1
And there happened[H7122] to be there a man[H376] of Belial[H1100], whose name[H8034] was Sheba[H7652], the son[H1121] of Bichri[H1075], a Benjamite[H1145]: and he blew[H8628] a trumpet[H7782], and said[H559], We have no part[H2506] in David[H1732], neither have we inheritance[H5159] in the son[H1121] of Jesse[H3448]: every[H376]man[H376] to his tents[H168], O Israel[H3478].
2
So every man[H376] of Israel[H3478] went up[H5927] from after[H310]David[H1732], and followed[H310]Sheba[H7652] the son[H1121] of Bichri[H1075]: but the men[H376] of Judah[H3063]clave[H1692] unto their king[H4428], from Jordan[H3383] even to Jerusalem[H3389].
3
And David[H1732]came[H935] to his house[H1004] at Jerusalem[H3389]; and the king[H4428]took[H3947] the ten[H6235]women[H802] his concubines[H6370], whom he had left[H3240] to keep[H8104] the house[H1004], and put[H5414] them in[H935]ward[H4931], and fed[H3557] them, but went not in[H935] unto them. So they were shut up[H6887] unto the day[H3117] of their death[H4191], living[H2424]in[H935]widowhood[H491].
4
Then said[H559] the king[H4428] to Amasa[H6021], Assemble[H2199] me the men[H376] of Judah[H3063] within three[H7969]days[H3117], and be thou here present[H5975].
5
So Amasa[H6021]went[H3212] to assemble[H2199] the men of Judah[H3063]: but he tarried longer[H309] than the set time[H4150] which he had appointed[H3259] him.
6
And David[H1732]said[H559] to Abishai[H52], Now shall Sheba[H7652] the son[H1121] of Bichri[H1075] do us[H5869] more harm[H3415] than did Absalom[H53]: take[H3947] thou thy lord's servants[H5650], and pursue[H7291]after[H310] him, lest he get[H4672] him fenced[H1219]cities[H5892], and escape[H5337]us[H5869].
7
And there went out[H3318]after[H310] him Joab's men[H582], and the Cherethites[H3774], and the Pelethites[H6432], and all the mighty men[H1368]: and they went out[H3318] of Jerusalem[H3389], to pursue[H7291]after[H310]Sheba[H7652] the son[H1121] of Bichri[H1075].
8
When they were at the great[H1419]stone[H68] which is in Gibeon[H1391], Amasa[H6021]went[H935]before[H6440] them. And Joab's garment[H4055] that he had put on[H3830] was girded[H2296] unto him, and upon it a girdle[H2289] with a sword[H2719]fastened[H6775] upon his loins[H4975] in the sheath[H8593] thereof; and as he went[H935]forth[H3318] it fell out[H5307].
9
And Joab[H3097]said[H559] to Amasa[H6021], Art thou in health[H7965], my brother?[H251] And Joab[H3097]took[H270]Amasa[H6021] by the beard[H2206] with the right[H3225]hand[H3027] to kiss[H5401] him.
10
But Amasa[H6021] took no heed[H8104] to the sword[H2719] that was in Joab[H3097]'s hand[H3027]: so he smote[H5221] him therewith in the fifth[H2570] rib, and shed out[H8210] his bowels[H4578] to the ground[H776], and struck him not again[H8138]; and he died[H4191]. So Joab[H3097] and Abishai[H52] his brother[H251]pursued[H7291]after[H310]Sheba[H7652] the son[H1121] of Bichri[H1075].
11
And one[H376] of Joab[H3097]'s men[H5288]stood[H5975] by him, and said[H559], He[H4310] that favoureth[H2654]Joab[H3097], and he[H4310] that is for David[H1732], let him go after[H310]Joab[H3097].
