2nd Shamu'AL (2 Samuel) — 20
The Revolt of Shaba
1 There happened to be a troublemaker there named Shaba son of Bykri, a man from the tribe of Banyamin. Shaba blew a ram’s horn and began to chant: “Down with the dynasty of Daud! We have no interest in the son of Yassa. Come on, you men of Yashar'AL, back to your homes!”
2 So all the men of Yashar'AL deserted Daud and followed Shaba son of Bykri. But the men of Yahudah stayed with their king and escorted him from the Yurdan River to Yahushalam.
3 When Daud came to his palace in Yahushalam, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and placed them in seclusion. Their needs were provided for, but he no longer slept with them. So each of them lived like a widow until they died.
4 Then the king told Amasa, “Mobilize the army of Yahudah within three days, and report back at that time.”
5 So Amasa went out to notify Yahudah, but it took him longer than the time he had been given.
6 Then Daud said to Abishai, “Shaba son of Bykri is going to hurt us more than Absalom did. Quick, take my troops and chase after him before he gets into a fortified town where we can not reach him.”
7 So Abishai and Yuab, together with the king’s bodyguard and all the mighty warriors, set out from Yahushalam to go after Shaba.
8 As they arrived at the great stone in Gibaun, Amasa met them. Yuab was wearing his military tunic with a dagger strapped to his belt. As he stepped forward to greet Amasa, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.
9 “How are you, my cousin?” Yuab said and took him by the beard with his right hand as though to kiss him.
10 Amasa did not notice the dagger in his left hand, and Yuab stabbed him in the stomach with it so that his insides gushed out onto the ground. Yuab did not need to strike again, and Amasa soon died. Yuab and his brother Abishai left him lying there and continued after Shaba.
11 One of Yuab’s young men shouted to Amasa’s troops, “If you are for Yuab and Daud, come and follow Yuab.”
12 But Amasa lay in his blood in the middle of the road, and Yuab’s man saw that everyone was stopping to stare at him. So he pulled him off the road into a field and threw a cloak over him.
13 With Amasa’s body out of the way, everyone went on with Yuab to capture Shaba son of Bykri.
14 Meanwhile, Shaba traveled through all the tribes of Yashar'AL and eventually came to the town of Abal-bath-maacah. All the members of his own clan, the Bykrites, assembled for battle and followed him into the town.
15 When Yuab’s forces arrived, they attacked Abal-bath-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the town’s fortifications and began battering down the wall.
16 But a wise woman in the town called out to Yuab, “Listen to me, Yuab. Come over here so I can talk to you.”
17 As he approached, the woman asked, “Are you Yuab? “yes I am Yuab,” he replied. So she said, “Listen carefully to your servant.”
18 Then she continued, “There used to be a saying, ‘If you want to settle an argument, ask advice at the town of Abal.’
19 I am one who is Shalum loving and faithful in Yashar'AL. But you are destroying an important town in Yashar'AL. Why do you want to devour what belongs to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH?”
20 And Yuab replied, “Believe me, I do not want to devour or destroy your town!
21 That’s not my purpose. All I want is a man named Shaba son of Bykri from the hill country of Aphraim, who has revolted against King Daud. If you hand over this one man to me, I will leave the town in Shalum. “All right,” the woman replied, “we will throw his head over the wall to you.”
22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it out to Yuab. So he blew the ram’s horn and called his troops back from the attack. They all returned to their homes, and Yuab returned to the king at Yahushalam.
23 Now Yuab was the commander of the army of Yashar'AL. Banayahu son of Yahuiada was captain of the king’s bodyguard.
24 Aduniram was in charge of forced labor. Yahushaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian.
25 Shaba was the court secretary. Zaduk and Abiathar were the Kuhanym.
26 And Ira, a descendant of Yair, was Daud’s personal Kuhan.