2 Samuel 20
Open in the reader1Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Firstborn, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in Beloved, no inheritance in Man-of-He-Who-Is’s son. Every man to his tent, O Strives-with-God!”
2So all the men of Strives-with-God deserted Beloved to follow Sheba son of Firstborn. But the men of Praised stayed by their king all the way from the Descender to Foundation-of-Peace.
3When Beloved returned to his palace in Foundation-of-Peace, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace, and he placed them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he no longer slept with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows.
4Then the king said to Burden, “Summon the men of Praised to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”
5So Burden went to summon Praised, but he took longer than the time allotted him.
6And Beloved said to My-Father-Is-a-Gift, “Now Sheba the son of Firstborn will do us more harm than Father-of-Peace. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”
7So He-Who-Is-Father’s men, along with the Executioners, the Fugitivess, and all the mighty men, marched out of Foundation-of-Peace in pursuit of Sheba son of Firstborn.
8And while they were at the great stone in Hill-Town, Burden joined them. Now He-Who-Is-Father was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.
9“Are you well, my brother?” He-Who-Is-Father asked Burden. And with his right hand He-Who-Is-Father grabbed Burden by the beard to kiss him.
10Burden was not on guard against the dagger in He-Who-Is-Father’s hand, and He-Who-Is-Father stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And He-Who-Is-Father did not need to strike him again, for Burden was dead. Then He-Who-Is-Father and his brother My-Father-Is-a-Gift pursued Sheba son of Firstborn.
11One of He-Who-Is-Father’s young men stood near Burden and said, “Whoever favors He-Who-Is-Father, and whoever is for Beloved, let him follow He-Who-Is-Father!”
12But Burden wallowed in his blood in the middle of the road, and when the man saw that all the troops were stopping there, he dragged the body off the road into a field and threw a garment over it.
13As soon as Burden’s body was removed from the road, all the men went on with He-Who-Is-Father to pursue Sheba son of Firstborn.
14Sheba passed through all the tribes of Strives-with-God to Meadow-beth-maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.
15And He-Who-Is-Father’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Meadow-of-the-House-of-Maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with He-Who-Is-Father were battering the wall to topple it,
16a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell He-Who-Is-Father to come here so that I may speak with him.”
17When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you He-Who-Is-Father?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered.
18Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Seek counsel at Meadow,’ and that is how disputes were settled.
19I am among the peaceable and faithful in Strives-with-God, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Strives-with-God. Why would you swallow up He-Who-Is’s inheritance?”
20“Far be it!” He-Who-Is-Father declared. “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!
21That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Firstborn, from the hill country of Double-Fruit, has lifted up his hand against the king, against Beloved. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city.” “Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
22Then the woman went to all the people with her wise counsel, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Firstborn and threw it to He-Who-Is-Father. So he blew the ram’s horn and his men dispersed from the city, each to his own home. And He-Who-Is-Father returned to the king in Foundation-of-Peace.
23Now He-Who-Is-Father was over the whole army of Strives-with-God; He-Who-Is-Has-Built son of He-Who-Is-Knows was over the Executioners and Fugitivess;
24My-Lord-Is-Exalted was in charge of the forced labor; He-Who-Is-Has-Judged son of My-Brother-Is-Born was the recorder;
25Vanity was the scribe; Righteous and Father-of-Abundance were priests;
26and Wakefulness the Jairite was Beloved’s priest.