II - Chapter 20

1A scoundrel named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He sounded the shofar and proclaimed: “We have no portion in David, No share in Yishai's son! Every man to his tent, O Yisrael!”

v'-SHAM nik-RA EESH b'-li-YA-al u-sh'-MO SHE-va ben bikh-REE EESH y'-mee-NEE va-yit-KA ba-sho-FAR va-YO-mer ayn LA-nu KHAY-lek b'-da-VID v'-LO na-kha-lah LA-nu b'-ven yi-SHAI EESH l'-o-ha-LAV yis-ra-AYL

אוְשָׁם נִקְרָא אִישׁ בְּלִיַּעַל וּשְׁמוֹ שֶׁבַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִי אִישׁ יְמִינִי וַיִּתְקַע בַּשֹּׁפָר וַיֹּאמֶר אֵין־לָנוּ חֵלֶק בְּדָוִד וְלֹא נַחֲלָה־לָנוּ בְּבֶן־יִשַׁי אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

2All the men of Yisrael left David and followed Sheba son of Bichri; but the men of Yehuda accompanied their king from the Yarden to Yerushalayim.

בוַיַּעַל כָּל־אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאַחֲרֵי דָוִד אַחֲרֵי שֶׁבַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִי וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה דָּבְקוּ בְמַלְכָּם מִן־הַיַּרְדֵּן וְעַד־יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃

3David went to his palace in Yerushalayim, and the king took the ten concubines he had left to mind the palace and put them in a guarded place; he provided for them, but he did not cohabit with them. They remained in seclusion until the day they died, in living widowhood.

גוַיָּבֹא דָוִד אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ יְרוּשָׁלִַם וַיִּקַּח הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת עֶשֶׂר־נָשִׁים פִּלַגְשִׁים אֲשֶׁר הִנִּיחַ לִשְׁמֹר הַבַּיִת וַיִּתְּנֵם בֵּית־מִשְׁמֶרֶת וַיְכַלְכְּלֵם וַאֲלֵיהֶם לֹא־בָא וַתִּהְיֶינָה צְרֻרוֹת עַד־יוֹם מֻתָן אַלְמְנוּת חַיּוּת׃

4The king said to Amasa, “Call up the men of Yehuda to my standard, and report here three days from now.”

דוַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־עֲמָשָׂא הַזְעֶק־לִי אֶת־אִישׁ־יְהוּדָה שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים וְאַתָּה פֹּה עֲמֹד׃

5Amasa went to call up Yehuda, but he took longer than the time set for him.

הוַיֵּלֶךְ עֲמָשָׂא לְהַזְעִיק אֶת־יְהוּדָה וייחר [וַיּוֹחֶר] מִן־הַמּוֹעֵד אֲשֶׁר יְעָדוֹ׃

6And David said to Avishai, “Now Sheba son of Bichri will cause us more trouble than Avshalom. So take your lord's servants and pursue him, before he finds fortified towns and eludes us.”

ווַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל־אֲבִישַׁי עַתָּה יֵרַע לָנוּ שֶׁבַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִי מִן־אַבְשָׁלוֹם אַתָּה קַח אֶת־עַבְדֵי אֲדֹנֶיךָ וּרְדֹף אַחֲרָיו פֶּן־מָצָא לוֹ עָרִים בְּצֻרוֹת וְהִצִּיל עֵינֵנוּ׃

7Yoav's men, the Cherethites and Pelethites, and all the warriors, marched out behind him. They left Yerushalayim in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.

זוַיֵּצְאוּ אַחֲרָיו אַנְשֵׁי יוֹאָב וְהַכְּרֵתִי וְהַפְּלֵתִי וְכָל־הַגִּבֹּרִים וַיֵּצְאוּ מִירוּשָׁלִַם לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי שֶׁבַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִי׃

8They were near the great stone in Givon when Amasa appeared before them. Yoav was wearing his military dress, with his sword girded over it and fastened around his waist in its sheath; and, as he stepped forward, it fell out.

