Parallel Bible results for "2 samuel 20"

2 Samuel 20

Common English Bible CEB

1 Now a despicable man named Sheba, Bichri's son, from Benjamin, was also there. He sounded the trumpet and said: "We don't care about David! We have no stake in Jesse's son! Go back to your homes, Israel!"

2 So all the Israelites left David to follow Bichri's son Sheba. But all the people of Judah stayed close to their king from the Jordan River all the way to Jerusalem.

3 When David arrived at his palace in Jerusalem, the king took the ten secondary wives he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he didn't have sex with them. They were confined until the day they died, and lived like widows.

4 Then the king said to Amasa, "Call everyone in Judah here to me three days from now. You should be here too."

5 So Amasa went to call Judah together, but he took longer than the allotted time.

6 David told Abishai, "Bichri's son Sheba will cause more trouble for us than Absalom did. Take your master's servants and chase after him before he finds fortified cities and escapes from us."

7 So Joab's men marched out after Sheba—this included the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors. They marched out of Jerusalem to pursue Bichri's son Sheba.

8 When they got to the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was dressed in his soldier's uniform. Over the tunic at his waist he wore a sword in its sheath. As Joab went forward it slipped out.

9 "How are you, my brother?" Joab asked Amasa, and with his right hand he took hold of Amasa's beard as if to kiss him.

10 But Amasa didn't notice the sword in Joab's hand. Joab struck him in the stomach with it so that Amasa's intestines spilled out on the ground. He died without Joab striking him a second time. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba, Bichri's son.

11 One of Joab's men stood by Amasa and said, "Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, follow Joab!"

12 Amasa was writhing in blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that everyone was stopping. When he saw this, he dragged Amasa from the road into a field and threw a robe over him.

13 Once Amasa was moved out of the road, everyone who followed Joab marched past in pursuit of Bichri's son Sheba.

14 Sheba went through all the Israelite tribes up to Abel of Beth-maacah. All the Bichrites assembled and followed Sheba in.

15 Then Joab's men arrived and attacked Sheba at Abel of Beth-maacah. They piled up a ramp against the city, and it stood against the outer wall. All of Joab's troops were hammering the wall, trying to bring it down.

16 Then a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come over here, so I can talk to him."

17 So Joab approached her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he answered. "Pay close attention to the words of your female servant," she said. "I'm listening," Joab replied.

18 She said, "People used to say long ago: ‘Ask your question at Abel,' and that settled the matter.

19 I am one of the peaceful and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to kill a city that is one of Israel's mothers! Why would you annihilate the LORD's inheritance?"

20 Joab answered, "I would never, ever annihilate or destroy such a thing!

21 That's not the issue. A man named Sheba, Bichri's son, who is from the Ephraim highlands, has rebelled against King David. Just hand him over, and I'll leave the city alone." The woman said to Joab, "His head will be thrown over the wall to you!"

22 When the woman went to everyone with her wise counsel, they cut off the head of Sheba, Bichri's son, and threw it out to Joab. Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and his troops left the city, returning to their homes. But Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.

23 Now Joab was in command of Israel's army; Jehoiada's son Benaiah commanded the Cherethites and the Pelethites;

24 Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Ahilud's son Jehoshaphat was the recorder;

25 Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

26 and Ira from Jair was also a priest for David.

English Standard Version ESV

1 Now there happened to be there a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said, “We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel! ”

2 So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.

4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself. ”

5 So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him.

6 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, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us. ”

7 And there went out after him Joab’s men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men. They went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

8 When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier’s garment, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh, and as he went forward it fell out.

9 And Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother? ” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

10 But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab’s hand. So Joab struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.

11 And one of Joab’s young men took his stand by Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab. ”

12 And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. And anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field and threw a garment over him.

13 When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

14 And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and all the Bichrites assembled and followed him in.

15 And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah. They cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall to throw it down.

16 Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you. ’”

17 And he came near her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab? ” He answered, “I am. ” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant. ” And he answered, “I am listening. ”

18 Then she said, “They used to say in former times, ‘Let them but ask counsel at Abel, ’ and so they settled a matter.

19 I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord? ”

20 Joab answered, “Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy!

21 That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city. ” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall. ”

22 Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

23 Now Joab was in command of all the army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites;

24 and Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder;

25 and Sheva was secretary; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

26 and Ira the Jairite was also David’s priest.