 1 There was there a man of Belial named Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a ram's horn and said, We have no part in David, neither do we have any inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, O Israel. 2 Every man of Israel went after David, following Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah clung to their king, from 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 ward, and fed them but did not go in to them. They were shut up until the day of their death, living in widowhood. 4 The king said to Amasa, gather to me the men of Judah within three days, and you be present here. 5 Amasa went to gather Judah. But he stayed longer than the set time that he had appointed him. 6 David said to Abishai, Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do more harm to us than Absalom did. So take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself into fortified cities and escape from us. 7 Joab's men went out after him and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men. They left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. 8 They were at the great stone in Gibeon and Amasa had gone before them. Joab was dressed+ with his war coat as his clothing and upon it was a belt+ with a sword fastened upon his waist+ in its sheath. As he went forth, it fell out. 9 Joab said to Amasa, Are you well, my brother? Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on guard against the sword that was in Joab's hand and he struck him with it in the belly and poured out his bowels to the ground. He did not strike him again, but he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. 11 One of Joab's men stood by him and said, He who favors Joab and he who is for David go after Joab. 12 Amasa wallowed in blood in the middle of the highway. And the man saw that all the people stood still. And he moved Amasa out of the highway into the field, and threw a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still. 13 When he was moved out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri. 14 He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel and to Bethmaachah and to all the Berites. They were gathered, and went after him too. 15 They besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah. They threw up a siege mound against the city and it stood against the wall and all the people with Joab were undermining the wall to make it fall. 16 Then a wise woman cried out of the city, Hear, hear. Please say to Joab, Come near here so that I may speak with you. 17 When he had come near her, the woman said, Are you Joab? He answered, I am. She said to him, Hear the words of your handmaid. He answered, I hear. 18 She spoke saying, They spoke often in days gone by saying, Surely they will ask of Abel and so they ended the matter. 19 I am peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord? 20 Joab 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, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Only deliver him, and I will depart from the city. And 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. And he blew the ram's horn, and they scattered from the city, each man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king. 23 Joab was over all the army of Israel. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites. 24 Adoram was over the tribute. And Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder. 25 Sheva was scribe. And Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. 26 Also Ira the Jairite was a chief ruler around David.
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