Dual Panel1Now a wicked <01100> man <0376> named <08034> Sheba <07652> son <01121> of Bicri <01075>, a Benjaminite <03228> <0376>, happened <07122> to be there <08033>. He blew <08628> the trumpet <07782> and said <0559>, “We have no <0369> share <02506> in David <01732>; we have no <03808> inheritance <05159> in this son <01121> of Jesse <03448>! Every man <0376> go home <0168>, O Israel <03478>!”
2So <05927> all <03605> the men <0376> of Israel <03478> deserted <0310> David <01732> and followed <0310> Sheba <07652> son <01121> of Bicri <01075>. But the men <0376> of Judah <03063> stuck <01692> by their king <04428> all the way from <04480> the Jordan River <03383> to Jerusalem <03389>.
3Then David <01732> went <0935> to <0413> his palace <01004> in Jerusalem <03389>. The king <04428> took <03947> the ten <06235> concubines <06370> he had <0834> left <03240> to care <08104> for the palace <01004> and placed <05414> them under confinement <04931> <01004>. Though he provided <03557> for their needs <03557>, he did not <03808> have sexual relations <0935> with <0413> them. They remained <01961> in confinement <06887> until <05704> the day <03117> they died <04194>, living out the rest of their lives <02424> as widows <0491>.
4Then the king <04428> said <0559> to <0413> Amasa <06021>, “Call <02199> the men <0376> of Judah <03063> together for me in three <07969> days <03117>, and you <0859> be present <05975> here <06311> with them too.”
5So Amasa <06021> went out <01980> to call <02199> Judah <03063> together. But in doing so he took longer <0309> than <04480> the time <04150> that <0834> the king had allotted <03259> him.
6Then David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> Abishai <052>, “Now <06258> Sheba <07652> son <01121> of Bicri <01075> will cause greater disaster <03415> for us than <04480> Absalom <053> did! Take <03947> your <0859> lord’s <0113> servants <05650> and pursue <07291> him. Otherwise <06435> he will secure <04672> fortified <01219> cities <05892> for himself and get away <05337> from us.”
7So Joab’s <03097> men <0376>, accompanied <03318> by <0310> the Kerethites <03774>, the Pelethites <06432>, and all <03605> the warriors <01368>, left <03318> Jerusalem <03389> to pursue <07291> Sheba <07652> son <01121> of Bicri <01075>.
8When they <01992> were near <05973> the big <01419> rock <068> that <0834> is in Gibeon <01391>, Amasa <06021> came <0935> to them <06440>. Now Joab <03097> was dressed <02296> in military <04055> attire <03830> and had a dagger <02719> in <05921> its sheath <08593> belted <06775> to his waist <04975>. When he <01931> advanced <03318>, it fell out <05307>.
9Joab <03097> said <0559> to Amasa <06021>, “How <07965> are you <0859>, my brother <0251>?” With his right <03225> hand <03027> Joab <03097> took hold <0270> of Amasa’s <06021> beard <02206> as if to greet him with a kiss <05401>.
10Amasa <06021> did not <03808> protect <08104> himself from the knife <02719> in Joab’s other hand <03027>, and Joab <03097> stabbed <05221> him in the abdomen <02570>, causing Amasa’s intestines <04578> to <0413> spill out <08210> on the ground <0776>. There was no <03808> need to stab him again <08138>; the first blow was fatal <04191>. Then Joab <03097> and his brother <0251> Abishai <052> pursued <07291> Sheba <07652> son <01121> of Bicri <01075>.
11One <0376> of Joab’s <03097> soldiers <05288> who stood <05976> over <05921> Amasa said <0559>, “Whoever <0834> <04310> is for <02654> Joab <03097> and whoever <0834> <04310> is for David <01732>, follow <0310> Joab <03097>!”
