1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

2 Samuel 20

1 By occasion of the quarrel, Sheba maketh a party in Israel. 3 David's ten concubines are shut up in perpetual prison. 4 Amasa, made captain over Judah, is slain by Joab. 14 Joab pursueth Sheba unto Abel. 16 A wise woman saveth the city by Sheba's head. 23 David's officers.

 20:1 Now a worthless 1100 fellow 376 happened 7122 to be there 8033 whose name 8034 was Sheba 7652a, the son 1121 of Bichri 1075, a Benjamite 376 3228; and he blew 8628 the trumpet 7782 and said 559, “We have 369 no 369 portion 2506 in David 1732, Nor 3808 do we have inheritance 5159 in the son 1121 of Jesse 3448; Every 376 man 376 to his tents 168, O Israel 3478!”

 20:2 So all 3605 the men 376 of Israel 3478 withdrew 5927 from following 310 David 1732 [and] followed 310 Sheba 7652a the son 1121 of Bichri 1075; but the men 376 of Judah 3063 remained 1692 steadfast 1692 to their king 4428, from the Jordan 3383 even to Jerusalem 3389.

 20:3 ¶ Then David 1732 came 935 to his house 1004 at Jerusalem 3389, and the king 4428 took 3947 the ten 6235 women 802, the concubines 6370 whom 834 he had left 5117 to keep 8104 the house 1004, and placed 5414 them under guard 1004 4931 and provided 3557 them with sustenance 3557, but did not go 935 in to them. So they were shut 6887a up until 5704 the day 3117 of their death 4191, living 2424 as widows 491.

 20:4 ¶ Then the king 4428 said 559 to Amasa 6021, “Call 2199 out the men 376 of Judah 3063 for me within three 7969 days 3117, and be present 5975 here 6311 yourself 859.”

 20:5 So Amasa 6021 went 1980 to call 2199 out [the men of] Judah 3063, but he delayed 309 longer than 4480 the set 4150 time 4150 which 834 he had appointed 3259 him.

 20:6 And David 1732 said 559 to Abishai 52, “Now 6258 Sheba 7652a the son 1121 of Bichri 1075 will do 7489a us more 4480 harm 7489a than 4480 Absalom 53; take 3947 your lord’s 113 servants 5650 and pursue 7291 him, so 6435 that he does not find 4672 for himself fortified 1219 cities 5892b and escape 5337 from our sight 5869.”

 20:7 So Joab’s 3097 men 376 went 3318 out after 310 him, along with the Cherethites 3774 and the Pelethites 6432 and all 3605 the mighty 1368 men 1368; and they went 3318 out from Jerusalem 3389 to pursue 7291 Sheba 7652a the son 1121 of Bichri 1075.

 20:8 When they were at the large 1419 stone 68 which 834 is in Gibeon 1391, Amasa 6021 came 935 to meet 6440 them. Now Joab 3097 was dressed 2296 3830 in his military attire 3830 4055, and over 5921 it was a belt 2290a with a sword 2719 in its sheath 8593 fastened 6775 at his waist 4975; and as he went 3318 forward 3318, it fell 5307 out.

 20:9 Joab 3097 said 559 to Amasa 6021, “Is it well 7965 with you, my brother 251?” And Joab 3097 took 270 Amasa 6021 by the beard 2206 with his right 3225 hand 3027 to kiss 5401a him.

 20:10 But Amasa 6021 was not on guard 8104 against the sword 2719 which 834 was in Joab’s 3097 hand 3027 so he struck 5221 him in the belly 2570 with it and poured 8210 out his inward 4578 parts 4578 on the ground 776, and did not [strike] him again 8138, and he died 4191. Then Joab 3097 and Abishai 52 his brother 251 pursued 7291 Sheba 7652a the son 1121 of Bichri 1075.

 20:11 Now there stood 5975 by him one 376 of Joab’s 3097 young 5288 men 5288, and said 559, “Whoever 4310 834 favors 2654a Joab 3097 and whoever 4310 834 is for David 1732, [let him] follow 310 Joab 3097.”