חהֵם עִם־הָאֶבֶן הַגְּדוֹלָה אֲשֶׁר בְּגִבְעוֹן וַעֲמָשָׂא בָּא לִפְנֵיהֶם וְיוֹאָב חָגוּר מִדּוֹ לְבֻשׁוּ ועלו [וְעָלָיו] חֲגוֹר חֶרֶב מְצֻמֶּדֶת עַל־מָתְנָיו בְּתַעְרָהּ וְהוּא יָצָא וַתִּפֹּל׃

9Yoav said to Amasa, “How are you, brother?” and with his right hand Yoav took hold of Amasa's beard as if to kiss him.

טוַיֹּאמֶר יוֹאָב לַעֲמָשָׂא הֲשָׁלוֹם אַתָּה אָחִי וַתֹּחֶז יַד־יְמִין יוֹאָב בִּזְקַן עֲמָשָׂא לִנְשָׁק־לוֹ׃

10Amasa was not on his guard against the sword in Yoav's [left] hand, and [Yoav] drove it into his belly so that his entrails poured out on the ground and he died; he did not need to strike him a second time. Yoav and his brother Avishai then set off in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri,

יוַעֲמָשָׂא לֹא־נִשְׁמַר בַּחֶרֶב אֲשֶׁר בְּיַד־יוֹאָב וַיַּכֵּהוּ בָהּ אֶל־הַחֹמֶשׁ וַיִּשְׁפֹּךְ מֵעָיו אַרְצָה וְלֹא־שָׁנָה לוֹ וַיָּמֹת וְיוֹאָב וַאֲבִישַׁי אָחִיו רָדַף אַחֲרֵי שֶׁבַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִי׃

11while one of Yoav's henchmen stood by the corpse and called out, “Whoever favors Yoav, and whoever is on David's side, follow Yoav!”

יאוְאִישׁ עָמַד עָלָיו מִנַּעֲרֵי יוֹאָב וַיֹּאמֶר מִי אֲשֶׁר חָפֵץ בְּיוֹאָב וּמִי אֲשֶׁר־לְדָוִד אַחֲרֵי יוֹאָב׃

12Amasa lay in the middle of the road, drenched in his blood; and the man saw that everyone stopped. And when he saw that all the people were stopping, he dragged Amasa from the road into the field and covered him with a garment.

יבוַעֲמָשָׂא מִתְגֹּלֵל בַּדָּם בְּתוֹךְ הַמְסִּלָּה וַיַּרְא הָאִישׁ כִּי־עָמַד כָּל־הָעָם וַיַּסֵּב אֶת־עֲמָשָׂא מִן־הַמְסִלָּה הַשָּׂדֶה וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ עָלָיו בֶּגֶד כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָה כָּל־הַבָּא עָלָיו וְעָמָד׃

13Once he was removed from the road, everybody continued to follow Yoav in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.

יגכַּאֲשֶׁר הֹגָה מִן־הַמְסִלָּה עָבַר כָּל־אִישׁ אַחֲרֵי יוֹאָב לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי שֶׁבַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִי׃

14[Sheba] had passed through all the tribes of Yisrael up to Abel of Beth-maacah; and all the B'erites assembled and followed him inside.

ידוַיַּעֲבֹר בְּכָל־שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָבֵלָה וּבֵית מַעֲכָה וְכָל־הַבֵּרִים ויקלהו [וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ] וַיָּבֹאוּ אַף־אַחֲרָיו׃

15[Yoav's men] came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah; they threw up a siegemound against the city and it stood against the rampart. All the troops with Yoav were engaged in battering the wall,

טווַיָּבֹאוּ וַיָּצֻרוּ עָלָיו בְּאָבֵלָה בֵּית הַמַּעֲכָה וַיִּשְׁפְּכוּ סֹלְלָה אֶל־הָעִיר וַתַּעֲמֹד בַּחֵל וְכָל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אֶת־יוֹאָב מַשְׁחִיתִם לְהַפִּיל הַחוֹמָה׃

16when a clever woman shouted from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Yoav to come over here so I can talk to him.”

