[1] Now there happened to be there a worthless fellow, whose name was
Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite; and he blew the trumpet, and said,
"We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of
Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel!" [2] So all the men of Israel
withdrew from David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of
Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem. [3] And
David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten concubines
whom he had left to care for the house, and put them in a house under
guard, and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut
up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood. [4] Then the
king said to Ama'sa, "Call the men of Judah together to me within three
days, and be here yourself." [5] So Ama'sa went to summon Judah; but he
delayed beyond the set time which had been appointed him. [6] And David
said to Abi'shai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than
Ab'salom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself
fortified cities, and cause us trouble." [7] And there went out after
Abi'shai, Jo'ab and the Cher'ethites and the Pel'ethites, and all the
mighty men; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
[8] When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Ama'sa came to
meet them. Now Jo'ab was wearing a soldier's garment, and over it was a
girdle with a sword in its sheath fastened upon his loins, and as he went
forward it fell out. [9] And Jo'ab said to Ama'sa, "Is it well with you, my
brother?" And Jo'ab took Ama'sa by the beard with his right hand to kiss
him. [10] But Ama'sa did not observe the sword which was in Jo'ab's hand;
so Jo'ab struck him with it in the body, and shed his bowels to the ground,
without striking a second blow; and he died. Then Jo'ab and Abi'shai his
brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. [11] And one of Jo'ab's men took
his stand by Ama'sa, and said, "Whoever favors Jo'ab, and whoever is for
David, let him follow Jo'ab." [12] And Ama'sa lay wallowing in his blood in
the highway. And any one who came by, seeing him, stopped; and when the man
saw that all the people stopped, he carried Ama'sa out of the highway into
the field, and threw a garment over him. [13] When he was taken out of the
highway, all the people went on after Jo'ab to pursue Sheba the son of
Bichri. [14] And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of
Beth-ma'acah; and all the Bichrites assembled, and followed him in. [15]
And all the men who were with Jo'ab came and besieged him in Abel of
Beth-ma'acah; they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against
the rampart; and they were battering the wall, to throw it down. [16] Then
a wise woman called from the city, "Hear! Hear! Tell Jo'ab, `Come here,
that I may speak to you.'" [17] And he came near her; and the woman said,
"Are you Jo'ab?" He answered, "I am." Then she said to him, "Listen to the
words of your maidservant." And he answered, "I am listening." [18] Then
she said, "They were wont to say in old time, `Let them but ask counsel at
Abel'; and so they settled a matter. [19] I am one of those who are
peaceable and faithful in Israel; you seek to destroy a city which is a
mother in Israel; why will you swallow up the heritage of the LORD?" [20]
Jo'ab answered, "Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or
destroy! [21] That is not true. But a man of the hill country of E'phraim,
called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David;
give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city." And the woman said
to Jo'ab, "Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall." [22]
Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the
head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Jo'ab. So he blew the
trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Jo'ab
returned to Jerusalem to the king. [23] Now Jo'ab was in command of all the
army of Israel; and Benai'ah the son of Jehoi'ada was in command of the
Cher'ethites and the Pel'ethites; [24] and Ador'am was in charge of the
forced labor; and Jehosh'aphat the son of Ahi'lud was the recorder; [25]
and Sheva was secretary; and Zadok and Abi'athar were priests; [26] and Ira
the Ja'irite was also David's priest.
