2 Samuel 20

1 And there he was met a man of worthlessness and name his [was] Sheba [the] son of Bicri a man a Jaminite and he gave a blast on the trumpet and he said not [belongs] to us a portion in David and not an inheritance [belongs] to us in [the] son of Jesse everyone to tents his O Israel.

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.

2 And he went up every man of Israel from after David after Sheba [the] son of Bicri and [the] man of Judah they clung to king their from the Jordan and to Jerusalem.

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.

3 And he came David to house his Jerusalem and he took the king [the] ten women - concubines whom he had left to keep the house and he put them a house of confinement and he sustained them and into them not he went and they were locked up until [the] day died they widowhood of living.

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.

4 And he said the king to Amasa summon to me [the] man of Judah three days and you here stand.

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

5 And he went Amasa to summon Judah (and he was delayed *Q(K)*) from the appointed time which he had appointed for him.

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

6 And he said David to Abishai now he will be bad for us Sheba [the] son of Bicri more than Absalom you take [the] servants of master your and pursue after him lest he has found for himself cities fortified and he will tear out eye our.

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.

7 And they went out after him [the] men of Joab and the Kerethite[s] and the Pelethite[s] and all the warriors and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba [the] son of Bicri.

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.

8 They [were] near the stone great which [is] in Gibeon and Amasa he came before them and Joab [was] girded - robe his clothing his (and over it *Q(k)*) a belt of a sword [was] fastened on loins his in sheath its and he he went forward and it fell.

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.

9 And he said Joab to Amasa ¿ peace [are] you O brother my and it took hold [the] hand of [the] right of Joab on [the] beard of Amasa to kiss him.

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.

10 And Amasa not he took heed to the sword - which [was] in [the] hand of Joab and he struck him with it into the belly and he poured out bowels his [the] ground towards and not he repeated to him and he died. And Joab and Abishai brother his he pursued after Sheba [the] son of Bicri.

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.

11 And a man he stood over him one of [the] young men of Joab and he said who? [is [the] one] who he delights in Joab and who? [is [the] one] who [belongs] to David after Joab.

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!

12 And Amasa [was] wallowing in blood in [the] middle of (the highway *LA(bh)*) and he saw the man that it stopped all the people and he brought round Amasa from the highway the field and he threw over him a garment when he saw all who came on him and he stopped.

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.

13 When he had removed [him] from the highway he passed by every person after Joab to pursue after Sheba [the] son of Bicri.

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

14 And he passed in all [the] tribes of Israel Abel towards and Beth Maacah and all the Berites. (And they assembled *Q(K)*) and they went also after him.

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.

15 And they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall.

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.

16 And she called out a woman wise from the city listen listen say please to Joab draw near to here so let me speak to you.

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.

17 And he drew near to her and she said the woman ¿ [are] you Joab and he said I [am] and she said to him listen to [the] words of maidservant your and he said [am] listening I.

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.

18 And she said saying surely they spoke at the former [time] saying certainly they will ask at Abel and thus they ceased.

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?

19 I [am] [the] peaceful [ones] of [the] faithful [ones] of Israel you [are] seeking to kill a city and a mother in Israel why? will you swallow up [the] inheritance of Yahweh.

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

20 And he answered Joab and he said far be it far be it to me if I will swallow up and if I will destroy.

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

21 [is] not So the matter for a man from [the] hill country of Ephraim [who is] Sheba [the] son of Bicri name his he has lifted up hand his against the king against David give him to only him so let me go from on the city and she said the woman to Joab here! head his [is] about to be thrown to you behind the wall.

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.

22 And she went the woman to all the people with wisdom her and they cut off [the] head of Sheba [the] son of Bicri and they threw [it] to Joab and he gave a blast on the trumpet and they were scattered from on the city each to tents his and Joab he returned Jerusalem to the king.

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.

23 And Joab [was] to all the army of Israel and Benaiah [the] son of Jehoiada [was] over (the Kerethite[s] *Q(K)*) and over the Pelethite[s].

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

24 And Adoram [was] over the forced labor and Jehoshaphat [the] son of Ahilud [was] the recorder.

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

25 (And Sheva *Q(K)*) [was] secretary and Zadok and Abiathar [were] priests.

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

26 And also Ira the Jairite he was a priest of David.

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