Bilingual reading

There happened to be there a wicked 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 have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, Israel!”

So all the men of Israel went up from following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah joined with their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.

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 custody 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.

Then the king said to Amasa, “Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be here present.”

So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together, but he stayed longer than the set time which had been appointed to him.

David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue after him, lest he get himself fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.”

Joab’s men went out after him with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was clothed in his apparel of war that he had put on, and on it was a sash with a sword fastened on his waist in its sheath; and as he went along it fell out.

Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

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 bowels to the ground, and didn’t strike him again; and he died. Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.

One of Joab’s young men stood by him, and said, “He who favors Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab!”

Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. 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.

When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, to Beth Maacah, and all the Berites. They were gathered together, and went also after him.

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.

Then a wise woman cried out of the city, “Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come near here, that I may speak with you.’”

He came near to her; and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your servant.” He answered, “I’m listening.”

Then she spoke, saying, “They used to say in old times, ‘They shall surely ask counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a matter.

I am among 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 LORD’s inheritance?”

Joab answered, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

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. Just deliver him, and I will depart from the city.” The woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”

Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. They cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. He blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

Now Joab was over all the army of Israel, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites,

Adoram was over the men subject to forced labor, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder,

Sheva was scribe, Zadok and Abiathar were priests,

and Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.

وٱتَّفَقَ أَنَّه كانَ هُناكَ رَجُلٌ لا خَيرَ فيه ٱسمُه شابَعُ بنُ بِكْري مِن بَنْيامين. فنَفَخَ في البوقِ وقال: «لَيسَ لَنا نَصيبٌ مع داوُدَ ولا لَنا ميراثٌ مع ٱبنِ يَسَّى. كُلُّ رَجُلٍ إِلى خَيمَتِه يا إِسْرائيل»

فٱرتَدَّ جَميعُ رِجالِ إِسْرائيلَ عن داوُد. وٱتَّبَعوا شابَعَ بنَ بِكْري. أَمَّا رِجالُ يَهوذا فلازَموا مَلِكَهم مِنَ الأُردُنِّ إِلى أُورَشَليم

فأَتى داوُدُ إِلى بَيتِه في أُورَشَليم، وأَخَذَ المَلِكُ السَّرارِيَّ العَشَرَ اللَّواتي تَرَكَهُنَّ يَحفَظْنَ بَيتَه، وأَقامَهنَّ في بَيتِ حَجْز. وكانَ يَعولُهنَّ، ولٰكِنَّه لم يَدخُلْ علَيهِنَّ، فكُنَّ مَحْجوزاتٍ في رَملَةٍ دائمةٍ إِلى يَومِ وَفاتِهنَّ

وقالَ المَلِكُ لِعَماسا: «إجمَعْ إِلَيَّ رِجالَ يَهوذا في ثَلاثَةِ أَيّام، وٱحضُرْ أَنتَ هٰهُنا»

فمَضى عَماسا لِيَجمَعَ يَهوذا، فأَبطَأَ عنِ الميعادِ الَّذي ضُرِبَ لَه

فقالَ داوُدُ لِأَبيشاي: «الآنَ يَصنَعُ بِنا شابَعُ بنُ بِكْري شَرًّا أَعظَمَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ الَّذي صَنَعَه أَبْشالوم. فخُذْ رِجالَ سَيِّدِكَ وٱذهَبْ في إِثرِه، لِئَلَّا يَجِدَ لَه مُدُنًا حَصينةً ويَنْجُوَ مِن أَمامِ أَعيُنِنا»

فخَرَجَ وَراءَه رِجالُ يوآبَ والكَريتِيُّونَ والفَليتِيُّونَ وجَميعُ الأَبْطال، فخَرَجوا من أُورَشليمَ في طَلَبِ شابَعَ بنِ بِكْري

وكانوا عِندَ الصَّخرَةِ العَظيمةِ الَّتي في جِبْعون، حينَ ٱستَقبَلَهم عَماسا، وكانَ يوآبُ مُرتَدِيًا ثَوبَه العَسكَرِيَّ وفَوقَه زُنَّارُ سَيفٍ مَشْدودٍ على حَقوَيه في غِمدِه. فخَرَجَ السَّيفُ وسَقَط

فقالَ يوآبُ لِعَماسا: «أَسالِمٌ أَنتَ يا أَخي؟» وأَخَذَ يوآبُ بِيَدِه اليُمْنى بِلِحيَةِ عَماسا لِيُقَبِّلَه

