1 N a i tupono ki reira tetahi tangata o Periara, ko tona ingoa ko Hepa, he tama na Pikiri, no Pineamine: na whakatangihia ana e ia te tetere, a ka mea, Kahore o tatou wahi i a Rawiri, kahore he wahi tuturu mo tatou i te tama a Hehe: ki o koutou ten eti, e tera, e tera o Iharaira!

There happened to be there a base and contemptible fellow named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite. He blew a trumpet and said, We have no portion in David and no inheritance in the son of Jesse! Every man to his tents, O Israel!

2 N a ka takiritia nga tangata katoa o Iharaira i te whai i a Rawiri, a whai ana i a Hepa tama a Pikiri: ko nga tangata ia o Hura i piri ki to ratou kingi, o Horano mai ano a Hiruharama atu ana.

So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba son of Bichri; but the men of Judah stayed faithfully with their king, from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

3 N a haere ana a Rawiri ki tona whare ki Hiruharama, a ka mau te kingi ki nga wahine kotahi tekau, ki nga wahine iti i waiho ra hei tiaki i te whare, a whakanohoia ana ki te whare kia tiakina, atawhaitia iho ratou e ia; otiia kihai ia i haere ki ro to, ki a ratou. Na tutakina atu ana ratou, he noho pouaru a taea noatia te ra i mate ai ratou.

So David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten women, his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them away under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.

4 K atahi ka mea te kingi ki a Amaha, Huihuia mai nga tangata o Hura ki ahau i roto i nga ra e toru, a me tae mai ano koe ki konei.

Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble the men of Judah to me within three days, and you be present here.

5 N a haere ana a Amaha ki te huihui i nga tangata o Hura: otiia i roa atu ia i te wa i whakaritea ki a ia.

So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah, but he tarried longer than the set time which had been appointed him.

6 N a ka mea a Rawiri ki a Apihai, Akuanei rahi atu te kino e mahia e Hepa tama a Pikiri ki a tatou i ta Apoharama: tangohia nga tangata a tou ariki, whaia, kei whiwhi ia ki nga pa taiepa, a ka ora atu i o tatou kanohi.

And David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba son of Bichri do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he get for himself fenced cities and snatch away our very eyes.

7 N a haere ana nga tangata a Ioapa i muri i a ia, me nga Kereti, me nga Pereti, me nga marohirohi katoa: haere atu ana ratou i Hiruharama ki te whai i a Hepa tama a Pikiri.

And there went after him Joab’s men and the Cherethites and Pelethites and all the mighty men; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

8 I a ratou i te kohatu nui i Kipeono, ka tae mai a Amaha kia tutaki ki a ratou. Na, ko te kakahu i kakahuria e Ioapa, he mea whitiki, a i waho ake he whitiki ano, me tetahi hoari, he mea whakamau ki tona hope, i roto ano i tona pukoro; a i a ia e haere ana, ka makere.

When they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing a soldier’s garment, and over it was a sheathed sword fastened around his hips; and as he went forward, it fell out.

9 N a ka mea a Ioapa ki a Amaha, Kei te ora ranei koe, e toku teina? Na ka mau te ringa matau o Ioapa ki te kumikumi o Amaha, kia kihi i a ia.

Joab said to Amasa, Are you well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.

10 K ihai ia a Amaha i mahara ki te hoari i te ringa o Ioapa: na werohia ana ia e ia ki te kopu ki taua mea, a ka tuakina ona whekau ki te whenua, kihai hoki i tuaruatia e tera; na ka mate ia. Na ka whai a Ioapa raua ko tona teina, ko Apihai i a Hep a tama a Pikiri.

But Amasa did not notice the sword in Joab’s hand. So struck him with it in the body, shedding his bowels to the ground without another blow; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba son of Bichri.

11 N a tera tetahi o nga taitama a Ioapa i tona taha e tu ana, a ka mea tera, Ko te tangata e pai ana ki a Ioapa, a ko te tangata e mea ana mo Rawiri, me whai ia i a Ioapa.

And one of Joab’s men stood by him and said, Whoever favors Joab and is for David, follow Joab!

