Shemu’ĕl Bĕt (2 Samuel) 20
20
1And there came to be a man of Beliya‛al, whose name was Sheḇa son of Biḵri, a Binyamite. And he blew with the shophar, and said, “We have no part in Dawiḏ, nor do we have inheritance in the son of Yishai – each one to his tents, O Yisra’ĕl!”
2Then all the men of Yisra’ĕl deserted Dawiḏ, to follow Sheḇa the son of Biḵri. But the men of Yehuḏah, from the Yardĕn as far as Yerushalayim, clung to their sovereign.
3And Dawiḏ came to his house at Yerushalayim. And the sovereign took the ten women, his concubines whom he had left to look after the house, and put them in a protected house and supported them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4And the sovereign said to Amasa, “Call the men of Yehuḏah for me within three days, and be present here yourself.”
5And Amasa went to call the men of Yehuḏah. But he delayed longer than the appointed time which Dawiḏ had appointed him.
6And Dawiḏ said to Aḇishai, “Now Sheḇa son of Biḵri is going to do us more evil than Aḇshalom. Take the servants of your master, and pursue him, lest he find for himself walled cities, and escape us.”
7Then the men of Yo’aḇ went out after him, with the Kerĕthites and the Pelĕthites, and all the mighty men. And they went out of Yerushalayim to pursue Sheḇa son of Biḵri.
8When they were near the large stone which is in Giḇ‛on, Amasa came before them. And Yo’aḇ was dressed in battle armour, and on it was a girdle with a sword fastened in its sheath at his hips. And as he went forward, it fell out.
9And Yo’aḇ said to Amasa, “Peace, my brother?” And Yo’aḇ took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
10But Amasa was not on guard against the sword in Yo’aḇ’s hand. And he struck him with it in the stomach, and his inward parts poured out on the ground, and he did not strike him again, and he died. Then Yo’aḇ and Aḇishai his brother pursued Sheḇa son of Biḵri.
11And a man, one of Yo’aḇ’s men, stood beside him, and said, “Whoever is well pleased with Yo’aḇ and whoever is for Dawiḏ, let him follow Yo’aḇ!”
12And Amasa was rolling in his blood in the middle of the highway. And the man saw that all the people stood still, so he moved Amasa from the highway to the field and threw a garment over him, when he saw that everyone who came upon him halted.
13When he was removed from the highway, all the men passed on after Yo’aḇ to pursue Sheḇa son of Biḵri.
14And he passed over through all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl to Aḇĕl, and to Bĕyth Ma‛aḵah, and to all the Bĕrites. And they were assembled and went after him too.
15And they went and besieged him in Aḇĕl of Bĕyth Ma‛aḵah, and they cast up a siege mound against the city. And it stood in a rampart, and all the people who were with Yo’aḇ battered the wall to throw it down.
16Then a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen, listen! Please say to Yo’aḇ, ‘Come nearby, so that I speak to you.’ ”
17And he came near to her, and the woman said, “Are you Yo’aḇ?” And he answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your female servant.” And he answered, “I am listening.”
18Then she spoke, saying, “In former times they often spoke, saying, ‘Let them inquire of Aḇĕl,’ and so they ended the matter.
19“I am of the peaceable and trustworthy ones in Yisra’ĕl. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Yisra’ĕl. Why do you swallow up the inheritance of יהוה?”
20And Yo’aḇ answered and said, “Far be it, far be it from me to swallow up or to destroy!
21“That is not the case. But a man from the mountains of Ephrayim, Sheḇa son of Biḵri by name, has raised his hand against the sovereign, against Dawiḏ. Hand him over, him alone, and I withdraw from the city.” And the woman said to Yo’aḇ, “Look, his head is going to be thrown to you over the wall.”
22So the woman in her wisdom went to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheḇa son of Biḵri, and threw it out to Yo’aḇ. Then he blew with the shophar, and they dispersed from the city, each one to his tent. And Yo’aḇ returned to the sovereign at Yerushalayim.
23Now Yo’aḇ was over all the army of Yisra’ĕl, and Benayah son of Yehoyaḏa was over the Kerĕthites and the Pelĕthites,
24and Aḏoram was over the compulsory labour, and Yehoshaphat son of Aḥiluḏ was recorder,
25and Shewa was scribe, and Tsaḏoq and Eḇyathar were the priests,
26and Ira the Ya‛irite was priest to Dawiḏ.
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Shemu’ĕl Bĕt (2 Samuel) 20: TS2009
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2 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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