2 Samuel 20 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Sheba Goes Up Against David

1 Now a vile ^H1100 fellow ^H376 happened ^H7122 to be there ^H8033 whose name ^H8034 was Sheba ^H7652, the son ^H1121 of Bichri ^H1075, a Benjamite ^H376 H3228; and he blew ^H8628 the trumpet ^H7782 and said ^H559,

“We have ^H369 no ^H369 portion ^H2506 in David ^H1732,

Nor ^H3808 do we have inheritance ^H5159 in the son ^H1121 of Jesse ^H3448;

Every ^H376 man ^H376 to his tents ^H168, O Israel ^H3478!”

2 So all ^H3605 the men ^H376 of Israel ^H3478 went ^H5927 up ^H5927 from following ^H310 David ^H1732 and followed ^H310 Sheba ^H7652 the son ^H1121 of Bichri ^H1075; but the men ^H376 of Judah ^H3063 clung ^H1692 to their king ^H4428, from the Jordan ^H3383 even to Jerusalem ^H3389.

3 Then David ^H1732 came ^H935 to his house ^H1004 at Jerusalem ^H3389, and the king ^H4428 took ^H3947 the ten ^H6235 women ^H802, the concubines ^H6370 whom ^H834 he had left ^H5117 to keep ^H8104 the house ^H1004, and placed ^H5414 them under guard ^H1004 H4931 and provided ^H3557 them with ^H3557 sustenance ^H3557, but did not go ^H935 in to them. So they were shut ^H6887 up ^H6887 until ^H5704 the day ^H3117 of their death ^H4191, living ^H2424 as widows ^H491.

4 Then the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to Amasa ^H6021, “Call ^H2199 out ^H2199 the men ^H376 of Judah ^H3063 for me within three ^H7969 days ^H3117, and you ^H859 yourself ^H859 stand ^H5975 here ^H6311.”

5 So Amasa ^H6021 went ^H1980 to call ^H2199 out ^H2199 the men of Judah ^H3063, but he delayed ^H309 longer than ^H4480 the set ^H4150 time ^H4150 which ^H834 he had appointed ^H3259 him. 6 And David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Abishai ^H52, “Now ^H6258 Sheba ^H7652 the son ^H1121 of Bichri ^H1075 will do ^H7489 us more ^H4480 harm ^H7489 than ^H4480 Absalom ^H53; take ^H3947 your lord’s ^H113 servants ^H5650 and pursue ^H7291 him, lest ^H6435 he find ^H4672 for himself fortified ^H1219 cities ^H5892 and deliver ^H5337 himself from our sight ^H5869.” 7 So Joab’s ^H3097 men ^H376 pursued ^H3318 him, along with the Cherethites ^H3774 and the Pelethites ^H6432 and all ^H3605 the mighty ^H1368 men ^H1368; and they went ^H3318 out ^H3318 from Jerusalem ^H3389 to pursue ^H7291 Sheba ^H7652 the son ^H1121 of Bichri ^H1075. 8 They were at the large ^H1419 stone ^H68 which ^H834 is in Gibeon ^H1391, and Amasa ^H6021 came ^H935 [fn]to meet ^H6440 them. Now Joab ^H3097 was [fn]dressed ^H2296 H3830 in his military attire ^H3830 H4055, and over ^H5921 it was a belt ^H2290 with a sword ^H2719 in its sheath ^H8593 fastened ^H6775 at his [fn]waist ^H4975; and as he came ^H3318 out ^H3318, it fell ^H5307 out ^H5307. 9 Then Joab ^H3097 said ^H559 to Amasa ^H6021, “Is it well ^H7965 with you, my brother ^H251?” And Joab ^H3097 took ^H270 Amasa ^H6021 by the beard ^H2206 with his right ^H3225 hand ^H3027 to kiss ^H5401 him.

Joab Strikes Amasa

10 But Amasa ^H6021 was not on guard ^H8104 against the sword ^H2719 which ^H834 was in Joab’s ^H3097 hand ^H3027 so he struck ^H5221 him in the belly ^H2570 with it and poured ^H8210 out ^H8210 his inward ^H4578 parts ^H4578 on the ground ^H776, and did ^H8138 not strike him again ^H8138, and he died ^H4191. Then Joab ^H3097 and Abishai ^H52 his brother ^H251 pursued ^H7291 Sheba ^H7652 the son ^H1121 of Bichri ^H1075. 11 Now there stood ^H5975 by him one ^H376 of Joab’s ^H3097 young ^H5288 men ^H5288, and said ^H559, “Whoever ^H4310 H834 delights ^H2654 in Joab ^H3097 and whoever ^H4310 H834 is for David ^H1732, let him follow ^H310 Joab ^H3097.” 12 But Amasa ^H6021 lay ^H1556 wallowing ^H1556 in his blood ^H1818 in the middle ^H8432 of the highway ^H4546. And the man ^H376 saw ^H7200 that all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 stood ^H5975 still ^H5975. So he [fn]removed ^H5437 Amasa ^H6021 from the highway ^H4546 into the field ^H7704 and threw ^H7993 a garment ^H899 over ^H5921 him when ^H834 he saw ^H7200 that everyone ^H3605 who came ^H935 by him stood ^H5975 still ^H5975.

