2 Samuel 20
20
Sheba Urges Israel Not to Follow David
1An evil man who always stirred up trouble happened to be in Gilgal. His name was Sheba, the son of Bikri. Sheba was from the tribe of Benjamin. He blew his trumpet. Then he shouted,
“We don’t have any share in David’s kingdom!
Jesse’s son is not our king!
Men of Israel, every one of you go back home!”
2So all the men of Israel deserted David. They followed Sheba, the son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king. They remained with him from the Jordan River all the way to Jerusalem.
3David returned to his palace in Jerusalem. He had left ten concubines there to take care of the palace. He put them in a house and kept them under guard. He gave them what they needed. But he didn’t sleep with them. They were kept under guard until the day they died. They lived as if they were widows.
4The king said to Amasa, “Send for the men of Judah. Tell them to come to me within three days. And be here yourself.” 5So Amasa went to get the men of Judah. But he took longer than the time the king had set for him.
6David said to Abishai, “Sheba, the son of Bikri, will do more harm to us than Absalom ever did. Take my men and go after him. If you don’t, he’ll find cities that have high walls around them. He’ll go into one of them and escape from us.” 7So Joab’s men marched out with the Kerethites and Pelethites. They went out with all the mighty soldiers. All of them were under Abishai’s command. They marched out from Jerusalem and went after Sheba, the son of Bikri.
8They arrived at the great rock in Gibeon. Amasa went there to welcome them. Joab was wearing his military clothes. Over them at his waist he had strapped on a belt that held a dagger. As he stepped forward, he secretly took the dagger out.
9Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my friend?” Then Joab reached out his right hand. He took hold of Amasa’s beard to kiss him. 10Amasa didn’t notice the dagger in Joab’s left hand. Joab stuck it into his stomach. His insides spilled out on the ground. Joab didn’t have to stab him again. Amasa was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai went after Sheba, the son of Bikri.
11One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa’s body. He said to the other men, “Are you pleased with Joab? Are you on David’s side? Then follow Joab!” 12Amasa’s body lay covered with his blood in the middle of the road. The man saw that all the troops stopped there. He realized that everyone was stopping to look at Amasa’s body. So he dragged it from the road into a field. Then he threw some clothes on top of it. 13After that happened, everyone continued on with Joab. They went after Sheba, the son of Bikri.
14Sheba passed through all the territory of the tribes of Israel. He arrived at the city of Abel Beth Maakah. He had gone through the entire area of the Bikrites. They had gathered together and followed him. 15Joab and all his troops came to Abel Beth Maakah. They surrounded it because Sheba was there. They built a ramp up to the city. It stood against the outer wall. They pounded the wall with huge logs to bring it down. 16While that was going on, a wise woman called out from the city. She shouted, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here. I want to speak to him.” 17So Joab went toward her. She asked, “Are you Joab?”
“I am,” he answered.
She said, “Listen to what I have to say.”
“I’m listening,” he said.
18She continued, “Long ago people used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel.’ And that would settle the matter. 19We are the most peaceful and faithful people in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is like a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up what belongs to the Lord?”
20“I would never do anything like that!” Joab said. “I would never swallow up or destroy what belongs to the Lord! 21That isn’t what I have in mind at all. There’s a man named Sheba, the son of Bikri, in your city. He’s from the hill country of Ephraim. He’s trying to kill King David. Hand that man over to me. Then I’ll pull my men back from your city.”
The woman said to Joab, “We’ll throw his head down to you from the wall.”
22Then the woman gave her wise advice to all the people in the city. They cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bikri. They threw it down to Joab. So he blew his trumpet. Then his men pulled back from the city. Each of them returned to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
David’s Officials
23Joab was commander over Israel’s entire army.
Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was commander over the Kerethites and Pelethites.
24Adoniram was in charge of those who were forced to work hard.
Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, kept the records.
25Sheva was the secretary.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
26Ira, the Jairite, was David’s priest.
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2 Samuel 20: NIrV
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2 Samuel 20
20
Sheba Rebels against David
1 #
1 K 12.15-19; 2 Ch 10.15-19. A troublemaker from the tribe of Benjamin was there. His name was Sheba the son of Bichri, and he blew a trumpet to get everyone's attention. Then he said, “People of Israel, David the son of Jesse doesn't belong to us! Let's go home.”