טזוַתִּקְרָא אִשָּׁה חֲכָמָה מִן־הָעִיר שִׁמְעוּ שִׁמְעוּ אִמְרוּ־נָא אֶל־יוֹאָב קְרַב עַד־הֵנָּה וַאֲדַבְּרָה אֵלֶיךָ׃

17He approached her, and the woman asked, “Are you Yoav?” “Yes,” he answered; and she said to him, “Listen to what your handmaid has to say.” “I'm listening,” he replied.

יזוַיִּקְרַב אֵלֶיהָ וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה הַאַתָּה יוֹאָב וַיֹּאמֶר אָנִי וַתֹּאמֶר לוֹ שְׁמַע דִּבְרֵי אֲמָתֶךָ וַיֹּאמֶר שֹׁמֵעַ אָנֹכִי׃

18And she continued, “In olden times people used to say, ‘Let them inquire of Abel,' and that was the end of the matter.

יחוַתֹּאמֶר לֵאמֹר דַּבֵּר יְדַבְּרוּ בָרִאשֹׁנָה לֵאמֹר שָׁאֹל יְשָׁאֲלוּ בְּאָבֵל וְכֵן הֵתַמּוּ׃

19I am one of those who seek the welfare of the faithful in Yisrael. But you seek to bring death upon a mother city in Yisrael! Why should you destroy Hashem's possession?”

יטאָנֹכִי שְׁלֻמֵי אֱמוּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתָּה מְבַקֵּשׁ לְהָמִית עִיר וְאֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לָמָּה תְבַלַּע נַחֲלַת יְהֹוָה׃

20Yoav replied, “Far be it, far be it from me to destroy or to ruin!

כוַיַּעַן יוֹאָב וַיֹּאמַר חָלִילָה חָלִילָה לִי אִם־אֲבַלַּע וְאִם־אַשְׁחִית׃

21Not at all! But a certain man from the hill country of Efraim, named Sheba son of Bichri, has rebelled against King David. Just hand him alone over to us, and I will withdraw from the city.” The woman assured Yoav, “His head shall be thrown over the wall to you.”

כאלֹא־כֵן הַדָּבָר כִּי אִישׁ מֵהַר אֶפְרַיִם שֶׁבַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִי שְׁמוֹ נָשָׂא יָדוֹ בַּמֶּלֶךְ בְּדָוִד תְּנוּ־אֹתוֹ לְבַדּוֹ וְאֵלְכָה מֵעַל הָעִיר וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה אֶל־יוֹאָב הִנֵּה רֹאשׁוֹ מֻשְׁלָךְ אֵלֶיךָ בְּעַד הַחוֹמָה׃

22The woman came to all the people with her clever plan; and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it down to Yoav. He then sounded the shofar; all the men dispersed to their homes, and Yoav returned to the king in Yerushalayim.

כבוַתָּבוֹא הָאִשָּׁה אֶל־כָּל־הָעָם בְּחָכְמָתָהּ וַיִּכְרְתוּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ שֶׁבַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִי וַיַּשְׁלִכוּ אֶל־יוֹאָב וַיִּתְקַע בַּשּׁוֹפָר וַיָּפֻצוּ מֵעַל־הָעִיר אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו וְיוֹאָב שָׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ׃

23Yoav was commander of the whole army [of] Yisrael; Benaiah son of Yehoyada was commander of the Cherethites and the Pelethites;

כגוְיוֹאָב אֶל כָּל־הַצָּבָא יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבְנָיָה בֶּן־יְהוֹיָדָע עַל־הכרי [הַכְּרֵתִי] וְעַל־הַפְּלֵתִי׃

24Adoram was in charge of forced labor; Yehoshafat son of Achilud was recorder;

כדוַאֲדֹרָם עַל־הַמַּס וִיהוֹשָׁפָט בֶּן־אֲחִילוּד הַמַּזְכִּיר׃

25Sheva was scribe; and Tzadok and Evyatar were Kohanim.

כהושיא [וּשְׁוָא] סֹפֵר וְצָדוֹק וְאֶבְיָתָר כֹּהֲנִים׃

26Ira the Yairite also served David as Kohen.

כווְגַם עִירָא הַיָּאִרִי הָיָה כֹהֵן לְדָוִד׃