 20:12 But Amasa 6021 lay 1556 wallowing 1556 in [his] blood 1818 in the middle 8432 of the highway 4546. And when the man 376 saw 7200 that all 3605 the people 5971a stood 5975 still 5975, he removed 5437 Amasa 6021 from the highway 4546 into the field 7704 and threw 7993 a garment 899b over 5921 him when 3512c he saw 7200 that everyone 3605 who came 935 by him stood 5975 still 5975.

 20:13 As soon 3512c as he was removed 3014 from the highway 4546, all 3605 the men 376 passed 5674a on after 310 Joab 3097 to pursue 7291 Sheba 7652a the son 1121 of Bichri 1075.

 20:14 ¶ Now he went 5674a through 5674a all 3605 the tribes 7626 of Israel 3478 to Abel 59, even Beth-maacah 1038, and all 3605 the Berites 1276; and they were gathered 6950 together and also 637 went 935 after 310 him.

 20:15 They came 935 and besieged 6696a 5921 him in Abel 62 Beth-maacah 1038, and they cast 8210 up a siege 5550 ramp 5550 against 413 the city 5892b, and it stood 5975 by the rampart 2426; and all 3605 the people 5971a who 834 were with Joab 3097 were wreaking 7843 destruction 7843 in order to topple 5307 the wall 2346.

 20:16 Then a wise 2450 woman 802 called 7121 from the city 5892b, “Hear 8085, hear 8085! Please 4994 tell 559 Joab 3097, ‘Come 7126 here 5704 2008 that I may speak 1696 with you.’”

 20:17 So he approached 7126 her, and the woman 802 said 559, “Are you Joab 3097?” And he answered 559, “I am.” Then she said 559 to him, “Listen 8085 to the words 1697 of your maidservant 519.” And he answered 559, “I am listening 8085.”

 20:18 Then she spoke 559, saying 559, “Formerly 7223 they used to say 559, ‘They will surely 7592 ask 7592 [advice] at Abel 59,’ and thus 3651 they ended 8552 [the dispute].

 20:19 “I am of those who are peaceable 7999b [and] faithful 539 in Israel 3478. You are seeking 1245 to destroy 4191 a city 5892b, even a mother 517 in Israel 3478. Why 4100 would you swallow 1104 up the inheritance 5159 of the LORD 3068?”

 20:20 Joab 3097 replied 6030a, “Far 2486 be it, far 2486 be it from me that I should swallow 1104 up or destroy 7843!

 20:21 “Such 3651 is not the case 1697. But a man 376 from the hill 2022 country 2022 of Ephraim 669, Sheba 7652a the son 1121 of Bichri 1075 by name 8034, has lifted 5375 up his hand 3027 against King 4428 David 1732. Only 905 hand 5414 him over 5414, and I will depart 1980 from the city 5892b.” And the woman 802 said 559 to Joab 3097, “Behold 2009, his head 7218 will be thrown 7993 to you over 1157 the wall 2346.”

 20:22 Then the woman 802 wisely 2451 came 935 to all 3605 the people 5971a. And they cut 3772 off 3772 the head 7218 of Sheba 7652a the son 1121 of Bichri 1075 and threw 7993 it to Joab 3097. So he blew 8628 the trumpet 7782, and they were dispersed 6327a from the city 5892b, each 376 to his tent 168. Joab 3097 also returned 7725 to the king 4428 at Jerusalem 3389.

 20:23 ¶ Now Joab 3097 was over 413 the whole 3605 army 6635 of Israel 3478, and Benaiah 1141 the son 1121 of Jehoiada 3077 was over 5921 the Cherethites 3774 and the Pelethites 6432;

 20:24 and Adoram 151 was over 5921 the forced 4522 labor 4522, and Jehoshaphat 3092 the son 1121 of Ahilud 286 was the recorder 2142;

 20:25 and Sheva 7724a was scribe 5613b, and Zadok 6659 and Abiathar 54 were priests 3548;

 20:26 and Ira 5896 the Jairite 2972 was also 1571 a priest 3548 to David 1732.