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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>2 Samuel 20 New American Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/2_samuel/20.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcc/2_samuel/20-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NABRE</a> > 2 Samuel 20</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../2_samuel/19.htm" title="2 Samuel 19">◄</a> 2 Samuel 20 <a href="../2_samuel/21.htm" title="2 Samuel 21">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New American Bible Revised Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><section id="ch10020" class="chapter"> <h1 id="cn10020" class="cn"></h1> <p class="pf"><span class="hemb">Sheba’s Rebellion.</span> <span id="v10020001" class="ver">1</span>Now a scoundrel named Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He sounded the horn and cried out,</p> <div class="senseline"> <p class="slf">“We have no share in David,</p> <p class="sl1">nor any heritage in the son of Jesse.</p> <p class="sl1l">Everyone to your tents, O Israel!”<a id="ren10020001-a" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10020001-a">a</a></p> </div> <p class="pcon"><span id="v10020002" class="ver">2</span>So all the Israelites left David to follow Sheba, son of Bichri. But the Judahites, from the Jordan to Jerusalem, remained loyal to their king. <span id="v10020003" class="ver">3</span>David came to his house in Jerusalem, and the king took the ten concubines whom he had left behind to care for the palace and placed them under guard. He provided for them, but never again saw them. And so they remained shut away to the day of their death, lifelong widows.<a id="ren10020003-b" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10020003-b">b</a></p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">Amasa’s Death.</span> <span id="v10020004" class="ver">4</span>Then the king said to Amasa: “Summon the Judahites for me within three days. Then present yourself here.”<a id="ren10020004-c" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10020004-c">c</a> <span id="v10020005" class="ver">5</span>Accordingly Amasa set out to summon Judah, but delayed beyond the time set for him. <span id="v10020006" class="ver">6</span>Then David said to Abishai: “Sheba, son of Bichri, may now do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find fortified cities and take shelter while we look on.” <span id="v10020007" class="ver">7</span>So Joab and the Cherethites and Pelethites and all the warriors marched out behind Abishai from Jerusalem to campaign in pursuit of Sheba, son of Bichri.<a id="ren10020007-d" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10020007-d">d</a> <span id="v10020008" class="ver">8</span><a id="rfn10020008-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn10020008-1">*</a> They were at the great stone in Gibeon when Amasa met them. Now Joab had a belt over his tunic, from which was slung a sword in its sheath at his thigh; the sword would slide out downwards.<a id="ren10020008-e" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10020008-e">e</a> <span id="v10020009" class="ver">9</span>Joab asked Amasa, “Is everything all right, my brother?” and with his right hand held Amasa’s beard as if to kiss him. <span id="v10020010" class="ver">10</span>And since Amasa was not on his guard against the sword in Joab’s other hand, Joab stabbed him in the abdomen with it, so that his entrails burst forth to the ground, and he died; there was no second thrust. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba, son of Bichri.<a id="ren10020010-f" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10020010-f">f</a> <span id="v10020011" class="ver">11</span>One of Joab’s attendants stood by Amasa and said, “Let him who favors Joab and is for David follow Joab.” <span id="v10020012" class="ver">12</span>Amasa lay covered with blood in the middle of the highroad, and the man noticed that all the soldiers were stopping. So he rolled Amasa away from the road to the field and spread a garment over him, because he saw how all who came upon him were stopping. <span id="v10020013" class="ver">13</span>When he had been removed from the road, everyone went on after Joab in pursuit of Sheba, son of Bichri.</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">Joab Pursues Sheba.</span> <span id="v10020014" class="ver">14</span>Sheba had passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth-maacah. Then all the Bichrites assembled and they too entered the city after him. <span id="v10020015" class="ver">15</span>So all Joab’s troops came and besieged him in Abel Beth-maacah. They built up a mound against the city, so that it stood against the rampart, and were battering the wall to knock it down. <span id="v10020016" class="ver">16</span>Then a wise woman from the city called out, “Listen, listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, so I can speak with you.’ ” <span id="v10020017" class="ver">17</span>When Joab had come near her, the woman said, “Are you Joab?” And he replied, “Yes.” She said to him, “Listen to what your servant has to say.” He replied, “I am listening.” <span id="v10020018" class="ver">18</span>Then she went on to say: “There is a saying from long ago,<a id="rfn10020018-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn10020018-1">*</a> ‘Let them ask if they will in Abel or in Dan whether loyalty is finished <span id="v10020019" class="ver">19</span>or ended in Israel.’ You are seeking to batter down a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you wish to swallow up the heritage of the <span class="tetr">Lord</span>?”<a id="ren10020019-g" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10020019-g">g</a> <span id="v10020020" class="ver">20</span>Joab answered, “Not at all, not at all! I do not wish to swallow or batter anything. <span id="v10020021" class="ver">21</span>That is not the case at all. A man from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name is Sheba, son of Bichri, has rebelled against King David. Give him up, just him, and I will withdraw from the city.” Then the woman said to Joab, “His head shall be thrown to you across the wall.” <span id="v10020022" class="ver">22</span>In her wisdom, the woman went to all the people, and they cut off the head of Sheba, son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. He then sounded the horn, and they scattered from the city to their own tents, while Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">David’s Officials.</span> <span id="v10020023" class="ver">23</span>Joab was in command of the whole army of Israel. Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was in command of the Cherethites and Pelethites.<a id="ren10020023-h" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10020023-h">h</a> <span id="v10020024" class="ver">24</span>Adoram was in charge of the forced labor. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was the chancellor. <span id="v10020025" class="ver">25</span>Shawsha was the scribe. Zadok and Abiathar were priests.<a id="ren10020025-i" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en10020025-i">i</a> <span id="v10020026" class="ver">26</span>Ira the Jairite was also David’s priest.</p> </section> <br /><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="intro.htm"><span class="ac">Book Introduction</span></a></h1><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="footnotes.htm"><span class="ac">Footnotes</span></a></h1></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the <i>New American Bible, revised edition</i> © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../2_samuel/19.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="2 Samuel 19"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="2 Samuel 19" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../2_samuel/21.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="2 Samuel 21"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="2 Samuel 21" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchap.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>