20:1  Now a worthless fellow happened to live there who had the name of Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew the trumpet and said, "We have no portion in David, nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse; Every man to his tents, O Israel!"

20:2  So all the men of Israel withdrew from following David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah remained steadfast to their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.

20:3  Then David came to his house at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and placed them under guard and provided them with sustenance, but did not go in to them. So they shut themselves up until the day of their death, living as widows.

20:4  Then the king said to Amasa, "Call out the men of Judah for me within three days, and remain present here yourself."

20:5  So Amasa went to call out the men of Judah, but he delayed longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

20:6  And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, so that he does not find for himself fortified cities and escape from our sight."

20:7  So Joab's men went out after him, along with the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men; and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

20:8  When they came to the large stone which lies in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab dressed himself in his military attire, and over it he wore a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist; and as he went forward, it fell out.

20:9  Joab said to Amasa, "Does it go well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

20:10  But Amasa did not guard himself against the sword which Joab held in his hand so he struck him in the belly with it and poured out his inward parts on the ground, and did not strike him again, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.

20:11  Now there stood by him one of Joab's young men, and said, "Whoever favors Joab and whoever has loyalty for David, let him follow Joab."

20:12  But Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa from the highway into the field and threw a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still.

20:13  As soon as they removed him from the highway, all the men passed on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

20:14  Now he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, even Beth-maacah, and all the Berites; and they gathered together and also went after him.

20:15  They came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah, and they cast up a siege ramp against the city, and it stood by the rampart; and all the people who remained with Joab wrought destruction in order to topple the wall.

20:16  Then a wise woman called from the city, "Hear, hear! Please tell Joab, 'Come here that I may speak with you.'"

20:17  So he approached her, and the woman said, "Do you identify yourself as Joab?" And he answered, "I do." Then she said to him, "Listen to the words of your maidservant." And he answered, "I listen."

20:18  Then she spoke, saying, "Formerly they used to say, 'They will surely ask advice at Abel,' and thus they ended the dispute.

20:19  "I consider myself peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city, even a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?"

20:20  Joab replied, "God forbid that I should swallow up or destroy!

20:21  "Such does not seem the case. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has lifted up his hand against King David. Only hand him over, and I will depart from the city." And the woman said to Joab, "Behold, we will throw his head to you over the wall."

20:22  Then the woman wisely came to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, each to his tent. Joab also returned to the king at Jerusalem.

20:23  Now Joab had authority over the whole army of Israel, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada had authority over the Cherethites and the Pelethites;

20:24  and Adoram had authority over the forced labor, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud served as the recorder;

20:25  and Sheva served as scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar served as priests;

20:26  and Ira the Jairite served also a priest to David.