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The Blue Letter Bible

2 Samuel 20 :: New International Version (NIV)

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Sheba Rebels Against David

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:1

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:1 - Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, “We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, Israel!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:2

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:2 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:3

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:3 - When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:4

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:4 - Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:5

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:5 - But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:6

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:6 - David said to Abishai, “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.”[fn]

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:7

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:7 - So Joab’s men and the Kerethites 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:8

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:8 - While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:9

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:9 - Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:10

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:10 - Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:11

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:11 - One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:12

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:12 - Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:13

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:13 - After Amasa had been removed from the road, everyone went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:14

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:14 - Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maakah and through the entire region of the Bikrites,[fn] who gathered together and followed him.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:15

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:15 - All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maakah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down,

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:16

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:16 - a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:17

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:17 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:18

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:18 - She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:19

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:19 - We are the peaceful 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?”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:20

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:20 - “Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:21

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:21 - 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 will be thrown to you from the wall.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:22

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:22 - Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, 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

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:23

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:23 - Joab was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:24

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:24 - Adoniram[fn] was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:25

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:25 - Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 20:26

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 20:26 - and Ira the Jairite[fn] was David’s priest.
See the NIV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NIV Footnotes
Or and do us serious injury
See Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew Berites.
Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Kings 4:6 and 5:14); Hebrew Adoram
Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 23:38) Ithrite
NIV

HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the NIV Preface.

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2 Samuel Chapter 20 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras