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Seba Ajeemera Dawudi

20 (A)Waaliwo omusajja omujeemu erinnya lye Seba, mutabani wa Bikuli, Omubenyamini. Yafuuwa ekkondeere n’ayogerera n’eddoboozi ery’omwanguka nti,

“Tetulina mugabo mu Dawudi,
    so tetulina busika mu mutabani wa Yese!
Buli muntu adde mu weema ye, ggwe Isirayiri!”

Awo abantu ba Isirayiri bonna ne balekulira Dawudi ne bagoberera Seba mutabani wa Bikuli. Naye abantu ba Yuda bo ne basigala ne kabaka waabwe, okuva ku Yoludaani okutuuka e Yerusaalemi. (B)Dawudi bwe yadda mu lubiri lwe e Yerusaalemi, n’addira abakyala be ekkumi be yali alese okulabirira olubiri n’abasibira mu kkomera. N’abagabirira mu byokulya kwabwe, naye n’atebaka nabo. Ne baggalirwa eyo okutuusa lwe baafa, nga bali nga bannamwandu.

(C)Awo kabaka n’agamba Amasa nti, “Nkuŋŋaanyiza abasajja ba Yuda mu nnaku ssatu, naawe obeerewo.” Naye Amasa bwe yagenda okukola ky’alagiddwa, n’atwala ekiseera kiwanvu okusinga kabaka kye yali amuwadde. (D)Dawudi n’agamba Abisaayi nti, “Seba mutabani wa Bikuli alitukola akabi okusinga Abusaalomu bwe yakola. Noolwekyo twala abasajja ba mukama wo omugoberere aleme okuddukira mu bibuga ebiriko bbugwe, n’atusimatuka.” (E)Awo abasajja ba Yowaabu, n’Abakeresi, n’Abaperesi, n’abaserikale abazira bonna, ne bava mu Yerusaalemi ne bagenda okunoonya Seba mutabani wa Bikuli nga baduumirwa Abisaayi.

(F)Bwe baatuuka ku lwazi olunene mu Gibyoni, Amasa n’ajja okubasisinkana. Yowaabu yali yeesibye ebyambalo bye eby’olutalo, ne mu kiwato nga yeesibye olukoba olwaliko ekitala ekyali mu kiraato kyakyo. Bwe yasituka, ne kisowoka mu kiraato kyakyo ne kigwa wansi.

Yowaabu n’alamusa Amasa ng’ayogera nti, “Mirembe, muganda wange?” Yowaabu n’akwata Amasa ekirevu n’omukono gwe ogwa ddyo, n’aba nga agenda okumunywegera. 10 (G)Naye Amasa n’atassaayo mwoyo okwekuuma ekitala ekyali mu mukono gwa Yowaabu; Yowaabu n’akimufumita mu lubuto, n’ayiwa ebyenda bye wansi. N’atamufumita lwakubiri, Amasa bw’atyo n’afa. Awo Yowaabu ne muganda we Abisaayi ne beeyongera okugoberera Seba mutabani wa Bikuli.

11 Omu ku basajja ba Yowaabu n’ayimirira okumpi n’omulambo gwa Amasa n’ayogera nti, “Buli ayagala Yowaabu, era buli ali ku luuyi lwa Dawudi, agoberere Yowaabu.” 12 (H)Omulambo gwa Amasa ne gubeera mu musaayi gwe nga gukulukunyirizibwa omwo wakati mu luguudo. Ne wabaawo omusajja eyalaba nga buli eyatuukanga awali omulambo gwa Amasa ng’ayimirira; omusajja oyo n’agusitula n’aguggya mu luguudo n’agutwala ebbali mu nsiko, n’agusuulako olugoye. 13 Awo omulambo gwa Amasa bwe gwaggyibwa mu kkubo abantu bonna ne beeyongerayo ne Yowaabu okugoberera Seba mutabani wa Bikuli.

