1 There happened to be there a base fellow, whose name was Sheba,
the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no
portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man
to his tents, Israel. 2 So all the men of Israel went up from following
David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah joined with
their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem. 3 David came to his house
at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had
left to keep the house, and put them in custody, and provided them with
sustenance, but didn’t go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of
their death, living in widowhood. 4 Then said the king to Amasa, Call me
the men of Judah together within three days, and be here present. 5 So
Amasa went to call the men of Judah together; but he stayed longer
than the set time which he had appointed him. 6 David said to Abishai, Now
will Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take your
lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and
escape out of our sight. 7 There went out after him Joab’s men, and the
Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of
Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri. 8 When they were at
the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was girded
with his apparel of war that he had put on, and thereon was a sash with a
sword fastened on his loins in the sheath of it; and as he went forth it fell
out. 9 Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with you, my brother? Joab took
Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 But Amasa took no
heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he struck him therewith in the
body, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and didn’t strike him again; and
he died. Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
11 There stood by him one of Joab’s young men, and said, He who favors
Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab. 12 Amasa lay wallowing
in his blood in the midst of the highway. When the man saw that all the
people stood still, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field, and
cast a garment over him, when he saw that everyone who came by him stood
still. 13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on
after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri. 14 He went through
all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth Maacah, and all the Berites:
and they were gathered together, and went also after him. 15 They came and
besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah, and they cast up a mound against the
city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab
battered the wall, to throw it down. 16 Then cried a wise woman out of the
city, “Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come near here, that I may speak with
you.’” 17 He came near to her; and the woman said, Are you Joab? He
answered, I am. Then she said to him, Hear the words of your handmaid. He
answered, I do hear. 18 Then she spoke, saying, They were wont to speak in
old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they
ended the matter. 19 I am of those who are peaceable and faithful
in Israel: you seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why will you
swallow up the inheritance of Yahweh? 20 Joab answered, Far be it, far be
it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. 21 The matter is not so:
but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name,
has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David; deliver him
only, and I will depart from the city. The woman said to Joab, Behold, his
head shall be thrown to you over the wall. 22 Then the woman went to all
the people in her wisdom. They cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri,
and threw it out to Joab. He blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from
the city, every man to his tent. Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23 Now Joab was over all the host of Israel; and Benaiah the son of
Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites; 24 and Adoram
was over the men subject to forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud
was the recorder; 25 and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were
priests; 26 and also Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.
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