1
And there happened to be there a man◦ of Belial, and his name was Sheba◦, the son of Bichri, a man◦ of Jemin*; and he sounded on◦ the shophar* and said, We have◦ no part in David, and we have◦ not an inheritance in the son of Jesse; each··man◦ to his tent, O Israel.
2
And every man◦ of Israel went··up from after David, and went after Sheba◦ the son of Bichri; but the men◦ of Judah stuck to their king, from the Jordan even to◦ Jerusalem.
3
And David came to▵ his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had placed to keep the house, and put◦ them in a house of keeping, and sustained them, but came· not ·in to▵ them. And they were shut··in until the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4
And the king said to▵ Amasa, Call··up for me the men◦ of Judah in three days, and stand thou◦ here.
5
And Amasa went to call··up Judah, but he delayed beyond the appointed··time which he had appointed.
6
And David said to▵ Abishai, Now shall Sheba◦ the son of Bichri be· more ·evil than Absalom; take thou◦ servants of thy lord and pursue after him, lest he find for himself fortified cities and escape our eyes.
7
And there went··out after him the men◦ of Joab, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the heroes; and they went··forth from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba◦ the son of Bichri.
8
They◦ were by the great stone which is in Gibeon, and Amasa came before them. And Joab was girded, his robe, his clothing, and upon it a girdle, with a sword fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and he◦ went··forth, and it fell out.
9
And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou◦ in peace, my brother? and the right hand of Joab seized upon the beard of Amasa, that he might kiss him.
10
And Amasa heeded not the sword that was in Joab’s hand, and he smote him with it to▵ the fifth*, and spilled··out his bowels to▫ the earth, and he did not repeat◦ it; and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba◦ the son of Bichri.
11
And a man◦ stood by◦ him of the lads of Joab, and said, Who is he that delights in Joab, and who is he that is for David; let him be after Joab.
12
But Amasa rolled in blood in the midst of the highway. And the man◦ saw that all the people stood still, and he brought· Amasa ·around from the highway to the field, and cast a garment upon him, because he saw that all who came upon him stood still.
13
When▵ he was dragged from the highway, all the men◦ passed··on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba◦ the son of Bichri.
14
And he passed··through all the tribes◦ of Israel unto Abel, and Beth-maacah, and all the Berites; and they were assembled and came also◦ after him.
15
And they came and besieged him in Abelah-beth-maacah; and they spilled··out an embankment* to▵ the city, and it stood against◦ the rampart; and all the people who were with◦ Joab damaged the wall to make it fall.
16
And a wise woman called from the city, Hear, Hear! Say, I pray◦, to▵ Joab, Come··near to◦ here◦, and I will speak to▵ thee.
17
And he came··near unto▵ her and the woman said, Art thou◦ Joab? And he said, I◦ am. And she said unto him, Hear the words of thy maidservant. And he said, I▵ do Hear.
18
And she said, saying, Speaking, they spoke in former times, saying, Asking, they shall ask in Abel, and so they finished it.
19
I▵ am of the peaceful and faithful of Israel; thou◦ seekest to··put··to··death a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow··up the inheritance of Jehovah?
20
And Joab answered and said, Far··be··it, far··be··it from me that· I ·should swallow··up or◦ that· I ·should destroy.
21
The word is not so; for a man◦ from Mount Ephraim, Sheba◦ the son of Bichri his name, has lifted up his hand against◦ the king, against◦ David. Only give him up, and I will go from over the city. And the woman said unto▵ Joab, Behold, his head shall be cast to▵ thee over▫ the wall.
22
And the woman came to▵ all the people in her wisdom; and they cut··off the head of Sheba◦ the son of Bichri, and cast it unto▵ Joab. And he sounded with the shophar, and they scattered from the city every man◦ to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto▵ the king.
23
And Joab was over all the army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites;
24
and Adoram was over the tribute; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder:
25
and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests.