Sheba Rebels Against David

20 Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted,

² So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

³ When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines^(D) he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but had no sexual relations with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.

⁴ Then the king said to Amasa,^(E) “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.” ⁵ But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.

⁶ David said to Abishai,^(F) “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”^{[a] 7} So Joab’s men and the Kerethites^(G) and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

⁸ While they were at the great rock in Gibeon,^(H) Amasa came to meet them. Joab^(I) was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.

⁹ Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. ¹⁰ Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger^(J) in Joab’s^(K) hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri.

¹¹ One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!” ¹² Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt^(L) there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him. ¹³ After Amasa had been removed from the road, everyone went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

¹⁴ Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maakah and through the entire region of the Bikrites,^[b](M) who gathered together and followed him. ¹⁵ All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maakah.^(N) They built a siege ramp^(O) up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down, ¹⁶ a wise woman^(P) called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.” ¹⁷ He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”

“I am,” he answered.

She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

¹⁸ She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it. ¹⁹ We are the peaceful^(Q) and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”^(R)

²⁰ “Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy! ²¹ That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from the city.”

The woman said to Joab, “His head^(S) will be thrown to you from the wall.”

²² Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice,^(T) and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

David’s Officials

²³ Joab^(U) was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; ²⁴ Adoniram^[c](V) was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat^(W) son of Ahilud was recorder; ²⁵ Sheva was secretary; Zadok^(X) and Abiathar were priests; ²⁶ and Ira the Jairite^[d] was David’s priest.

The Collection for the Lord’s People

8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian^(A) churches. ² In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.^{(B) 3} For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,^(C) and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing^(D) in this service^(E) to the Lord’s people.^{(F) 5} And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. ⁶ So we urged^(G) Titus,^(H) just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion^(I) this act of grace on your part. ⁷ But since you excel in everything^(J)—in faith, in speech, in knowledge,^(K) in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you^[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

⁸ I am not commanding you,^(L) but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. ⁹ For you know the grace^(M) of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(N) that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,^(O) so that you through his poverty might become rich.^(P)

¹⁰ And here is my judgment^(Q) about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.^{(R) 11} Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness^(S) to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. ¹² For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has,^(T) not according to what one does not have.

¹³ Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. ¹⁴ At the present time your plenty will supply what they need,^(U) so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, ¹⁵ as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”^[b](V)