2 Samuel Chapter 20

2 Samuel Chapter 20
1 Then there was come thither a wicked
man (named Sheba the son of Bichri, a
man of Jemini) and he blew the 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 from
David and followed Sheba the son of
Bichri: but the men of Judah clave fast
unto their king, from Jordan even to
Jerusalem.
3 When David then came to his house to
Jerusalem, the king took the ten women
his concubines, that he had left behind
him to keep the house, and put them in
ward, and fed them, but lay no more with
them: but they were enclosed 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 Judah, but
he tarried longer than the time which he
had appointed him.
6 Then David said to Abishai, Now
shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more
harm than did Absalom: take thou
therefore thy lord's servants and follow
after him, lest he get him walled 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 departed out of Jerusalem, to follow
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 was
a sword girded, which hanged on his
loins in the sheath, and as he went, it
used to fall 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: for therewith he
smote him in the fifth rib, and shed out
his bowels to the ground, and smote him
not the second time: so he died. then
Joab and Abishai his brother followed
after Sheba the son of Bichri.
11 And one of Joab's men stood by him,
and said, He that favoreth Joab, and he
that is of David's part, let him go after
Joab.
12 And Amasa wallowed in blood in the
midst of the way: and when the man saw
that all the people stood still, he
removed Amasa out of the way into the
field, and cast a cloth upon him, because
he saw that every one that came by him,
stood still.
13 When he was removed out of the
way, every man went after Joab, to
follow after Sheba the son of Bichri.
14 And he went through all the tribes of
Israel unto Abel, and Bethmaachah and
all places of Berim: and they gathered
together, and went also after him. 15 So
they came, and besieged him in Abel,
near to Bethmaachah: and they cast up a
mount against the city, and the people
thereof stood on the ramper, and all the
people that was with Joab, destroyed
and cast down the wall. 16 Then cried a
wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear, I
pray you, say unto Joab, Come thou
hither, that I may speak with thee.
17 And when he came near unto her, the
woman said, Art thou Joab? And he
answered, Yea. And she said to him,
Hear the words of thine handmaid. And
he answered, I do hear.
18 Then she spake thus, They spake in
the old time, saying, They should ask of
Abel. and so have they continued.
19 I am one of them, that are peaceable
and faithful in Israel: and thou goest
about to destroy a city, and a mother in
Israel: why wilt thou devour the
inheritance of the Lord?
20 And Joab answered, and said, God
forbid, God forbid it me, that I should
devour, or destroy it.
21 The matter is not so, but a man of
mount Ephraim (Sheba the son of Bichri
by name) hath lift up his hand against the
king, even against David: deliver us 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 with her wisdom, and they cut off
the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and
cast it to Joab: the he blew the trumpet,
and they retired from the city, every man
to his tent: and Joab returned to
Jerusalem unto the king.
23 Then Joab was over all the host of
Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada
over the Cherethites and over the
Pelethies,
24 And Adoram over the tribute, and
Joshaphat the son of Ahilud the recorder,
25 And Sheia was Scribe, and Zadok
and Abiathar the priests, 26 And also Ira
the Jairite was chief about David.