| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Right about then, Bichri's son Sheba, an ungodly man from the tribe of Benjamin, sounded a battle trumpet and announced: We've never been a part of David! We'll never gain anything from Jesse's son! It's every man to his tent, Israel! | 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! |
| 2So all of the other Israeli soldiers abandoned David to follow Bichri's son Sheba, while the army of Judah remained with the king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem. | 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. |
| 3When David arrived at his palace in Jerusalem, the king took the ten mistresses whom he had left behind to keep the palace in order and placed them in a separate house, providing for them under the care of a protective guard. He never visited them again, so they were under care until they died, living as if their husbands had died. | 3When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the 10 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. |
| 4Meanwhile, David ordered Amasa, "Muster the army of Judah here within three days, and be here yourself!" | 4The king said to Amasa, "Summon the men of Judah to me within three days and be here yourself." |
| 5But when Amasa went out to muster the army of Judah, he delayed to act within the time allotted to him. | 5Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him. |
| 6So David told Abishai, "Now Bichri's son Sheba is about to do more damage than did Absalom. So take my personal guards and go after them. Otherwise, he'll run to one of the fortified cities and escape from us." | 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." |
| 7So Joab's men, the special forces and mercenaries, and all of David's elite forces left Jerusalem in pursuit of Bichri's son Sheba. | 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. |
| 8When they arrived at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came out to meet them. Joab was dressed in a soldier's uniform, over which was a belt that fastened a sword sheath to his thigh. As he walked forward, the sword was exposed. | 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. |
| 9Joab asked Amasa, "Is everything going well with you, my brother?" As Joab took Amasa by his beard to greet him, | 9Joab asked Amasa, "Are you well, my brother?" Then with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him. |
| 10Amasa did not notice the sword that Joab was holding in his hand. Joab stabbed him in the abdomen, spilling his intestines to the ground in a single stroke and killing him. After this, Joab and his brother pursued Bichri's son Sheba. | 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 for Amasa was dead. Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri. |
| 11One of Joab's soldiers stood by Amasa while he lay dying and announced, "Whoever is in favor of Joab and David, let him follow Joab." | 11One of Joab's young men had stood over Amasa saying, "Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David, follow Joab!" |
| 12While Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway, everybody who passed by was stopping to stare at him, so when the soldier saw that all of the army was stopping, he carried Amasa off the highway into a nearby field and covered him with a garment. | 12Now Amasa was writhing in his blood in the middle of the highway, and the man had seen that all the people 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. |
| 13After Amasa had been removed from the highway, the rest of the army followed Joab in pursuit of Bichri's son Sheba. | 13When he was removed from the highway, all the men passed by and followed Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri. |
| 14Meanwhile, Sheba traveled throughout the tribes of Israel in the direction of Abel and Beth-maacah, and all of the descendants of Beri gathered together and followed him inside. | 14Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah. All the Berites came together and followed him. |
| 15All of the men who had accompanied Joab arrived and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah. They threw up a siege ramp against the city rampart and began to batter the wall to demolish it. | 15Joab's troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel of Beth-maacah. They built an assault ramp against the outer wall of the city. While all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to make it collapse, |
| 16Just then a wise woman called out from the city. "Attention!" she said, "Go tell Joab 'Come here! I want to talk to you!'" | 16a wise woman called out from the city, "Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here and let me speak with him." |
| 17Joab came over and the woman asked him, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he answered. So she told him, "Listen to what your servant has to say!" "I'm listening," he replied. | 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." |
| 18So she said, "In days past, people used to settle a dispute by saying 'Let's ask for advice at Abel!' | 18She said, "In the past they used to say, 'Seek counsel in Abel,' and that's how they settled disputes. |
| 19I'm one of the peaceful and faithful citizens of Israel. You're trying to destroy a city that's a mother in Israel. Why are you devouring the heritage of the LORD?" | 19I am a peaceful person, one of the 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?" |
| 20But Joab replied, "No way! No way! I'm not here to devour or destroy! | 20Joab protested: "Never! I do not want to destroy! |
| 21That's a lie! But there is a man from the Ephraim hill country—he's known as Bichri's son Sheba—who has rebelled against King David. Turn him over and I'll withdraw from the city!" So the woman replied, "Watch this! His head will be thrown to you over the city wall." | 21That is not my intention. 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, "All right. His head will be thrown over the wall to you." |
| 22Then the woman wisely went back to her people. They cut off the head of Bichri's son Sheba and threw it out to Joab, so Joab sounded his battle trumpet and they withdrew from the city. Everybody went back home and Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem. | 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. |
| 23Joab commanded the entire army of Israel, Jehoiada's son Benaiah commanded the special forces and mercenaries, | 23Joab commanded the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; |
| 24Adoram supervised conscripted labor, Ahilud's son Jehoshaphat was the recorder, | 24Adoram was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was court historian; |
| 25Sheva was secretary, Zadok and Abiathar were priests, | 25Sheva was court secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; |
| 26and Ira the Jairite was David's priest. | 26and in addition, Ira the Jairite was David's priest. |
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