Seba's rebellion. Amasa is slain by Joab. Abela is besieged, but upon the citizens casting over the wall the head of Seba, Joab departeth with all his army.

 1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Seba, the son of Bochri, a man of Jemini: and he sounded the trumpet, and said: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai: return to thy dwellings, O Israel.
Accidit quoque ut ibi esset vir Belial, nomine Seba, filius Bochri, vir Jemineus : et cecinit buccina, et ait : Non est nobis pars in David, neque haereditas in filio Isai : revertere in tabernacula tua Israel.

 2 And all Israel departed from David, and followed Seba the son of Bochri: but the men of Juda stuck to their king from the Jordan unto Jerusalem.
Et separatus est omnis Israel a David, secutusque est Seba filium Bochri : viri autem Juda adhaeserunt regi suo a Jordane usque Jerusalem.

 3 And when the king was come into his house at Jerusalem, he took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, allowing them provisions: and he went not in unto them, but they were shut up unto the day of their death living in widowhood.
Cumque venisset rex in domum suam in Jerusalem, tulit decem mulieres concubinas, quas dereliquerat ad custodiendam domum, et tradidit eas in custodiam, alimenta eis praebens : et non est ingressus ad eas, sed erant clausae usque in diem mortis suae in viduitate viventes.

 4 And the king said to Amasa: Assemble to me all the men of Juda against the third day, and be thou here present.
Dixit autem rex Amasae : Convoca mihi omnes viros Juda in diem tertium, et tu adesto praesens.

 5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Juda, but he tarried beyond the set time which the king had appointed him.
Abiit ergo Amasa, ut convocaret Judam, et moratus est extra placitum quod ei constituerat rex.

 6 And David said to Abisai: Now will Seba the son of Bochri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou therefore the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he find fenced cities, and escape us.
Ait autem David ad Abisai : Nunc magis afflicturus est nos Seba filius Bochri quam Absalom : tolle igitur servos domini tui, et persequere eum, ne forte inveniat civitates munitas, et effugiat nos.

 7 So Joab's men went out with him, and the Cerethi and the Phelethi: and all the valiant men went out of Jerusalem to pursue after Seba the son of Bochri.
Egressi sunt ergo cum eo viri Joab, Cerethi quoque et Phelethi : et omnes robusti exierunt de Jerusalem ad persequendum Seba filium Bochri.

 8 And when they were at the great stone which is in Gabaon, Amasa coming met them. And Joab had on a close coat of equal length with his habit, and over it was girded with a sword hanging down to his flank, in a scabbard, made in such manner as to come out with the least motion and strike.
Cumque illi essent juxta lapidem grandem, qui est in Gabaon, Amasa veniens occurrit eis. Porro Joab vestitus erat tunica stricta ad mensuram habitus sui, et desuper accinctus gladio dependente usque ad ilia, in vagina, qui fabricatus levi motu egredi poterat, et percutere.

 9 And Joab said to Amasa: God save thee, my brother. And he took Amasa by the chin with his right hand to kiss him.
Dixit itaque Joab ad Amasam : Salve mi frater. Et tenuit manu dextera mentum Amasae, quasi osculans eum.

 10 But Amasa did not take notice of the sword, which Joab had, and he struck him in the side, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and gave him not a second wound, and he died. And Joab, and Abisai his brother pursued after Seba the son of Bochri.
Porro Amasa non observavit gladium, quem habebat Joab, qui percussit eum in latere, et effudit intestina ejus in terram, nec secundum vulnus apposuit, et mortuus est. Joab autem, et Abisai frater ejus, persecuti sunt Seba filium Bochri.

 11 In the mean time some men of Joab's company stopping at the dead body of Amasa, said: Behold he that would have been in Joab's stead the companion of David.
Interea quidam viri, cum stetissent juxta cadaver Amasae, de sociis Joab, dixerunt : Ecce qui esse voluit pro Joab comes David.

