2 Samuel 20

1 Also it bifelde, that a man of Belial was there, Siba bi name, the sone of Bothri, a man of the generacioun of Gemyny; and he sownede with a clarioun, and seide, No part is to vs in Dauid, nether eritage in the sone of Ysai; thou, Israel, turne ayen in to thi tabernaclis.

Now there happened to be a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bikri, a Benjamite. And he blew the trumpet, and said, "We have no share in David, nor do we have any inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, Israel."

2 And al Israel was departid fro Dauid, and suede Siba, the sone of Bothri; forsothe the men of Juda cleuyden to her kyng, fro Jordan `til to Jerusalem.

So all Israel deserted David and followed Sheba the son of Bikri, but the men of Judah stayed by their king, from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

3 And whanne the kyng hadde come in to his hows in Jerusalem, he took ten wymmen, hise secundarie wyues, whiche he hadde left to kepe the hous, and he bitook hem in to keping, and yaf mete to hem; and he entride not to hem; but thei weren closid `til to the dai of her deeth, and lyueden in widewehed.

Then David came to his palace at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women his secondary wives, whom he had left to keep the palace, and placed them under guard, and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were kept in confinement until the day of their death, living as widows.

4 Forsothe Dauid seide to Amasa, Clepe thou to gidere to me alle the men of Juda in to the thridde dai, and be thou present.

Then the king said to Amasa, "Summon the men of Judah to me within three days, and be present here yourself."

5 Therfor Amasa yede, that he clepe to gidere the puple of Juda; and he dwellide ouer the couenaunt, which the kyng hadde set to hym.

So Amasa went to summon Judah together, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been allotted him.

6 Sotheli Dauid seide to Abisai, Now Siba, the sone of Botri, schal turmente vs more than Absolon dide; therfor take the seruauntis of thi lord, and pursue hym, lest in hap he fynde strengthid citees, and ascape vs.

David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Now then, take your lord's servants with you and pursue after him, otherwise he will get himself to fortified cities and escape from us."

7 Therfor the men of Joab yeden out with Abisai, and Cerethi and Ferethi, and alle stronge men yeden out of Jerusalem to pursue Siba, the sone of Bochry.

So there went out after him Joab's men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the warriors. And they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

8 And whanne thei weren bisidis the greet stoon, which is in Gabaon, Amasa cam, and ran to hem; forsothe Joab was clothid with a streit coote at the mesure of his abit, and was gird aboue with a swerd, `ether dagger, hangynge doun `til to the entrayls in a schethe, `which swerd maad `craftily myyte go out bi liyt touchyng, and smyte. Therfor Joab seide to Amasa,

When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab was wearing his military attire, and over it was a belt with a dagger in its sheath fastened at his waist, and as he advanced it fell out.

9 Heil, my brother! And he helde with the riyt hond the chyn of Amasa, as kissinge him.

And Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

10 Forsothe Amasa took not kepe of the swerd, `which swerd Joab hadde, and Joab smoot Amasa in the side, and schedde out his entrailis in to the erthe, and Amasa was deed; and Joab addide not `the secounde wounde. Forsothe Joab and Abisai, his brother, pursueden Siba, the sone of Bochri.

But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab's hand. And he stabbed him with it in the abdomen, so that his intestines spilled out on the ground, and he did not do it to him again. Thus he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba son of Bikri.

11 In the meene tyme whanne `sum men of the children of Dauid, of the felowis of Joab, hadden stonde bisidis the deed bodi of Amasa, thei seiden, Lo! he that wolde be the felowe of Dauid for Joab.

And one of Joab's young men stood beside Amasa and said, "Whoever is the one that favors Joab and whoever belongs to David, follow Joab."

12 Forsothe Amasa was bispreynt with blood, and lay in the myddil of the weie. Sum man siy this, that al the puple abood to se Amasa, and he remouyde Amasa fro the weie in to the feeld, and he hilide Amasa with a cloth, lest men passynge schulden abide for hym.

But Amasa lay covered with his blood in the midst of the road, and anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. So when the man saw that all the people stopped, he dragged Amasa from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.

13 Therfor whanne he was remouyd fro the weie, ech man passide suynge Joab to pursue Siba, the sone of Bochri.

When he was removed from the road, all the people followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba son of Bikri.

14 Forsothe Siba hadde passide bi alle the lynagis of Israel til in to Habela, and in to Bethmacha; and alle chosun men weren gaderid to hym.

He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth Maacah, and all the Bikrites assembled and followed him.

15 Therfor thei camen, and fouyten ayens hym in Habela, and in Bethmacha, and cumpassiden the citee with strengthingis; and the citee was bisegid. Sotheli al the cumpany, that was with Joab, enforside to distrie the wallis.

And all the people who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah. And they built a siege ramp against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall so that it would collapse.

16 And a wijs womman of the citee criede an hiy, Here ye! here ye! seie ye to Joab, Neiye thou hidur, and Y schal speke with thee.

Then a wise woman called out from the wall, "Listen, listen. Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak to him.

17 And whanne he hadde neiyed to hir, sche seide to hym, Art thou Joab? And he answeride, Y am. To whom sche spak thus, Here thou the wordis of thin handmayde. Which Joab answeride, Y here.

So he approached her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" And he replied, "I am." Then she said, "Listen to the words of your servant." And he replied, "I'm listening."

18 And eft sche seide, A word was seid in eld prouerbe, Thei that axen, axe in Habela; and so thei profitiden.

Then she said, "In the past they used to say, 'Let them inquire in Abel and in Dan whether

19 Whethir Y am not, that answere treuthe to Israel? and sekist thou to distrie a citee, and to distrie a modir citee in Israel? whi castidist thou doun the eritage of the Lord?

that which the faithful of Israel established has been carried out.' You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?"

20 And Joab answeride, and seide, Fer be, fer be this fro me; Y `caste not doun, nether Y distrye.

Joab answered, "Far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy.

21 The thing hath not so it silf; but a man of the hil of Effraym, Siba, sone of Bochri, bi surname, reiside his hond ayens kyng Dauid; bitake ye him aloone, and we schulen go awei fro the citee. And the womman seide to Joab, Lo! his heed schal be sent to thee bi the wal.

That is not the case. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bikri, has rebelled against king David. Give up him alone and I will withdraw from the city." Then the woman said to Joab, "Look, his head will be thrown to you from the wall."

22 Therfor the womman entride to al the puple, and sche spak to hem wiseli; whiche `castiden forth to Joab the heed of Siba, sone of Bochri, gird of. And Joab sownede with a trumpe, and thei departiden fro the citee, ech man in to hise tabernaclis; forsothe Joab turnede ayen to Jerusalem to the kyng.

Then she spoke to all the city with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from him, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to Jerusalem to the king.

23 Therfor Joab was on al the oost of Israel; forsothe Benanye, sone of Joiada, was on Cerethi and Ferethi;

Now Joab was in command of the entire army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and in command of the Pelethites;

24 forsothe Adhuram was on tributis; forsothe Josaphat, sone of Achilud, was chaunceler; forsothe Siba was scryueyn;

and Adoniram was in command of the forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

25 forsothe Sadoch and Abiathar weren preestis;

and Shisha was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

26 forsothe Hira of Hiarith was preest of Dauid.

and also Ira the Jairite was David's priest.