2 Samuel 20:8-19
English Standard Version
Chapter 20
8When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier 's garment, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh, and as he went forward it fell out. 9And Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab 's hand. So Joab struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
11And one of Joab 's young men took his stand by Amasa and said, "Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab."
12And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. And anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field and threw a garment over him.
13When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
14And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and all the Bichrites assembled and followed him in.
15And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah. They cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall to throw it down.
16Then a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you.’"
17And he came near her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" He answered, "I am." Then she said to him, "Listen to the words of your servant." And he answered, "I am listening."
18Then she said, "They used to say in former times, ‘Let them but ask counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a matter.
19I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord?"
