At that place there was a man named Sheba son of Bicri. Sheba was a worthless troublemaker from the tribe of Benjamin. He blew a trumpet to gather the people together and said, "We have no share in David. We have no part in the son of Jesse. Israel, let's all go home."
So all the Israelites left David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the people from Judah stayed with their king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.
David went back to his house in Jerusalem. He had left ten of his slave women to take care of the house. He put these women in a special house. Then he put guards around the house. They stayed in this house until they died. David took care of the women and gave them food, but he did not have sexual relations with them. They lived like widows until they died.
David said to Abishai, "Sheba son of Bicri is more dangerous to us than Absalom was. So take my officers and chase Sheba. Hurry before he gets into cities with walls. If he gets into the well-protected cities, we will not be able to get him."
When Joab and the army came to Big Rock at Gibeon, Amasa came out to meet them. Joab was wearing his uniform. He had on a belt, and his sword was in its sheath. As he was walking toward Amasa, Joab's sword fell out of its sheath. He picked up the sword and was holding it in his hand.
Amasa didn't pay any attention to the sword that was in Joab's hand. Joab stabbed Amasa in the belly with his sword. Amasa's intestines spilled out on the ground. Joab didn't have to stab him again—he was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai resumed the chase after Sheba son of Bicri.
Amasa was there in the middle of road, lying in his own blood. The young soldier noticed that all the people kept stopping to look at the body, so he rolled the body off the road and into the field and covered it with a cloth.
When Joab and his men came to Abel Beth Maacah, they surrounded the town. They piled dirt up against the city wall and began breaking stones out of the wall to make it fall down.
Joab went to talk with the woman. She asked him, "Are you Joab?" Joab answered, "Yes, I am." Then the woman said, "Listen to me." Joab said, "I am listening."
I am one of many peaceful, loyal people in this town. You are trying to destroy an important city of Israel. Why do you want to destroy something that belongs to the Lord?"
But there is a man in your city from the hill country of Ephraim. He is named Sheba son of Bicri. He rebelled against King David. Bring him to me, and I will leave the city alone." The woman said to Joab, "All right. His head will be thrown over the wall to you."
Then the woman spoke very wisely to all the people of the city. They cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it over the city wall to Joab. So Joab blew the trumpet and the army left the city. The soldiers went home, and Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.