14 (I)Seba n’ayita mu bika byonna ebya Isirayiri ng’abakunga okutuuka mu Aberi eky’e Besumaaka, n’ayita ne mu kitundu kyonna eky’Ababeri ne bakuŋŋaanira gy’ali ne bamugoberera. 15 (J)Eggye lyonna eryali ne Yowaabu, ne bazingiza Seba mu Aberi eky’e Besumaaka. Ne bakola ebifunvu okutuuka ku kibuga n’okwolekera ekigo. Bwe baali nga bakyamenya bbugwe, 16 (K)ne wavaayo omukazi ow’amagezi mu kibuga, n’akoowoola ng’ayogera nti, “Muwulirize. Muwulirize! Mugambe Yowaabu ajje wano, mbeeko kye mmugamba.” 17 Yowaabu n’agenda okumpi ne we yali, omukazi n’amubuuza nti, “Ggwe Yowaabu?”

N’addamu nti, “Nze nzuuyo.”

N’amugamba nti, “Wuliriza omuweereza wo by’anaayogera.”

N’addamu nti, “Mpuliriza.”

18 N’ayongera n’ayogera nti, “Edda baayogeranga nti, ‘Bw’oba ng’olina ky’obuuza genda mu Aberi,’ era ekyo kye ky’amalanga ensonga. 19 (L)Ffe bantu abaagazi b’emirembe era abeesigwa mu Isirayiri. Mwagala okuzikiriza ekibuga, nnyina w’abaana mu Isirayiri. Lwaki oyagala okumira obusika bwa Mukama?”

20 Yowaabu n’addamu nti, “Kikafuuwe, nze okumira ekibuga kino newaakubadde okukizikiriza. 21 (M)Si bwe kiri. Waliwo omusajja erinnya lye ye Seba, mutabani wa Bikuli, ow’omu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu, agolodde omukono gwe eri kabaka Dawudi. Bwe munaamuwaayo oyo omu yekka, nange nzija kulekayo okubalumba.”

22 (N)Omukazi n’agamba Yowaabu nti, “Omutwe gwe gunaakasukibwa gy’oli ku bbugwe.” Awo omukazi n’agenda n’ekiteeso kye eri abantu bonna, ne basalako omutwe gwa Seba mutabani wa Bikuli, ne bagusuulira Yowaabu. Yowaabu n’afuuwa ekkondeere, abasajja be ne bava ku kibuga ne basaasaana, bonna ne baddayo ewaabwe. Yowaabu ye n’addayo eri kabaka mu Yerusaalemi.

23 (O)Yowaabu yali muduumizi wa ggye lya Isirayiri,

ne Benaya mutabani wa Yekoyaada nga y’akulira Abakeresi, n’Abaperesi.

24 (P)Adolaamu ye yakuliranga abapakasi,

Yekosafaati mutabani wa Akirudi ye yali omujjukiza.

25 (Q)Seva ye yali omuwandiisi,

Zadooki ne Abiyasaali nga be bakabona,

26 ne Ira Omuyayiri nga ye kabona wa Dawudi.

Sheba Rebels Against David

20 Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted,

“We have no share(A) in David,(B)
    no part in Jesse’s son!(C)
Every man to his tent, Israel!”

So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines(D) he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but had no sexual relations with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.

Then the king said to Amasa,(E) “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.” But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.

David said to Abishai,(F) “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”[a] So Joab’s men and the Kerethites(G) and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

While they were at the great rock in Gibeon,(H) Amasa came to meet them. Joab(I) was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.

Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger(J) in Joab’s(K) hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri.

11 One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!” 12 Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt(L) there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him. 13 After Amasa had been removed from the road, everyone went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maakah and through the entire region of the Bikrites,[b](M) who gathered together and followed him. 15 All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maakah.(N) They built a siege ramp(O) up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down, 16 a wise woman(P) called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.” 17 He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”

“I am,” he answered.

She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

18 She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it. 19 We are the peaceful(Q) and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”(R)

20 “Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from the city.”

The woman said to Joab, “His head(S) will be thrown to you from the wall.”

22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice,(T) and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

David’s Officials

23 Joab(U) was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; 24 Adoniram[c](V) was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat(W) son of Ahilud was recorder; 25 Sheva was secretary; Zadok(X) and Abiathar were priests; 26 and Ira the Jairite[d] was David’s priest.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 20:6 Or and do us serious injury
  2. 2 Samuel 20:14 See Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew Berites.
  3. 2 Samuel 20:24 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Kings 4:6 and 5:14); Hebrew Adoram
  4. 2 Samuel 20:26 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 23:38) Ithrite