Sheba’s Rebellion
Now a man of worthlessness happened to be there, and his name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite; and he blew the trumpet and said, “We have no share in David, and no inheritance for us in the son of Jesse — each man to his tents, O Israel!”
And every man of Israel went up from following David, to follow Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah clung to their king, from the Jordan as far as Jerusalem.
And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten women, the concubines he had left to keep the house, and put them in a house under guard, and provided for them; but he did not go in to them. And they were shut up until the day of their death — a living widowhood.
And the king said to Amasa, “Call out the men of Judah for me within three days — and you, stand here.”
And Amasa went to call out Judah; but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him.
And David said to Abishai: “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. You — take the servants of your lord and pursue after him, lest he find fortified cities for himself and escape from our eye.”
And the men of Joab went out after him, with the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men; and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
They were near the great stone that is at Gibeon when Amasa came before them. Now Joab was girded with his military tunic as his clothing, and over it a belt with a sword strapped to his waist in its sheath; and as he stepped forward, it fell out.
And Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab’s right hand took hold of Amasa’s beard, to kiss him.
And Amasa was not on guard against the sword that was in Joab’s hand; and he struck him with it in the belly, and poured out his entrails to the ground — and he did not strike him again, and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
And a man from Joab’s young men stood over him and said, “Whoever delights in Joab, and whoever is for David — after Joab!”
And Amasa was wallowing in blood in the middle of the highway. And the man saw that all the people stood still; and he moved Amasa from the highway into the field, and threw a garment over him, since everyone who came upon him saw him and stood still.
When he had been removed from the highway, every man passed on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
And he passed through all the tribes of Israel, to Abel and Beth-maacah, and all the Berites; and they gathered together and came in after him as well.
And they came and besieged him at Abel of Beth-maacah, and poured out a siege ramp against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab were battering the wall, to bring it down.
And a wise woman called from the city: “Listen! Listen! Say, please, to Joab: Come near, this far, and let me speak to you.”
And he came near to her; and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” And he said, “I am.” And she said to him, “Hear the words of your servant.” And he said, “I am listening.”
And she spoke, saying: “In former times they would surely speak, saying, ‘Let them surely ask at Abel’ — and so they settled a matter.
I am one of the peaceable and faithful of Israel. You are seeking to put to death a city, and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?”
And Joab answered and said: “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy!
The matter is not so. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim — Sheba the son of Bichri is his name — has lifted his hand against the king, against David. Give him up, him alone, and I will go away from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Look — his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
And the woman came to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. And he blew the trumpet, and they scattered from the city, each man to his tents; and Joab returned to Jerusalem, to the king.
Now Joab was over all the army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites;
and Adoram was over the forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder;
and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
and Ira the Jairite also was a priest to David.