2 Samuel 20:1-13 ▼

1 Right 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!

2 So 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.

3 When 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.

4 Meanwhile, David ordered Amasa, |Muster the army of Judah here within three days, and be here yourself!|

5 But when Amasa went out to muster the army of Judah, he delayed to act within the time allotted to him.

6 So 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.|

7 So Joab's men, the special forces and mercenaries, and all of David's elite forces left Jerusalem in pursuit of Bichri's son Sheba.

8 When 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.

9 Joab asked Amasa, |Is everything going well with you, my brother?| As Joab took Amasa by his beard to greet him,

10 Amasa 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.

11 One 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.|

12 While 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.

13 After Amasa had been removed from the highway, the rest of the army followed Joab in pursuit of Bichri's son Sheba.