12
And Amasa[H6021]wallowed[H1556] in blood[H1818] in the midst[H8432] of the highway[H4546]. And when the man[H376]saw[H7200] that all the people[H5971] stood still[H5975], he removed[H5437]Amasa[H6021] out of the highway[H4546] into the field[H7704], and cast[H7993] a cloth[H899] upon him, when he saw[H7200] that every one that came[H935] by him stood still[H5975].
13
When he was removed[H3014] out of the highway[H4546], all the people[H376] went on[H5674]after[H310]Joab[H3097], to pursue[H7291]after[H310]Sheba[H7652] the son[H1121] of Bichri[H1075].
14
And he went[H5674] through all the tribes[H7626] of Israel[H3478] unto Abel[H59], and to Bethmaachah[H1038], and all the Berites[H1276]: and they were gathered together[H6950], and went[H935] also after[H310] him.
15
And they came[H935] and besieged[H6696] him in Abel[H59] of Bethmaachah[H1038], and they cast up[H8210] a bank[H5550] against the city[H5892], and it stood[H5975] in the trench[H2426]: and all the people[H5971] that were with Joab[H3097]battered[H7843] the wall[H2346], to throw it down[H5307].
16
Then cried[H7121] a wise[H2450]woman[H802] out of the city[H5892], Hear[H8085], hear[H8085]; say[H559], I pray you, unto Joab[H3097], Come near[H7126] hither, that I may speak[H1696] with thee.
17
And when he was come near[H7126] unto her, the woman[H802]said[H559], Art thou Joab?[H3097] And he answered[H559], I am he. Then she said[H559] unto him, Hear[H8085] the words[H1697] of thine handmaid[H519]. And he answered[H559], I do hear[H8085].
18
Then she spake[H559], saying[H559], They were wont[H1696] to speak[H1696] in old time[H7223], saying[H559], They shall surely[H7592]ask[H7592] counsel at Abel[H59]: and so they ended[H8552] the matter.
19
I am one of them that are peaceable[H7999] and faithful[H539] in Israel[H3478]: thou seekest[H1245] to destroy[H4191] a city[H5892] and a mother[H517] in Israel[H3478]: why wilt thou swallow up[H1104] the inheritance[H5159] of the LORD?[H3068]
20
And Joab[H3097]answered[H6030] and said[H559], Far be it[H2486], far be it[H2486] from me, that I should swallow up[H1104] or destroy[H7843].
21
The matter[H1697] is not so: but a man[H376] of mount[H2022]Ephraim[H669], Sheba[H7652] the son[H1121] of Bichri[H1075] by name[H8034], hath lifted up[H5375] his hand[H3027] against the king[H4428], even against David[H1732]: deliver[H5414] him only, and I will depart[H3212] from the city[H5892]. And the woman[H802]said[H559] unto Joab[H3097], Behold, his head[H7218] shall be thrown[H7993] to thee over[H1157] the wall[H2346].
22
Then the woman[H802]went[H935] unto all the people[H5971] in her wisdom[H2451]. And they cut off[H3772] the head[H7218] of Sheba[H7652] the son[H1121] of Bichri[H1075], and cast[H7993] it out to Joab[H3097]. And he blew[H8628] a trumpet[H7782], and they retired[H6327] from the city[H5892], every man[H376] to his tent[H168]. And Joab[H3097]returned[H7725] to Jerusalem[H3389] unto the king[H4428].
23
Now Joab[H3097] was over all the host[H6635] of Israel[H3478]: and Benaiah[H1141] the son[H1121] of Jehoiada[H3077] was over the Cherethites[H3774] and over the Pelethites[H6432]:
24
And Adoram[H151] was over the tribute[H4522]: and Jehoshaphat[H3092] the son[H1121] of Ahilud[H286] was recorder[H2142]:
25
And Sheva[H7864] was scribe[H5608]: and Zadok[H6659] and Abiathar[H54] were the priests[H3548]:
26
And Ira[H5896] also the Jairite[H2972] was a chief ruler[H3548] about David[H1732].