2 Samuel 20
1 Te vaengah hlang muen pakhat om, a ming tah Benjamin hlang, Bikhri capa Sheba ni. Tuki te a ueng tih, “Mamih kah hamsum he David ham moenih, mamih kah rho he Jesse capa taengah a om ham moenih. Israel rhoek te amah kah dap la boeih cet saeh,” a ti.
A rabble-rouser called Sheba, son of Bichri, from the tribe of Benjamin, happened to be there. He blew the ram's horn and shouted: “We have no interest in David, no commitment to Jesse's son. Israelites, let's all go home!”
2 Te dongah Israel hlang boeih tah David hnuk lamloh Bikhri capa Sheba hnuk la cet uh. Tedae Judah hlang tah Jordan lamloh Jerusalem duela a manghai nen ni a kaibaeng uh.
So all the men of Israel abandoned David to follow Sheba, son of Bichri. But the men of Judah accompanied their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 David te Jerusalem kah amah im la a pawk vaengah im tawt la a paih a yula huta parha te manghai loh a loh tih im hloeh ah a khueh. Amih te a cangbam van ngawn dae amih taengla moe pah voel pawh. Amih te a duek hnin duela a daengdaeh dongah a khosaknah he nuhmai la om uh.
When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and put them in a house under guard. He took care of their needs but he didn't sleep with them. They were imprisoned until they died, living like widows.
4 Manghai loh Amasa taengah, “Hnin thum khuiah Judah hlang te kamah taengla hueh lamtah namah khaw pahoi om,” a ti nah.
Then the king ordered Amasa, “Call up the army of Judah. Have them come to me within three days, and you come too.”
5 Amasa loh Judah rhoek te hueh hamla cet ngawn dae uelh, uelh tih tingtunnah te a khueh.
Amasa called up the army of Judah, but he took longer than the time he was given.
6 Te dongah David loh Abishai taengah, “Absalom lakah Bikhri capa Sheba loh mamih taengah thae a huet pawn ni. Namah loh na boeipa kah sal rhoek ke khuen lamtah a hnukah hloem laeh. Khopuei vong cak te anih loh hmuh vetih mamih mikhmuh ah huul uh ve,” a ti nah.
David then spoke to Abishai, saying, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri is going to cause us more trouble than Absalom did. Take the king's men and chase him down, or he will take over fortified towns and get away from us.”
7 Te dongah Joab kah hlang rhoek, Kerethi, Phelethi neh hlangrhalh boeih tah anih hnukah cet uh tih, Bikhri capa Sheba hnuk hloem hamla Jerusalem lamloh khoong uh.
So Joab's men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the experienced fighters, marched out of Jerusalem to chase down Sheba, son of Bichri.
8 Amih te Gibeon lungnu ah a om uh vaengah Amasa te amih mikhmuh ah a pawk pah. Te dongah Joab loh a himbai neh a pueinak te a muk. Capang dongkah cunghang te cihin neh a cinghen ah a sol dae a khuen vaengah vik a colh pah.
While they were at the large rock in Gibeon, Amasa caught up with them. Joab was dressed for battle. Over his clothes was a belt around his waist with a dagger in its sheath. As he moved forward, it fell out.
9 Joab loh Amasa te, “Ka manuca na sading a? a ti nah. Te phoeiah anih te mok hamla Amasa hnapae te Joab kah bantang kut neh a tuuk.
“How are you doing, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. Joab held Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
10 Te vaengah Joab kut dongkah cunghang te Amasa loh hmuethmat pawh. Te dongah Amasa te tumca neh a bung ah a laih tih a bung te diklai la pawk a sop pah. Anih te a talh mueh la duek. Te phoeiah Joab neh a mana Abishai loh Bikhri capa Sheba te a hloem.
Amasa wasn't prepared for the dagger in Joab's left hand. Joab stabbed him in the belly and his intestines poured out onto the ground. Joab didn't need to stab him twice, because Amasa was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai set off in pursuit of Sheba.
11 Te vaengah Joab kah tueihyoeih khui lamkah hlang pakhat te a taengah pai tih, “U khaw Joab taengla aka naep tih u khaw David ham aka ti te tah Joab hnukah bat saeh,” a ti.
One of Joab's men stood beside Amasa and called out, “If you're on Joab's side, and if you are on David's side, then follow Joab!”
12 Amasa tah long lung ah a thii neh a bol vaengah hlang pakhat loh a hmuh. Te dongah pilnam te boeih a hloh tih Amasa te longpuei lamloh lohma la a thoeih uh. Anih taengla aka thoeng boeih loh a hmuh vaengah a pai thil tih anih te himbai a khuk thil.
