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2 Samuel 20
1599 Geneva Bible

20 1 Sheba raiseth Israel against David. 10 Joab killeth Amasa traitorously. 22 The head of Sheba is delivered to Joab. 23 David’s chief officers.

1 Then there was come [a]thither a wicked man (named Sheba the son of Bichri, a man of Benjamin) and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no part in [b]David, neither have we inheritance in the son [c]of Ishai: every man to his tents, O Israel.

2 So every man of Israel went from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave fast unto their King, from [d]Jordan even to Jerusalem.

3 When David then came to his house to Jerusalem, the king took the ten women his (A)concubines, that he had left behind him to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but lay no more with them: but they were enclosed unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.

4 ¶ Then said the King to [e]Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.

5 So Amasa went to assemble Judah, but he tarried longer than the time which he had appointed him.

6 Then David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou therefore thy [f]lord’s servants and follow after him, lest he get him walled cities, and escape us.

7 And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the (B)Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they departed out of Jerusalem, to follow after Sheba the son of Bichri.

8 When they were at the great stone, which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them, and Joab’s [g]garment, that he had put on, was girded unto him, and upon it was a sword girded, which hanged on his loins in the sheath, and as he went, it used to fall out.

9 And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in [h]health, my brother? and Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.

10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: for therewith he smote him in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and [i]smote him not the second time: so he died: then Joab and Abishai his brother followed after Sheba the son of Bichri.

11 And one of Joab’s men [j]stood by him, and said, He that favoreth Joab, and he that is of David’s part, let him go after Joab.

12 And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the way: and when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the way into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, because he saw that everyone that came by him, stood still.

13 ¶ When he was removed out of the way, every man went after Joab, to follow after Sheba the son of Bichri.

14 And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and [k]Beth Maachah and all places of Berim: and they gathered together, and went also after him.

15 So they came, and besieged him in Abel, near to Beth Maachah, and they cast up a mount against the city, and the people thereof stood on the rampart, and all the people that was with Joab, [l]destroyed and cast down the wall.

16 Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear, I pray you, say unto Joab, Come thou hither, that I may speak with thee.

17 And when he came near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, Yea. And she said to him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.

18 Then she spake thus, [m]They spake in the old time, saying, They should ask of Abel: and so they have continued.

19 I am [n]one of them that are peaceable, and faithful in Israel: and thou goest about to destroy a city, and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou devour the inheritance of the Lord?

20 And Joab answered, and said, God forbid, God forbid it me, that I should devour, or destroy it.

21 The [o]matter is not so, but a man of mount Ephraim (Sheba the son of Bichri by name) hath lift up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver us him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

22 Then the woman went unto all the people with her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it to Joab: then he blew the trumpet, and [p]they retired from the city, every man to his tent: and Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the King.

23 (C)Then Joab was over all the host of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the Cherethites, and over the Pelethites,

24 And Adoram over the tribute, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud the Recorder,

25 And Sheva was Scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar the Priests

26 And also Ira the Jairite was [q]chief about David.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 20:1 Where the ten tribes contended against Judah.
  2. 2 Samuel 20:1 As they of Judah say.
  3. 2 Samuel 20:1 He thought by speaking contemptuously of the king, to stir the people rather to sedition, or else by causing Israel to depart, thought that they of Judah would have less esteemed him.
  4. 2 Samuel 20:2 From Gilgal, which was near Jordan.
  5. 2 Samuel 20:4 Who was his chief captain in Joab’s room, 2 Sam. 19:13.
  6. 2 Samuel 20:6 Either them which had been under Joab or David’s men.
  7. 2 Samuel 20:8 Which was his coat, that he used to wear in the wars.
  8. 2 Samuel 20:9 Hebrew, peace.
  9. 2 Samuel 20:10 Hebrew, doubled not his stroke.
  10. 2 Samuel 20:11 He stood by Amasa at Joab’s appointment.
  11. 2 Samuel 20:14 Unto the city Abel, which was near to Beth Maachah.
  12. 2 Samuel 20:15 That is, he went about to overthrow it.
  13. 2 Samuel 20:18 She showeth that the old custom was not to destroy a city before peace was offered, Deut. 20:10, 11.
  14. 2 Samuel 20:19 She speaketh in the name of the city.
  15. 2 Samuel 20:21 Hearing his fault told him, he gave place to reason, and required only him that was author of the treason.
  16. 2 Samuel 20:22 Hebrew, they were scattered.
  17. 2 Samuel 20:26 Either in dignity or familiarity.
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2 Samuel 20
New International Version

Sheba Rebels Against David

20 Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted,

“We have no share(A) in David,(B)
    no part in Jesse’s son!(C)
Every man to his tent, Israel!”

2 So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

3 When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines(D) he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but had no sexual relations with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.

4 Then the king said to Amasa,(E) “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.” 5 But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.

6 David said to Abishai,(F) “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”[a] 7 So Joab’s men and the Kerethites(G) and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

8 While they were at the great rock in Gibeon,(H) Amasa came to meet them. Joab(I) was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.

9 Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger(J) in Joab’s(K) hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri.

11 One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!” 12 Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt(L) there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him. 13 After Amasa had been removed from the road, everyone went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maakah and through the entire region of the Bikrites,[b](M) who gathered together and followed him. 15 All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maakah.(N) They built a siege ramp(O) up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down, 16 a wise woman(P) called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.” 17 He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”

“I am,” he answered.

She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

18 She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it. 19 We are the peaceful(Q) and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”(R)

20 “Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from the city.”

The woman said to Joab, “His head(S) will be thrown to you from the wall.”

22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice,(T) and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

David’s Officials

23 Joab(U) was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; 24 Adoniram[c](V) was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat(W) son of Ahilud was recorder; 25 Sheva was secretary; Zadok(X) and Abiathar were priests; 26 and Ira the Jairite[d] was David’s priest.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 20:6 Or and do us serious injury
  2. 2 Samuel 20:14 See Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew Berites.
  3. 2 Samuel 20:24 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Kings 4:6 and 5:14); Hebrew Adoram
  4. 2 Samuel 20:26 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 23:38) Ithrite
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