avo Amasa ro teni liti 'desi drisi le cowa ago vo boŋgo te nda dri. 13 Ondro äŋgyi avo teni liti 'desi drisi oko lidri cini oyite Yoaba vo osone Sheba ŋgwa Bikeri ro vo.
14 Ago Sheba lävute wari 'bakala cini Yisaraele ro ro yasi ago ikyite le 'bakici Abele Beta Maka ro ya; ago Bikeri'bai mbikalate, ago soyite nda vo 'bakici ya. 15 Ago manoàgo se cini Yoaba be ikyiyite ago muyidri Sheba ro te Abele Beta Maka ya. Ànya beyi gyini te donjo tiṛi 'bakici ro tesisi 'do lomvosi, ago uguyi vo u'di te tiṛi zelesi tana ko'de robe vuru. 16 Toko tavouni'ba aza ni 'bakici yasi trete ni tiṛi drisi ekye: “Nyeri! Nyeri! Nyata Yoaba ri ikyine noŋwa, tana male atane nda be.” 17 Ago Yoaba ikyite loto anya re; ago toko ana atate ekye: “Inye'do mi Yoaba owo ya?”
Yoaba zatadrite ekye: “Ma owo.”
'Dooko anya atate ndäri ekye: “Nyeri ata ma ruindu'ba miro ro.”
Ago nda zatadrite ekye: “Ma erina.”
18 'Dooko toko ana atate ekye: “Tuse kyeno ana si ata aza atate ekye: ‘Nyoyi Abele ya ta tadriozaro ta;’ ago 'do ni ŋgase ànya koyeyi be owo. 19 Ma ni alo aza ànya se orivoya liatokpero ago 'diri ro Yisaraele ya owo. Nya 'bakici se orivoya endrero Yisaraele ya ono ufuna etaya! Mile gwo drimbi OPI ro perene etaya?”
20 Ago Yoaba zatadrite ekye: “Ma i'do ta 'do ya, ma i'do kigye, märi 'bakici perene kode ufune i'do! 21 'Do ko taŋgye yi. Mano aza 'bädri lutu ro Eperaima ro ro, äzite Sheba ŋgwa Bikeri ro, ogbote 'Bädri'ba Dawidi be. Nyozo mano se alodi ono ämäri, ago meŋgyena ma 'da ni 'bakici lomvosi.”
Ago toko ana atate Yoaba ri ekye: “Mindre, mevona drî ndaro 'da miri tiṛidri yasi.” 22 'Dooko toko ana oyite lidri 'bakici ro re tavouni anyaro si. Ago ànya täṛiyi drî Sheba ŋgwa Bikeri ro rote, ago evoyite tesi Yoaba ri. Ndi Yoaba vo cekuṛe te, ago ànya pererute ni 'bakici lomvosi, ago mano alo gote kovole 'ba iro ya. Ago Yoaba gote Yerusalema ya 'bädri'ba re.
Dri'bai Losi Oyero Miri Dawidi ro ro
23 Yoaba ni otaozo'ba kyila'bai cini Yisaraele ro ro; ago Benaya ŋgwa Yoyada ro ni otaozo'ba Kerete'bai ndi Pelete'bai be ro; 24 ago Adorama ni dri'ba losi'bai se o'bana losi oyene mbarasi ro, Yosapata ŋgwa Ailuda ro ni kala egyi'ba yi; 25 ago Seva ni egyi'ba Vureope'bai ro; ago Zadoka ndi Abiatara be ni kohanii; 26 ago Ira ni 'ba'desi Jaira ro yasi kpa ni alo aza kohanii Dawidi ro ro.