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2 Samuel
Chapter 20
1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was
Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said,
We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of
Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
2 So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed
Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king,
from Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3 And 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 ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were
shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4 Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within
three days, and be thou here present.
5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer
than the set time which he had appointed him.
6 And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do
us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and
pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.
7 And 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 went
before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him,
and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath
thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.
9 And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab
took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's hand: so
he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the
ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his
brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
11 And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth
Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.
12 And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And
when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out
of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw
that every one that 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 And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to
Bethmaachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and
went also after him.
15 And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they
cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all
the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
16 Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray
you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
17 And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou
Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words
of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.
18 Then she spake, 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 one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou
seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow
up the inheritance of the LORD?
20 And Joab answered and said, 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 mount Ephraim, Sheba the son
of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even
against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And
the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over
the wall.
22 Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they
cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab.
And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his
tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto 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 tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of
Ahilud was recorder:
25 And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:
26 And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.