Sheba's Rebellion
1 There happened to be in Gilgal a worthless character named Sheba son of Bikri, of the tribe of Benjamin. He blew the trumpet and called out, “Down with David! We won't follow him! Men of Israel, let's go home!” 2 So the Israelites deserted David and went with Sheba, but the men of Judah remained loyal and followed David from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 When David arrived at his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace, and put them under guard. He provided for their needs, but did not have intercourse with them. They were kept confined for the rest of their lives, living like widows.
4 The king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together and be back here with them by the day after tomorrow.” 5 Amasa went to call them, but he did not get back by the time the king had told him to. 6 So the king said to Abishai, “Sheba will give us more trouble than Absalom. Take my men and go after him, or else he may occupy some fortified towns and escape from us.” 7 So Joab's men, the royal bodyguards, and all the other soldiers left Jerusalem with Abishai to go after Sheba. 8 When they reached the large rock at Gibeon, Amasa met them. Joab was dressed for battle, with a sword in its sheath fastened to his belt. As he came forward, the sword fell out. 9 Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my friend?” and took hold of his beard with his right hand in order to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on guard against the sword that Joab was holding in his other hand, and Joab stabbed him in the belly, and his insides spilled out on the ground. He died immediately, and Joab did not have to strike again.
Then Joab and his brother Abishai went on after Sheba. 11 One of Joab's men stood by Amasa's body and called out, “Everyone who is for Joab and David follow Joab!” 12 Amasa's body, covered with blood, was lying in the middle of the road. Joab's man saw that everybody was stopping, so he dragged the body from the road out into the field and threw a blanket over it. 13 After the body had been removed from the road, everyone followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba.
14 Sheba passed through the territory of all the tribes of Israel and came to the city of Abel Beth Maacah, and all the members of the clan of Bikri assembled and followed him into the city. 15 Joab's men heard that Sheba was there, and so they went and besieged the city. They built ramps of earth against the outer wall and also began to dig under the wall to make it fall down. 16 There was a wise woman in the city who shouted from the wall, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here; I want to speak with him.” 17 Joab went, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”
“Yes, I am,” he answered.
“Listen to me, sir,” she said.
“I'm listening,” he answered.
18 She said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Go and get your answer in the city of Abel’—and that's just what they did. 19 Ours is a great city, one of the most peaceful and loyal in Israel. Why are you trying to destroy it? Do you want to ruin what belongs to the Lord?”
20 “Never!” Joab answered. “I will never ruin or destroy your city! 21 That is not our plan. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, who is from the hill country of Ephraim, started a rebellion against King David. Hand over this one man, and I will withdraw from the city.”
“We will throw his head over the wall to you,” she said. 22 Then she went to the people of the city with her plan, and they cut off Sheba's head and threw it over the wall to Joab. He blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to leave the city, and they went back home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
David's Officials
23 Joab was in command of the army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of David's bodyguards; 24 Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of the records; 25 Sheva was the court secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were the priests, 26 and Ira from the town of Jair was also one of David's priests.
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.
