1 A nd there hath been called there a man of worthlessness, and his name Sheba, son of Bichri, a Benjamite, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and saith, `We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; each to his tents, O Israel.'

There happened to be there a base and contemptible fellow named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite. He blew a trumpet and said, We have no portion in David and no inheritance in the son of Jesse! Every man to his tents, O Israel!

2 A nd every man of Israel goeth up from after David, after Sheba son of Bichri, and the men of Judah have cleaved to their king, from the Jordan even unto Jerusalem.

So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba son of Bichri; but the men of Judah stayed faithfully with their king, from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

3 A nd David cometh in unto his house at Jerusalem, and the king taketh the ten women-concubines -- whom he had left to keep the house, and putteth them in a house of ward, and sustaineth them, and unto them he hath not gone in, and they are shut up unto the day of their death, in widowhood living.

So 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 away under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.

4 A nd the king saith unto Amasa, `Call for me the men of Judah three days, and thou, stand here,'

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

5 a nd Amasa goeth to call Judah, and tarrieth beyond the appointed time that he had appointed him;

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

6 a nd David saith unto Abishai, `Now doth Sheba son of Bichri do evil to us more than Absalom; thou, take the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he have found for himself fenced cities, and delivered himself our eye.'

And David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba son of Bichri do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he get for himself fenced cities and snatch away our very eyes.

7 A nd the men of Joab go out after him, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and all the mighty men, and they go out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri;

And there went after him Joab’s men and the Cherethites and Pelethites and all the mighty men; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

8 t hey near the great stone that in Gibeon, and Amasa hath gone before them, and Joab girded; his long robe he hath put on him, and upon it a girdle -- a sword fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and he hath gone out, and it falleth.

When they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing a soldier’s garment, and over it was a sheathed sword fastened around his hips; and as he went forward, it fell out.

9 A nd Joab saith to Amasa, `Art thou peace, my brother?' and the right hand of Joab layeth hold on the beard of Amasa to give a kiss to him;

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

10 a nd Amasa hath not been watchful of the sword that in the hand of Joab, and he smiteth him with it unto the fifth, and sheddeth out his bowels to the earth, and he hath not repeated to him, and he dieth; and Joab and Abishai his brother have pursued after Sheba son of Bichri.

But Amasa did not notice the sword in Joab’s hand. So struck him with it in the body, shedding his bowels to the ground without another blow; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba son of Bichri.

11 A nd a man hath stood by him, of the young men of Joab, and saith, `He who hath delight in Joab, and he who for David -- after Joab!'

And one of Joab’s men stood by him and said, Whoever favors Joab and is for David, follow Joab!

12 A nd Amasa is rolling himself in blood, in the midst of the highway, and the man seeth that all the people have stood still, and he bringeth round Amasa out of the highway to the field, and casteth over him a garment, when he hath seen that every one who hath come by him -- hath stood still.

And Amasa wallowed in his blood in the highway. And when the man saw that all the people who came by stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field and spread a cloth over him.

13 W hen he hath been removed out of the highway, every man hath passed on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri.

When Amasa was removed from the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

14 A nd he passeth over through all the tribes of Israel to Abel, and to Beth-Maachah, and to all the Berites, and they are assembled, and go in also after him,

Joab went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and all the Berites assembled and also went after ardently.

15 a nd they go in and lay siege against him, in Abel of Beth-Maachah, and cast up a mount against the city, and it standeth in a trench, and all the people who are with Joab are destroying, to cause the wall to fall.

And they came and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a siege mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the men with Joab battered and undermined the wall to make it fall.

16 A nd a wise woman calleth out of the city, `Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, and I speak unto thee.'

Then a wise woman of the city cried, Hear, hear! Say to Joab, Come here so I can speak to you.

17 A nd he cometh near unto her, and the woman saith, `Art thou Joab?' and he saith, `I.' And she saith to him, `Hear the words of thy handmaid;' and he saith, `I am hearing.'

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

18 a nd she speaketh, saying, `They spake often in former times, saying, Let them diligently ask at Abel, and so they finished.

Then she said, People used to say, Let them but ask counsel at Abel, and so they settled the matter.

19 I of the peaceable -- faithful ones of Israel; thou art seeking to destroy a city, and a mother in Israel; why dost thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?

I am one of the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city which is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?

20 A nd Joab answereth and saith, `Far be it -- far be it from me; I do not swallow up nor destroy.

Joab answered, Far be it, far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy!

21 T he matter not so; for a man of the hill-country of Ephraim -- Sheba son of Bichri his name -- hath lifted up his hand against the king, against David; give ye up him by himself, and I go away from the city.' And the woman saith unto Joab, `Lo, his head is cast unto thee over the wall.'

That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said, Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.

22 A nd the woman cometh unto all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast unto Joab, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and they are scattered from the city, each to his tents, and Joab hath turned back to Jerusalem unto the king.

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

23 A nd Joab over all the host of Israel, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the Cherethite, and over the Pelethite,

Joab was over the host of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;

24 a nd Adoram over the tribute, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud the remembrancer,

Adoram was over the tribute; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;

25 a nd Sheva scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar priests,

Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests;

26 a nd also, Ira the Jairite hath been minister to David.

Also Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.