20:1 Now there was a worthless fellow there whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said, We have no portion in David, Nor do we have an inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, O Israel!
20:2 And all the men of Israel went up from following David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri, but the men of Judah clung to their king, from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
20:3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them under guard; and he provided for them but did not go in unto them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living like widows.
20:4 Then the king said to Amasa, Call the men of Judah to me in three days, and you be present here.
王对亚玛撒说,你要在三日之内将犹大人召集到我这里来,你也要在这里。
20:5 And Amasa went to call Judah, but he delayed beyond the time that David appointed to him.
亚玛撒就去召集犹大人,却耽延过了王所限的日期。
20:6 Then David said to Abishai, Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. You take servants of your lord and pursue after him; otherwise he will find himself some fortified cities and escape out of our sight.
20:7 So the men of Joab went out after him, along with the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men; and they went forth from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
约押的人和基利提人、比利提人、并所有的勇士,都跟着亚比筛,从耶路撒冷出去,追赶比基利的儿子示巴。
20:8 When they were at the large stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab was in military dress, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath, fastened on his loins; and when he went forward, it fell out.
20:10 But Amasa did not notice the sword which was in Joab's hand. And Joab struck him in the stomach with it and poured out his bowels onto the ground, and he did not strike him a second time; and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
约押和他兄弟亚比筛往前追赶比基利的儿子示巴。
20:11 And one of Joab's young men stood by him and said, Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.
有约押的一个少年人站在亚玛撒尸身旁边,说,谁喜悦约押,谁归顺大卫,就当跟随约押去。
20:12 And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the people stood still. And when he saw that all who came by him were stopping, he carried Amasa off the road into the field and put a garment over him.
20:13 As soon as he was removed from the road, all the men went on after Joab to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
尸身从大路挪移之后,众民就都过去,跟随约押去追赶比基利的儿子示巴。
20:14 And Sheba went on throughout all the tribes of Israel to Abel and to Beth- maacah and unto all the Berites; and they gathered together and also went after him.
示巴走遍以色列各支派,直到伯玛迦和亚比拉,并所有比利人之地;那些地方的人也都聚集跟随他。
20:15 And they came and besieged him at Abel of Beth-maacah; and they cast up a siege 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.
20:16 And a wise woman from the city cried out, Listen! Listen! Say to Joab, Come near here that I may speak to you.
有一个聪明的妇人从城上呼叫说,听阿,听阿,请对约押说,你走近这里来,我好与你说话。
20:17 And he came near to her; and the woman said, Are you Joab? And Joab said, I am. And she said to him, Listen to the words of your female servant. And he said, I am listening.
约押就走近妇人那里,妇人说,你是约押不是?他说,我是。妇人说,请你听婢女的话。约押说,我在听。
20:18 Then she spoke, saying, They used to speak in former times, saying, They shall surely ask for counsel in Abel; and thus they would end matters.
妇人说,古时有话说,当先在亚比拉求问,然后事就定妥。
20:19 I am of the peaceable and faithful of Israel; you are seeking to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?
我们这城的人在以色列人中是和平、忠信的;你竟想要毁坏以色列中的大城。你为何要吞灭耶和华的产业呢?
20:20 And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I would swallow up or destroy.
约押回答说,绝不是,我绝不吞灭毁坏。
20:21 The matter is not so, but a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, His head will immediately be thrown over the wall to you.
20:22 So 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 to Joab. And he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.