2So they stopped following David and went off with Sheba. But the people of Judah stayed close to David all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
David's Ten Wives
3 #
2 S 16.22. David had left ten of his wives in Jerusalem to take care of his palace. But when he came back, he had them taken to another house, and he placed soldiers there to guard them. He gave them whatever they needed, but he never slept with any of them again.#20.3 he … again: Because of what Absalom had done (see 16.21,22). They had to live there for the rest of their lives as if they were widows.
The Army Goes after Sheba
4David said to Amasa, “Three days from now I want you and all of Judah's army to be here!”
5Amasa started bringing the army together, but it was taking him more than three days. 6So David said to Abishai, “Sheba will hurt us more than Absalom ever did. Take my best soldiers and go after him. We don't want him to take over any walled cities and get away from us.”#20.6 get … us: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Joab Kills Amasa
7Abishai left Jerusalem to try and capture Sheba. He took along Joab and his soldiers, as well as David's bodyguard#20.7 bodyguard: See the note at 8.18. and best troops. 8They had gone as far as the big rock at Gibeon when Amasa caught up with them. Joab had a dagger strapped around his waist over his military uniform, but it fell out as he started toward Amasa.
9Joab said, “Amasa, my cousin, how are you?” Then Joab took hold of Amasa's beard with his right hand, so that he could greet him with a kiss. 10Amasa did not see the dagger in Joab's other hand. Joab stuck it in Amasa's stomach, and his insides spilled out on the ground. Joab only struck him once, but Amasa was dying.
Joab and his brother Abishai went off to chase Sheba. 11One of Joab's soldiers stood by Amasa and shouted, “If any of you are for Joab and David, then follow Joab!”
12Amasa was still rolling in his own blood in the middle of the road. The soldier who had shouted noticed that everyone who passed by would stop, so he dragged Amasa off the road and covered him with a blanket. 13After this, no one else stopped. They all walked straight past him on their way to help Joab capture Sheba.
Sheba Hides Out in the Town of Abel
14Sheba had gone through all of the tribes of Israel when he came to the town of Abel Beth-Maacah. All of his best soldiers#20.14 best soldiers: One ancient translation; the difficult Hebrew text may mean either “Berites” or “Bichrites,” Sheba's relatives. met him there and followed him into the town.
15Joab and his troops came and surrounded Abel, so that no one could go in or come out. They made a dirt ramp up to the town wall and then started to use a battering ram to knock the wall down.
A Wise Woman Saves the Town
16A wise woman shouted from the top of the wall,#20.16 the top of the wall: Or “the town.” “Listen to me! Listen to me! I have to talk to Joab! Tell him to come here!” 17When he came, the woman said, “Are you Joab?”
“Yes, I am,” he answered.
She said, “Please, listen to what I have to say.”
“All right,” he said. “I'll listen.”
18She said, “Long ago people used to say, ‘If you want good advice, go to the town of Abel to get it.’ The answers they got here were all that was needed to settle any problem. 19We are Israelites, and we want peace! You can trust us. Why are you trying to destroy a town that's like a mother in Israel? Why do you want to wipe out the Lord's people?”
20Joab answered, “No, no! I'm not trying to wipe you out or destroy your town! 21That's not it at all. There's a man in your town from the hill country of Ephraim. His name is Sheba, and he is the leader of a rebellion against King David. Turn him over to me, and we will leave your town alone.”
The woman told Joab, “We will throw his head over the wall.”
22She went to the people of the town and talked them into doing it. They cut off Sheba's head and threw it to Joab.
Joab blew a signal on his trumpet, and the soldiers returned to their homes. Joab went back to David in Jerusalem.
Another List of David's Officials#20.23 Another List of David's Officials: See also the list in 8.16,17.
23Joab was the commander of Israel's entire army.
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of David's bodyguard.#20.23 David's bodyguard: See the note at 8.18.
24Adoram#20.24 Adoram: One ancient translation “Adoniram” (see 1 Kings 4.1-6; 5.14). was in charge of the slave-labor force.
Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud kept government records.
25Sheva was the secretary.
Zadok and Abiathar were the priests.
26Ira from Jair was David's priest.
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