Chapter 20

Sheba’s Rebellion. ¹ A trouble-making scoundrel named Sheba, the son of Bichri and a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and cried out:

² When they heard this, all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba, the son of Bichri. However, the people of Judah maintained their loyalty to the king and followed him steadfastly all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

³ When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines whom he had left behind to look after the palace, and he put them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he did not engage in relations with them. They were shut up in confinement until the day of their death, living as if they were widows.

Amasa’s Death. ⁴ Then the king said to Amasa: “Summon the men of Judah and order them to appear before me within three days.” ⁵ Amasa set out to summon the men of Judah, but his mission took longer than the time specified by the king.

⁶ Then David said to Abishai: “Sheba, son of Bichri, may very well prove to do greater damage to us than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him before he can reach any fortified towns and escape from us.” ⁷ Therefore, Joab’s forces, the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all of the most skilled warriors marched out under the command of Abishai and left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba, son of Bichri.

⁸ When they arrived at the large stone in Gibeon, Amasa came forth from the opposite direction to meet them. Joab was wearing his tunic, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist. As he moved forward, the sword fell loose from his sheath. ⁹ Then Joab said to Amasa: “I trust that you are well, my brother.” Having said that, Joab grasped Amasa’s beard with his right hand as if to kiss him.

¹⁰ Amasa was not on his guard and failed to notice the sword in Joab’s left hand. Joab struck him with it in the belly so that his entrails poured forth to the ground. He did not find it necessary to strike a second blow, since Amasa had died instantaneously. Then Joab set forth with his brother Abishai in pursuit of Sheba, son of Bichri.

¹¹ One of Joab’s men stood on guard next to the body of Amasa, and he shouted: “Follow Joab, all those of you who favor Joab and support David!” ¹² Meanwhile Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man who had exhorted all of his fellow soldiers to follow Joab saw that everyone was stopping to stare at the body. Therefore, he carried Amasa’s body from the road and placed it in a field, with a garment covering the corpse. ¹³ Once the body had been removed from the road, all the men moved on and followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba, son of Bichri.

¹⁴ Joab Pursues Sheba. Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel until he arrived at Abel-beth-maacah.^[a] Shortly afterward, all of the Bichrites assembled and followed him into the town. ¹⁵ Joab’s forces then arrived and besieged him in Abel-beth-maacah. After they threw up a siege ramp against the town, all of Joab’s forces began to batter the wall to throw it down.

^16 [b]Suddenly a wise woman stood on the rampart and shouted from the town: “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.” ¹⁷ When Joab approached her, the woman asked: “Are you Joab?” He answered: “I am.” She continued: “Listen to what your maidservant has to say.” He replied: “I am listening.”

¹⁸ She then spoke as follows: “In the old days they used to say: ‘Go to Abel if you wish to find the answer,’ and in that way a matter would be settled. ¹⁹ This town prides itself on being one of the most peaceful and loyal in Israel. She is like a faithful mother, and yet you are seeking to destroy her. Why do you seek to devour the inheritance of the Lord?”

²⁰ Joab replied: “Not at all! Far be it from me to devour or to destroy anything. ²¹ That is not the case at all. However, a man from the hill country of Ephraim, named Sheba, son of Bichri, has rebelled against King David. If you surrender to us just this one man, I will withdraw from the town.” The woman said to Joab: “His head will be thrown over the wall to you.”

²² Then the woman went to confer with all the people, and they followed her advice, cutting off the head of Sheba, son of Bichri, and throwing it to Joab. Thereupon he sounded the trumpet, and all of his forces withdrew from the town, each to his own home while Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.

²³ David’s Officials. Joab was the commander of the entire army in Israel. Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites. ²⁴ Adoram was in charge of the forced labor. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was the recorder. ²⁵ Sheva was the secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were priests. ²⁶ Ira the Jairite was also David’s priest.