But Amasa was there, lying in his blood in the middle of the main road. When the man saw that everybody was stopping to look, he pulled the body off the road into a field and threw a cloth over it.
13 Long lamloh a khoe van nen tah hlang boeih loh Bikhri capa Sheba hnuk hloem hamla Joab te a paan.
Once Amasa's body was off the road, all the men followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba.
14 Te vaengah Israel koca boeih te Abel lungnu neh Bethmaakha due, Beree boeih te khaw a hil. Te dongah coi tih, tingtun uh tih a hnukah bang uh.
In the meantime Sheba had gone around all the tribes of Israel and eventually ended up the town of Abel-beth-maacah. All the Bichrites gathered for battle and followed him into the town.
15 Abelbethmaakah a pha uh vaengah anih te koep a dum uh. Khopuei te tanglung malh a lun thil uh tih rhalmahvong te a pai thil. Joab neh a pilnam pum loh vongtung te cungku sak ham a thuk.
Joab's army came and besieged Sheba in Abel-Beth-Maacah. They built a siege ramp against the town's outer wall. While all of Joab's army was battering the wall to knock it down,
16 Te vaengah khopuei lamkah huta aka cueih te pang tih, “Hnatun, hnatun uh mai lah, Joab te, 'Hela ha mop lamtah namah taengah ka thui eh?,’ ti nah dae,” a ti.
a wise woman from the town called out, “Listen! Please listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come over here so I can speak to you.’”
17 A taengla a thoeng pah vaengah huta loh, “Joab nang a,” a ti nah. Te dongah, “Kai ni ue,” a ti nah. Te phoeiah, 'Na salnu kah ol he hnatun lah,” a ti nah hatah, “Ka hnatun ngawn,” a ti nah.
He went over to her, and the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “Yes, that's me,” he replied. “Please listen to what I, your servant, have to say,” she said. “I'm listening,” he replied.
18 Te phoeiah a thui lam khaw thui pah. Hlamat ah a thui uh tih Abel ah toem la toem uh tih cing uh,’ a ti lah ko.
Then the woman said, “In times gone by people used to say, ‘If you want advice, go to Abel,’ and that's how arguments were settled.
19 Kai long tah Israel he oltak la ka thuung vaengah nang long tah khopuei neh Israel khuikah a manu te ngawn ham na mae. Balae tih BOEIPA kah rho na yoop eh?,” a ti nah.
I am one of the peaceful and faithful people of Israel. You're trying to destroy a town that's like a mother in Israel. Why do you want to tear down the Lord's possession?”
20 Joab loh a doo tih, “Savisava la savisava, kai lamloh aka yoop mai tih aka phae mai te.
“Certainly not!” Joab answered. “It's not what I want—to destroy or tear down this town!
21 He tah ol voel moenih. Tedae Ephraim tlang kah hlang pakhat, Bikhri capa, a ming ah Sheba loh manghai David te a kut a luklek thil. Anih bueng mah han tloeng lamtah khopuei lamloh ka nong bitni,” a ti nah. Te vaengah huta loh Joab taengah, “A lu te vongtung lamloh namah taengla ham voeih coeng te,” a ti nah.
That's not the intention. But a man called Sheba, son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has rebelled against the king, against David. Just hand over this one man and I will withdraw from the town.” “Fine,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown over the wall to you.”
22 Huta loh pilnam boeih te a cueihnah neh a paan dongah Bikhri capa Sheba kah a lu te a rhaih pa uh tih Joab taengla a voeih uh. Te daengah tuki te a ueng tih, hlang khopuei lamloh amah kah dap duela taekyak uh. Te phoeiah Joab te Jerusalem kah manghai taengla koep mael.
The woman went and talked with everyone about her wise plan. So they cut off the head of Sheba and threw it to Joab. Then Joab blew the ram's horn to sound the retreat, and all his men left the town and went home. Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
23 Te dongah Israel caempuei boeih te Joab loh, Kerethi neh Phelethi te Jehoiada capa Benaiah loh,
Joab commanded the whole army of Israel. Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was in charge of the Cherethites and Pelethites.
24 Adoram loh saldong boei, Ahilud capa Jehoshaphat loh khokhuen cabu,
Adoniram was in charge of the labor force. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, kept the official records.
25 Sheva te cadaek, Zadok neh Abiathar loh khosoih te a ngol thil.
Sheva was the secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests,
26 Jairi Ira khaw David taengah khosoih la om van.
and Ira the Jairite was David's priest.
