1 There happened to be there a wicked
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 the king said 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 had been appointed to him.
6 David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the
son of Bichri will do us more harm than
Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants
and pursue after him, lest he get himself
fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.”
7 Joab’s men went out after him with
the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all
the mighty men; and they went out of
Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of
Bichri.
8 When they were at the great stone
which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet
them. Joab was clothed in his apparel of
war that he had put on, and on it was a sash
with a sword fastened on his waist in its
sheath; and as he went along 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
with it 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 Sheba the son of Bichri.
11 One of Joab’s young men stood by him,
and said, “He who favours Joab, and he
who is for David, let him follow Joab!”
12 Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in
the middle 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 Sheba the son of Bichri.
14 He went through all the tribes of Israel
to Abel, to Beth Maacah, and all the Berites.
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 a wise woman cried 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 servant.”
He answered, “I’m listening.”
18 Then she spoke, saying, “They used
to say in old times, ‘They shall surely ask
counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a matter.
19 I am amongst 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 LORD’s inheritance?”
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. Just
deliver him, and I will depart from the
city.”
The woman said to Joab, “Behold, his
head will 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. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem to
the king.
23 Now Joab was over all the army of Israel,
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over
the Cherethites and over the Pelethites,
24 Adoram was over the men subject
to forced labour, Jehoshaphat the son of
Ahilud was the recorder,
25 Sheva was scribe, Zadok and Abiathar
were priests,
26 and Ira the Jairite was chief minister
to David.
