2 Samuel 20
20
Sheba’s rebellion
1Now a despicable man named Sheba, Bichri’s son, from Benjamin, was also there. He sounded the trumpet and said:
“We don’t care about David!
We have no stake in Jesse’s son!
Go back to your homes, Israel!”
2So all the Israelites left David to follow Bichri’s son Sheba. But all the people of Judah stayed close to their king from the Jordan River all the way to Jerusalem.
3When David arrived at his palace in Jerusalem, the king took the ten secondary wives he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he didn’t have sex with them. They were confined until the day they died, and lived like widows.
4Then the king said to Amasa, “Call everyone in Judah here to me three days from now. You should be here too.” 5So Amasa went to call Judah together, but he took longer than the allotted time.
6David told Abishai, “Bichri’s son Sheba will cause more trouble for us than Absalom did. Take your master’s servants and chase after him before he finds fortified cities and escapes from us.” 7So Joab’s men marched out after Sheba—this included the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors. They marched out of Jerusalem to pursue Bichri’s son Sheba.
8When they got to the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was dressed in his soldier’s uniform. Over the tunic at his waist he wore a sword in its sheath. As Joab went forward it slipped out.
9“How are you, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa, and with his right hand he took hold of Amasa’s beard as if to kiss him. 10But Amasa didn’t notice the sword in Joab’s hand. Joab struck him in the stomach with it so that Amasa’s intestines spilled out on the ground. He died without Joab striking him a second time. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba, Bichri’s son.
11One of Joab’s men stood by Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, follow Joab!” 12Amasa was writhing in blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that everyone was stopping. When he saw this, he dragged Amasa from the road into a field and threw a robe over him. 13Once Amasa was moved out of the road, everyone who followed Joab marched past in pursuit of Bichri’s son Sheba.
14Sheba went through all the Israelite tribes up to Abel of Beth-maacah. All the Bichrites#20.14 Cf LXX, Vulg; MT Berites assembled and followed Sheba in. 15Then Joab’s men arrived and attacked Sheba at Abel of Beth-maacah. They piled up a ramp against the city, and it stood against the outer wall.#20.15 Heb uncertain All of Joab’s troops were hammering the wall, trying to bring it down.
16Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come over here, so I can talk to him.”
17So Joab approached her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?”
“I am,” he answered.
“Pay close attention to the words of your female servant,” she said.
“I’m listening,” Joab replied.
18She said, “People used to say long ago: ‘Ask your question at Abel,’ and that settled the matter. 19I am one of the peaceful and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to kill a city that is one of Israel’s mothers! Why would you annihilate the LORD’s inheritance?”
20Joab answered, “I would never, ever annihilate or destroy such a thing! 21That’s not the issue. A man named Sheba, Bichri’s son, who is from the Ephraim highlands, has rebelled against King David. Just hand him over, and I’ll leave the city alone.”
The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown over the wall to you!”
22When the woman went to everyone with her wise counsel, they cut off the head of Sheba, Bichri’s son, and threw it out to Joab. Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and his troops left the city, returning to their homes. But Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
David’s officials
23Now Joab was in command of Israel’s army; Jehoiada’s son Benaiah commanded the Cherethites and the Pelethites; 24Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Ahilud’s son Jehoshaphat was the recorder; 25Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26and Ira from Jair was also a priest for David.
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2 Samuel 20: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
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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