2 Samuel 20
1 And there was a transgressor
so called there, and his name was Sabee, a Benjamite,
the son of Bochori: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in
David, neither have we any inheritance in the son of
Jessæ: to thy tents, O Israel, every one.
2 And all the men of Israel went up
from following David after Sabee the son of Bochori: but the men of Juda
adhered to their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3 And David went into his house at
Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to
keep the house, and he put them in a place of custody, and maintained them,
and went not in to them; and they were kept living as widows, till the day of
their death.
4 And the king said to Amessai, Call
to me the men of Juda for three days, and do thou be present here.
5 And Amessai went to call Juda, and
delayed beyond the time which David appointed him.
6 And David said to Amessai, Now shall
Sabee the son of Bochori do us more harm than Abessalom: now then take thou
with thee the servants of thy lord, and follow after him, lest he find for
himself strong cities, so will he
ai. e. escape us.blind our eyes. 7 And there went out
after him Amessai and the men of Joab, and the Cherethites, and the
Phelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out from Jerusalem to
pursue after Sabee the son of Bochori.
8 And they
were by the great stone that is in Gabaon: and
Amessai went in before them: and Joab
bGr. was girded about with.had upon him a military cloak over his apparel, and over it he was girded
with a dagger fastened upon his loins in its scabbard: and the dagger came
out, it even came out and fell.
9 And Joab said to Amessai, Art thou
in health, my brother? and the right hand of Joab
took hold of the beard of Amessai to kiss him.
10 And Amessai observed not the
dagger that was in the hand of Joab: and Joab smote him with it on the loins,
and his
cGr. belly.bowels were shed out upon the ground, and he did not repeat the blow, and he
died: and Joab and Abessai his brother pursued after Sabee the son of Bochori.
11 And there stood over him one of
the servants of Joab, and said, Who is he that is for
Joab, and who is on the side of David following Joab?
12 And Amessai
was weltering in blood in the midst of the way. And a
man saw that all the people stood still; and he removed Amessai out of the
path into a field, and he cast a garment upon him, because he saw every one
that came to him standing still.
13 And when he was quickly removed
from the road, every man of Israel passed after Joab to pursue after Sabee the
son of Bochori.
14 And he went through all the tribes
of Israel to Abel, and to Bethmacha; and all in Charri too were assembled, and
followed after him. 15 And they came
and besieged him in Abel and Phermacha: and they raised a mound against the
city and it stood close to the wall; and all the people with Joab proposed to
throw down the wall. 16 And a wise
woman cried from the wall, and said, Hear, hear; say, I pray ye, to Joab, Draw
near hither, and I will speak to him.
17 And he drew nigh to her, and the
woman said to him, Art thou Joab? and he said, I am.
And she said to him, Hear the words of thy handmaid; and Joab said, I do hear.
18 And she spoke, saying,
dGr. they spoke a word among the first, saying.Of old time they said thus, Surely one was asked in Abel, and Dan, whether
the faithful in Israel failed in what they purposed; they will surely ask in
Abel, even in like manner, whether they have failed.
19 I am a peaceable one of the strong
ones in Israel; but thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother-city in
Israel: why dost thou seek to ruin the inheritance of the Lord?
20 And Joab answered and said, Far be
it, far be it from me, that I should ruin or destroy.
21 Is not the case thus, that a man
of mount Ephraim, Sabee son of Bochori by name, has even lifted up his hand
against king David? Give him only to me, and I will depart from the city. And
the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the
wall.
22 And the woman went in to all the
people, and she spoke to all the city in her wisdom; and
eGr. it or she. i. e. ἡ πόλις.they took off the head of Sabee the son of Bochori; and took it away and
threw it to Joab: and he blew the trumpet, and the people separated from the
city away from him, every man to his tent: and Joab returned to Jerusalem to
the king.
23 And Joab
was
fGr. to.over all the forces of Israel: and Banaias the son of Jodae
was over the Cherethites and over the Phelethites.
24 And Adoniram
was over the tribute: and Josaphath the son of
Achiluth was recorder.
25 And Susa
was scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar
were priests.
26 Moreover Iras the
son of Iarin was priest to David.