2 Samuel 20

1 Now there happened to be a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bikri, a Benjamite. And he blew the trumpet, and said, "We have no share in David, nor do we have any inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, Israel."

A rabble-rouser called Sheba, son of Bichri, from the tribe of Benjamin, happened to be there. He blew the ram's horn and shouted: “We have no interest in David, no commitment to Jesse's son. Israelites, let's all go home!”

2 So all Israel deserted David and followed Sheba the son of Bikri, but the men of Judah stayed by their king, from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

So all the men of Israel abandoned David to follow Sheba, son of Bichri. But the men of Judah accompanied their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

3 Then David came to his palace at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women his secondary wives, whom he had left to keep the palace, and placed them under guard, and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were kept in confinement until the day of their death, living as widows.

When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and put them in a house under guard. He took care of their needs but he didn't sleep with them. They were imprisoned until they died, living like widows.

4 Then the king said to Amasa, "Summon the men of Judah to me within three days, and be present here yourself."

Then the king ordered Amasa, “Call up the army of Judah. Have them come to me within three days, and you come too.”

5 So Amasa went to summon Judah together, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been allotted him.

Amasa called up the army of Judah, but he took longer than the time he was given.

6 David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Now then, take your lord's servants with you and pursue after him, otherwise he will get himself to fortified cities and escape from us."

David then spoke to Abishai, saying, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri is going to cause us more trouble than Absalom did. Take the king's men and chase him down, or he will take over fortified towns and get away from us.”

7 So there went out after him Joab's men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the warriors. And they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

So Joab's men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the experienced fighters, marched out of Jerusalem to chase down Sheba, son of Bichri.

8 When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab was wearing his military attire, and over it was a belt with a dagger in its sheath fastened at his waist, and as he advanced it fell out.

While they were at the large rock in Gibeon, Amasa caught up with them. Joab was dressed for battle. Over his clothes was a belt around his waist with a dagger in its sheath. As he moved forward, it fell out.

9 And Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

“How are you doing, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. Joab held Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

10 But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab's hand. And he stabbed him with it in the abdomen, so that his intestines spilled out on the ground, and he did not do it to him again. Thus he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba son of Bikri.

Amasa wasn't prepared for the dagger in Joab's left hand. Joab stabbed him in the belly and his intestines poured out onto the ground. Joab didn't need to stab him twice, because Amasa was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai set off in pursuit of Sheba.

11 And one of Joab's young men stood beside Amasa and said, "Whoever is the one that favors Joab and whoever belongs to David, follow Joab."

One of Joab's men stood beside Amasa and called out, “If you're on Joab's side, and if you are on David's side, then follow Joab!”

12 But Amasa lay covered with his blood in the midst of the road, and anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. So when the man saw that all the people stopped, he dragged Amasa from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.

But Amasa was there, lying in his blood in the middle of the main road. When the man saw that everybody was stopping to look, he pulled the body off the road into a field and threw a cloth over it.

13 When he was removed from the road, all the people followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba son of Bikri.

Once Amasa's body was off the road, all the men followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba.

14 He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth Maacah, and all the Bikrites assembled and followed him.

In the meantime Sheba had gone around all the tribes of Israel and eventually ended up the town of Abel-beth-maacah. All the Bichrites gathered for battle and followed him into the town.

15 And all the people who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah. And they built a siege ramp against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall so that it would collapse.

Joab's army came and besieged Sheba in Abel-Beth-Maacah. They built a siege ramp against the town's outer wall. While all of Joab's army was battering the wall to knock it down,

16 Then a wise woman called out from the wall, "Listen, listen. Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak to him.

a wise woman from the town called out, “Listen! Please listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come over here so I can speak to you.’”

17 So he approached her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" And he replied, "I am." Then she said, "Listen to the words of your servant." And he replied, "I'm listening."

He went over to her, and the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “Yes, that's me,” he replied. “Please listen to what I, your servant, have to say,” she said. “I'm listening,” he replied.

18 Then she said, "In the past they used to say, 'Let them inquire in Abel and in Dan whether

Then the woman said, “In times gone by people used to say, ‘If you want advice, go to Abel,’ and that's how arguments were settled.

19 that which the faithful of Israel established has been carried out.' You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?"

I am one of the peaceful and faithful people of Israel. You're trying to destroy a town that's like a mother in Israel. Why do you want to tear down the Lord's possession?”

20 Joab answered, "Far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy.

“Certainly not!” Joab answered. “It's not what I want—to destroy or tear down this town!

21 That is not the case. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bikri, has rebelled against king David. Give up him alone and I will withdraw from the city." Then the woman said to Joab, "Look, his head will be thrown to you from the wall."

That's not the intention. But a man called Sheba, son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has rebelled against the king, against David. Just hand over this one man and I will withdraw from the town.” “Fine,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown over the wall to you.”

22 Then she spoke to all the city with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from him, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to Jerusalem to the king.

The woman went and talked with everyone about her wise plan. So they cut off the head of Sheba and threw it to Joab. Then Joab blew the ram's horn to sound the retreat, and all his men left the town and went home. Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.

23 Now Joab was in command of the entire army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and in command of the Pelethites;

Joab commanded the whole army of Israel. Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was in charge of the Cherethites and Pelethites.

24 and Adoniram was in command of the forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

Adoniram was in charge of the labor force. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, kept the official records.

25 and Shisha was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

Sheva was the secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests,

26 and also Ira the Jairite was David's priest.

and Ira the Jairite was David's priest.