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.
Seba la muritoo
1 Saayiŋ, seetaani moo doo le tarata nuŋ jee, ì ka a fo meŋ ye Seba. Benjamini lasili moo le mu, aduŋ a keta Bikiri dinkewo le ti. A ye saakotoŋ binoo* fee, a wuurita ko,
“M̀ maŋ talaari soto Dawuda la karoo la,
hani feŋ, m̀ maŋ wo le soto Yese dinkewo la karoo la.
Banisirayilankoolu, ali bee ye seyi ali la suwolu kono.”
2 Wo to le Banisirayilankoolu ye Dawuda tu jee, ì bulata Seba nooma. Bari Yahuuda kewolu bulata Dawuda nooma le ka bo Yoridani ka taa fo Yerusalaamu.
3 Kabiriŋ Dawuda muruta a la mansabuŋo kono Yerusalaamu, a la kaŋ foroyandi musu* taŋo meŋ be a bulu, a ye mennu tu jee ka a la buŋo topatoo, a ye ì ke buŋo le kono, ka ì kanta. A ka feŋolu ke ì ye le, bari a niŋ ì buka kafu. Ì tuta maaboriŋ kuu le fo luŋo meŋ na ì faata, ì tuta sabatiriŋ jee le ko furuyaamusoolu.
4 Bituŋ mansa ko Amasa ye ko, “A fo Yahuuda kewolu ye naa n yaa ñiŋ tili saboo kono, aduŋ ite faŋo si tara jaŋ.” 5 Bari kabiriŋ Amasa taata Yahuuda moolu kumandi, mansa ye waatoo meŋ dii a la, a tambita wo la le.
6 Dawuda ko Abisayi ye ko, “Saayiŋ Seba Bikiri dinkewo be kuu jawu tambiriŋo le ke la ǹ na, ka tambi Abusalomu ye meŋ ke. I la keebaa la kewolu taa, i ye a bayindi, niŋ wo nte a be duŋ na saatee tatariŋolu kono le, a ye kana m̀ ma.”
7 Wo to le Yowabu la kewolu niŋ Keretinkoolu niŋ Peletinkoolu aniŋ kelejawara baalu taata, aduŋ Abisayi le keta ì la ñaatonkoo ti. Ì fintita Yerusalaamu le, ka taa Bikiri dinkewo Seba bayindi. 8 Kabiriŋ ì be bere konkoo to, meŋ be Kibeyoni, Amasa taata ì tara jee le. Yowabu ye a la kelediŋ dendikoo le duŋ, aduŋ teesitiraŋo meŋ be sitiriŋ a la, hawusaroo* le be wo kara la. Biriŋ a be taama kaŋ, ka taa ñaato, hawusaroo jolonta ka bo naŋ a laa kono. 9 Yowabu ko Amasa ye ko, “N kotoo, i be ñaadii le?” Wo to le Yowabu ye Amasa booraa muta niŋ a bulubaa buloo la, fo a si a sumbu. 10 Amasa maŋ a miira ko, Yowabu ye hawusaroo muta a buloo kono. Wo ñaama le Yowabu ye a soo a konoo to, fo a nuwolu jurumita duuma. A maŋ Amasa soo kotenke, kaatu a faata wo loo le to.
Bituŋ Yowabu niŋ a kotoo Abisayi tententa wo le ñaama, ka Seba Bikiri dinkewo bayindi.
11 Yowabu la kee kiliŋ loota Amasa furee kunto, a ye kumandiroo ke ko, “Moo-wo-moo be Yowabu niŋ Dawuda la karoo la, a si bula Yowabu nooma.” 12 Amasa meŋ baloo bee keta yeloo ti be laariŋ nuŋ siloo le teema. Yowabu la kewo ye a je ko, moolu bee ka loo le, bituŋ a ye a furewo kuruntu ka bo siloo kaŋ, a ye a samba kunkoo kono, a ye mbajoo fayi a kaŋ. 13 Kabiriŋ furewo ñiŋ bota laariŋ siloo kaŋ, moolu bee bulata Yowabu nooma, ka Seba bayindi.
14 Seba tambita Banisirayilankoolu la bankoo lasiloolu bee le la, bituŋ a taata Abeli-Beti-Maaka saatewo to. Aduŋ Bikiri kaabiiloo moolu bee benta le, ì niŋ a taata ñoo la saatewo kono. 15 Yowabu la kewolu ye a moyi ko, Seba be jee le, bituŋ ì taata ka saatewo muru. Ì ye seleraŋ sapoo* loo tata sansaŋo bala. Yowabu la kewolu be tata sansaŋo fanaa busa kaŋ, ka a teyi. 16 Musu ñaamendiŋo le ye kumandiroo ke ka bo naŋ saatewo kono. A ko, “Ali i lamoyi! Ali i lamoyi! Ali a fo Yowabu ye naa jaŋ, fo n si diyaamu a ye.” 17 A taata a maafaŋo la. Musoo ye a ñininkaa ko, “Fo ite le mu Yowabu ti baŋ?”
A ye a jaabi ko, “Haa, nte le mu.”
A ko, “I lamoyi, i la dookuulaa be meŋ fo la.”
A ko a ye ko, “M be n lamoyi kaŋ ne.”
18 A tententa ka a fo ko, “Waati jaŋ sotota, niŋ moolu sonkata, ì ka a fo le ko, ‘Ali ŋà taa Abeli saatewo to, fo sonkoo daa si faa.’ 19 Ntolu le keta kayiramoolu niŋ moo tilindiŋolu ti Banisirayila. I pareeta ka saatewo le kasaara, meŋ keta Banisirayilankoolu baamaa ti. Muŋ ne ye a tinna, i lafita Yaawe* la keetaafeŋo kasaara la?”
20 Yowabu ye a jaabi ko, “Allamaa n tanka la. Allamaa n tanka la, ka kasaara kuwo ke. 21 Wo nte kuwo ti. Kewo doo meŋ too mu Seba ti, Bikiri dinkewo le mu, aduŋ a bota Efurayimu* konkotundoo* le kaŋ. A wulita Mansa Dawuda le kamma. Ali ñiŋ kee kiliŋo dii n na naŋ, aduŋ m be bo la ñiŋ saatewo kono le.”
Musoo ko Yowabu ye ko, “A kuŋo be fayi la naŋ ne ka bo niŋ tata sansaŋo kunto la.”
22 Wo to le musoo taata moolu bee yaa, a niŋ a la yaamari kendoo, aduŋ i ye Bikiri dinkewo Seba kuŋo kuntu, ì ye a fayi Yowabu kaŋ. Bituŋ a ye saakotoŋ binoo fee, aduŋ a la kewolu janjanta ka bo saatewo to, ì bee seyita ì la suwolu kono. Bituŋ Yowabu muruta mansa yaa Yerusalaamu.
Dawuda la dookuulaalu
23 Yowabu le marata Banisirayila kelediŋ kafoo bee la. Benaya Yehoyada dinkewo le marata Keretinkoolu niŋ Peletinkoolu la, mennu mu Dawuda kantalaalu ti. 24 Adoramu le marata foriseetoo dookuwo la. Yehosafati Ahiludi dinkewo, wo le ka kuwolu safee mennu keta. 25 Sewa le keta nuŋ safeerilaa ti. Sadoki niŋ Abiyata le keta piriisoolu* ti. 26 Aduŋ Ira Yayirinkoo le keta nuŋ Dawuda la piriisoo ti.
