2 Kings 20
20
1And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Seba, the son of Bochri, a man of Jemini. And he sounded the trumpet, and said: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai. Return to thy dwellings, O Israel.
2And all Israel departed from David, and followed Seba the son of Bochri: but the men of Juda stuck to their king from the Jordan unto Jerusalem.
3And when the king was come into his house at Jerusalem, he took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, allowing them provisions. And he went not in unto them; but they were shut up unto the day of their death living in widowhood.
4And the king said to Amasa: Assemble to me all the men of Juda against the third day. And be thou here present.
5So Amasa went to assemble the men of Juda; but he tarried beyond the set time which the king had appointed him.
6And David said to Abisai: Now will Seba the son of Bochri do us more harm than did Absalom. Take thou therefore the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he find fenced cities, and escape us.
7So Joab's men went out with him, and the Cerethi and the Phelethi: and all the valiant men went out of Jerusalem to pursue after Seba the son of Bochri.
8And when they were at the great stone which is in Gabaon, Amasa coming met them. And Joab had on a close coat of equal length with his habit; and over it was girded with a sword hanging down to his flank, in a scabbard, made in such manner as to come out with the least motion and strike.
9And Joab said to Amasa: God save thee, my brother. And he took Amasa by the chin with his right hand to kiss him.
10But Amasa did not take notice of the sword, which Joab had: and he struck him in the side, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and gave him not a second wound. And he died. And Joab, and Abisai his brother pursued after Seba the son of Bochri.
11In the mean time some men of Joab's company, stopping at the dead body of Amasa, said: Behold, he that would have been in Joab's stead the companion of David.
12And Amasa imbrued with blood, lay in the midst of the way. A certain man saw this that all the people stood still to look upon him. So he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and covered him with a garment, that they who passed might not stop on his account.
13And when he was removed out of the way, all the people went on following Joab to pursue after Seba the son of Bochri.
14Now he had passed through all the tribes of Israel unto Abela and Bethmaacha: and all the chosen men were gathered together unto him.
15And they came, and besieged him in Abela and in Bethmaacha, and they cast up works round the city, and the city was besieged. And all the people that were with Joab laboured to throw down the walls.
16And a wise woman cried out from the city: Hear, hear, and say to Joab: Come near hither, and I will speak with thee.
17And when he was come near to her, she said to him: Art thou Joab? And he answered: I am, And she spoke thus to him: Hear the words of thy handmaid. He answered: I do hear.
18And she again said: A saying was used in the old proverb: They that inquire, let them inquire in Abela: and so they made an end.
19Am not I she that answer truth in Israel? And thou seekest to destroy the city, and to overthrow a mother in Israel? Why wilt thou throw down the inheritance of the Lord?
20And Joab answering said: God forbid, God forbid that I should I do not throw down, nor destroy.
21The matter is not so, but a man of mount Ephraim, Seba the son of Bochri by name, hath lifted up his hand against king David: deliver him only, and we will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab: Behold his head shall be thrown to thee from the wall.
22So she went to all the people, and spoke to them wisely. And they cut off the head of Seba the son of Bochri, and cast it out to Joab. And he sounded the trumpet: and they departed from the city, every one to their home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.
23So Joab was over all the army of Israel: and Banaias the son of Joiada was over the Cerethites and Phelethites.
24But Aduram over the tributes: and Josaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.
25And Siva was scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar, priests.
26And Ira the Jairite was the priest of David.
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2 Kings 20: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
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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