1
Basi ilitukia ya kwamba kulikuwapo mtu asiyefaa, jina lake akiitwa Sheba, mwana wa Bikri, Mbenyamini; naye akapiga tarumbeta, akasema, Sisi hatuna sehemu katika Daudi, wala hatuna urithi katika mwana wa Yese; nendeni kila mtu hemani kwake, enyi Israeli.
Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!”
2
Basi wakapanda watu wote wa Israeli kutoka kumfuata Daudi, wakamfuata Sheba, mwana wa Bikri; lakini watu wa Yuda wakaambatana na mfalme wao, toka Yordani hata kufika Yerusalemu.
So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3
Basi Daudi akaja Yerusalemu nyumbani kwake; kisha mfalme akawatwaa wale wanawake kumi, masuria, aliowaacha kuitunza nyumba, akawatia nyumbani mwa kulindwa, akawalisha, ila asiingie kwao. Basi wakafungwa hata siku ya kufa kwao, huku wakiishi hali ya ujane.
When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace, and he placed them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he no longer slept with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows.
4
Ndipo mfalme akamwambia Amasa, Uwakusanye pamoja kwangu kwa siku tatu watu wa Yuda, na uwepo wewe hapa.
Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”
5
Amasa akaenda kuwakusanya Yuda; lakini akakawia zaidi ya huo muda aliowekewa.
So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.
6
Basi Daudi akamwambia Abishai, Sasa Sheba, mwana wa Bikri, atatudhuru, kuliko Absalomu; twaa wewe watumishi wa bwana wako, ukamfuatie, asiingie katika miji yenye boma, na kujiponya machoni petu.
And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”
7
Ndipo wakatoka nyuma yake watu wa Yoabu, na Wakerethi na Wapelethi, na mashujaa wote; wakatoka Yerusalemu, ili kumfuatia Sheba, mwana wa Bikri.
So Joab’s men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.
8
Basi walipokuwako kwenye lile jiwe kubwa lililoko Gibeoni, Amasa akaja kuwalaki. Naye Yoabu alikuwa amefungwa mavazi yake ya vita aliyoyavaa, na juu yake alikuwa na mshipi, na upanga uliotiwa viunoni mwake ndani ya ala yake; naye alipokuwa akiendelea, ukaanguka.
And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.
9
Naye Yoabu akamwambia Amasa, Amani kwako, ndugu yangu. Kisha Yoabu akamshika Amasa ndevu kwa mkono wake wa kuume ili ambusu.
“Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
10
Wala Amasa hakuangalia huo upanga uliomo mkononi mwa Yoabu; basi akampiga nao wa tumbo, akamwaga matumbo yake chini, asimpige mara ya pili; naye akafa. Kisha Yoabu na Abishai, nduguye, wakamfuata Sheba, mwana wa Bikri.
Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.
11
Akasimama karibu naye mmojawapo wa vijana wa Yoabu, huyo akasema, Ampendaye Yoabu, na aliye wa Daudi, na amfuate Yoabu.
One of Joab’s young men stood near Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!”
12
Lakini Amasa alikuwa anagaagaa katika damu yake katikati ya njia kuu. Basi yule mtu alipowaona watu wote wamesimama, akamwondoa Amasa toka njia kuu akamtia kondeni, akamfunika nguo, hapo alipoona ya kuwa kila mtu aliyefika kwake amesimama.
But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the road, and when the man saw that all the troops were stopping there, he dragged the body off the road into a field and threw a garment over it.
13
Na alipoondolewa katika njia kuu, watu wote wakapita, wakamwandama Yoabu ili kumfuatia Sheba, mwana wa Bikri.
As soon as Amasa’s body was removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
14
Naye akapita kati ya kabila zote za Israeli mpaka Abeli, na kwa Bethmaaka na Wabikri wote; nao wakakusanyika, wakaenda pia kumwandama.
Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel-beth-maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.
15
Na hao wakaja wakamhusuru katika Abeli wa Bethmaaka, wakafanya chuguu mbele ya mji, nayo ikasimama kuielekea ngome; na watu wote waliokuwa pamoja na Yoabu wakavunja-vunja ukuta, wapate kuubomoa.
And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,
16
Ndipo akalia mwanamke mmoja mwenye akili toka mjini, Sikieni, sikieni; mwambieni na Yoabu, aje hapa karibu, niseme naye.
a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.”
17
Basi akamkaribia; na yule mwanamke akasema, Ndiwe Yoabu? Akajibu, Ndimi. Ndipo akamwambia Sikia maneno ya mjakazi wako. Akajibu, Mimi nasikia.
When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered.
18
Kisha akanena, akisema, Watu hunena zamani za kale, wakisema, Wasikose kuuliza huko Abeli; ndivyo walivyomaliza shauri.
Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Seek counsel at Abel,’ and that is how disputes were settled.
19
Mimi ni wa hao wenye amani, walio waaminifu katika Israeli; wewe unatafuta kuuharibu mji, na mama wa Israeli; mbona wataka kuumeza urithi wa Bwana?
I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD’s inheritance?”
20
Yoabu akajibu, akasema, Isiwe, isiwe kwangu, niumeze wala kuuharibu.
“Far be it!” Joab declared. “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!
21
Neno hili silo hivyo; lakini mtu mmoja wa milima ya Efraimu, Sheba, mwana wa Bikri, jina lake, ameinua mkono wake juu ya mfalme, naam, Daudi, basi mtoeni yeye tu, nami nitaondoka katika mji huu. Basi yule mwanamke akamwambia Yoabu, Tazama, kichwa chake utatupiwa juu ya ukuta.
That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city.” “Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
22
Ndipo yule mwanamke akawaendea watu wote katika akili zake. Nao wakamkata kichwa Sheba, mwana wa Bikri, wakamtupia Yoabu huko nje. Ndipo akapiga tarumbeta, nao wakatawanyika kutoka mjini kila mtu hemani kwake. Naye Yoabu akarudi mpaka Yerusalemu kwa mfalme.
Then the woman went to all the people with her wise counsel, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the ram’s horn and his men dispersed from the city, each to his own home. And Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
23
Basi Yoabu alikuwa juu ya jeshi lote la Israeli; na Benaya, mwana wa Yehoyada, alikuwa juu ya Wakerethi, na juu ya Wapelethi;
Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;
24
na Adoramu alikuwa juu ya shokoa; na Yehoshafati, mwana wa Ahiludi, alikuwa mkumbushi;
Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
25
na Shausha mwandishi; na Sadoki na Abiathari walikuwa makuhani.
Sheva was the scribe; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
26
Tena na Ira, Myairi, alikuwa kuhani kwa Daudi.
and Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.