Kungatiden
The Wise Woman of Abel-Beth-Maacah
The city of Abel-Beth-Maacah is besieged by Joab's army because of Sheba's rebellion against King David. A wise woman negotiates with Joab and convinces the inhabitants to cut off Sheba's head to save the city from destruction 2 Samuel 20:14-22.
Andra Samuelsboken 20,14-22
14Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah, and all the Berites gathered together and followed him in.
וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֞ר בְּכָל־שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אָבֵ֛לָה וּבֵ֥ית מַעֲכָ֖ה וְכָל־הַבֵּרִ֑ים ס *ויקלהו **וַיִּקָּ֣הֲל֔וּ וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אַף־אַחֲרָֽיו׃
15Joab's forces came and besieged him in Abel Beth Maacah. They threw up a siege ramp against the city, and it stood level with the outer wall, and all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to bring it down.
וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ וַיָּצֻ֣רוּ עָלָ֗יו בְּאָבֵ֙לָה֙ בֵּ֣ית הַֽמַּעֲכָ֔ה וַיִּשְׁפְּכ֤וּ סֹֽלְלָה֙ אֶל־הָעִ֔יר וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖ד בַּחֵ֑ל וְכָל־הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶת־יוֹאָ֔ב מַשְׁחִיתִ֖ם לְהַפִּ֥יל הַחוֹמָֽה׃
16Then a wise woman called out from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I may speak with him."
וַתִּקְרָ֛א אִשָּׁ֥ה חֲכָמָ֖ה מִן־הָעִ֑יר שִׁמְע֤וּ שִׁמְעוּ֙ אִמְרוּ־נָ֣א אֶל־יוֹאָ֔ב קְרַ֣ב עַד־הֵ֔נָּה וַאֲדַבְּרָ֖ה אֵלֶֽיךָ׃
17He came near, and the woman asked, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he answered. She said to him, "Listen to the words of your servant." "I am listening," he said.
וַיִּקְרַ֣ב אֵלֶ֔יהָ וַתֹּ֧אמֶר הָאִשָּׁ֛ה הַאַתָּ֥ה יוֹאָ֖ב וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָ֑נִי וַתֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ שְׁמַע֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שֹׁמֵ֥עַ אָנֹֽכִי׃
18Then she said, "There was a saying in the old days: 'Let them inquire at Abel'—and so the matter was settled.
וַתֹּ֖אמֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר דַּבֵּ֨ר יְדַבְּר֤וּ בָרִֽאשֹׁנָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר שָׁאֹ֧ל יְשָׁאֲל֛וּ בְּאָבֵ֖ל וְכֵ֥ן הֵתַֽמּוּ׃
19I am one of the peaceable and faithful in Israel. Yet you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD's inheritance?"
אָנֹכִ֕י שְׁלֻמֵ֖י אֱמוּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אַתָּ֣ה מְבַקֵּ֗שׁ לְהָמִ֨ית עִ֤יר וְאֵם֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לָ֥מָּה תְבַלַּ֖ע נַחֲלַ֥ת יְהוָֽה׃ פ
20Joab answered, "Far be it, far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!
וַיַּ֥עַן יוֹאָ֖ב וַיֹּאמַ֑ר חָלִ֤ילָה חָלִ֙ילָה֙ לִ֔י אִם־אֲבַלַּ֖ע וְאִם־אַשְׁחִֽית׃
21That is not the case. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bichri by name, has lifted his hand against the king, against David. Hand over that one man, and I will withdraw from the city." The woman said to Joab, "His head will be thrown to you over the wall."
לֹא־כֵ֣ן הַדָּבָ֗ר כִּ֡י אִישׁ֩ מֵהַ֨ר אֶפְרַ֜יִם שֶׁ֧בַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִ֣י שְׁמ֗וֹ נָשָׂ֤א יָדוֹ֙ בַּמֶּ֣לֶךְ בְּדָוִ֔ד תְּנֽוּ־אֹת֣וֹ לְבַדּ֔וֹ וְאֵלְכָ֖ה מֵעַ֣ל הָעִ֑יר וַתֹּ֤אמֶר הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֶל־יוֹאָ֔ב הִנֵּ֥ה רֹאשׁ֛וֹ מֻשְׁלָ֥ךְ אֵלֶ֖יךָ בְּעַ֥ד הַחוֹמָֽה׃
22Then 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 out to Joab. He sounded the ram's horn, and his men dispersed from the city, each to his own tent. And Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
וַתָּבוֹא֩ הָאִשָּׁ֨ה אֶל־כָּל־הָעָ֜ם בְּחָכְמָתָ֗הּ וַֽיִּכְרְת֞וּ אֶת־רֹ֨אשׁ שֶׁ֤בַע בֶּן־בִּכְרִי֙ וַיַּשְׁלִ֣כוּ אֶל־יוֹאָ֔ב וַיִּתְקַע֙ בַּשּׁוֹפָ֔ר וַיָּפֻ֥צוּ מֵֽעַל־הָעִ֖יר אִ֣ישׁ לְאֹהָלָ֑יו וְיוֹאָ֛ב שָׁ֥ב יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם אֶל־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ ס