20:1 And there happened 7122 8738 to be there a man 376 of Belial 1100, whose name 8034 [was] Sheba 7652, the son 1121 of Bichri 1075, a Benjamite 1145: and he blew 8628 8799 a trumpet 7782, and said 559 8799, We have no part 2506 in David 1732, neither have we inheritance 5159 in the son 1121 of Jesse 3448: every 376 man 376 to his tents 168, O Israel 3478.

20:2 So every man 376 of Israel 3478 went up 5927 8799 from after 310 David 1732, [and] followed 310 Sheba 7652 the son 1121 of Bichri 1075: but the men 376 of Judah 3063 clave 1692 8804 unto their king 4428, from Jordan 3383 even to Jerusalem 3389.

20:3 And David 1732 came 935 8799 to his house 1004 at Jerusalem 3389; and the king 4428 took 3947 8799 the ten 6235 women 802 [his] concubines 6370, whom he had left 3240 8689 to keep 8104 8800 the house 1004, and put 5414 8799 them in ward 4931, and fed 3557 8770 them, but went not in 935 8804 unto them. So they were shut up 6887 8803 unto the day 3117 of their death 4191 8800, living 2424 in widowhood 491.(ward: Heb. an house of ward)(shut…: Heb. bound)(living…: Heb. in widowhood of life)

20:4 Then said 559 8799 the king 4428 to Amasa 6021, Assemble 2199 8685 me the men 376 of Judah 3063 within three 7969 days 3117, and be thou here present 5975 8798.(Assemble: Heb. Call)

20:5 So Amasa 6021 went 3212 8799 to assemble 2199 8687 [the men of] Judah 3063: but he tarried longer 309 8799 8675 3186 8799 than the set time 4150 which he had appointed 3259 8804 him.(Assemble: Heb. Call)

20:6 And David 1732 said 559 8799 to Abishai 52, Now shall Sheba 7652 the son 1121 of Bichri 1075 do us more harm 3415 8799 than [did] Absalom 53: take 3947 8798 thou thy lord's 113 servants 5650, and pursue 7291 8798 after 310 him, lest he get 4672 8804 him fenced 1219 8803 cities 5892, and escape 5337 8689 us 5869.(escape…: Heb. deliver himself from our eyes)

20:7 And there went out 3318 8799 after 310 him Joab's 3097 men 582, and the Cherethites 3774, and the Pelethites 6432, and all the mighty men 1368: and they went out 3318 8799 of Jerusalem 3389, to pursue 7291 8800 after 310 Sheba 7652 the son 1121 of Bichri 1075.

20:8 When they [were] at the great 1419 stone 68 which [is] in Gibeon 1391, Amasa 6021 went 935 8804 before 6440 them. And Joab's 3097 garment 4055 that he had put on 3830 was girded 2296 8803 unto him, and upon it a girdle 2289 [with] a sword 2719 fastened 6775 8794 upon his loins 4975 in the sheath 8593 thereof; and as he went forth 3318 8804 it fell out 5307 8799.

20:9 And Joab 3097 said 559 8799 to Amasa 6021, [Art] thou in health 7965, my brother 251? And Joab 3097 took 270 8799 Amasa 6021 by the beard 2206 with the right 3225 hand 3027 to kiss 5401 8800 him.

20:10 But Amasa 6021 took no heed 8104 8738 to the sword 2719 that [was] in Joab's 3097 hand 3027: so he smote 5221 8686 him therewith in the fifth 2570 [rib], and shed out 8210 8799 his bowels 4578 to the ground 776, and struck him not again 8138 8804; and he died 4191 8799. So Joab 3097 and Abishai 52 his brother 251 pursued 7291 8804 after 310 Sheba 7652 the son 1121 of Bichri 1075.(struck…: Heb. doubled not his stroke)

20:11 And one 376 of Joab's 3097 men 5288 stood 5975 8804 by him, and said 559 8799, He 4310 that favoureth 2654 8804 Joab 3097, and he that [is] for David 1732, [let him go] after 310 Joab 3097.

