2 Samuel 20 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Sheba’s Revolt

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

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

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

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

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

3 Then David ^H1732 came ^H935 to his house ^H1004 in Jerusalem ^H3389, and the king ^H4428 took ^H3947 the ten ^H6235 women ^H802, the concubines ^H6370 whom ^H834 he had left ^H5117 behind ^H5117 to take ^H8104 care ^H8104 of the house ^H1004, and put ^H5414 them in custody ^H1004 H4931 and provided ^H3557 them with ^H3557 food ^H3557, but did not [fn]have ^H935 relations ^H935 with ^H935 them. So they were locked ^H6887 up ^H6887 until ^H5704 the day ^H3117 of their death ^H4191, living ^H2424 as widows ^H491.

4 Now the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to Amasa ^H6021, “Summon ^H2199 the men ^H376 of Judah ^H3063 for me within three ^H7969 days ^H3117, and be present ^H5975 here ^H6311 yourself ^H859.”

5 So Amasa ^H6021 went ^H1980 to summon ^H2199 the men of Judah ^H3063, but he was delayed ^H309 longer than ^H4480 the set ^H4150 time ^H4150 which ^H834 he had designated ^H3259 for 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 H310 him, so ^H6435 that ^H6435 he does not ^H6435 find ^H4672 for himself fortified ^H1219 cities ^H5892 and escape ^H5337 from our sight ^H5869.” 7 So Joab’s ^H3097 men ^H376 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 after ^H310 him, along with the Cherethites ^H3774, the Pelethites ^H6432, and all ^H3605 the warriors ^H1368; and they left ^H3318 Jerusalem ^H3389 to pursue ^H7291 H310 Sheba ^H7652 the son ^H1121 of Bichri ^H1075. 8 When they were at the large ^H1419 stone ^H68 which ^H834 is in Gibeon ^H1391, Amasa ^H6021 came ^H935 [fn]to meet ^H6440 them. Now Joab ^H3097 was dressed ^H2296 H3830 in his military ^H4055 attire ^H3830, and over ^H5921 it he had a belt ^H2290 with a sword ^H2719 in its sheath ^H8593 strapped ^H6775 on at his waist ^H4975; and as he went ^H3318 forward ^H3318, it fell ^H5307 out ^H5307. 9 And Joab ^H3097 said ^H559 to Amasa ^H6021, “Is it going ^H7965 well ^H7965 for you, my brother ^H251?” And Joab ^H3097 took ^H270 hold ^H270 of Amasa ^H6021 by the beard ^H2206 with his right ^H3225 hand ^H3027 to kiss ^H5401 him.

Amasa Murdered

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 spilled ^H8210 out ^H8210 his intestines ^H4578 on the ground ^H776, and did ^H8138 not strike him again ^H8138, and he died ^H4191. Then Joab ^H3097 and his brother ^H251 Abishai ^H52 pursued ^H7291 H310 Sheba ^H7652 the son ^H1121 of Bichri ^H1075. 11 Now one ^H376 of Joab’s ^H3097 young ^H5288 men ^H5288 stood ^H5975 by him and said ^H559, “Whoever ^H4310 H834 favors ^H2654 Joab ^H3097 and whoever ^H4310 H834 is for David ^H1732, follow ^H310 Joab ^H3097!” 12 But Amasa ^H6021 was wallowing ^H1556 in his own blood ^H1818 in the middle ^H8432 of the road ^H4546. And when the man ^H376 saw ^H7200 that all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 stood ^H5975 still ^H5975, he removed ^H5437 Amasa ^H6021 from the road ^H4546 to 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.

Revolt Put Down

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

14 Now he went ^H5674 on ^H5674 through all ^H3605 the tribes ^H7626 of Israel ^H3478 to Abel ^H59, that is, Beth-maacah ^H1038, and all ^H3605 the Berites ^H1276; and they assembled ^H6950 and went ^H935 after ^H310 him as well ^H637. 15 And they came ^H935 and besieged ^H6696 H5921 him in Abel ^H62 Beth-maacah ^H1038, and they [fn]built ^H8210 up ^H8210 an assault ^H5550 ramp ^H5550 against ^H413 the city ^H5892, and it stood ^H5975 against the outer ^H2426 rampart ^H2426; and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were with Joab ^H3097 were wreaking ^H7843 destruction ^H7843 in order to topple ^H5307 the wall ^H2346. 16 Then a wise ^H2450 woman ^H802 called ^H7121 out ^H7121 from the city ^H5892, “Listen ^H8085, listen ^H8085! Please ^H4994 tell ^H559 Joab ^H3097, ‘Come ^H7126 here ^H5704 H2008 that I may speak ^H1696 with you.’” 17 So he approached ^H7126 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 slave ^H519.” And he said ^H559, “I am listening ^H8085.” 18 Then she spoke ^H559, saying ^H559, “In the past ^H7223 they used to say ^H559, ‘They will undoubtedly ^H7592 ask ^H7592 advice at Abel ^H59,’ and that ^H3651 is ^H3651 how ^H3651 they ended ^H8552 a dispute. 19 I am one of those who are ready ^H7999 for ^H7999 peace ^H7999 and faithful ^H539 in Israel ^H3478. You are trying ^H1245 to destroy ^H4191 a city ^H5892, even a mother ^H517 in Israel ^H3478. Why ^H4100 would you swallow ^H1104 up ^H1104 the inheritance ^H5159 of the LORD ^H3068?” 20 Joab ^H3097 replied ^H6030, “Far ^H2486 be it, far ^H2486 be it from me that I would consume ^H1104 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 raised ^H5375 his hand ^H3027 against King ^H4428 David ^H1732. Only ^H905 turn ^H5414 him over ^H5414, and I will depart ^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 wisely ^H2451 came ^H935 to all ^H3605 the people ^H5971. 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 dispersed ^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 in command of the entire ^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 secretary ^H4206; 25 and Sheva ^H7724 was scribe ^H5608, and Zadok ^H6659 and Abiathar ^H54 were priests ^H3548; 26 Ira ^H5896 the Jairite ^H2972 also ^H1571 was a priest ^H3548 to David ^H1732.