¶ And there¹ happened to be there a man² of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew³ a trumpet, and said, We have⁴ no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

So every man⁵ of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men⁶ of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan⁷ even to Jerusalem.

And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women⁸ his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put⁹ them in ward¹⁰, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut¹¹ up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.

¶ Then said the king to Amasa¹², Assemble¹³ me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.

So Amasa¹⁴ went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried¹⁵ longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

And David said to Abishai¹⁶, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us¹⁷ more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's¹⁸ servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us¹⁹.

²⁰And there went out after him Joab's men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon²¹, Amasa²² went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.

And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou²³ in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa²⁴ by the beard with the right hand to kiss him²⁵.

¶ But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab's²⁶ hand: so he smote²⁷ him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed²⁸ out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again²⁹; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

And one of Joab's men stood by him, and said, He that³⁰ favoureth Joab, and he that is for David³¹, let him go after Joab.

³²And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.

When he was removed out of the highway³³, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

¶ And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel³⁴, and to Bethmaachah, and all the Berites³⁵: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up³⁷ a bank³⁸ against the city, and it stood in the trench³⁹: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

⁴⁰Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.

And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words⁴¹ of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.

Then she spake, saying, They were wont⁴² to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.

I am one of them that are peaceable⁴³ and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother⁴⁴ in Israel: why wilt thou swallow⁴⁵ up the inheritance⁴⁶ of the LORD?

¶ And Joab answered and said, Far be it⁴⁷, far be it from me, that I should⁴⁸ swallow up or destroy.

The matter is not so: but a man⁴⁹ of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name⁵⁰, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head⁵¹ shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom⁵². And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew⁵³ a trumpet, and they retired⁵⁴ from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

¶ Now Joab⁵⁵ was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah⁵⁶ the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:

And Adoram⁵⁷ was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder⁵⁸:

And Sheva⁵⁹ was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:

And Ira⁶¹ also the Jairite was a chief ruler⁶³ about David.