2
Samuel
20
- Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri,
a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, "We
have no share in David, no part in Jesse's son! Every man to his tent, O Israel
!"
- So all the men of Israel deserted David
to follow Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all
the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
- When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem,
he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put
them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but did not lie with them.
They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.
- Then the king said to Amasa, "Summon
the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself."
- But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he
took longer than the time the king had set for him.
- David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba son
of Bicri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master's men and
pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us."
- So Joab's men and the Kerethites and Pelethites
and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched
out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
- While they were at the great rock in Gibeon,
Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped
over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped
forward, it dropped out of its sheath.
- Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my
brother?" Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss
him.
- Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger
in Joab's hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled
out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and
his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri.
- One of Joab's men stood beside Amasa and
said, "Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow
Joab !"
- Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the
middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there.
When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him
from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.
- After Amasa had been removed from the road,
all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
- Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel
to Abel Beth Maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered
together and followed him.
- All the troops with Joab came and besieged
Sheba in Abel Beth Maacah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it
stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall
to bring it down,
- a wise woman called from the city, "Listen!
Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him."
- He went toward her, and she asked, "Are
you Joab?" "I am," he answered. She said, "Listen to what
your servant has to say." "I'm listening," he said.
- She continued, "Long ago they used
to say, 'Get your answer at Abel,' and that settled it.
- We are the 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 LORD'S inheritance ?"
- "Far be it from me!" Joab replied,
"Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy !
- That is not the case. A man named Sheba
son of Bicri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against
the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I'll withdraw from the
city." The woman said to Joab, "His head will be thrown to you from
the wall."
- Then the woman went to all the people with
her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw
it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city,
each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
- Joab was over Israel's entire army; Benaiah
son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;
- Adoniram was in charge of forced labor;
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;
- Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar
were priests;
- and Ira the Jairite was David's priest.
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