20Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, "We have no share in David, no part in Jesse's son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!"H7122H376H1100H8034H7652H1121H1075H1145H8628H7782H559H2506H1732H5159H1121H3448H376H376H168H34782So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.H376H3478H5927H310H1732H310H7652H1121H1075H376H3063H1692H4428H3383H33893When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but did not lie with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.H1732H935H1004H3389H4428H3947H6235H802H6370H3240H8104H1004H5414H4931H3557H935H6887H3117H4191H2424H4914Then the king said to Amasa, "Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself."H559H4428H6021H2199H376H3063H7969H3117H59755But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.H6021H3212H2199H3063H309H3186H4150H32596David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba son of Bicri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master's men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us."H1732H559H52H7652H1121H1075H3415H53H3947H113H5650H7291H310H4672H1219H5892H5337H58697So Joab's men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.H3318H310H3097H582H3774H6432H1368H3318H3389H7291H310H7652H1121H10758While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.H1419H68H1391H6021H935H6440H3097H4055H3830H2296H2289H2719H6775H4975H8593H3318H53079Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my brother?" Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.H3097H559H6021H7965H251H3097H270H6021H2206H3225H3027H540110Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab's hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri.H6021H8104H2719H3097H3027H5221H2570H8210H4578H776H8138H4191H3097H52H251H7291H310H7652H1121H107511One of Joab's men stood beside Amasa and said, "Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!"H376H3097H5288H5975H559H4310H2654H3097H1732H310H309712Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.H6021H1556H1818H8432H4546H376H7200H5971H5975H5437H6021H4546H7704H7993H899H7200H935H597513After Amasa had been removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.H3014H4546H376H5674H310H3097H7291H310H7652H1121H107514Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.H5674H7626H3478H59H1038H1276H6950H7035H935H31015All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maacah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down,H935H6696H59H1038H8210H5550H5892H5975H2426H5971H3097H7843H2346H530716a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him."H7121H2450H802H5892H8085H8085H559H3097H7126H169617He went toward 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.H7126H802H559H3097H559H559H8085H1697H519H559H808518She continued, "Long ago they used to say, 'Get your answer at Abel,' and that settled it.H559H559H1696H1696H7223H559H7592H7592H59H855219We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the LORD'S inheritance?"H7999H539H3478H1245H4191H5892H517H3478H1104H5159H306820"Far be it from me!" Joab replied, "Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!H3097H6030H559H2486H2486H1104H784321That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bicri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I'll withdraw from the city." The woman said to Joab, "His head will be thrown to you from the wall."H1697H376H2022H669H7652H1121H1075H8034H5375H3027H4428H1732H5414H3212H5892H802H559H3097H7218H7993H1157H234622Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.H802H935H5971H2451H3772H7218H7652H1121H1075H7993H3097H8628H7782H6327H5892H376H168H3097H7725H3389H442823Joab was over Israel's entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;H3097H6635H3478H1141H1121H3077H3774H3746H643224Adoniram was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;H151H4522H3092H1121H286H214225Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;H7864H7724H5608H6659H54H354826and Ira the Jairite was David's priest.H5896H2972H3548H1732