2 Samuel 20
20
Sheba's Rebellion
1 #
1 Kgs 12.16; 2 Chr 10.16 There happened to be in Gilgal a worthless character named Sheba son of Bikri, of the tribe of Benjamin. He blew the trumpet and called out, “Down with David! We won't follow him! Men of Israel, let's go home!” 2So the Israelites deserted David and went with Sheba, but the men of Judah remained loyal and followed David from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 #
2 Sam 16.22
When David arrived at his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace, and put them under guard. He provided for their needs, but did not have intercourse with them. They were kept confined for the rest of their lives, living like widows.
4The king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together and be back here with them by the day after tomorrow.” 5Amasa went to call them, but he did not get back by the time the king had set. 6So the king said to Abishai, “Sheba will give us more trouble than Absalom. Take my men and go after him, or else he may occupy some fortified towns and escape from us.” 7So Joab's men, the royal bodyguard, and all the other soldiers left Jerusalem with Abishai to go after Sheba. 8When they reached the large rock at Gibeon, Amasa met them. Joab was dressed for battle, with a sword in its sheath fastened to his belt. As he came forward, the sword fell out. 9Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my friend?” and took hold of his beard with his right hand in order to kiss him. 10Amasa was not on guard against the sword that Joab was holding in his other hand, and Joab stabbed him in the belly, and his entrails spilt out on the ground. He died immediately, and Joab did not have to strike again.
Then Joab and his brother Abishai went on after Sheba. 11One of Joab's men stood by Amasa's body and called out, “Everyone who is for Joab and David follow Joab!” 12Amasa's body, covered with blood, was lying in the middle of the road. Joab's man saw that everybody was stopping, so he dragged the body from the road into the field and threw a blanket over it. 13After the body had been removed from the road, everyone followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba.
14Sheba passed through the territory of all the tribes of Israel and came to the city of Abel Beth Maacah, and all the members of the clan of Bikri#20.14 Probable text Bikri; Hebrew Beri. assembled and followed him into the city. 15Joab's men heard that Sheba was there, and so they went and besieged the city. They built ramps of earth against the outer wall and also began to dig under the wall to make it fall down. 16There was a wise woman in the city who shouted from the wall, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here; I want to speak with him.” 17Joab went, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”
“Yes, I am,” he answered.
“Listen to me, sir,” she said.
“I'm listening,” he answered.
18She said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Go and get your answer in the city of Abel’ — and that's just what they did. 19Ours is a great city, one of the most peaceful and loyal in Israel. Why are you trying to destroy it? Do you want to ruin what belongs to the LORD?”
20“Never!” Joab answered. “I will never ruin or destroy your city! 21That is not our plan. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, who is from the hill country of Ephraim, started a rebellion against King David. Hand over this one man, and I will withdraw from the city.”
“We will throw his head over the wall to you,” she said. 22Then she went to the people of the city with her plan, and they cut off Sheba's head and threw it over the wall to Joab. He blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to leave the city, and they went back home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
David's Officials
23Joab was in command of the army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of David's bodyguard; 24Adoniram was in charge of the forced labour; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of the records; 25Sheva was the court secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were the priests, 26and Ira from the town of Jair was also one of David's priests.
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2 Samuel 20: GNBUK
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Shmuel Bais 20
20
1And there happened to be there an ish Beliyaal,#20:1 rebel shmo Sheva Ben Bikhri an ish from Binyamin; and he blew a shofar, and said, We have no chelek in Dovid, neither have we nachalah in Ben Yishai; every ish to his ohel, O Yisroel.
2So kol Ish Yisroel went up from after Dovid, and followed Sheva Ben Bikhri; but the Ish Yehudah had deveykus unto their Melech, from Yarden even to Yerushalayim.
3And Dovid came to his Bais (palace) at Yerushalayim; and HaMelech took the ten nashim, his pilagshim, whom he had left to be shomer over the Bais, and put them in Bais Mishmeret (seclusion), and provided for them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto their yom mot, living in almenut (widowhood).
4Then said HaMelech to Amasa, Assemble the Ish Yehudah within shloshet yamim; be thou here present.
5So Amasa went to assemble Yehudah; but he tarried longer than the mo'ed which he had appointed him.
6And Dovid said to Avishai, Now shall Sheva Ben Bikhri do us more harm than did Avshalom; take thou the avadim of adoneicha, pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape us.
7And there went out after him anshei Yoav, and the Kereti, and the Peleti, and kol Gibborim; and they went out of Yerushalayim, to pursue after Sheva Ben Bikhri.
8When they were at the Even Hagedolah (Great Stone) which is in Giv'on, Amasa went before them. And Yoavʼs military garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a khagor with a cherev fastened upon his waist in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.
9Yoav said to Amasa, Art thou in shalom, my brother? And Yoav took Amasa by the zaken (beard) with the right hand to kiss him.
10But Amasa took no heed to the cherev that was in the yad Yoav; so he stabbed him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Yoav and Avishai achiv pursued after Sheva Ben Bikhri.
11And one of the nearim of Yoav stood by him, and said, He that favoreth Yoav, and he that is for Dovid, let him go after Yoav.
12And Amasa wallowed in dahm in the midst of the mesilah (road). And when the ish saw that kol haAm halted, he removed Amasa out of the mesilah into the sadeh, and threw a beged (garment) over him, when he saw that every one that came by him halted.
13When he was removed from the mesilah, kol haAm went on after Yoav, to pursue after Sheva Ben Bikhri.
14And he passed through all the Shivtei Yisroel unto Abel, and to Beit-Ma'achah, and all the Berim; and they were gathered together, and went also after him.#20:14 i.e., Sheva
15And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beit-Ma'achah, and they cast up a siege ramp against the Ir, until it stood by the rampart; and kol haAm that were with Yoav battered the chomah (wall), to throw it down.
16Then cried an isha chachamah (wise woman) from the Ir, Hear, hear; say, now unto Yoav, Come here, that I may speak with thee.
17And when he was come near unto her, the isha said, Art thou Yoav? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the devarim of thine amah. And he answered, I do hear.
18Then she spoke, saying, They used to speak in rishonah (old times), saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel; and so they settled the matter.
19I am one of them that are of shalom and of emunah in Yisroel; thou seekest to destroy an Ir and an em b'Yisroel; why wilt thou swallow up the nachalat Hashem?
20And Yoav answered and said, Chalilah (far be it), chalilah from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
21The matter is not so; but an ish of har Ephrayim, Sheva Ben Bikhri shmo, hath lifted up his yad against HaMelech, even against Dovid; hand over him only, and I will depart from the Ir. And the woman said unto Yoav, Hinei, his rosh shall be thrown to thee from the chomah.
22Then the isha went unto kol haAm in her chochmah. And they cut off the rosh of Sheva Ben Bikhri, and threw it out to Yoav. And he blew a shofar, and they retired from the city, every ish to his ohel. And Yoav returned to Yerushalayim unto HaMelech.
23Now Yoav was over kol HaTzava Yisroel; and Benayah Ben Yehoyada was over the Kereti and over the Peleti;
24And Adoram was over the forced labor; and Yehoshaphat Ben Achilud was mazkir (secretary);
25And Sheva was sofer; and Tzadok and Evyatar (Abiathar) were the kohanim;
26And also Ira the Yairi was kohen to Dovid.
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