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:
