2 Samuel 20

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

1A troublemaker was there named Sheba son of Bichri. He came from the family group called Benjamin. He blew a ram's horn, a loud call to gather people. He shouted, "We want no part of David! We get nothing from Jesse's son! Israel, everyone go home!"

2So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

2So the men of Israel left David and followed Sheba. But the men of Judah stayed with their king. They stayed with him from the Jordan River all the way to Jerusalem.

3And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.

3David came back to his house in Jerusalem. He had left ten women there to care for the house. They were his concubines, wives who held a lower place in the family. He put them in a house with guards. He gave them food and all they needed. But he never slept with them again. They stayed shut in there until they died. They lived like widows, women whose husbands are gone.

4Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.

4Then the king said to Amasa, "Call the men of Judah to come to me. Do it within three days. Be here yourself too."

5So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

5So Amasa went to call the men of Judah. But he took longer than the king had told him.

6And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

6David said to Abishai, "Sheba will hurt us more than Absalom did. Take my servants and go after him. If he reaches strong walled cities, he will get away from us."

7And 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.

7So Joab's men marched out after Sheba. The Cherethites and the Pelethites went too. They were David's special guards. All the best fighters went with them. They left Jerusalem to chase Sheba son of Bichri.

8When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa 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.

8They stopped at the big rock near the town of Gibeon. Amasa came out to meet them there. Joab was wearing his soldier clothes and a belt. A sword in its cover was tied to the belt. As Joab stepped forward, the sword slipped out into his hand.

9And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.

9Joab said to Amasa, "Are you well, my brother?" With his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa's beard to kiss him.

10But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

10Amasa was not watching the sword in Joab's hand. Joab pushed it into his belly. Amasa's insides spilled onto the ground. Joab did not have to strike him again. Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai went on chasing Sheba son of Bichri.

NoteThe KJV says Joab hit Amasa "in the fifth rib." That was an old way of saying the belly.

11And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab.

11One of Joab's young men stood near the body. He called out, "Everyone who likes Joab and stands with David, follow Joab!"

12And 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.

12Amasa lay in his own blood in the middle of the road. The man saw that all the soldiers stopped there to look. So he pulled the body off the road into a field. Then he threw a cloth over it.

13When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

13Once the body was off the road, all the men went on with Joab. They kept chasing Sheba son of Bichri.

14And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Bethmaachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.

14Sheba went through all the family groups of Israel. He came to the town of Abel Beth Maacah. He passed through the whole land of the Berites. Those people came together and followed him.

15And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

15Joab's soldiers came and shut Sheba inside that town. They piled up dirt into a ramp against the outer wall. All of Joab's men pounded the wall to knock it down.

16Then 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.

16Then a wise woman called out from inside the town. "Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here. I want to talk with him."

17And 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 words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.

17Joab came close to her. The woman asked, "Are you Joab?" He said, "I am." She said, "Listen to what I have to say." He said, "I am listening."

18Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.

18Then she said, "Long ago people had a saying. They said, 'Go ask for advice at Abel.' That is how arguments were settled.

19I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?

19I am one of the peaceful, faithful people of Israel. You are trying to destroy a town that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up what belongs to the LORD?"

Note"A mother in Israel" was an old way of saying an important town. Other towns looked up to it.

20And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

20Joab answered, "No, never! I do not want to swallow up or destroy anything.

21The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, 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 head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.

21That is not what this is about. A man from the hills of Ephraim has turned against the king. His name is Sheba son of Bichri. He raised his hand against David. Just hand him over, and I will leave the town." The woman said to Joab, "We will throw his head to you over the wall."

22Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

22Then the woman went and spoke wisely to all the people in the town. They cut off Sheba's head and threw it out to Joab. Joab blew the ram's horn. His men left the town and each one went home. Then Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

23Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:

23Joab was the leader of the whole army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada led the Cherethites and the Pelethites.

24And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:

24Adoram was in charge of the men who had to work for the king. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud kept the records of what happened.

NoteThe KJV word is "tribute." It means what people owed the king. Here it means groups of workers made to work for him.

25And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:

25Sheva was the writer for the king. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests, the men who served God for the people.

26And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.

26Ira from the family of Jair was also a chief helper for David.