The Beheading of Sheba

13 As soon ^H834 as he was removed ^H3014 from the highway ^H4546, all ^H3605 the men ^H376 passed ^H5674 on ^H5674 after ^H310 Joab ^H3097 to pursue ^H7291 Sheba ^H7652 the son ^H1121 of Bichri ^H1075.

14 Now he went ^H5674 through ^H5674 all ^H3605 the tribes ^H7626 of Israel ^H3478 to Abel ^H59, even Beth-maacah ^H1038, and all ^H3605 the Berites ^H1276; and they were assembled ^H6950 and also ^H637 came ^H935 after ^H310 him. 15 So they came ^H935 and besieged ^H6696 H5921 him in Abel ^H62 Beth-maacah ^H1038, and they [fn]cast ^H8210 up ^H8210 a siege ^H5550 ramp ^H5550 against ^H413 the city ^H5892, and it stood ^H5975 by the rampart ^H2426; and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were with Joab ^H3097 were wreaking ^H7843 destruction ^H7843 in order to cause the wall ^H2346 to fall ^H5307. 16 Then a wise ^H2450 woman ^H802 called ^H7121 from the city ^H5892, “Hear ^H8085, hear ^H8085! Please ^H4994 tell ^H559 Joab ^H3097, ‘Draw ^H7126 near ^H5704 H2008 that I may speak ^H1696 with you.’” 17 So he drew ^H7126 near ^H7126 to her, and the woman ^H802 said ^H559, “Are you Joab ^H3097?” And he answered ^H559, “I am.” Then she said ^H559 to him, “Listen ^H8085 to the words ^H1697 of your maidservant ^H519.” And he answered ^H559, “I am listening ^H8085.” 18 Then she spoke ^H559, saying ^H559, “Formerly ^H7223 they used to speak ^H1696 in this way, saying ^H559, ‘They will surely ^H7592 ask ^H7592 advice at Abel ^H59,’ and thus ^H3651 they ended ^H8552 the dispute. 19 I am of those who are peaceable ^H7999 and faithful ^H539 in Israel ^H3478. You are seeking ^H1245 to put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191 a city ^H5892, even a mother ^H517 in Israel ^H3478. Why ^H4100 would you swallow ^H1104 up the inheritance ^H5159 of Yahweh ^H3068?” 20 And Joab ^H3097 answered ^H6030 and said ^H559, “Far ^H2486 be it, far ^H2486 be it from me that I should swallow ^H1104 up or destroy ^H7843! 21 Such ^H3651 is not the case ^H1697. But a man ^H376 from the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022 of Ephraim ^H669, Sheba ^H7652 the son ^H1121 of Bichri ^H1075 by name ^H8034, has lifted ^H5375 up ^H5375 his hand ^H3027 against King ^H4428 David ^H1732. Give ^H5414 him over ^H5414 alone ^H905, and I will go ^H1980 from the city ^H5892.” And the woman ^H802 said ^H559 to Joab ^H3097, “Behold ^H2009, his head ^H7218 will be thrown ^H7993 to you over ^H1157 the wall ^H2346.” 22 Then the woman ^H802 came ^H935 to all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 in ^H935 her wisdom ^H2451. And they cut ^H3772 off ^H3772 the head ^H7218 of Sheba ^H7652 the son ^H1121 of Bichri ^H1075 and threw ^H7993 it to Joab ^H3097. So he blew ^H8628 the trumpet ^H7782, and they were scattered ^H6327 from the city ^H5892, each ^H376 to his tent ^H168. Joab ^H3097 also returned ^H7725 to the king ^H4428 at Jerusalem ^H3389.

23 Now Joab ^H3097 was over ^H413 the whole ^H3605 army ^H6635 of Israel ^H3478, and Benaiah ^H1141 the son ^H1121 of Jehoiada ^H3077 was over ^H5921 the Cherethites ^H3774 and the Pelethites ^H6432; 24 and Adoram ^H151 was over ^H5921 the forced ^H4522 labor ^H4522, and Jehoshaphat ^H3092 the son ^H1121 of Ahilud ^H286 was the recorder ^H2142; 25 and Sheva ^H7724 was scribe ^H5608, and Zadok ^H6659 and Abiathar ^H54 were priests ^H3548; 26 and Ira ^H5896 the Jairite ^H2972 was also ^H1571 a priest ^H3548 to David ^H1732.