¹⁶ a wise woman called from the city, ‘Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so that I can speak to him.’ ¹⁷ He went towards 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.