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.

And there was a transgressor [so] called there, and his name was Sabee, a Benjamite, the son of Bochori: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we [any] inheritance in the son of Jessae: to your tents, O Israel, every one.

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.

And all the men of Israel went up from following David after Sabee the son of Bochori: but the men of Juda adhered to their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

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.

And David went into his house at Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and he put them in a place of custody, and maintained them, and went not in to them; and they were kept living as widows, till the day of their death.

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

And the king said to Amessai, Call to me the men of Juda for three days, and do you be present here.

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

And Amessai went to call Juda, and delayed beyond the time which David appointed 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.

And David said to Amessai, Now shall Sabee the son of Bochori do us more harm than Abessalom: now then take you with you the servants of your lord, and follow after him, lest he find for himself strong cities, so will he blind our eyes.

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 Amessai and the men of Joab, and the Cherethites, and the Phelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sabee the son of Bochori.

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.

And they [were] by the great stone that is in Gabaon: and Amessai went in before them: and Joab had upon him a military cloak over his apparel, and over it he was girded with a dagger fastened upon his loins in its scabbard: and the dagger came out, it even came out and fell.

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 Joab said to Amessai, Are you in health, [my] brother? and the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amessai to kiss 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.

And Amessai observed not the dagger that was in the hand of Joab: and Joab struck him with it on the loins, and his bowels were shed out upon the ground, and he did not repeat the blow, and he died: and Joab and Abessai his brother pursued after Sabee the son of Bochori.

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 there stood over him one of the servants of Joab, and said, Who [is] he that is for Joab, and who [is] on the side of David following Joab?

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 Amessai [was] weltering in blood in the midst of the way. And a man saw that all the people stood still; and he removed Amessai out of the path into a field, and he cast a garment upon him, because he saw every one that came to him standing 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.

And when he was quickly removed from the road, every man of Israel passed after Joab to pursue after Sabee the son of Bochori.

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 to Abel, and to Bethmacha; and all in Charri too were assembled, and followed 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.

And they came and besieged him in Abel and Phermacha: and they raised a mound against the city and it stood close to the wall; and all the people with Joab proposed to throw down 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.

And a wise woman cried from the wall, and said, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, to Joab, Draw near hither, and I will speak to him.

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 he drew near to her, and the woman said to him, Are you Joab? and he said, I [am]. And she said to him, Hear the words of your handmaid; and Joab said, I do hear.

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?

And she spoke, saying, Of old time they said thus, Surely one was asked in Abel, and Dan, whether the faithful in Israel failed in what they purposed; they will surely ask in Abel, even in like manner, whether they have failed.

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 a peaceful one of the strong ones in Israel; but you seek to destroy a city and a mother city in Israel: why do you seek to ruin 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 Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should ruin or destroy.

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.

Is not the case thus, that a man of mount Ephraim, Sabee, son of Bochori by name, has even lifted up his hand against king David? Give him only to me, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over 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.

And the woman went in to all the people, and she spoke to all the city in her wisdom; and they took off the head of Sabee the son of Bochori; and took it away and threw it to Joab: and he blew the trumpet, and the people separated from the city away from him, every man to his tent: and Joab returned to Jerusalem to 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;

And Joab [was] over all the forces of Israel: and Banaias the son of Jodae [was] over the Cherethites and over the Phelethites.

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

And Adoniram [was] over the tribute: and Josaphath the son of Achiluth [was] recorder.

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

And Susa [was] scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar [were] priests.

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

Moreover Iras the [son of] Iarin was priest to David.