| Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Now a wicked man, a Benjaminite named Sheba son of Bichri, happened to be there. He blew the ram's horn and shouted: We have no portion in David, no inheritance in Jesse's son. Each man to his tent, Israel! | 1Now a wicked man named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He blew the trumpet and said, "We have no share in David; we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse! Every man go home, O Israel!" |
| 2So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bichri, but the men of Judah from the Jordan all the way to Jerusalem remained loyal to their king. | 2So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stuck by their king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem. |
| 3When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and placed them under guard. He provided for them, but he was not intimate with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows. | 3Then David went to his palace in Jerusalem. The king took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace and placed them under confinement. Though he provided for their needs, he did not have sexual relations with them. They remained in confinement until the day they died, living out the rest of their lives as widows. |
| 4The king said to Amasa, "Summon the men of Judah to me within three days and be here yourself." | 4Then the king said to Amasa, "Call the men of Judah together for me in three days, and you be present here with them too." |
| 5Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him. | 5So Amasa went out to call Judah together. But in doing so he took longer than the time that the king had allotted him. |
| 6So David said to Abishai, "Sheba son of Bichri will do more harm to us than Absalom. Take your lord's soldiers and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us." | 6Then David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba son of Bicri will cause greater disaster for us than Absalom did! Take your lord's servants and pursue him. Otherwise he will secure fortified cities for himself and get away from us." |
| 7So Joab's men, the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors marched out under Abishai's command; they left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri. | 7So Joab's men, accompanied by the Kerethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors, left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bicri. |
| 8They were at the great stone in Gibeon when Amasa joined them. Joab was wearing his uniform and over it was a belt around his waist with a sword in its sheath. As he approached, the sword fell out. | 8When they were near the big rock that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire and had a dagger in its sheath belted to his waist. When he advanced, it fell out. |
| 9Joab asked Amasa, "Are you well, my brother?" Then with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him. | 9Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my brother?" With his right hand Joab took hold of Amasa's beard as if to greet him with a kiss. |
| 10Amasa was not on guard against the sword in Joab's hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it and spilled his intestines out on the ground. Joab did not stab him again, and Amasa died. Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri. | 10Amasa did not protect himself from the knife in Joab's other hand, and Joab stabbed him in the abdomen, causing Amasa's intestines to spill out on the ground. There was no need to stab him again; the first blow was fatal. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri. |
| 11One of Joab's young men had stood over Amasa saying, "Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, follow Joab!" | 11One of Joab's soldiers who stood over Amasa said, "Whoever is for Joab and whoever is for David, follow Joab!" |
| 12Now Amasa had been writhing in his blood in the middle of the highway, and the man had seen that all the troops stopped. So he moved Amasa from the highway to the field and threw a garment over him because he realized that all those who encountered Amasa were stopping. | 12Amasa was squirming in his own blood in the middle of the path, and this man had noticed that all the soldiers stopped. Having noticed that everyone who came across Amasa stopped, the man pulled him away from the path and into the field and threw a garment over him. |
| 13When he was removed from the highway, all the men passed by and followed Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri. | 13Once he had removed Amasa from the path, everyone followed Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri. |
| 14Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah. All the Berites came together and followed him. | 14Sheba traveled through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth Maacah and all the Berite region. When they had assembled, they too joined him. |
| 15Joab's troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the outer wall of the city. While all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to make it collapse, | 15So Joab's men came and laid siege against him in Abel of Beth Maacah. They prepared a siege ramp outside the city which stood against its outer rampart. As all of Joab's soldiers were trying to break through the wall so that it would collapse, |
| 16a wise woman called out from the city, "Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here and let me speak with him." | 16a wise woman called out from the city, "Listen up! Listen up! Tell Joab, 'Come near so that I may speak to you.'" |
| 17When he had come near her, the woman asked, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he replied. "Listen to the words of your servant," she said to him. He answered, "I'm listening." | 17When he approached her, the woman asked, "Are you Joab?" He replied, "I am." She said to him, "Listen to the words of your servant." He said, "Go ahead. I'm listening." |
| 18She said, "In the past they used to say, 'Seek counsel in Abel,' and that's how they settled disputes. | 18She said, "In the past they would always say, 'Let them inquire in Abel,' and that is how they settled things. |
| 19I am one of the peaceful and faithful in Israel, but you're trying to destroy a city that is like a mother in Israel. Why would you devour the LORD's inheritance?" | 19I represent the peaceful and the faithful in Israel. You are attempting to destroy an important city in Israel. Why should you swallow up the LORD's inheritance?" |
| 20Joab protested: "Never! I would never devour or demolish! | 20Joab answered, "Get serious! I don't want to swallow up or destroy anything! |
| 21That is not the case. There is a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, who has rebelled against King David. Deliver this one man, and I will withdraw from the city." The woman replied to Joab, "Watch! His head will be thrown over the wall to you." | 21That's not the way things are. There is a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Sheba son of Bicri. He has rebelled against King David. Give me just this one man, and I will leave the city." The woman said to Joab, "This very minute his head will be thrown over the wall to you!" |
| 22The woman went to all the people with her wise counsel, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the ram's horn, and they dispersed from the city, each to his own tent. Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem. | 22Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice and they cut off Sheba's head and threw it out to Joab. Joab blew the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each going to his own home. Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem. |
| 23Joab commanded the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; | 23Now Joab was the general in command of all the army of Israel. Benaiah the son of Jehoida was over the Kerethites and the Perethites. |
| 24Adoram was over forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was court historian; | 24Adoniram was supervisor of the work crews. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the secretary. |
| 25Sheva was court secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; | 25Sheva was the scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. |
| 26and in addition, Ira the Jairite was David's priest. | 26Ira the Jairite was David's personal priest. |
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