¹⁷ But ^(A)Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, ^(B)“You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the ^(C)lamp of Israel.”

³⁶ And to his son I will give one tribe, that ^(A)My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there.

^3 (A)But the people answered, “You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us now. For you are now more help to us in the city.”

⁴ Nevertheless ^(A)for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem;

⁶ And David said to ^(A)Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take ^(B)your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find for himself fortified cities, and escape us.” ⁷ So Joab’s men, with the ^(C)Cherethites, the Pelethites, and ^(D)all the mighty men, went out after him. And they went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. ⁸ When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came before them. Now Joab was dressed in battle armor; on it was a belt with a sword fastened in its sheath at his hips; and as he was going forward, it fell out. ⁹ Then Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, my brother?” ^(E)And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. ¹⁰ But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab’s hand. And ^(F)he struck him with it ^(G)in the stomach, and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike him again. Thus he died.

Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.

³⁵ He was the burning and ^(A)shining lamp, and ^(B)you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.

⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that ^(A)Light. ^9 (B)That^[a] was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.