2 Samuel 20

1 Now by chance there was present a good-for-nothing person named Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he, sounding the horn, said, We have no part in David, or any interest in the son of Jesse: let every man go to his tent, O Israel.

Then there was come thither a wicked man (named Sheba the sonne of Bichri, a man of Iemini) and hee blew the trumpet, and saide, Wee haue no part in Dauid, neither haue we inheritance in the sonne of Ishai: euery man to his tents, O Israel.

2 So all the men of Israel, turning away from David, went after Sheba, the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah were true to their king, going with him from Jordan as far as Jerusalem.

So euery man of Israel went from Dauid and followed Sheba the sonne of Bichri: but the men of Iudah claue fast vnto their King, from Iorden euen to Ierusalem.

3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women to whom he had given the care of the house, and had them shut up, and gave them the necessaries of life, but did not go near them. So they were shut up till the day of their death, living as widows.

When Dauid then came to his house to Ierusalem, the King tooke the ten women his concubines, that hee had left behinde him to keepe the house, and put them in warde, and fed them, but lay no more with them: but they were enclosed vnto the day of their death, liuing in widowhode.

4 Then the king said to Amasa, Get all the men of Judah together, and in three days be here yourself.

Then sayde the King to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Iudah within three dayes, and be thou here present.

5 So Amasa went to get all the men of Judah together, but he took longer than the time David had given him.

So Amasa went to assemble Iudah, but hee taried longer then the time which he had appoynted him.

6 And David said to Abishai, Sheba, the son of Bichri, will do us more damage than Absalom did; so take some of your lord's servants and go after him, before he makes himself safe in the walled towns, and gets away before our eyes.

Then Dauid sayd to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the sonne of Bichri doe vs more harme then did Absalom: take thou therefore thy lords seruants and follow after him, lest he get him walled cities, and escape vs.

7 So there went after Abishai, Joab and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the fighting-men; they went out of Jerusalem to overtake Sheba, the son of Bichri.

And there went out after him Ioabs men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mightie men: and they departed out of Ierusalem, to follow after Sheba the sonne of Bichri.

8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came face to face with them. Now Joab had on his war-dress, and round him a band from which his sword was hanging in its cover; and while he was walking, it came out, falling to the earth.

When they were at the great stone, which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them, and Ioabs garment, that hee had put on, was girded vnto him, and vpon it was a sword girded, which hanged on his loynes in the sheath, and as hee went, it vsed to fall out.

9 And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well, my brother? And with his right hand he took him by the hair of his chin to give him a kiss.

And Ioab sayde to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? and Ioab tooke Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kisse him.

10 But Amasa did not see danger from the sword which was now in Joab's left hand, and Joab put it through his stomach so that his inside came out on to the earth, and he did not give him another blow. So Joab and his brother Abishai went on after Sheba, the son of Bichri.

But Amasa tooke no heede to the sworde that was in Ioabs hande: for therewith he smote him in the fift rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and smote him not the second time: so he dyed. then Ioab and Abishai his brother followed after Sheba the sonne of Bichri.

11 And one of Joab's young men, taking his place at Amasa's side, said, Whoever is for Joab and for David, let him go after Joab!

And one of Ioabs men stoode by him, and saide, He that fauoureth Ioab, and hee that is of Dauids part, let him go after Ioab.

12 And Amasa was stretched out in a pool of blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people were stopping, he took Amasa out of the highway and put him in a field, with a cloth over him, when he saw that everyone who went by came to a stop.

And Amasa wallowed in blood in the mids of the way: and when the man sawe that all the people stood still, he remooued Amasa out of the way into the fielde, and cast a cloth vpon him, because he saw that euery one that came by him, stoode still.

13 When he had been taken off the road, all the people went on after Joab in search of Sheba, the son of Bichri.

When hee was remoued out of the way, euerie man went after Ioab, to follow after Sheba the sonne of Bichri.

14 And Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel, to Abel of Beth-maacah; and all the Bichrites came together and went in after him.

And he went through all the tribes of Israel vnto Abel, and Bethmaachah and all places of Berim: and they gathered together, and went also after him.

15 And Joab and his men got him shut up in Abel of Beth-maacah, and put up an earthwork against the town: and all Joab's men did their best to get the wall broken down.

So they came, and besieged him in Abel, neere to Bethmaachah: and they cast vp a mount against the citie, and the people thereof stood on the ramper, and al the people that was with Ioab, destroyed and cast downe the wall.

16 Then a wise woman got up on the wall, and crying out from the town, said, Give ear, give ear; say now to Joab, Come near, so that I may have talk with you.

Then cried a wise woman out of the citie, Heare, heare, I pray you, say vnto Ioab, Come thou hither, that I may speake with thee.

17 And he came near, and the woman said, Are you Joab? And he said in answer, I am. Then she said, Give ear to your servant's words. And he said, I am giving ear.

And when hee came neere vnto her, the woman said, Art thou Ioab? And he answered, Yea. And she said to him, Heare the wordes of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do heare.

18 Then she said, In the old days, there was a saying, Let them put the question in Abel and in Dan, saying, Has what was ordered by men of good faith in Israel ever come to an end?

Then shee spake thus, They spake in the olde time, saying, They shoulde aske of Abel. and so haue they continued.

19 Your purpose is the destruction of a mother-town in Israel: why would you put an end to the heritage of the Lord?

I am one of them, that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: and thou goest about to destroy a citie, and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou deuoure the inheritance of the Lord?

20 And Joab, answering her, said, Far, far be it from me to be a cause of death or destruction;

And Ioab answered, and said, God forbid, God forbid it me, that I should deuoure, or destroy it.

21 Not so: but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba, son of Bichri, by name, has taken up arms against the king, against David: give up this man only, and I will go away from the town. And the woman said to Joab, His head will be dropped over the wall to you.

The matter is not so, but a man of mout Ephraim (Sheba ye sonne of Bichri by name) hath lift vp his had against ye King, euen against Dauid: deliuer vs him onely, and I will depart from the citie. And the woman saide vnto Ioab, Beholde, his head shalbe throwen to thee ouer the wall.

22 Then the woman in her wisdom had talk with all the town. And they had Sheba's head cut off and sent out to Joab. And he had the horn sounded, and sent them all away from the town, every man to his tent. And Joab went back to Jerusalem to the king.

Then the woman went vnto all the people with her wisedome, and they cut off the head of Sheba the sonne of Bichri, and cast it to Ioab: the he blewe the trumpet, and they retired from the citie, euery man to his tent: and Ioab returned to Ierusalem vnto the King.

23 Now Joab was over all the army; and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was at the head of the Cherethites and the Pelethites;

Then Ioab was ouer all the hoste of Israel, and Benaiah the sonne of Iehoiada ouer the Cherethites and ouer the Pelethies,

24 And Adoram was overseer of the forced work; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the recorder;

And Adoram ouer the tribute, and Ioshaphat the sonne of Ahilud the recorder,

25 And Sheva was the scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

And Sheia was Scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar the Priests,

26 And in addition, Ira the Jairite was a priest to David.

And also Ira the Iairite was chiefe about Dauid.