Sh'mu'el Bet (2 Sa) 20
20
1There happened to be there a scoundrel whose name was Sheva the son of Bikhri, a Binyamini. He sounded the shofar and said, “We have no share in David, no inheritance in the son of Yishai; so, Isra’el, every man to his tent!” 2All the men of Isra’el left off following David and went after Sheva the son of Bikhri. But the men of Y’hudah stuck with their king, from the Yarden to Yerushalayim.
3When David arrived at his palace in Yerushalayim, the king took the ten women who were his concubines, whom he had left to care for the palace, and put them under guard. He provided for their needs but never slept with them again. They were kept in confinement until the day of their death, living like widows with their husband still alive.
4The king said to ‘Amasa, “Summon the men of Y’hudah to come to me within three days; and you, be here too.” 5‘Amasa went to summon the men of Y’hudah but took longer than the time he had been given. 6David said to Avishai, “Sheva the son of Bikhri is going to do us more harm than Avshalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, so that he won’t take over fortified cities and escape us.” 7With him went Yo’av’s men, the K’reti, the P’leti and all the experienced soldiers; they left Yerushalayim in pursuit of Sheva the son of Bikhri.
8On arrival at the big rock in Giv‘on, ‘Amasa came to meet them. Yo’av was wearing his battle clothes, over which he had girded a belt with a sheathed sword; but as he came forward it fell out. 9Yo’av said to ‘Amasa, “Is it going well with you, my brother? Then, with his right hand, Yo’av took ‘Amasa by the beard to kiss him. 10‘Amasa took no notice of the sword in Yo’av’s hand, so Yo’av stabbed him in the groin. His insides poured out on the ground, and he died without being stabbed a second time.
Yo’av and Avishai his brother continued in pursuit of Sheva the son of Bikhri. 11One of Yo’av’s young men standing by Yo’av said, “Whoever is on Yo’av’s side, whoever is for David — let him follow Yo’av.” 12‘Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road; so that as the troops came up, they all halted there. When the man saw that all the people were standing still, he dragged ‘Amasa off the road into the field and threw a cloak over him. 13Once he had been removed from the road, all the troops went on after Yo’av, to pursue Sheva the son of Bikhri.
14Sheva went through all the tribes of Isra’el, to Avel and Beit-Ma‘akhah, and to all the Berim; they assembled and followed him. 15Yo’av’s troops came and put him under siege in Avel of Beit-Ma‘akhah — they put up a ramp in the moat against the city wall; and all the people with Yo’av battered the wall in order to bring it down. 16Then a wise woman in the city shouted, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Yo’av, ‘Come over here, so that I can speak with you.’” 17He approached her, and the woman asked, “Are you Yo’av?” He answered, “I am.” She said to him, “Listen to what your servant has to say.” He answered, “I’m listening.” 18Then she said, “In the old days they used to say, ‘They will ask advice at Avel’; and that would end the discussion. 19We are among those in Isra’el who are peaceful and faithful. Why are you destroying a city and a mother in Isra’el? Why swallow up the inheritance of Adonai?” 20Yo’av answered, “Heaven forbid! Heaven forbid that I should swallow or destroy anything! 21That’s not how it is. Rather, a man from the hills of Efrayim, Sheva the son of Bikhri, has raised his hand against the king, against David. Just turn him over to me, and I will leave the city.” The woman said to Yo’av, “All right, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” 22Then the woman went to all the people with her wise plan. They cut off the head of Sheva the son of Bikhri and threw it out to Yo’av. So he sounded the shofar, and they left the city, sending each man to his tent; while Yo’av returned to the king in Yerushalayim.
23Once again Yo’av was commander over the whole army of Isra’el, while B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada was over the K’reti and P’leti, 24Adoram was in charge of forced labor, Y’hoshafat the son of Achilud was secretary of state, 25Sh’va was recorder, Tzadok and Evyatar were cohanim, 26and ‘Ira the Ya’iri was David’s cohen.
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Sh'mu'el Bet (2 Sa) 20: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish Bible2 Samuel 20
20
Sheba Leads Israel Away From David
1At that place there was a man named Sheba son of Bicri. Sheba was a worthless troublemaker from the tribe of Benjamin. He blew a trumpet to gather the people together and said,
“We have no share in David.
