1 ¶ Now at that place there happened to be a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, who was the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, and no inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

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

3 Then David went to his house in Jerusalem; and he took the ten concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them under guard, and fed them, but did not go into them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living as widows.

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

5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he took more time than David had specified.

6 And David said to Abishai, Sheba the son of Bichri will do more harm to us than Absalom did: take your lord’s servants, and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities, and elude us.

7 So Joab’s men, the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men marched out under his leadership: and they left Jerusalem, in pursuit of Sheba the son of Bichri.

8 When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them them. Now Joab was wearing a garment and over it a belt around his waist with a sword in its sheath fastened at his hips; and as he went forward the sword fell out.

9 And Joab said to Amasa, Are you well, my brother? Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand as if to kiss him.

10 But Amasa paid no attention to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so Joab stabbed him with it under the fifth rib, shedding his bowels to the ground, without another blow; and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.

11 And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He who favors Joab, and he who is for David, let him follow Joab.

12 Meanwhile Amasa lay writhing in his blood in the center of the highway. And when the man saw that everyone who passed by him stood still, he moved Amasa from the highway to the field, and spread a cloth over him.

13 After he was removed from the highway, all the people continued on after Joab, in pursuit of Sheba the son of Bichri.

14 ¶ Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, of Bethmaachah. And all the Berites came together, and followed him.

15 Then all the men who were with Joab besieged Sheba in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they threw up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart: and they battered the wall, to knock it down.

16 Then a wise woman shouted from the city, Listen, listen; tell Joab, Come here, so that I may speak with you.

17 And when he came near to her, the woman said, Are you Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said to him, Hear the words of your handmaid. And he said, I am listening.

18 Then she spoke, saying, In times past they used to say, Seek counsel in Abel: and that is how they settled matters.

19 I am one of the peaceful and faithful in Israel: you seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel: why will you swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?

20 And Joab answered and said, Never, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

21 That is not my intention: but a man from the hill country of Ephraim, named Sheba who is the son of Bichri, has rebelled against king David: deliver that one man, and I will depart from the city. Then the woman said to Joab, Behold, his head will be thrown over the wall to you.

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

23 ¶ Now Joab was over the entire army of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:

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

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

26 And Ira the Jairite was David’s chief assistant.