Sheba

1And 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.

A 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.

So 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.

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

Then 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.

So 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.

David 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.

So 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.

They 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.

Joab 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.

Amasa 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.

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.

One 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.

Amasa 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.

Once 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.

Sheba 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.

Joab'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.

Then 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.

Joab 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.

Then 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?

I 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?"

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

Joab 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.

That 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.

Then 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.