20:12 And Amasa 6021 wallowed 1556 8706 in blood 1818 in the midst 8432 of the highway 4546. And when the man 376 saw 7200 8799 that all the people 5971 stood still 5975 8804, he removed 5437 8686 Amasa 6021 out of the highway 4546 into the field 7704, and cast 7993 8686 a cloth 899 upon him, when he saw 7200 8804 that every one that came 935 8802 by him stood still 5975 8804.

20:13 When he was removed 3014 8689 out of the highway 4546, all the people 376 went on 5674 8804 after 310 Joab 3097, to pursue 7291 8800 after 310 Sheba 7652 the son 1121 of Bichri 1075.

20:14 And he went 5674 8799 through all the tribes 7626 of Israel 3478 unto Abel 59, and to Bethmaachah 1038, and all the Berites 1276: and they were gathered together 6950 8735 8675 7035 8735, and went 935 8799 also after 310 him.

20:15 And they came 935 8799 and besieged 6696 8799 him in Abel 59 of Bethmaachah 1038, and they cast up 8210 8799 a bank 5550 against the city 5892, and it stood 5975 8799 in the trench 2426: and all the people 5971 that [were] with Joab 3097 battered 7843 8688 the wall 2346, to throw it down 5307 8687.(in the trench: or, against the outmost wall)(battered: Heb. marred to throw down)

20:16 Then cried 7121 8799 a wise 2450 woman 802 out of the city 5892, Hear 8085 8798, hear 8085 8798; say 559 8798, I pray you, unto Joab 3097, Come near 7126 8798 hither, that I may speak 1696 8762 with thee.

20:17 And when he was come near 7126 8799 unto her, the woman 802 said 559 8799, [Art] thou Joab 3097? And he answered 559 8799, I [am he]. Then she said 559 8799 unto him, Hear 8085 8798 the words 1697 of thine handmaid 519. And he answered 559 8799, I do hear 8085 8802.

20:18 Then she spake 559 8799, saying 559 8800, They were wont 1696 8763 to speak 1696 8762 in old time 7223, saying 559 8800, They shall surely 7592 8800 ask 7592 8762 [counsel] at Abel 59: and so they ended 8552 8689 [the matter].(They were…: or, They plainly spake in the beginning, saying, Surely they will ask of Abel, and so make an end)

20:19 I [am one of them that are] peaceable 7999 8803 [and] faithful 539 8803 in Israel 3478: thou seekest 1245 8764 to destroy 4191 8687 a city 5892 and a mother 517 in Israel 3478: why wilt thou swallow up 1104 8762 the inheritance 5159 of the LORD 3068?

20:20 And Joab 3097 answered 6030 8799 and said 559 8799, Far be it 2486, far be it 2486 from me, that I should swallow up 1104 8762 or destroy 7843 8686.

20:21 The matter 1697 [is] not so: but a man 376 of mount 2022 Ephraim 669, Sheba 7652 the son 1121 of Bichri 1075 by name 8034, hath lifted up 5375 8804 his hand 3027 against the king 4428, [even] against David 1732: deliver 5414 8798 him only, and I will depart 3212 8799 from the city 5892. And the woman 802 said 559 8799 unto Joab 3097, Behold, his head 7218 shall be thrown 7993 8716 to thee over 1157 the wall 2346.(by name: Heb. by his name)

20:22 Then the woman 802 went 935 8799 unto all the people 5971 in her wisdom 2451. And they cut off 3772 8799 the head 7218 of Sheba 7652 the son 1121 of Bichri 1075, and cast 7993 8686 [it] out to Joab 3097. And he blew 8628 8799 a trumpet 7782, and they retired 6327 8799 from the city 5892, every man 376 to his tent 168. And Joab 3097 returned 7725 8804 to Jerusalem 3389 unto the king 4428.(retired: Heb. were scattered)

20:23 Now Joab 3097 [was] over all the host 6635 of Israel 3478: and Benaiah 1141 the son 1121 of Jehoiada 3077 [was] over the Cherethites 3774 8675 3746 and over the Pelethites 6432:

20:24 And Adoram 151 [was] over the tribute 4522: and Jehoshaphat 3092 the son 1121 of Ahilud 286 [was] recorder 2142 8688:(recorder: or, remembrancer)

20:25 And Sheva 7864 8675 7724 [was] scribe 5608 8802: and Zadok 6659 and Abiathar 54 [were] the priests 3548: