1And a man of Belial was called, and his name was Sheba son of Bichri, a man of Benjamin. And he blew the ram's horn and said, "No portion for us in David, and no inheritance for us in the son of Jesse—each man to his tents, Israel!"2And all the men of Israel went up from after David, after Sheba son of Bichri, and the men of Judah clung to their king from the Jordan to Jerusalem.3And David came to his house in Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women concubines whom he had left to guard the house, and he put them in a house of observance, and he sustained them, but he did not come to them, and they were confined until the day of their death, widows of a living man.4And the king said to Amasa, "Call out the men of Judah for me, and have them here within three days, and you stand here."5And Amasa went to assemble Judah, but he was late beyond the appointed time that they had appointed.6And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba son of Bichri will do us more evil than Absalom. You, take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he find fortified cities and escape us."7And they went out after him—the men of Joab, the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the fighting men—and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.8They were at the great stone which was at Gibeon, and Amasa came before them, and Joab was girded with his military garment which he had put on, and upon it was a sword girded to his loins in a sheath, and as he went out it fell.9And Joab said to Amasa, "Peace, my brother," and he took hold of Amasa's beard with his right hand to kiss him.10And Amasa did not guard himself from the sword that was in Joab's hand, and he struck him with it in the fifth rib and poured out his entrails to the ground. And he did not double over for him, and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba son of Bikri.11A man from Joab's young men stood over him and said, "Who is on Joab's side, and who is for David after Joab?"12And Amasa was wallowing in blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people were standing still, he removed Amasa from the highway to the field and threw a garment over him when he saw every man who came by, and he stood by the body.13When he turned aside from the highway, every man passed after Joab to pursue after Sheba son of Bikri.14And he passed through all the tribes of Israel, to Abel and the house of Maacah and all the Berites, and they assembled and went after him.15And they came and besieged it at Abel of Beth Maacah, and they poured out a siege ramp to the city, and it stood in the wall. And all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to tear it down.16A wise woman called out from the city, "Listen! Listen! Say to Joab, 'Come here,' and I will speak a word to you."17He approached her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" He said, "I am." She said to him, "Hear the words of your divine faithfulness/truth." He said, "I am listening."18And she said, "They would speak a word in the beginning, saying, 'Ask; they shall ask at Abel,' and so they finished."19I am a peaceful woman of faithfulness in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the LORD's inheritance?20And Joab answered and said, "Far be it, far be it from me, if I devour or destroy."21Not so, the word. A man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bikri by name, lifted his hand against King David. Give him over, and I will go away from the city." And the woman said to Joab, "Behold, his head is sent to you through the wall."22And the woman came to all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. And he blew the ram's horn, and they scattered from the city, each man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.23And Joab was over all the army of Israel, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites.24Adoram was over the forced labor, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder.25And Saul the scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar the priests.26And Ira the Jairite was also a priest to David.