 12 And Amasa imbrued with blood, lay in the midst of the way. A certain man saw this that all the people stood still to look upon him, so he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and covered him with a garment, that they who passed might not stop on his account.
Amasa autem conspersus sanguine, jacebat in media via. Vidit hoc quidam vir quod subsisteret omnis populus ad videndum eum, et amovit Amasam de via in agrum, operuitque eum vestimento, ne subsisterent transeuntes propter eum.

 13 And when he was removed out of the way, all the people went on following Joab to pursue after Seba the son of Bochri.
Amoto ergo illo de via, transibat omnis vir sequens Joab ad persequendum Seba filium Bochri.

 14 Now he had passed through all the tribes of Israel unto Abela and Bethmaacha: and all the chosen men were gathered together unto him.
Porro ille transierat per omnes tribus Israel in Abelam, et Bethmaacha : omnesque viri electi congregati fuerant ad eum.

 15 And they came, and besieged him in Abela, and in Bethmaacha, and they cast up works round the city, and the city was besieged: and all the people that were with Joab, laboured to throw down the walls.
Venerunt itaque et oppugnabant eum in Abela, et in Bethmaacha, et circumdederunt munitionibus civitatem, et obsessa est urbs : omnis autem turba, quae erat cum Joab, moliebatur destruere muros.

 16 And a wise woman cried out from the city: Hear, hear, and say to Joab: Come near hither, and I will speak with thee.
Et exclamavit mulier sapiens de civitate : Audite, audite : dicite Joab : Appropinqua huc, et loquar tecum.

 17 And when he was come near to her, she said to him: Art thou Joab? And he answered: I am. And she spoke thus to him: Hear the words of thy handmaid. He answered: I do hear.
Qui cum accessisset ad eam, ait illi : Tu es Joab? Et ille respondit : Ego. Ad quem sic locuta est : Audi sermones ancillae tuae. Qui respondit : Audio.

 18 And she again said: A saying was used in the old proverb: They that inquire, let them inquire in Abela: and so they made an end.
Rursumque illa : Sermo, inquit, dicebatur in veteri proverbio : Qui interrogant, interrogent in Abela : et sic perficiebant.

 19 Am not I she that answer truth in Israel, and thou seekest to destroy the city, and to overthrow a mother in Israel? Why wilt thou throw down the inheritance of the Lord?
Nonne ego sum quae respondeo veritatem in Israel, et tu quaeris subvertere civitatem et evertere matrem in Israel? Quare praecipitas haereditatem Domini?

 20 And Joab answering said: God forbid, God forbid that I should, I do not throw down, nor destroy.
Respondensque Joab, ait : Absit, absit hoc a me : non praecipito, neque demolior.

 21 The matter is not so, but a man of mount Ephraim, Seba the son of Bochri by name, hath lifted up his hand against king David: deliver him only, and we will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab: Behold his head shall be thrown to thee from the wall.
Non sic se habet res, sed homo de monte Ephraim Seba, filius Bochri cognomine, levavit manum suam contra regem David : tradite illum solum, et recedemus a civitate. Et ait mulier ad Joab : Ecce caput ejus mittetur ad te per murum.

 22 So she went to all the people, and spoke to them wisely: and they cut off the head of Seba the son of Bochri, and cast it out to Joab. And he sounded the trumpet, and they departed from the city, every one to their home: and Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
Ingressa est ergo ad omnem populum, et locuta est eis sapienter : qui abscissum caput Seba filii Bochri projecerunt ad Joab. Et ille cecinit tuba, et recesserunt ab urbe, unusquisque in tabernacula sua : Joab autem reversus est Jerusalem ad regem.

 23 So Joab was over all the army of Israel: and Banaias the son of Joiada was over the Cerethites and Phelethites,
Fuit ergo Joab super omnem exercitum Israel : Banaias autem filius Jojadae super Cerethaeos et Phelethaeos.

 24 But Aduram over the tributes: and Josaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.
Aduram vero super tributa : porro Josaphat filius Ahilud, a commentariis.

 25 And Siva was scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar, priests.
Siva autem, scriba : Sadoc vero et Abiathar, sacerdotes.

 26 And Ira the Jairite was the priest of David.
Ira autem Jairites erat sacerdos David.