A trumpet call from Sheba the son of Bichri splits Israel from Judah, and across 26 verses Joab restores David’s rule by the sword and by a wise woman’s counsel.
Full sung version coming soon.
Lyrics
There happened to be there a wicked fellow whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite And he blew the trumpet and said, We have no portion in David Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse
Every man to his tents, Israel So all the men of Israel went up from following David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri But the men of Judah joined with their king from the Jordan even to Jerusalem David came to his house at Jerusalem and the king took the ten women his concubines
Whom he had left to keep the house and put them in custody And provided them with sustenance but didn’t go in to them So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood Then the king said to Amasa, Call me the men of Judah together within three days
And be here present So Amasa went to call the men of Judah together but he stayed longer than the set time Which had been appointed to him David said to Abishai, Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did
Take your lord’s servants and pursue after him lest he get himself fortified cities And escape out of our sight Joab’s men went out after him with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men And they went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri
When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them Joab was clothed in his apparel of war that he had put on and on it was a sash with a sword Fastened on his waist in its sheath and as he went along it fell out Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with you, my brother
Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand So he struck him with it in the body and shed out his bowels to the ground And didn’t strike him again and he died
Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri One of Joab’s young men stood by him and said, He who favors Joab and he who is for David Let him follow Joab Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway
When the man saw that all the people stood still he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field And cast a garment over him when he saw that everyone who came by him stood still When he was removed out of the highway all the people went on after Joab To pursue Sheba the son of Bichri
He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel to Beth Maacah and all the Berites They were gathered together and went also after him They came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah and they cast up a mound against the city And it stood against the rampart
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2 Samuel 20 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.