2 Samuel 20

1 There also happened to be at the same place a troublemaker whose name was Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite. He blew the trumpet and said, “We have no part in David, neither have we any inheritance in the son of Jesse. Let every man go back to his home, 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 So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah followed closely their king, from the Jordan all the way 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 When David came to his palace at Jerusalem, he took the ten slave wives whom he had left to keep the palace, and he put them in a house under guard. He provided for their needs, but he did not sleep with them any longer. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living as if they were widows.

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 Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together within three days; you must be here, too.”

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

5 So Amasa went to call Judah, but he was delayed beyond the time that the king had allotted 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 So David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master's servants, my soldiers, and pursue after him, or he will find fortified cities and escape out of our sight.”

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 Then Joab's men went out after him, along with the Kerethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty warriors. They left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

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 When they were at the great stone which is at Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing the battle armor that he had put on, which included a belt around his waist with a sheathed sword fastened to it. As he walked forward, the sword fell out.

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 So Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my cousin?” Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand 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 Amasa did not notice the dagger that was in Joab's left hand. Joab stabbed Amasa in the stomach and his bowels spilled out to the ground. Joab did not strike him again, and Amasa died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba son of Bikri.

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 Then one of Joab's men stood by Amasa, and the man said, “He who favors Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow 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 Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road. When the man saw that all the people stood still, he carried Amasa off of the road and into a field. He threw a garment over him because he saw that everyone who came by him stood still.

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 After Amasa was taken off the road, all the men followed on after Joab in pursuit of Sheba son of Bikri.

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

14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth Maacah, and through all the land of the Bikrites, who gathered together and also pursued Sheba.

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 They caught up with him and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah. They built up a siege ramp against the city against the wall. All the army who were with Joab battered the wall to knock it down.

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 Then a wise woman cried out of the city, “Listen, please listen, Joab! Come near me so I may speak with 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 So Joab came near to her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” He answered, “I am listening.”

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 Then she spoke, “They used to say in old times, 'Surely seek advice at Abel,' and that advice would end the matter.

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 We are a city that is one of the most peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to 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 So Joab answered and said, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

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

21 That is not true. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, named Sheba son of Bikri, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city.” The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown to you over 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 Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri, and threw it out to Joab. Then he blew the trumpet and Joab's men left the city, every man to his home. Then Joab returned to 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 Now Joab was over all the army of Israel, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and over the Pelethites.

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

24 Adoniram was over the men who did forced labor, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder.

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

25 Sheva was scribe and Zadok and Abiathar were priests.

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

26 Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.

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