ولَم يَحتَفِظْ عَماسا مِنَ السَّيْفِ الَّذي كانَ في يَدِ يوآب، فضَرَبَه بِه في بَطنِه، فدَلَقَ أَمْعاءَه إِلى الأَرْض، ولم يُثَنَّ علَيه فمات. ثُمَّ مَضى يوآبُ وأَبيشايُ أَخوهُ في طَلَبِ شابَعَ بنِ بِكْري

ووَقَفَ عِندَ عَماسا واحِدٌ مِن فِتْيانِ يوآبَ وقالَ: «مَنْ أَحَبَّ يوآبَ ومَن كانَ لِداوُد، فلْيَتبَعْ يوآب»

وكانَ عَماسا غائِصًا في دَمِه في وسَطِ الطَّريق. فلَمَّا رأَى الرَّجُلُ أَنَّ جَميعَ الجُندِ يَقِفون، نَقَلَ عَماسا مِنَ الطَّريقِ إِلى حَقْلٍ وطَرَحَ علَيه ثَوبًا، إِذ رأَى أَنَّ كُلَّ مَن يَصِلُ إِلَيه يَقِف

فلَمَّا نُقِلَ مِنَ الطَّريق، عَبَرَ كُلُّ إِنْسانٍ وَراءَ يوآبَ في طَلَبِ شابَعَ بنِ بِكْري

ومَرَّ يوآبُ بِجَميعِ أَسْباطِ إِسْرائيلَ إِلى آبَلِ بَيتَ مَعْكَة. وٱجتَمَعَ الحُلَفاءُ كُلُّهم وساروا هم أَيضًا وَراءَه

فجاؤُوا وحاصَروه في آبَلِ بَيتَ مَعْكَة ورَكَموا رَدْمًا إِلى المَدينَةِ مُستَنِدًا إِلى السُّور، وجَميعُ الجُندِ الَّذينَ مع يوآبَ كانوا يَنقُبونَ لإِسقاطِ السُّور

فنادَتِ ٱمرَأَةٌ حَكيمةٌ مِنَ المَدينة: «إِسمَعوا ٱسمَعوا! قولوا لِيوآب: أُدنُ إِلى هٰهُنا فأُكَلِّمَكَ»

فدَنا مِنها، فقالَتِ المَرأَة: «أَأَنتَ يوآب؟» فقالَ لَها: «أَنا هو». فقالَت لَه: «إِسْمَعْ كَلامَ أَمَتِكَ». قال: «أَنا سامِع»

فتَكَلَّمَت وقالَت: «كانَ يُقالُ مِن قَبلُ: ليُسأَلْ في آبَل، وهٰكذا كانَت تَتِمُّ الأُمور

إِنِّي مِن أَكثَرِ المُدُنِ مُسالَمَةً وأَمانَةً في إِسْرائيل، وأَنتَ طالِبٌ أَن تُهلِكَ مَدينَةً بل أُمًّا في إِسْرائيل. فلِماذا تَبتَلِعُ ميراثَ الرَّبّ؟»

فأَجابَ يوآبُ وقال: «حاشَ لي حاشَ لي أَن أَبتَلِعَ وأُهلِك

لَيسَ الأَمرُ هٰكذا، ولٰكِنَّ رَجُلًا مِن جَبَلِ أَفْرائيمَ ٱسمُه شابَعُ بنُ بِكْري قد رَفَعَ يَدَه على المَلِكِ داوُد. سَلِّموه وَحدَه، وأَنا أَنصَرِفُ عنِ المَدينة». فقالَتِ المَرأَةُ لِيوآب: «هُوَذا رَأسُه يُلْقى إِلَيكَ مِن فَوقِ السُّور»

وذَهَبَتِ المَرأَةُ إِلى كُلِّ الشَّعبِ بِحِكمَتِها. فقَطَعوا رَأسَ شابَعَ بنِ بِكْري، وأَلقَوه إِلى يوآب، فنَفَخَ في البوق، فٱنصَرَفوا عنِ المَدينَةِ كُلُّ ٱمرِئٍ إِلى خَيمَتِه، ورَجَعَ يوآبُ إِلى أُورَشَليمَ إِلى المَلِك

وكانَ يوآبُ على رَأسِ كُلِّ جَيشِ إِسْرائيل، وبَنايا بنُ يوياداعَ على رَأسِ الكَريتِيِّينَ والفَليتِيِّين

وأَدورامُ على السُّخرَةِ ويوشافاطُ بنُ أَحيلودَ مُدَوِّنًا

وشيوا كاتِبًا، وصادوقُ وأَبِياتارُ كاهِنَين

وَعِيْرَا الْيَائِيرِيُّ أَيْضًا كَانَ كَاهِنًا لِدَاوُدَ.