12Amasa <06021> was squirming <01556> in his own blood <01818> in the middle <08432> of the path <04546>, and this man <0376> had noticed <07200> that <03588> all <03605> the soldiers <05971> stopped <05975>. Having noticed <07200> that <0834> everyone <03605> who came <0935> across <05921> Amasa stopped <05975>, the man pulled <05437> him <06021> away from <04480> the path <04546> and into the field <07704> and threw <07993> a garment <0899> over him <05921>.
13Once he had removed <03014> Amasa from <04480> the path <04546>, everyone <0376> <03605> followed <0310> <05674> Joab <03097> to pursue <07291> Sheba <07652> son <01121> of Bicri <01075>.
14Sheba traveled through <05674> all <03605> the tribes <07626> of Israel <03478> to Abel <059> of Beth Maacah <01038> and all <03605> the Berite <01276> region. When they had assembled <07035>, they too <0637> joined <0310> <0935> him.
15So Joab’s men came <0935> and laid siege against <06696> him in <05921> Abel <059> of Beth Maacah <01038>. They prepared <08210> a siege ramp <05550> outside <0413> the city <05892> which stood <05975> against its outer rampart <02426>. As all <03605> of Joab’s <03097> soldiers <05971> were trying to break through <07843> the wall <02346> so that it would collapse <05307>,
16a wise <02450> woman <0802> called <07121> out from <04480> the city <05892>, “Listen <08085> up! Listen <08085> up! Tell <0559> Joab <03097>, ‘Come <07126> near <02008> <05704> so that I may speak <01696> to <0413> you.’”
17When he approached <0413> <07126> her, the woman <0802> asked <0559>, “Are you <0859> Joab <03097>?” He replied <0559>, “I <0589> am.” She said <0559> to him, “Listen <08085> to the words <01697> of your servant <0519>.” He said <0559>, “Go ahead. I’m <0595> listening <08085>.”
18She said <0559>, “In the past <07223> they would always say <01696> <01696>, ‘Let them inquire <07592> in Abel <059>,’ and that is how <03651> they settled <08552> things.
19I <0595> represent the peaceful <07999> and the faithful <0539> in Israel <03478>. You <0859> are attempting <01245> to destroy <04191> an important <0517> city <05892> in Israel <03478>. Why <04100> should you swallow up <01104> the Lord’s <03068> inheritance <05159>?”
20Joab <03097> answered <06030>, “Get serious <02486> <02486>! I don’t <0518> want to swallow up <01104> or <0518> destroy <07843> anything!
21That’s not <03808> the way <03651> things <01697> are. There is a man <0376> from the hill country <02022> of Ephraim <0669> named <08034> Sheba <07652> son <01121> of Bicri <01075>. He has rebelled <03027> <05375> against King <04428> David <01732>. Give <05414> me just <0905> this one man, and I will leave <01980> the city <05892>.” The woman <0802> said <0559> to <0413> Joab <03097>, “This very minute <02009> his head <07218> will be thrown <07993> over <01157> the wall <02346> to <0413> you!”
22Then the woman <0802> went <0935> to <0413> all <03605> the people <05971> with her wise advice <02451> and they cut off <03772> Sheba’s <07652> head <07218> and threw <07993> it out <07993> to <0413> Joab <03097>. Joab blew <08628> the trumpet <07782>, and his men dispersed <06327> from the city <05892>, each <0376> going to his own home <0168>. Joab <03097> returned <07725> to <0413> the king <04428> in Jerusalem <03389>.
23Now Joab <03097> was the general in command of all <03605> the army <06635> of Israel <03478>. Benaiah <01141> the son <01121> of Jehoida <03077> was over <05921> the Kerethites <03746> and the Perethites <06432>.
24Adoniram <0151> was supervisor <05921> of the work crews <04522>. Jehoshaphat <03092> son <01121> of Ahilud <0286> was the secretary <02142>.
25Sheva <07724> was the scribe <05608>, and Zadok <06659> and Abiathar <054> were the priests <03548>.
26Ira <05896> the Jairite <02972> was <01961> David’s <01732> personal priest <03548>.