12 H eoi takoto ana a Amaha, okeoke ana i roto i ona toto i waenganui o te huarahi. A ka kite taua tangata e tu ana te iwi katoa, na ka amohia atu e ia a Amaha i te huarahi ki te parae, a hipokina iho ana ki te kakahu, i tona kitenga e tu ana te hun ga katoa e tika ana na reira.

And Amasa wallowed in his blood in the highway. And when the man saw that all the people who came by stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field and spread a cloth over him.

13 K a oti ia te neke atu i te huarahi, na, haere ana te iwi katoa i muri i a Ioapa ki te whai i a Hepa tama a Pikiri.

When Amasa was removed from the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

14 N a haereerea ana e ia nga iwi katoa o Iharaira, ki Apere, a ki Petemaaka, ki nga Peri katoa: na ka huihui ratou katoa a haere ana hoki i muri i a ia.

Joab went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and all the Berites assembled and also went after ardently.

15 N a haere ana ratou, kei te whakapae i a ia ki Apere o Petemaaka, a whakahauputia ake ana e ratou tetahi pukepuke ki te pa, na kua hangai ki te pekerangi. Na kei te aki te nuinga katoa o Ioapa i te taiepa kia hinga.

And they came and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a siege mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the men with Joab battered and undermined the wall to make it fall.

16 N a ka karanga tetahi wahine mohio i roto i te pa, Whakarongo mai, whakarongo mai; tena, ki atu ki a Ioapa, Whakatata mai ki konei, kia korero ai ahau ki a koe.

Then a wise woman of the city cried, Hear, hear! Say to Joab, Come here so I can speak to you.

17 N a ka whakatata ia ki a ia; a ka mea te wahine, Ko koe ianei a Ioapa? Ka mea tera, Tenei ahau. Na ko te kianga a tera ki a ia, Whakarongo ki nga kupu a tau pononga. Ka whakahokia e ia, E whakarongo ana.

And when he came near her, the woman said, Are you Joab? He answered, I am. Then she said to him, Hear the words of your handmaid. He answered, I am listening.

18 N a ka mea tera, Ko ta ratou na kupu onamata, i mea, Me ui rawa ratou he kupu ki Apere: a ka mutu ta ratou i tera.

Then she said, People used to say, Let them but ask counsel at Abel, and so they settled the matter.

19 N o roto ahau i te hunga ata noho, pono hoki i roto i a Iharaira. E whai ana koe kia whakangaromia he pa, he whaea no Iharaira: he aha ka horomia ai e koe te wahi tupu a Ihowa?

I am one of the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city which is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?

20 N a ka whakahokia e Ioapa; i mea ia, Hore rawa, hore rawa i ahau; a kore e horomia, e kore e huna e ahau.

Joab answered, Far be it, far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy!

21 K ahore aku pera, engari he tangata tera no Maunga Eparaima, ko tona ingoa ko Hepa tama a Pikiri, kua ara tona ringa ki te kingi, ki a Rawiri: homai tona kotahi a ka haere atu ahau i te pa. Katahi taua wahine ka mea ki a Ioapa, Nana, ka akiritia atu tona upoko ki a koe ra runga i te taiepa.

That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said, Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.

22 N a haere ana taua wahine, me tona whakaaro mohio, ki te iwi katoa. Na poutoa ana e ratou te upoko o Hepa tama a Pikiri, maka atu ana ki a Ioapa. Katahi ia ka whakatangi i te tetere, a whakarerea ana e ratou te pa, pakaru noa atu ana ki tona tene ti, ki tona teneti. A hoki ana a Ioapa ki Hiruharama ki te kingi.

Then the woman in her wisdom went to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and cast it down to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his own home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

23 N a ko Ioapa te rangatira o te ope katoa o Iharaira; ko Penaia hoki, tama a Iehoiara te rangatira o nga Kereti ratou ko nga Pereti:

Joab was over the host of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;

24 K o Arorama te rangatira takoha: ko Iehohapata tama a Ahiruru te kaiwhakamahara:

Adoram was over the tribute; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;

25 K o Hewha te kaituhituhi: a ko Haroko raua ko Apiatara nga tohunga:

Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests;

26 A ko Ira Hairi ano hoki he tino kaiwhakahaere na Rawiri.

Also Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.