We have no part in the son of Jesse.
Israel, let’s all go home.”
2So all the Israelites#20:2 Israelites Here, this means the tribes not united with Judah. left David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the people from Judah stayed with their king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.
3David went back to his house in Jerusalem. He had left ten of his slave women to take care of the house. He put these women in a special house.#20:3 David … special house David’s son Absalom had ruined David’s concubines by having sexual relations with them. See 2 Sam. 16:21-22. Then he put guards around the house. They stayed in this house until they died. David took care of the women and gave them food, but he did not have sexual relations with them. They lived like widows until they died.
4The king told Amasa, “Tell the people of Judah to meet with me in three days. You must be here, too.”
5So Amasa called the people of Judah together, but he took longer than the king had told him.
David Tells Abishai to Kill Sheba
6David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bicri is more dangerous to us than Absalom was. So take my officers and chase Sheba. Hurry before he gets into cities with walls. If he gets into the well-protected cities, we will not be able to get him.”
7So Joab took the Kerethites and Pelethites#20:7 Kerethites and Pelethites David’s special group of fighting men. Also in verse 23. and the other soldiers with him and left Jerusalem to chase after Sheba son of Bicri.
Joab Kills Amasa
8When Joab and the army came to Big Rock at Gibeon, Amasa came out to meet them. Joab was wearing his uniform with a belt that held a knife. As he walked toward Amasa, the knife on the belt came out. 9Joab asked Amasa, “How are you doing, brother?” Joab reached out with his right hand and grabbed Amasa by the beard to greet him with a kiss. 10Amasa didn’t see the knife that was now in Joab’s other hand. Joab stabbed him in the belly, and Amasa’s intestines spilled out on the ground. There was no need for Joab to stab him again; he was already dead.
David’s Men Continue to Look for Sheba
Then Joab and his brother Abishai resumed the chase after Sheba son of Bicri. 11One of Joab’s young soldiers stood by Amasa’s body and said, “All of you who support Joab and David, let’s follow Joab.”
12Amasa was there in the middle of road, lying in his own blood. The young soldier noticed that all the people kept stopping to look at the body, so he rolled the body off the road and into the field and covered it with a cloth. 13Once the body was out of the way, the people simply passed it by and joined up with Joab to go after Sheba son of Bicri.
Sheba Escapes to Abel Beth Maacah
14Sheba son of Bicri passed through all the tribes of Israel on his way to Abel Beth Maacah. All the Berites#20:14 Berites The Greek and Latin versions have “Bicrites.” joined together and followed Sheba.
15When Joab and his men came to Abel Beth Maacah, they surrounded the town. They piled dirt up against the city wall and began breaking stones out of the wall to make it fall down.
16But there was a very wise woman in that city who shouted out to them and said, “Listen to me! Tell Joab to come here. I want to talk with him.”
17Joab went to talk with the woman. She asked him, “Are you Joab?”
Joab answered, “Yes, I am.”
Then the woman said, “Listen to me.”
Joab said, “I am listening.”
18Then the woman said, “In the past people would say, ‘Ask for help in Abel and you will get what you need.’ 19I am one of many peaceful, loyal people in this town. You are trying to destroy an important city of Israel. Why do you want to destroy something that belongs to the Lord?”
20Joab answered, “I don’t want to destroy anything. I don’t want to ruin your city. 21But there is a man in your city from the hill country of Ephraim. He is named Sheba son of Bicri. He rebelled against King David. Bring him to me, and I will leave the city alone.”
The woman said to Joab, “All right. His head will be thrown over the wall to you.”
22Then the woman spoke very wisely to all the people of the city. They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it over the city wall to Joab.
So Joab blew the trumpet and the army left the city. The soldiers went home, and Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
The People on David’s Staff
23Joab was captain of the whole army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada led the Kerethites and Pelethites. 24Adoniram led the men who were forced to do hard work. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the historian. 25Sheva was the secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. 26And Ira from Jair was David’s personal priest.#20:26 personal priest Or “chief servant” or “advisor.”
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