2 Samuel 20:1-13 ▼

1 AND there happened to be there a wicked man, whose name was Shamoa, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew a trumpet and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we an inheritance with the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel!

2 So all the men of Israel ceased from following David, and followed Shamoa, the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah remained loyal to the king from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

3 And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines whom he had left to keep his house and put them in custody and fed them, but did not go in unto them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, and were like widows.

4 Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and you yourself be present.

5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah; but he tarried longer than the set time which had been appointed.

6 And David said to Joab, Now Shamoa the son of Bichri will do us more harm than did Absalom; take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he find him fortified cities, and stay in them and incite a revolt against us.

7 And there went out after him Joab's men, the noblemen and the army and all the mighty men; and they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Shamoa, the son of Bichri.

8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came before them. And Joab was wearing armor, and upon it was a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and as Amasa appeared, Joab placed his hand upon his sword.

9 And Joab said to Amasa, Peace be with you, my brother. And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his hand to kiss him.

10 But Amasa took no notice of the sword that was in Joab's hand; so Joab smote him with it in the middle of his body, and let out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Shamoa, the son of Bichri.

11 And one of Joab's men went and stood by Amasa, and said to those who passed by, To whom do you belong? Are you of the men of David who are after Joab?

12 And Amasa wallowed in his blood, lying in the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stopped to look at him, he dragged Amasa out of the highway and threw him into a field and cast a garment over him, when he saw that every one who came by him stopped.

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