Chapter 20

¹ And there was a transgressor [so] called there, and his name was Sheba, a Benjaminite, the son of Bichri: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we [any] inheritance in the son of Jesse: to thy tents, O Israel, every one. ² And all the men of Israel went up from following David after Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah adhered to their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

2Kgdms 20:1-2

³ And David went into his house at Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and he put them in a place of custody, and maintained them, and went not in to them; and they were kept living as widows, till the day of their death.

2Kgdms 20:3

⁴ And the king said to Amasa, Call to me the men of Judah for three days, and do thou be present here. ⁵ And Amasa went to call Judah, and delayed beyond the time which David appointed him. ⁶ And David said to Amasa, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than Absalom: now then take thou with thee the servants of thy lord, and follow after him, lest he find for himself strong cities, so will he blind our eyes. ⁷ And there went out after him Amasa and the men of Joab, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

2Kgdms 20:4-7

⁸ And they [were] by the great stone that is in Gibeon: and Amasa went in before them: and Joab had upon him a military cloak over his apparel, and over it he was girded with a dagger fastened upon his loins in its scabbard: and the dagger came out, it even came out and fell.

2Kgdms 20:8

⁹ And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, [my] brother? and the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amasa to kiss him. ¹⁰ And Amasa observed not the dagger that was in the hand of Joab: and Joab smote him with it on the loins, and his bowels were shed out upon the ground, and he did not repeat the blow, and he died: and Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. ¹¹ And there stood over him one of the servants of Joab, and said, Who [is] he that is for Joab, and who [is] on the side of David following Joab? ¹² And Amasa [was] weltering in blood in the midst of the way. And a man saw that all the people stood still; and he removed Amasa out of the path into a field, and he cast a garment upon him, because he saw everyone that came to him standing still. ¹³ And when he was quickly removed from the road, every man of Israel passed after Joab to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

2Kgdms 20:9-13

¹⁴ And he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-maacah; and all in Charri too were assembled, and followed after him. ¹⁵ And they came and besieged him in Abel and Beth-maacah: and they raised a mound against the city and it stood close to the wall; and all the people with Joab proposed to throw down the wall. ¹⁶ And a wise woman cried from the wall, and said, Hear, hear; say, I pray ye, to Joab, Draw near hither, and I will speak to him.

2Kgdms 20:14-16

¹⁷ And he drew nigh to her, and the woman said to him, Art thou Joab? and he said, I [am]. And she said to him, Hear the words of thy handmaid; and Joab said, I do hear. ¹⁸ And she spoke, saying, Of old time they said thus, Surely one was asked in Abel, and Dan, whether the faithful in Israel failed in what they purposed; they will surely ask in Abel, even in like manner, whether they have failed. ¹⁹ I am a peaceable one of the strong ones in Israel; but thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother-city in Israel: why dost thou seek to ruin the inheritance of the Lord? ²⁰ And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should ruin or destroy. ²¹ Is not the case thus, that a man of Mount Ephraim, Sheba son of Bichri by name, has even lifted up his hand against King David? Give him only to me, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

2Kgdms 20:17-21

²² And the woman went in to all the people, and she spoke to all the city in her wisdom; and they took off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri; and took it away and threw it to Joab: and he blew the trumpet, and the people separated from the city away from him, every man to his tent: and Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

2Kgdms 20:22

²³ And Joab [was] over all the forces 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] priests. ²⁶ Moreover Ira the [son of] Jair was priest to David.

2Kgdms 20:23-26