1 GLT And there happened to be a man of worthlessness, and his name{ was} Sheba the son of Bikri, a man of Benjamin. And he blasted on the trumpet, and he said,“There is no portion for us in David, and no inheritance{ belongs} to us in the son of Jesse. Each one, to his tents, Israel!” BSB BSB: Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!”
2 GLT And all the men of Israel went up from after David{ to} after Sheba the son of Bikri. But the men of Judah clung to their king from the Jordan and up to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 GLT And David came to his house,{ to} Jerusalem, and the king took ten concubine wives whom he had stationed to guard the house, and he gave them a guarded house, and he provided for them, but he did not go to them. And they were locked up until the day of their death— a widowhood of life. BSB BSB: When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace, and he placed them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he no longer slept with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows.
4 GLT And the king said to Amasa,“Summon the men of Judah to me— three days. And you, stand here.” BSB BSB: Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”
5 GLT And Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the appointed time that he designated{ for} him. BSB BSB: So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.
6 GLT And David said to Abishai,“Now Sheba the son of Bikri will do more harm to us than Absalom. You, take the servants of your lord and pursue after him, lest he find for himself unassailable cities and remove our eyes.” BSB BSB: And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”
7 GLT And the men of Joab and the Kerethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men went out after him. And they went out from Jerusalem to purse after Sheba the son of Bikri. BSB BSB: So Joab’s men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.
8 GLT They{ were} near the great stone that{ is} in Gibeon, and Amasa came to their faces. And Joab was girded— his robe, his clothing, and on him{ was} a belt of a sword strapped on his thigh in its sheath. And he himself went out, but it fell down. BSB BSB: And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.
9 GLT And Joab said to Amasa,“Peace, you, my brother?” And the right hand of Joab held on to the beard of Amasa to kiss him. BSB BSB: “Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
10 GLT But Amasa was not aware of the sword that{ was} in the hand of Joab. And he struck him with it in the stomach, and his intestines poured out to the ground, and he did not do it again to him, and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bikri. BSB BSB: Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.
11 GLT And a man from the young men of Joab stood beside him, and he said,“Whoever favors Joab and whoever{ is} for David— after Joab.” BSB BSB: One of Joab’s young men stood near Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!”
12 GLT And Amasa was rolling around in blood in the midst of the highway. And the man saw that all the people stood, and he removed Amasa from the highway{ to} a field, and he threw a garment on him when he saw everyone who came to him, and he stood. BSB BSB: But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the road, and when the man saw that all the troops were stopping there, he dragged the body off the road into a field and threw a garment over it.
13 GLT When he was taken from the highway, each man crossed over after Joab to pursue after Sheba the son of Bikri. BSB BSB: As soon as Amasa’s body was removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
14 GLT And he crossed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel and Beth- Maacah and all the Berites. And they gathered, and they also came after him. BSB BSB: Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel-beth-maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.
15 GLT And they came, and they besieged against him in Abel of Beth- Maacah. And they heaped up a siege ramp against the city, and it stood on the wall. And all the people who{ were} with Joab were destroying in order to make the wall fall down. BSB BSB: And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,
16 GLT And a wise woman called from the city,“Listen, listen. Please, say to Joab,‘Draw near to here, and let me speak to you.’” BSB BSB: a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.”
17 GLT And he drew near to her, and the woman said,“Are you Joab?” And he said,“I{ am}.” And she said to him,“Hear the words of your maidservant.” And he said,“I am listening.” BSB BSB: When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered.
18 GLT And she said, saying,“They would certainly speak in former{ times}, saying,‘They will certainly inquire in Abel,’ and thus they would settle{ it}. BSB BSB: Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Seek counsel at Abel,’ and that is how disputes were settled.
19 GLT I{ am} a peaceable and faithful person of Israel. You are seeking to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow the inheritance of Yahweh?” BSB BSB: I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD’s inheritance?”
20 GLT And Joab answered, and he said,“Far be it, far be it for me if I will swallow or if I will destroy. BSB BSB: “Far be it!” Joab declared. “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!
21 GLT The matter{ is} not thus, for a man from the mountain of Ephraim— his name{ is} Sheba the son of Bikri— he has lifted his hand against the king, against David. Give him alone and let us go from the city.” And the woman said to Joab,“Look, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” BSB BSB: That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city.” “Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
22 GLT And the woman went to all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bikri, and they threw{ it} to Joab. And he blasted on the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, each to his tent. And Joab returned{ to} Jerusalem, to the king. BSB BSB: Then the 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 his men dispersed from the city, each to his own home. And Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
23 GLT And Joab{ was} over all the army of Israel. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada{ was} over the Kerethites and over the Pelethites. BSB BSB: Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;
24 GLT And Adoniram{ was} over the forced labor, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud{ was} the secretary. BSB BSB: Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
25 GLT And Sheva{ was} scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar{ were} priests. BSB BSB: Sheva was the scribe; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
26 GLT And also, Ira the Jairite was priest to David. BSB BSB: and Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.