14
And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel and to Bethmaachah and all the Berites; and they were gathered together and also went after him.
15
And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and
the people went against the wall; and all the people that
were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
16
Then a wise woman cried out in the city, Hear, hear, I pray you, tell Joab to come here, that I may speak with him.
17
And when he had come near unto her, the woman said,
Art thou Joab? And he answered, I
am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thy handmaid. And he answered, I hear.
18
Then she spoke, saying, They used to speak in old times, saying, If you have a question ask it at Abel; and so they concluded
the matter.
19
I am one of those that are peaceable
and faithful in Israel, and thou seekest to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel; why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?
20
And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy.
21
The matter
is not so, but a man of Mount Ephraim, Sheba, the son of Bichri, by name, has lifted up his hand against King David; give only him over, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
22
Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bichri, and cast
it out to Joab. And he blew the shofar, and they retired from the city, each one to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.
23
So Joab
remained over all the host of Israel, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada,
was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites;
24
and Adoram
was over the tribute, and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud,
was writer of the chronicles,