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BibleCompass

/Chapter 20

20 / 24

2 Samuel

ESV

Chapter 20

¹Now 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!” ²So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah clung to their king, from the Jordan to Jerusalem. ³And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and placed 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. ⁴Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself.” ⁵So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that he had appointed him. ⁶And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us.” ⁷And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men. They went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. ⁸When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing his soldier’s garment, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh, and as he went forward it fell out. ⁹And Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. ¹⁰But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab’s hand. So Joab struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking him again, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. ¹¹And one of Joab’s young men took his stand by Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.” ¹²And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people were stopping, he carried Amasa from the highway into the field and threw a garment over him, when he saw that everyone who came by him stopped. ¹³When he was removed from the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. ¹⁴Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and all the Berites assembled and followed him in. ¹⁵And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah. They cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the outer wall, and all the people who were with Joab were undermining the wall to make it fall. ¹⁶Then a wise woman called from the city, “Hear! Hear! Tell Joab, ‘Come here that I may speak to you.’” ¹⁷And he came near her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” And he answered, “I am listening.” ¹⁸Then she said, “They used to say in former times, ‘Let them inquire at Abel,’ and so they settled the matter. ¹⁹I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You are seeking to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?” ²⁰Joab answered, “Far be it from me, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy! ²¹That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” ²²Then 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 Joab. Then he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king. ²³Now Joab was in command of all the army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites; ²⁴and Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; ²⁵and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; ²⁶and Ira the Jairite was also David’s priest.