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.
Currently Selected:
2 Samuel 20: GNBUK
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
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.
2 Samuel 20
20
1And there hath been called there a man of worthlessness, and his name [is] Sheba, son of Bichri, a Benjamite, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and saith, ‘We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; each to his tents, O Israel.’
2And every man of Israel goeth up from after David, after Sheba son of Bichri, and the men of Judah have cleaved to their king, from the Jordan even unto Jerusalem.
3And David cometh in unto his house at Jerusalem, and the king taketh the ten women-concubines — whom he had left to keep the house, and putteth them in a house of ward, and sustaineth them, and unto them he hath not gone in, and they are shut up unto the day of their death, in widowhood living.
4And the king saith unto Amasa, ‘Call for me the men of Judah [in] three days, and thou, stand here,’
5and Amasa goeth to call Judah, and tarrieth beyond the appointed time that he had appointed him;
6and David saith unto Abishai, ‘Now doth Sheba son of Bichri do evil to us more than Absalom; thou, take the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he have found for himself fenced cities, and delivered himself [from] our eye.’
7And the men of Joab go out after him, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and all the mighty men, and they go out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri;
8they [are] near the great stone that [is] in Gibeon, and Amasa hath gone before them, and Joab [is] girded; his long robe he hath put on him, and upon it a girdle — a sword [is] fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and he hath gone out, and it falleth.
9And Joab saith to Amasa, ‘Art thou [in] peace, my brother?’ and the right hand of Joab layeth hold on the beard of Amasa to give a kiss to him;
10and Amasa hath not been watchful of the sword that [is] in the hand of Joab, and he smiteth him with it unto the fifth [rib], and sheddeth out his bowels to the earth, and he hath not repeated [it] to him, and he dieth; and Joab and Abishai his brother have pursued after Sheba son of Bichri.
11And a man hath stood by him, of the young men of Joab, and saith, ‘He who hath delight in Joab, and he who [is] for David — after Joab!’
12And Amasa is rolling himself in blood, in the midst of the highway, and the man seeth that all the people have stood still, and he bringeth round Amasa out of the highway to the field, and casteth over him a garment, when he hath seen that every one who hath come by him — hath stood still.
13When he hath been removed out of the highway, every man hath passed on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri.
14And he passeth over through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-Maachah, and to all the Berites, and they are assembled, and go in also after him,
15and they go in and lay siege against him, in Abel of Beth-Maachah, and cast up a mount against the city, and it standeth in a trench, and all the people who are [are] with Joab are destroying, to cause the wall to fall.
16And a wise woman calleth out of the city, ‘Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, and I speak unto thee.’
17And he cometh near unto her, and the woman saith, ‘Art thou Joab?’ and he saith, ‘I [am].’ And she saith to him, ‘Hear the words of thy handmaid;’ and he saith, ‘I am hearing.’
18And she speaketh, saying, ‘They spake often in former times, saying, Let them diligently ask at Abel, and so they finished.
19I [am] of the peaceable — faithful ones of Israel; thou art seeking to destroy a city, and a mother in Israel; why dost thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?
20And Joab answereth and saith, ‘Far be it — far be it from me; I do not swallow up nor destroy.
21The matter [is] not so; for a man of the hill-country of Ephraim — Sheba son of Bichri his name — hath lifted up his hand against the king, against David; give ye up him by himself, and I go away from the city.’ And the woman saith unto Joab, ‘Lo, his head is cast unto thee over the wall.’
22And the woman cometh unto all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast [it] unto Joab, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and they are scattered from the city, each to his tents, and Joab hath turned back to Jerusalem unto the king.
23And Joab [is] over all the host of Israel, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada [is] over the Cherethite, and over the Pelethite,
24and Adoram [is] over the tribute, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud [is] the remembrancer,
25and Sheva [is] scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar [are] priests,
26and also, Ira the Jairite hath been minister to David.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society