2 Samuel 20:1-26
20 Now, in that place, there happened to be an abandoned man, whose name was Sheba son of Bichri, a man of Benjamin,—so he blew a horn and said—We have no share in David, Nor inheritance have we in the son of Jesse, Every man to his home, O Israel!
2 Then went up all the men of Israel from following David, to follow Sheba son of Bichri,—but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from the Jordan, even as far as Jerusalem.
3 And David entered into his own house in Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and sustained them, but unto them went he not in,—so they were shut up until the day of their death, in lifelong widowhood.
4 Then said the king unto Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days,—and thou here take thy stand!
5 So Amasa went to assemble Judah,—but he tarried beyond the fixed time, which he had appointed him.
6 Then said David unto Abishai, Now shall Sheba son of Bichri do us more harm than Absolom,—thou take the servants of thy lord and pursue him, lest he have got him into fortified cities, and so have escaped our eye.
7 Then went out after him—the men of Joab, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men,—and they went out from Jerusalem, to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
8 When they were by the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa had arrived before them. Now Joab was girded about with his war-coat as his upper garment, and over it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof, and it came out and fell.
9 Then said Joab unto Amasa, Art thou well, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
10 Amasa not heeding the sword that was in the hand of Joab, he smote him therewith in the belly and shed out his bowels to the ground, and [struck] him not again, and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba son of Bichri.
11 Now a man stood over him, of the young men of Joab,—and said—Whosoever is well pleased with Joab and whosoever pertaineth to David let him follow Joab.
12 But Amasa was wallowing in blood, in the midst of the highway,—and when the man saw that all the people stood still, he moved Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast over him a garment as soon as he saw that every man that came up to him stood still.
13 When he had removed him out of the highway, every man passed on after Joab, to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
14 And he passed on throughout all the tribes of Israel unto Abel and unto Beth-maachah and all the Berites,—and they were called together, and came in yea and followed him.
15 So they came, and laid siege against him in Abel Beth-maachah, and they cast up a mound against the city, so that it stood within a rampart,—and all the people who were with Joab were battering the wall to throw it down.
16 Then cried a wise woman out of the city,—Hear ye! hear ye! I pray you, say unto Joab, Come near hither and let me speak unto thee.
17 So he came near unto her, and the woman said,—Art thou Joab? And he said,—I am. And she said unto him,—Hear thou the words of thy handmaid. And he said, I do hear.
18 Then spake she, saying,—They used to speak in former times, saying, Enquire in Abel! And so they ended it.
19 I am of the peaceable among the faithful in Israel,—thou art seeking to put to death a city, and a mother in Israel, wherefore wouldst thou swallow up the inheritance of Yahweh?
20 Then answered Joab and said,—Far be it! far be it from me! I will neither swallow up nor lay waste.
21 Not so is the matter! but a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bichri his name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David, give up him alone, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Lo! his head shall be cast unto thee through the wall.
22 So the woman came unto all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast it out unto Joab. And he blew with a horn, and they dispersed themselves from the city, every man to his home; but Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.
23 And Joab was [restored] unto all the army of Israel,—And Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites,
24 And Adoniram was over the tribute,—And Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was the remembrancer;
25 And Sheva was scribe,—And Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
26 Moreover also Ira the Jairite was chief ruler unto David.